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First Capital has submitted applications to the City of Toronto for Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Approval for a site located on the northeast corner of Bloor Street West and Spadina Road. If approved, a 37-storey mixed-use, infill development designed by BDP Quadrangle will rise on the site, notable for an exoskeleton expressed on its exterior.
The proposed development at 328 Bloor Street West would be comprised of an eight-storey podium with retail uses at grade, topped with a 29-storey residential tower. The overall building height would be 114.92 metres including its mechanical penthouse. At the ground level, the retail area fronting Bloor is proposed to be 628m² in area. The overall development would have a total gross floor area of 31,231m² with an FSI of 14.09.
The assembled site is currently home to a single-storey bank and a three-storey building that has ground floor commercial uses that include shops and restaurants along with rental apartments above.
Immediately north of the site is Spadina subway station, which is an interchange station between lines 1 and 2 of the TTC subway system, the 510 Spadina streetcar, and Davenport 127 buses. Immediately east of the site is 316 Bloor Street West, which currently consists of a three-storey office building and gated parking lot, but where an approved development application will result in a 29-storey mixed-use building with condominium units and commercial space at grade. Immediately south of the site (at the southeast corner of Bloor and Spadina) is Matt Cohen Park. Immediately west of the site at the northwest corner of Bloor and Spadina is a three-storey retail/office building and six-storey office building at 350 Bloor Street West. This site is currently subject to a rezoning application to construct a 35-storey mixed-use building with a six storey podium, and retail at grade.
The residential entrance of the 328 Bloor West proposal is at the northwest corner of the site, next to Spadina Station. The building has a total unit count of 366 units of which approximately 39% will be family-sized, two or three-bedroom units. The mix consists of 221 one-bedrooms (60%), 107 two-bedrooms (29%), and 38 three-bedrooms (11%). A total of 793.46m² of indoor amenity space is also proposed on the 3rd, 9th, and 19th floors.
The ground floor also includes a POPS (Privately Owned Publicly accessible Space) of 91m² along Bloor, and 450m² along a proposed woonerf, or "living street," which would establish a mid-block north-south connection to Paul Martel Park. The podium is designed to increase the width of the sidewalk from the east to the west approaching the corner of Bloor and Spadina. The increased pedestrian realm is intended to function as a POPS framed by the architectural pillars extending from the proposed building.
The second floor is intended to be utilized for bicycle storage, providing 402 resident bicycle spaces and 45 visitor spaces. The third floor includes 272m² of outdoor amenity space along the north side of the site podium and approximately 85m² of indoor amenity fitness area for the residents. The third floor would also contain eight residential units. Floors four through eight are proposed to include 13 residential units per floor, as well as suite lockers. The 9th floor is where the typical tower floor plate begins.
Vehicular access is proposed through the woonerf connection to Madison Avenue along the eastern extension of the site, providing access to the underground parking ramp and garbage/loading area. A total of 61 parking spaces are proposed within a 2-level underground garage, including 3 accessible parking spaces. The developer argues that a reduced number of parking spaces is a function of the availability of subway, streetcars, and buses within minimal walking distance of the building.
You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | BDP Quadrangle, First Capital, MHBC Planning, NAK Design Strategies |
