Developer Madison Group has proposed a 53-storey mixed use condo development designed by BDP Quadrangle on the edge of Toronto’s towering financial district, with a proposed height of 201.6m; a number that jumps off the page considering the tower’s pencil-like profile. The proposal, for 15 Toronto Street, just south of Adelaide Street East between Yonge and Church Streets, claims the title of “a true mixed use building,” based on its promise to deliver a total of 296 units while also accommodating two separate storeys of retail/restaurant space and another eight storeys of office space.

View from St. James Park facing west shows narrow frame of 15 Toronto Street proposal, image from submission to City of Toronto

In their applications for Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA) and Site Plan Approval (SPA), the proposal argues that the site is under-utilized by the existing 11-storey office building constructed in 1961. The proposal documents make reference to City’s Official Plan (OP) guidelines that promote the intensification of sites located within already built up areas, or areas well served by higher order transit; the proposed site meets both of those conditions. 

Situated as it is within the Church-Yonge Corridor and on the edge of the Financial District, the site is surrounded by the largest concentration of skyscrapers in the country, not to mention some of Toronto’s defining buildings, like the 1967 Toronto-Dominion Centre designed in collaboration with Mies van der Rohe. The area is also accented with a cluster of heritage buildings, creating an eclectic array of structures that document the City’s evolving built history while inviting future developments to write the next chapter. 

Map of downtown shows transit and cycling infrastructure near subject site, image from submission to City of Toronto

As for connectivity, recent improvements to Union Station have reinvigorated the capabilities of higher order transit, which is poised to take another step forward with the development of the Ontario Line. It should also be noted that the finest cycling infrastructure in the City can be accessed directly from Adelaide Street East, which all contributes to a strong case for intensification.   

In order to accommodate the different uses planned for the development, the tower is broken up into sections that begin above the first floor lobby, which will provide separate entrances for office workers and residents on the Toronto Street frontage. Moving up, level 2 is occupied by the first restaurant/retail space, while the following levels 3-10 will provide a total of 3,819m² of office space (a higher total than the existing building in fewer floors). 

View from Toronto Street facing northeast shows separate entrances for office workers and residents, image from submission to City of Toronto

On level 11, the second restaurant space will enjoy a wrap-around terrace covering the floor’s full perimetre, creating an abundance of outdoor seating opportunities, and the lower section will be topped off by a mechanical floor at level 12. From level 13 upwards, the tower becomes residential, offering a total of 19,096m² of floor space across 41 floors, with units ranging from 1-3 bedrooms. 

Northeast facing aerial view shows restaurant with terrace at 11th storey, image from submission to City of Toronto

The skinny rectangular massing remains unaltered for the majority of the tower, with slight deviations at both the top and bottom. A subtle notched section at the building’s southwest corner appears for the first 11 stories in an attempt to create more pedestrian space at ground level, while stepbacks from the eastern elevation at the 52nd and 53rd storeys create walkout terraces that provide the entirety of the development’s outdoor amenity space. Moving below ground, despite having three levels of parking, the development only plans to make 10 parking spaces available, encouraging residents and office workers alike to utilize the 323 bicycle parking spaces provided. 

UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, 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:

BDP Quadrangle, Bousfields, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, Grounded Engineering Inc., LEA Consulting, Madison Group, New Release Condo