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The Church and Wellesley Village neighbourhood is one of many pockets in the City of Toronto defined by an eclectic built form that mixes high-rises with its low-rise past. Earlier this month, BV Realty Partners submitted an application that would add another distinct presence to this mixing pot of buildings, seeking to redevelop a collection of houses located at 2 though 12 Cawthra Square with a residential tower standing 45 storeys. Designed by Arcadis — the Amsterdam-based global firm that acquired Toronto-based IBI Group in Fall 2022, the project would deliver 474 new units to the Downtown community, along with 14 replacement units, amounting to a total count of 488.
Situated just north of the intersection of Wellesley and Jarvis Streets, Cawthra Square is a short east-west running side street that spans roughly 100 metres, beginning west of Jarvis street and terminating at Barbara Hall Park. The proposal site encompasses six properties located on the north side of Cawthra Square, addressed 2 through 12, an assembly made up of two fully-detached and four semi-detached houses. The proposal contemplates the demolition of the full extent of these six properties, creating a clear site with an area of 1,713m² for the development of the tower.
The main case for intensification here is framed around the wealth of transit service in the immediate area. The site is located within 800 metres of Sherbourne, Bloor-Yonge, and Wellesley stations, earning the Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designation threefold. Beyond public transport though, the site also benefits from proximity to the robust bike lane network that connects much of the Downtown, with Wellesley Street representing the nearest east-west route.
Arcadis' design is a typical tower and podium massing with a two-storey reveal used to separate the two volumes visually. The podium takes some formal cues from the heritage-listed row houses located immediately to the west on Monteith Street, mimicking the three-storey height and continuous streetwall condition, as well as employing a brick finish in an attempt to integrate the project with the scale and character of the surrounding residential properties.
The tower proper begins at the sixth level, separating itself from the two-storey reveal by cantilevering out marginally on all sides. The tower rises unchanged until it reaches its 45th and final storey, above which a mechanical level adds an additional seven metres of height.
The tower’s longer north and south elevations are given a glazing treatment, while trapezoid-shaped balconies project from these elevations adding some depth to the glazed surface. The shorter east and west elevations, on the other hand, are dominated by masonry, with panels of grey and red brick and glass that form vertical strips spanning the height of these elevations, interrupted at each level by a white band representing the slab.
Below grade, the development offers four levels of underground parking with a total of 119 motor vehicle parking spaces and 548 bicycle spaces.
Submitted with applications for Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and Zoning Bylaw Amendment (ZBA), the proposal represents an aggressive intensification effort seeking to capitalize on the existing transit infrastructure in the area. With 488 units proposed, the project would create new housing in a desirable community.
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: | Arcadis, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering |
