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Tenblock is planning two new towers and a public park for a 'tower in the park' site at 25 St Mary Street in Downtown Toronto. Originally submitted to the City on June 7, 2021, the buildings would replace a 24-storey, V-shaped building on the site now, and are designed by gh3 to minimize the new building footprint while maximizing high quality open space and meeting the City’s Tall Building Guidelines. The proposed towers would be connected by a shared 4 and 8-storey podium, the east tower standing 54 storeys, and west tower standing 59. Between the two of them, there would be a total of 1,143 new residential units.
"25 St Mary was originally developed for apartments in 1963," said Christine Fang-Denissov, Partner at Urban Strategies Inc. "While the building was progressive for its time – providing multiple, smaller units in an apartment form – the potential of the site is worth reconsidering now, almost 60 years later. This is especially true given the site’s strategic location in the Downtown within walking distance of four subway stations, the Yonge, Bay, and Bloor Street corridors, U of T, and Queens Park."
Tenblock believes that 25 St Mary Street's site is suitable for this type of redevelopment proposal because of its central, transit-oriented location, and potential to offer so much more to the community than the current under-utilized property does – its sole 1960s 24-storey apartment building housing just 259 apartments. Located in one of the city’s most densely populated and mixed-use neighbourhoods, Tenblock offers an idea of how the site could be transformed into a new development that would fit well with the current and future context of the area – which includes some of Toronto's tallest approved towers close by at Yonge and Bloor, just two blocks to the north.
The neighbourhood is extremely well-serviced and amenity-rich, located in the centre of Downtown Toronto's Urban Growth Centre, with the U of T, and renowned medical and government institutions within walking distance, plus commercial/office/restaurant/
"As the Downtown redevelops," said Fang-Denissov, "there are fewer larger sites like 25 St Mary that are less constrained and therefore have more opportunities to deliver on multiple priorities."
All of this makes the site a great candidate for more density. In fact, recently, the site immediately adjacent to 25 St Mary's west at 1075 Bay was approved for a mixed-use development with a height of 59 storeys, bringing even more housing and commercial uses to the area.
At the same time, the proposal represents an excellent opportunity to improve the existing rental housing stock of the current building: all 259 apartments would be replaced in the new development with the same bedroom mix and suite sizes, plus an additional number of new rental units are proposed to be included in the development. They would all be upgraded to include modern finishes, in-suite laundry, and dishwashers. There would also be three pet relief areas on various levels, dedicated indoor amenity space, and expansive rooftop terraces.
Tenblock understands that the proposed redevelopment will be disruptive to existing tenants. Tenblock has a project website where tenants can stay updated on the proposal and have the opportunity to communicate with the team at any time. Tenblock is committed to working with City staff on the rental replacement aspects of the project including fair compensation and assistance for eligible tenants.
"Toronto continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in North America,"said Fang-Denissov. "As Toronto continues to grow, it is imperative that development not only deliver new housing but also the infrastructure that makes Toronto livable and vibrant. This includes providing green spaces to play and recreate, improvements to the public realm and streetscapes, and new community services and amenities."
Modernized building operations, and outdoor amenity spaces would be a main draw of the new building – which would include a mix of suites ranging from studios to three-bedroom units. This would be a big gain for the area, as the current building does not have any three-bedroom suites.
"This proposal will contribute to increased housing supply in the Downtown with a range of types and tenures," said Fang-Denissov. "Tenblock is committed to increasing the number of rental units on the site, while also introducing opportunities for home ownership. While the final breakdown is still evolving, the site will include family sized units and a range of affordability across the buildings."
At ground level the proposal features a Claude Cormier + Associés-designed courtyard between the two towers, pictured above. Planted with trees and other greenery, the courtyard would feature covered walkways lined with seating options for residents to make use of. The site is also proposed to feature a new 521m² on-site public park, pictured below. It would be located on the southeast corner of the new site, offering an area to relax outdoors.
"We have also paid special attention to each of the surrounding streets, including wider sidewalks, extensive street trees and plantings, and incorporating special paving materials," added Fang-Denissov. This will be a unique park setting, and the only one between Bloor, Bay, Yonge and Wellesley. It will be located right next to the entrance of one of the building's main proposed community benefits – a brand new daycare centre that would serve the broader community.
The new two-storey day care facility would have its entrance located along Inkerman Street. The facility itself would be sized for roughly 62 children at a time, and would offer outdoor space as part of its second level. This would benefit the greater community as well, offering much needed childcare in an area of the city — nearby many Downtown centres of employment — that does not have enough of it.
Other proposed community amenities would include at-grade retail uses along the building's St Nicholas Street frontage.
Residential lobbies for each tower would be accessed off St Mary Street, as well as from an outdoor courtyard, where there is potential for public art to be displayed out front of what will be the main entrance. The central courtyard and a series of mid-block connections will connect the block north-south and east-west. Collectively, the plan devotes more than half of the ground floor to accessible public uses and spaces.
The City of Toronto has recently approved removing minimum parking requirements for residential dwelling units, helping with further reducing the carbon impact of new developments. Tenblock will be further exploring methods to further reduce the carbon impact of the new development, including reducing the number of underground parking levels.
"With our current understanding of carbon impacts on climate, we don’t take the demolition of an existing building lightly," said Fang-Denissov. "We know through a carbon analysis report, that the current building is highly inefficient. We are determined to do better with the design of the new building. The new building will emit 2.5 times less carbon emissions per suite annually and will carbon positive compared with the existing building within 13 years after construction – including factoring in demolition of the existing building.” Tenblock is trying to improve this through increased sustainability efforts. To do so, Tenblock will be further exploring methods to further reduce the carbon impact of the proposed building.
The carbon analysis report also compared the proposed development with a home in a typical suburban development and found that the annual emissions of a suburban home are over four times greater than a unit in the proposed building.
"Every development should strive to better the city for future generations, especially when replacing existing buildings, said Fang-Denissov. "The proposal for 25 St Mary will increase housing options, add much needed day-care spaces, provide open spaces and pedestrian connections for the neighbourhood, re-orient buildings to engage the street and do so with a positive impact on the environment and respect for existing tenants."
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: | EQ Building Performance Inc., gh3, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, Grounded Engineering Inc., Mulvey & Banani, Scott Shields Architects, Tenblock, Urban Strategies Inc. |
