Highway 401 connects the north end of Toronto where public transit is lacking. A new proposal would utilize a site right off the highway on the southwest corner of Bathurst Street and Wilson Avenue. Bousfields submitted a Zoning By-law Amendment for the site at 3750 Bathurst. The design by WZMH Architects, prepared for the developer Grmada Holdings Inc, would result in a mixed-used build consisting of a mid-rise element and a tower atop a podium.
The proposal would see a drastic overhaul of the subject site and result in about 37,430m² of gross floor area (GFA) for mixed use. This would include 479 residential units, as well as 853m² of retail on the ground floor. The podium, of seven storeys, would stand at 23.5m, and would have a setback of 4.5m from Wilson Avenue, Bathurst Street, and Richelieu Road. Starting on the second floor, the podium would cantilever over the ground floor.
Residents would have access to an outdoor amenity area on the eighth floor, featuring an outdoor pool. From there, the mid-rise element would be 11 storeys at 41.5m tall, while the tower would be 30 storeys at 98.5m tall. Both buildings would feature step backs, including the mechanical penthouse stepping back about two to three metres from the podium and featuring amenity space.
Below ground, two levels of underground parking would provide 134 parking spaces, of which six would be for visitors. The proposal does not include vehicle parking for retail. Vehicles would enter from the south end driveway. There would be 512 bicycle parking spots, including seven long-term and 26 short-term spaces for retail.
There are currently six parcels at the subject site, namely 3736, 3742, 3748, and 3750 Bathurst Street, as well as 11 and 15 Richelieu Road. The land at 3736 Bathurst is vacant. The other parcels consist of a 2-storey furniture store, a single-storey restaurant, a gas station, and two detached dwellings at one storey each. This would all be developed as part of larger plans to redevelop the area.
The proposal includes a Block Context Plan submitted by Bousfields for the area bordered by Wilson Avenue, Highway 401, and the Highway 401 westbound off-ramp. This plan envisions the area transforming to be more pedestrian-friendly and transit-supportive. The plan notes an application has been submitted for this area proposing a 12-storey mixed-use building. The redevelopment would include mixed-use buildings of various heights, planned transit stations, and a focus on Wilson Avenue and Bathurst Street as a gateway to the area.
The proposed mid-rise building and tower at 3750 Bathurst would be a part of larger plans to develop an area that already has the great convenience of Highway 401. It would pave the way for greater pedestrian use and public transit.
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: | Bousfields, Counterpoint Engineering, EQ Building Performance Inc., STUDIO tla, WZMH Architects |