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When UrbanToronto last looked at 316 Bloor Street West five years ago, the proposal called for a mixed-use development rising 29 storeys. Located about 55m east of Spadina Avenue in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood, the site is a short walking distance to Spadina station on TTC's Line 1 Vaughan. It has since been approved at that height, but developer State Building Group has now requested an additional 5 storeys through the mechanism of a Minor Variance submission to the Committee of Adjustment.
The site is nestled at the northwest corner of Bloor Street West and Madison Avenue, on the block east of Spadina. The land is about 1,064m² in area and is home to a three-and-a-half-storey office building that would be demolished. The property has a frontage of approximately 26m along Bloor Street West.
The proposal, designed by Kirkor Architects Planners for State, repurposes this property — located on the same block as Spadina subway station — with a mixed-use building of 29-storeys and 403 units. If the Minor Variance is approved, the five extra floors would house 440 residential units.
The application requests four Zoning By-law variances. With a proposed total gross floor area (GFA) of 25,412m² and residential GFA of 25,230m², both numbers exceed the permitted limits of 22,450m² and 22,100m² respectively. The increased height of 114.9m would also surpass the limit of 98m.
The revision maintains the same elevator count of the approved plan. The design features three elevators, with a fourth operating from the parking garage to the lower ground level. With 440 units, this would result in around 147 units per elevator — significantly above the threshold of one elevator per 100 units — meaning residents here could expect long waits times.
Three levels of underground garage would house 31 parking spaces, with 25 for residents. In addition, the design includes 442 bicycle parking spots, of which 396 would be for residents. At grade, the site would include 182m² of commercial area. Amenities would be provided on levels 3, 4, and at the mechanical penthouse, with indoor amenities totalling 1,659m² and outdoor amenities adding up to 263m², inclusive of a green roof.
The developer believes that the variances meet the four tests for minor variances outlined in Section 45(1) of the Planning Act, but it is always up to the Committee of Adjustment whether they agree; the Committee must decide if the development maintains the Official Plan's intent, retains the purpose of the zoning by-law, is minor in nature, and is desirable for the appropriate use of the land.
The Committee has yet to set a date for the hearing. In this crucial meeting, they will determine whether these variances are indeed minor. If not, they could refuse the application, requiring the developer to reapply through a Zoning By-law amendment instead.
Being steps away from Spadina station, the site's designation as a Major Transit Station Area has it poised for increased density. Yet the proposed high-rise embodies the challenges in balancing rapid urbanization with community needs and infrastructure capacity.
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, HGC Engineering Inc, Kirkor Architects Planners, LEA Consulting, NAK Design Strategies, Sigmund Soudack & Associates |
