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Despite the latest announcement of a delay to the completion of the Eglinton Line 5 LRT, intensification proposals for land along Toronto's Eglinton corridor remains hyper-active among developers. While many proposal are directed to the Yonge-Eglinton area, a significant stretch of the major arterial road around the Don Valley Parkway is experiencing a dramatic transition that would bring both much more height and density to many propoerties. The latest proponents hoping to make their mark in this area is Rowntree Development, who through Rowbry Holdings Limited has proposed a large-scale, mixed-use development at 1075 Leslie Street that would see the creation of a multi-tower residential community and a public park.
Designed by architects BDP Quadrangle, the proposal would see the construction of five towers ranging from 13 to 49 storeys, the tallest of which reaches a height of 165m, and offering a total of 1,846 new dwelling units. The project would also create two new roads to provide access to the community from Eglinton and Leslie, and would connect an isolated northeast portion of the site to the central grounds.
The site of the proposed development is currently occupied by two car dealerships that account for a minimal level of coverage of the substantial 26,833m² site area, which the owners argue currently represents an under-utilization of the lands. The site is also located just 70m north of the upcoming Sunnybrook Park stop on the Eglinton Line 5 LRT, which is expected to be operational late next year, situating the site within a Major Transit Station Area (MTSA).
From a policy perspective, there is a strong case to be made for intensification just based on those facts alone, and with the pre-existing, mixed-use designation of the lands in the City’s Official Plan (OP), no OP amendment is required, meaning there is one less policy obstacle standing in the project’s way. Applications were submitted however, for a Zoning By-Law Amendment (ZBA), Site Plan Approval (SPA), and draft plan of subdivision to allow the proposal to go through.
Looking at the site plan, the proposal represents a combined 133,331m² of residential floorspace. Tower A is located in the northwest corner of the site and reaches 18 storeys above a flatiron shaped podium; next, Towers B1 and B2 emerge on the south end of the site from a shared 5-storey base building, reaching 49 and 45 storeys respectively; Tower C is found just northeast of B1 and B2, and is the tallest of the proposal, reaching 165m in 49 storeys, with two step-backs on the tower's lower half; finally, the smallest of the group, Tower D, climbs 13 storeys and occupies the site’s northeast offshoot.
The proposed public park is located centrally, with the intention of providing an accessible greenspace that effectively serves the residents of the new community and of the area. The new park's west edge would abut swaths of City-owned lands that provide breathing space and cover the dramatic elevation changes in this part of the Don Valley ravine system. Working with the planned road, pedestrians would have a direct path between the Sunnybrook Park LRT stop and the park, and a minimal programming approach is outlined that would feature an open field with a washroom pavilion and a play area.
As for the massing of the buildings, the existing renderings offer a limited view of the different exterior finishes that would clad some of the towers, with a focus on Towers A, B1 and B2. Towers B1 and B2 immediately stand out with their eye-catching vertical elements that emphasize the height of the towers as well as the rounded corners. Tower A, on the other hand, is clad in a light coloured finish, and generates some visual interest more through the alternating square pattern of the windows, rather than exterior finishes. Towers C and D are left out of the renderings, but are visualized in the elevation drawings, showing finishes similar to those of Tower A, that are elevated by the distinct shape of the building.
Other points of interest in the proposal include a cluster of outdoor amenity spaces and POPS (Privately Owned Publicly accessible Spaces) located around the different base buildings across the site, and a redevelopment of one of the protected green spaces that occupies the site’s southern border along Eglinton Avenue East. Parking would be located in an underground facility below the buildings, where 847 vehicle spaces would be offered alongside 1,860 bicycle spaces.
To the immediate north, Tridel's Auberge on the Park project of three towers is currently in various stages of construction.
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, EQ Building Performance Inc., HGC Engineering Inc |
