North York is in the planning sector spotlight this week after developers Sorbara Group submitted a proposal to the City of Toronto for a multi-building mixed-use development on a 6-acre site located at 33 Walsh Avenue, in the Pelmo Park - Humberlea area near the southwest corner of the former Borough. The project, dubbed Westdale, would see the construction of six towers from 14 to 40 storeys, a network of roads within the site, and a new public park. Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, the complex would deliver 2,452 new dwelling units across from low-rise neighbourhoods. 

Zoomed in view, looking southwest to Westdale at 33 Walsh Avenue, image from submission to City of Toronto

The vacant site has been primed for development for years now, largely due to its Apartment Neighbourhood designation in the City’s Official Plan (OP), but has remained vacant after a proposal approved by the Committee of Adjustment was never constructed. With a fresh pair of applications submitted for Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA), and Site Plan Approval (SPA), the new proposal from Sorbara hopes to turn things around and activate the dormant land with new residential and retail opportunities that could guide other local intensification. 

Satellite view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

Bordered by high-volume roads, with Walsh Avenue on the north (Walsh Avenue connects the west end of Wilson Avenue to Albion Road), and Weston Road to the west, the site is oriented towards automobile transportation. There are, however, several surface level transit routes that service the site and eventually provide connection to rapid transit stations. The adjacent area to the north is primarily characterized by low-rise single detached housing, with very few proposed development projects in a 1km radius, with fewer still qualified as high-rise; in other words, delivering over 2,000 units would mark a dramatic shift in density. Across 401 to the south, higher residential densities are found in Weston, with several high-rises and dozens of mid-rises along Weston Road.

Working with an irregularly shaped parcel of land, the Westdale site plan summarizes how the proposal intends to accommodate six towers and a park. The lettering system begins with Building A, a 14-storey building, located near the centre of the site. It steps down to 10 storeys along Walsh Avenue. Buildings B and C, reaching 21 and 23 storeys respectively, are found on the site’s east border, standing atop a shared 10-storey, C-shaped podium.

In the northwest corner, Building D climbs to 25 storeys above its own 12-storey, L-shaped podium, bordered on the north by the park that extends all the way to the corner of the site to the north and west. Finally, the site’s tallest towers, Buildings E and F rise from a shared L-shaped podium at the southwesternmost corner of the site, reaching 40 and 30 storeys respectively . 

Site plan with lettering system for buildings, image from submission to City of Toronto

Only one rendering exists to date to provide a lifelike view of the completed development, but from what we can see so far, the six towers all share a common exterior glass finish that acts as a base for varying accents of white framing to articulate the volumes. The framing appears to project from the facades enough to mark balcony edges, while appearing almost as an exoskeleton.

Looking southwest to Westdale, a multi-building development at 33 Walsh Avenue, image from submission to City of Toronto

Residents of the complex would be induced to descend from the upper reaches of the towers to enjoy the ground level where the majority of the non-residential infrastructure is found. A strip of retail units are offered on the site’s western border, with entrances fronting Weston Road to welcome foot traffic from non-residents as well. The grade level of each building is also where residents can find the indoor amenity spaces, which add up to a total area of 4,932m² across the development. The indoor amenities also have direct access to one of three outdoor amenity areas on the ground level, while the rooftops of the various podiums provide the additional outdoor amenity area that also totals at 5,062m². 

Landscape plans for the grade level of the development, image from submission to City of Toronto

Of the 2,452 total units, less than 1% would be studios, 66% one-bedrooms, 22% two-bedrooms, and 11% three-bedrooms, meeting the City's request for percentage of family-sized units. Underground, three levels would offer a total of 1,316 vehicle parking spaces, with another 1,840 spaces for bicycles. 

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:  Counterpoint Engineering, Ferris + Associates Inc., Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, Graziani + Corazza Architects, Weston Consulting