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Plans put forth by Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT for a 52-storey Bjarke Ingels Group-designed office tower have evolved in a recent resubmission to the City of Toronto. Union Centre, slated for an unorthodox site at Lower Simcoe Street and Station Street just west of Union Station, made waves in March, 2019 when visuals for the terraced and greenery-infused development were first revealed. Now, Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications have been resubmitted, outlining a more acute level of design detail and some key changes following feedback from City staff and the Design Review Panel.
A City Council-approved scheme to build a 48-storey office tower on the property predates the current proposal, which would be built over the privately-owned Station Street. The property also includes the SkyWalk to the south and the seven-storey data centre at 171 Front Street West to the north. While the SkyWalk will be largely rebuilt and integrated into the base of Union Centre, the highly sensitive data centre is staying put (and unchanged), leaving a narrow but manageable space for the landmark tower to rise.
The proposal was presented to the Design Review Panel in September, 2019 where panelists drew attention to a number of elements of the design, including the width of the building and the viability of its abundant green roofs. Comments were also directed towards optimizing the pedestrian experience of Station Street, which currently functions as a nondescript access point for parking and loading.
The revised plan reduces the total gross floor area from 151,069 m² to 149,044 m². The change in GFA results from the removal of the proposed live performance venue, which has been partially replaced by retail uses in the upper levels of the podium. While the venue will continue to be considered as a potential component of the project, the "uncertainty around demand for large-scale live performance venues" informs the decision to exclude it from this iteration of the design.
With the live performance venue tentatively shelved, the retail program has increased its presence from 1,478 to 2,722 m², and total office space has also expanded from 103,867 to 105,245 m².
An expansion of the abutting data centre has been allocated additional space as well, with 8,337 m² contemplated across five floors, slightly more than the 8,199 m² initially contemplated.
The main lobby entrance has been moved to Lower Simcoe Street to replace the data centre entrance, which has been relocated to Station Street and reduced in size to allow for additional retail and pedestrian animation. The ground-level setback has increased and the height of the forecourt has doubled from six to 12 metres, creating a more prominent entrance fixture.
Station Street will be afforded a wider pedestrian realm compared to the previous submission, providing a 2.1 to 4.2-metre clearway on the south side of the corridor. A reduction in the width of vehicle lanes from 6.5 to 6 metres gives additional space to the pedestrian realm, coupled with the relocation of the vehicular ramp for underground access further west. Three levels of parking provide 98 new vehicular spaces and 443 bicycle stalls.
The revised scheme maintains the PATH connection through the site, with the relocated office entrance providing a more accessible entrance to the network from Lower Simcoe Street. A future bridge connection to the InterContinental Hotel and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre has shifted from level three to two, providing a more seamless connection to and from the UP Express and the link to Union Station.
The tower itself has also undergone some alterations, including the building height, which has increased from 266.7 to 274.2 metres. The number of storeys remains at 52, with the height jump mostly stemming from an increase in the heights of the mechanical floors. The height of the east podium has also increased to match the height of the office lobby, supporting a continuous retail stretch and also potentially accommodating the live performance venue.
Despite criticisms levied by City staff at the 91.5-metre east-west width of the building—which staff had requested be reduced to 72.5 metres—it remains unchanged. One of the building's proposed signature elements, a linear core of elevators positioned along the northern facade to maximize efficiency of the floor plates, also remains untouched. The elevator cars are expected to be illuminated at night, visible through the translucent glazing of the envelope.
The resubmission will be accompanied by a Site Plan Approval application at a later date.
Additional information and images can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment below.
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| Related Companies: | Kramer Design Associates Limited |
