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A proposal for an eight-storey apartment building at 15 Glen Morris Street would provide additional housing options for students at the University of Toronto's St George Campus. An application for Site Plan Approval was submitted by Thornhill-based developer CoStone Group in early July seeking permission to develop an eight-storey apartment building on a property currently characterized by the vacant 1878-built Samuel Bennett House, which would be partially retained and incorporated into the development.
The site, located immediately east of U of T's Graduate House, was previously subject to Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications filed by a prior owner. The applications were approved by the then-OMB in 2005, allowing the development of an eight-storey apartment building containing 18 units and 1,850 square metres of residential gross floor area.
The proposed ARK Inc.-designed development is in keeping with the permissions granted 15 years ago, calling for 17 units over an eight-storey volume with 1,586 m² of residential space.
The signature element of the development is the proposed integration of the Samuel Bennett House, which contains five vacant dwelling units and a rear detached garage. The property was listed on the Heritage Register in April, 2017 and given full designation under the Ontario Heritage Act three months later. The designation protects numerous exterior features, including the orientation and placement of the building, the brick north elevation and the stucco east, west, and south elevations, and the scale, form, and massing of the building, with its gable roof, gable dormer, and verandah. Although now recognized as a building with heritage value, the property has fallen into disrepair in recent years.
According to the materials submitted in support of the Site Plan Approval application, Heritage Preservation Services is of the opinion that removal and commemoration of the building "would not be entertained by the City at all." Rather, "a plan for integration of key elements" needs to be formulated for any proposal to move forward on the site.
Based on the City's direction, the proposal would either retain and restore or rebuild the designated heritage portions. The rear wing would be fully removed under the plan to accommodate the new building and address the structural deficiencies of the existing house. An axonometric diagram included below highlights the proposed conservation approach to the building.
The new building would house one unit from floors two to six with either six or seven bedrooms in each. The residences would contain shared kitchen facilities, with each bedroom having private washrooms. Floors seven and eight are proposed to house six dwelling units with one bedroom each and standalone culinary and sanitary facilities.
The building's ground floor, accessed from Glen Morris Street via the retained Samuel Bennett House, holds the vestibule, lobby, mail room, waste room, and a residents' lounge. Two underground levels would contain amenities, including recreation areas, a laundry room, and bicycle storage. A total of 42 bicycle parking spaces are proposed.
15 Glen Morris is the latest in a chorus of infill and student residence development proposals on the St George Campus. A 10-storey residential project at 40-56 Harbord Street was proposed late last year, and looks to add 140 units and 204 beds to the university's housing stock. A three-storey development at 364 Huron Street also submitted in 2019 consists of a two-unit, 11-bedroom program that includes a laneway suite.
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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