4.2K 
The Scott Mission has applied for a Zoning By-law Amendment to redevelop their site on Spadina Avenue in Downtown Toronto with a nine-storey, mixed-use building designed by Kasian. The new building would allow the charity to significantly expand their services while also adding new affordable rental housing to the site.
The site is located at 502 Spadina Avenue Downtown on the west side of the street, north of College, and south of Spadina Crescent. Currently onsite are two buildings occupied by The Scott Mission which are proposed to be demolished. The buildings contain services such as a mens shelter, worship space, food bank, and other amenities to serve the public. Neither building is listed on the Heritage Register nor designated under the Heritage Act.
To the east of the site across Spadina is the CAMH head office and research centre surrounded by buildings of the University of Toronto's St George Campus. To the northeast, the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture can be found in the former Knox College heritage building in the centre of Spadina Crescent. There is a new 15-storey rental building immediately to the south, while further south is Chinatown and the Kensington Market area. To the immediate west is architecturally notable Lord Lansdowne Public School, with low-density residential uses and a few apartment buildings of Harbord Village beyond.
Under the Open Door Affordable Housing Program, Toronto City Council has provided The Scott Mission Redevelopment with an exemption from payment of development charges, building permits, parkland levies, planning application fees, and municipal property taxes.
The proposal demolishes and redevelops the existing buildings onsite. The Scott Mission would operate in non-residential gross floor area of 5,380m² in the podium and basement levels of the new building, continuing to provide community and social services including a food bank, clothing bank, shelter, and more. Above would be 6,255m² of residential gross floor area providing 109 new affordable rental units.
The redeveloped building would also allow the Scott Mission to increase the shelter space from 10 beds in the current building to 85 in the new one, while the two level basement levels would provide more space for offices, meeting rooms, utility rooms, and more.
Of the 109 affordable units located on floors 4 through 9, 99 units are studios with 24 of those units to be barrier free, 5 units are one-bedrooms, and 5 are two-bedrooms with 2 of those being barrier free. The proposal includes a total of 151 bicycle parking spaces and 5 vehicular parking spaces.
There is 444m² of indoor amenity space planned plus 237m² of outdoor amenity space located on the rooftop terrace. The proposal has an FSI of 5.13.
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.
* * *
UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insider here.
