Fieldgate Urban is advancing a plan submitted to the City of Toronto for a mixed-use condominium and townhome development on Sheppard just a bit west of Yonge. The building would be built in a transition zone where the recent high-rises of North York City Centre blend into the low-rise Lansing neighbourhood. UrbanToronto last reported on this site in 2017. Then site owner Grmada Holdings had first proposed a 14-storey redevelopment here in 2015, which the City rejected. Appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (known as the Ontario Municipal Board at the time), the development was approved by the OMB, but the site remained undeveloped. Since that time, ownership, planning rules, and the housing market have all changed.

Fieldgate Urban through Sheppard Bogert Developments picked up the site in May, 2020, and submitted a new proposal in 2021, stating “no major modifications have been made to the plan from what was previously provided and discussed," however the proposal is now larger. Documents with the latest submission for Site Plan Approval declare that “additional detail has been added in support of the terms of reference for the SPA.”

Looking southeast to 53-63 Sheppard West, image by IBI Group

The 4,300 m² lot in question is located a block and a half west of Yonge Street, just west of Beecroft Road and Albert Standing Parkette, on the south side of the street at 53 through 63 Sheppard Avenue West plus 62 through 68 Bogert Avenue to the south. The new development would replace a vacant 2-storey brick building on Sheppard and 4 detached residential dwellings on Bogert.

Situated just beyond the high-rise North York 'Growth Centre' designated under the City of Toronto's Official Plan, the north side of the site is designated as an 'Avenue,' while the Bogert frontage is part of a residential 'Neighbourhood.'

Looking southwest to 53-63 Sheppard West, image by IBI Group

To negotiate the differing (and adjacent) contexts, architects IBI Group have designed a 16-storey residential building on Sheppard alongside a four-storey stacked townhouse component fronting the quieter Bogert Avenue. The total GFA is 22,200m², for a floor space index of 5.16 (FSI) times the area of the lot. 

Ground floor plan of 53-63 Sheppard West, image by IBI Group

As illustrated above, the condo residential entrance is still located at the northwest corner. Compared to more retail in the 2017 scheme, only 200m² of retail space is proposed this time, with the retail entrance situated at the building’s northeast corner. Between the two is a generous amount of indoor amenity space occupying the bulk of the ground floor and connected to outdoor amenity space in the courtyard between the two building components.

Typical floor plan 8th-14th floors of 53-63 Sheppard West, image by IBI Group

Residential units begin on the 2nd floor (with the remaining indoor amenity space) and continue upwards. The building is composed of largely narrow, deep units straddling an interior corridor - illustrated above. On the two uppermost floors, however, the units are set back from the building face below and have with wider floor plans/layouts and exterior terraces that wrap the entire building perimeter.

North-South building section of 53-63 Sheppard West, image by IBI Group

The 16-storey building is now planned with 372 units, while 9 townhouse suites are planned for Bogert Avenue. In contrast, the earlier proposal was planned for 182 units, and 8 townhouse suites, a difference of +50% more units.

The total unit count of 381 is broken down into a mix of 285 one-bedrooms (75%), 57 two-bedrooms (15%), 30 three-bedrooms (8%), and 9 townhouses (2%). Complementing the residential units is 1,524m² of amenity space, equally split between indoor and outdoor space.

Looking south to 53-63 Sheppard West, image by IBI Group

According to the SPA documents, the high-rise would be clad in black metal panel, paired with soffits in walnut-coloured aluminum, and glazing with grey metal frames, mullions, and louvers. The townhouses’ palette is composed of dark grey brick, light grey precast panels, and dark mullions and canopies.

A three-level underground garage would provide space for 222 vehicles and 330 bicycles. The parking (as well as the loading area) is accessed via a laneway from Sheppard to the west of the property.

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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