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Two years ago, Devron Developments and Constantine Enterprises submitted a Zoning By-law Amendment application to the City of Toronto for the redevelopment of the historic Pierce-Arrow automobile showroom located at 1140 Yonge Street with a brand new 13-storey condominium. When the City exceeded the prescribed time to provide the developers with a decision on the proposal, Devron appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). While waiting for their hearing, the developers remained in talks with the City, and the two parties have ultimately come to an settlement.
Previously proposed at 13 storeys, the AUDAX-designed condo has been cut down to a total of 10, resulting in the total gross floor area of the building being reduced from 188,429 ft² to 169,186 ft², representing a density of 5.48 FSI. The overall unit count also decreased, going from 66 units to 64 units. The only increase that was made was in the parking garage, which will now include a total of 122 spaces, rather than the originally proposed 106.
Another addition that is part of the settlement, although not to the building, is an off-site parkland dedication to the City, to be located at 211 Avenue Road. The parkland cash-in-lieu requirement would effectively purchase that property to create an extension to the nearby Ramsden Park, creating a more functional and visible entrance to the park from that street.
Back at 1140 Yonge, the existing historic building on the site dates back to the 1930s and has previously been home to a Staples, CBC studio, and a Pierce-Arrow car dealership. The developers plan to restore the historic portion to its original glory, after it had been painted over multiple times through the use of its various owners.
The building features gargoyles that sit above arched windows that reach down to the street level, and will become part of the lobby of the new condominium. The other part of the main level would be 10,072 ft² dedicated to commercial space, which has been proposed to house a restaurant. The exterior of the building would be fitted with a seating area for the restaurant, as well as plantings for residents and restaurant patrons to enjoy.
The second level would be home to the amenities of the building, of which there would be 2,325 ft² indoors, conjoint with 431 ft² outdoors. Neither the indoor nor outdoor amenity programming has been determined yet. The rooftop of the building would also feature two separate outdoor terraces, of 1,592 and 909 ft² in area. One would face east, while the other would face west.
The development joins a crop of recent mid-rise projects in the Summerhill neighbourhood, including a proposed 19-storey building across the street at 1087 Yonge, and a 21-storey building now under construction at Scrivener Square.
UrbanToronto will watch for uodates, but in the meantime, 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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