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Following a proposal submitted late last month, Diamond Corp hopes to be the next developer to turn up the dial on density with a 35-storey mixed-use residential tower on the northwest corner of St Clair Avenue West and Raglan Avenue. Located just west of Bathurst Street, on the southern border of Toronto’s Midtown area, the proposal would bring 350 new dwelling units to the soon-to-be sprawling strip, which already has nine additional developments of similar size — or bigger — proposed within a 1km radius.
The proposal, submitted on August 23, consists of applications for a Zoning Bylaw Amendment (ZBA) and Site Plan Control, however no Official Plan Amendment (OPA) was required because of the unique Official Plan (OP) guidelines for the area. Not only is the site under the Mixed-Use designation, St Clair Avenue is also one of several streets in the City with the Avenue designation, which provides area-specific guidelines for important corridors on major streets. Additionally, the thorough level of transit services in the area position the development within the guidelines of transit supportive intensification.
The design of the proposal, from architects IBI Group, uses stepbacks sparingly, with the tower separating itself from the podium by just a few metres at the 12th storey, and only on the northern elevation. With this lack of stepbacks, the need to break up the building’s rectangular shape and visual uniformity is accomplished more through the facade, defined by two vertically divided sections of metal panelling with contrasting attributes.
Wrapping around the entirety of the first 5 storeys, then extending up the southern elevation and parts of the east and west elevations, narrow copper coloured metal panels that taper in and out are used to create a rectangular based grid pattern. The northern elevation and the larger portions of the east and west elevations are clad in a white and silver panelling that creates a square based grid, and rather than tapering, the panels extend out from the building in an alternating pattern, creating an interesting fluidity out of orthogonal lines.
At ground level, the ceiling is double the height of the rest of the floors to accommodate loading and parking at the rear, and a 152m² retail space at the front. The double height also allowed for three 2-storey townhouse units at ground level with entrances on the eastern frontage, while the rest of the units are single storey and are a mix of one to three bedrooms, with over 50% proposed single bedroom units.
The design takes on all these tasks while attempting to maintain a respectful dialogue with the surrounding context. St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church, the 1929 building immediately west of the site, which was added to the City’s Heritage Register in 2007, is central to this dialogue. ERA Architects', the project's heritage architects, response to the ornate neo-gothic church is realized in several ways, most notably through the arched entryway to the retail space, referencing the church's own arched entrance and windows. Because of the double height of the proposed development’s first storey, these arches become a significant visual characteristic that breaks up the more angular form that defines the rest of the tower, and allows the reference to the City’s built heritage to be experienced at the pedestrian level
The proposal also outlines improvements to the public realm, with a focus on expanding Albert Wiggan Lane, the north border of the site and the throughway that will become the building’s primary vehicle access point leading to 3 levels of underground parking that accommodate 36 vehicles.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow updates for this development, 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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