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A towering condo has been proposed for Toronto's Garden District that could bring nearly 700 new housing units to the area. Last month, Metropia submitted Official Plan Amendment, a Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plan Approval applications to the City for a development that would straddle a handful of house-forms, heritage structures would be retained in part and repurposed into the building base. The 49-storey tower would reach 157 metres into the air.
The trapezoidal-shaped corner lot is located at the southwest corner of Dundas Street East and Pembroke Street within the Garden District Heritage Conservation District (HCD). It is currently occupied by three 2- to 3-storey structures containing mixed uses, both of which have heritage elements. The area has seen a significant focus on intensification —including a 21-storey tower abutting the site to the west, while a 41-storey tower was recently approved across Dundas to the north at George Street. Further west at the corner of Dundas and Jarvis streets is a cluster of towers as tall as 50 storeys. Closer to the proposal, on either side north and south of Dundas Street are neighbourhoods of low-rise houses and townhomes.
For this site, Turner Fleischer Architects have designed a 49-storey tower, with a total GFA of 41,562m² for a proposed density of 40 times the area of the lot. The tower has a two-storey podium, providing a streetwall height that is in keeping with the heritage characteristics of the site and the Garden District in general.
Above the second storey, the building steps back 5 to 8 metres for a ‘reveal’ on three sides. The reveal is designed to provide a clear visual separation between the base building and the tower and to highlight the retained heritage facades below. The resulting void forms an outdoor amenity terrace at the third storey for residents, incorporating a rounded soffit and a minimum of 6 metres clear height for a comfortable space that can be used year-round.
The base building, designed to address the curvature of this portion of Dundas Street East, is articulated, and incorporates the heritage facades of the existing converted house-form buildings. The facades of 239, 241 – 243 Dundas Street East (examples of Second Empire style of architecture) would be preserved in their current location, while the façade of 255 Dundas Street East would be relocated northward to be more in alignment with the westerly heritage properties. The 1-storey addition to 255 Dundas (containing Papa John’s Pizza) would be removed to facilitate the restoration and realignment of the original heritage façade.
Street-facing retail is proposed along Dundas while the residential entrance (and lobby) is situated along the Pembroke Street frontage. The driveway access to the loading and underground bicycle parking is located immediately to the south.
The point tower begins at the fourth floor of the building, its floor-plate (larger than Toronto's typical 750m² point tower maximum at 969m²) generally follows the irregular shape of the lot and alignments of Dundas Street East and Pembroke Street. Above the reveal, the tower has a contemporary expression, with a glass curtain wall façade. Vertical fins and a mid-tower “pinch” at the 30th to 34th storeys, diminish the mass of the tower and, according to the Planning Rationale submitted by the developer, accentuate its slim profile.
The building contains a total of 678 residential dwelling units, including 8 rental replacement units, in a mix of suite types: 93 studios (13%), 376 one-bedrooms (55%), 208 two-bedrooms (31%), and 1 three-bedroom.
The 2nd and 3rd floors are dedicated to indoor amenity space, served by a contiguous outdoor amenity on the 3rd floor, wrapping around the building from the northwestern edge to the southwestern corner. The residential units begin on the 4th and carry upwards.
The proposal provides just 6 vehicle parking spaces (5 visitors, 1 car share), which is reflective of City Council’s recent direction to remove minimum parking requirements to reduce automobile dependency and to encourage alternative methods of transit. Further supporting this direction, one level of below grade bicycle parking would accommodate the bulk of the 752 bicycle spaces provided.
The tower would be located a short walk from the new Moss Park station on the Ontario Line subway, targeted for opening in 2030. TTC buses ply Dundas Street and Sherbourne Street, with stops close to the building.
You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like to, 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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