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Since occupancy began at the start of the summer, The Stack at Bayview, a mid-rise development in Toronto’s Leaside neighbourhood, has now leased 75% of its 146 rental suites, with the latest reports suggesting two thirds of the units are also officially occupied. Located at 730 Hillsdale Avenue East, the 7-storey development from The Brown Group of Companies positions an active street-wall of cubic and rectangular masses on the west side of Bayview Avenue just south of Eglinton Avenue East, steps from the soon-to-be operational Leaside Line 5 Crosstown Station.
The Stack at Bayview is a purpose-built development designed by Kohn Partnership Architects Inc. that has entered the rental market at a critical moment for housing in Toronto, a reality that informed the design from the beginning. Back in 2019, Sean Lawrence, Partner at Kohn Partnership, wrote a feature for UrbanToronto discussing the ways purpose-built housing can offer a solution to the City’s housing crisis that condos cannot. A little over three years later, the development team has delivered a product that is a testament to Lawrence’s assertion that there is more to development than building the biggest structure you can.
Looking at its design, the building's name is quickly understood; panels of off-white precast concrete run horizontally and vertically across its four elevations, creating rectangular divisions that separate different volumes of the building into container-like shapes that appear to be piled on top of each other, or stacked, if you would. The eastern elevation, fronting Bayview Avenue, presents a vertical street-wall that puts to work a mix of concrete and glass with contrasting colours of white and dark grey and the different rectangular forms to break up the building’s visual presence from the pedestrian perspective.
The majority of the building’s grade level has been designed as an 18,000 ft² retail hall with entrances along the pedestrian-friendly Bayview Avenue frontage. The entire level enjoys double height ceilings, with tall windows allowing for extra natural light to fill the spaces. One of the tenants expected later this year is a Maker Pizza, while the larger portion of the retail space is slated to host organic grocer The Sweet Potato by early 2023. Both of these tenants will enter an established retail market in a walkable area that sees consistent foot traffic, while contributing to the character of the neighbourhood. The ground floor also hosts the residential lobby, seen below, with the same double height ceilings and large windows.
Residents will enjoy an abundance of balcony or terrace space across the development, with an unobstructed outdoor feel that is created by the building’s various stepbacks. On the building’s upper floors, the decreasing floorplate size is required by a zoning by-law to ensure the development won’t cast shadows on the street, but the design also works with this reality to create something positive out of it; the terrace style balconies on the upper floors have no overhead coverage, allowing for maximum sunlight throughout the day. The private terraces are punctuated by a shared rooftop amenity terrace with dining areas, seating, and expansive views of the neighbourhood.
Other amenities include social spaces like a dining room and party room where residents can host gatherings and social events, allowing community to be fostered in common spaces. Residents will also enjoy a fitness centre that, like all the amenity spaces, is bathed in natural light.
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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