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Diamond Corp and the Alterra Group of Companies have submitted an application to the City of Toronto via Urban Strategies for Zoning By-law Amendment at 50 and 64 Merton Street, on the north side of Merton, east of Yonge in Davisville Village within Midtown Toronto. If approved, a 39-storey condominium tower would replace the two existing buildings on the site.
The site currently contains two buildings, including the three-storey Girl Guides of Canada headquarters at 50 Merton Street, and a two storey commercial building at 64 Merton Street currently known as the Al Green Gallery. Both buildings would be demolished to permit the proposed 39-storey mixed-use building, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects.
Immediately to the north of the site, at 45 Balliol Street, is an 18-storey rental apartment building and 2-storey townhomes. It is also subject to planning application for a 39-storey building which you can read about here.
To the south of the site across Merton is Janet Magee Manor, a Toronto Community Housing seniors’ apartment building. Immediately adjacent to the site to the east is a 13-storey, 143-unit condominium building at 68 Merton. Immediately adjacent to the west is a 4-storey above-grade commercial parking garage at 30 Merton, which was recently approved for replacement with a 37-storey mixed-use development.
The proposal consists of a 39-storey tower integrated with a varied four-to-five-storey podium that is consistent with the podium scale of the adjacent 13-storey building at 68 Merton to the east, as well as the podium of the approved tall tower development at 30 Merton to the west. The podium accommodates 2,342m² of office space on the ground and second floors, as well as a residential lobby, servicing functions, and common amenity space, with residential units commencing at the third floor. the total proposed GFA is 31,668m², with an FSI of 11.78.
The strong angles in the lower podium are a result of connecting the building façade with the adjacent context. The existing building to the east at 68 Merton, and the approved high-rise to the west at 30 Merton, present two different building typologies that the 50 Metro proposal seeks to bridge; the counter angle of the ground floor is meant to encourage entry into the site, and, according to the planning application, results in a wider, more-comfortable and partially-covered pedestrian realm. The angled expression carries up the podium; most of the tower is wrapped with angled glass railings, while angled projections occur both vertically and horizontally across the tower face, meant to add visual interest and refracting light throughout the day and night.
Overall, approximately 443 residential units are proposed, including a range of one-bedroom (60%), two-bedroom (30%), and three-bedroom (10%) units. The typical tower floor plate size is 793m², with the tower being rectangular in shape and oriented in a north-south manner, and meant to reduce shadow impacts on the surrounding areas.
The proposal contains a total of 1,282m² of common amenity space, located at the fifth floor level, including 802m² of indoor amenity space and 487m² of outdoor amenity space. 114 parking spaces would be provided on two levels of underground parking, including 26 visitor and office parking spaces, and 88 resident parking spaces. A total of 456 bicycle parking spaces are provided in secure indoor rooms located at the ground floor and mezzanine levels.
Underground parking is accessed via a driveway and motor court extending along the east side of the site off Merton. In addition to the underground parking garage, the motor court provides access to a pick-up/drop-off area, and internalized short-term and long-term bicycle parking.
The site is situated within Midtown Toronto, and is located approximately 400 metres, or a five-minute walk, from the Davisville subway station on TTC Line 1, providing north-south transportation. The site is also within walking distance of several TTC bus routes, and is also in one station from the Crosstown LRT (at Eglinton station) that is scheduled to open in 2022, and will provide east-west connectivity through the City.
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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This story has been republished to reflect a correction to the name of a development partner.
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