Last summer, Oulahen Team Realty Inc submitted a proposal to the City of Toronto for three residential towers that would span over two separate parcels of land in Willowdale – a larger assembly for which the City assigned a chief address of 48 Avondale Avenue, and a smaller assembly of properties for which the City assigned 17 Bales Avenue as the chief address. The two parcels were within the block bounded by Avondale Avenue, Bales Avenue, Glendora Avenue and Tradewind Avenue, which is just southeast of Yonge and Sheppard, where two subway lines meet. Separating the two land assemblies: a single property located at 37 Glendora Avenue. 

Former footprint of detached sites, image retrieved from submission to City

As a result of the holdout, the Turner Fleischer Architects-designed proposal left the individual house 'landlocked' between 37 and 40-storey towers. Sometimes referred to as a nail house, other examples exist in Toronto and around the world. Here, the CityLights development at Redpath and Broadway in Midtown was built around a holdout, while a holdout in Seattle was famously tied to the beginning sequences of the Pixar movie 'Up.'

Original proposal, view from north, image retrieved from submission to City

Since last summer's first submission to the City, however, the owner of 37 Glendora decided they would no longer hold out, and sold to Oulahen. Now including the standout property, the revised proposal has been adjusted to conjoin the previously separated towers. At the same time, the tallest tower which was previously proposed at 40 storeys / 129.25m has now been upped to 42 storeys / 135.35m. (The shorter two towers remain at 37 and 26 storeys, but tweaks have been made to their heights, increasing 118.9m and 85.85m to 120.6m and 87.55m.) The total unit count has increased to a greater degree, however. While the 26 tower still has 260 units proposed in it, the 42-storey tower has gone from 434 to 441 units, and the 37-storey tower has gone from 352 to 436 units. The proposed parking count increased from 501 to 546 spaces.

New proposal, view from northeast, image retrieved from submission to City

Another property on the same block at 63 Glendora Avenue is also owned by Oulahen, but is not a part of this application, but it is that 63 Glendora Avenue may be proposed as an off-site parkland dedication associated with the development. This will likely be discussed with the City during the planning process of this application.

The total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of the proposal after the revision is 74,366m² with a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 10.36 and has a total of 1,137 residential units, which are proposed in a mix of 713 one-bedrooms (63%), 310 two-bedrooms (27%), and 114 three-bedrooms (10%). 

New attached footprint of site, image retrieved from submission to City

The development is proposed to be phased, with the 37-storey building and the 26-storey building being the first phase, and the 42-storey building being part of the second phase. The buildings would incorporate a stepped 7-storey podium. Indoor amenity space is to be provided on the ground floor, the 5th floor, and the 7th floor. Outdoor amenity space is proposed on the 5th and 7th levels, on the roof of the podium.

Site plan, image retrieved from submission to City

Driveway access to the first phase buildings is proposed from Glendora Avenue, providing vehicular access to three levels of below grade parking, drop off areas, and service areas for loading and garbage pick-up. Driveway access to the second phase building is proposed from Bales Avenue in the southwest corner of the site, and also provide access to the garage and drop off areas. Covered service areas would be located on the south side of the second phase building for loading and garbage pick-up.

48 Avondale Avenue designed by Turner Felischer Architects for Oulahen Team Realty Inc

The site is located approximately 240 metres or about a 5 minute walk to the Sheppard subway station entrance at Anndale Avenue, while there are also four TTC bus routes available within walking distance of the site. 

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:  Counterpoint Engineering, EQ Building Performance Inc., Ferris + Associates Inc., Goldberg Group, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, Turner Fleischer Architects