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Toronto's Fashion District has seen numerous developments since the King-Spadina Plan — one of the first modern-day plans to relax planning restrictions in Downtown Toronto to encourage mixed-use redevelopment — was adopted in 1996. Very few people lived in the area at the time, leaving it very quiet after business hours, but now it has thousands of residents and is bustling until the wee hours. The latest residential proposal in the area is at 8 Camden Street, less than a 1km walk from Osgoode station on University Line 1. Lamb Development Corp has submitted Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan Amendment applications to build mixed-use condominium tower here.
The site is situated in the vibrant West Precinct of the King-Spadina area and now largely serves as a parking lot. Spanning an area of about 913m², it is located near the southwest corner of the lively Spadina Avenue and Queen Street West intersection. An Ontario Line 3 station is targeted for opening at that intersection within a decade.
The design by architects—Alliance envisions a 17-storey building reaching a height of 58.15m. The building would accommodate 185 dwelling units. The development plans include two elevators, with each catering to approximately 93 units, ensuring the building would be well within the threshold of 1 elevator per 100 units, meaning short waits for residents. Catering to the residents, the proposal plans 558m² of amenity space; 373m² indoors and 185m² outdoors.
The design draws inspiration from loft-style structures common to the area, the masonry-framed facades and fenestration patterns creating a visual link to the surrounding context. The design also provides differentiation for the ground realm, the podium, and the tower, with a high degree of glazing proposed for the ground floor and mezzanine levels, and darker brick-faced panels beginning at the second level. The tower's north and south sides feature the lighter look of glazed near full-length balconies with the east and west sides maintaining the brick-faced panelling, tying the components together.
Upon completion, the building would encompass a gross floor area (GFA) of approximately 10,843m². Of this, 10,535m² is dedicated to residential, and 308m² to retail space. The retail space would be divided into two units along the Camden Street frontage, contributing to street-level activity. The redevelopment aims to enhance the public realm, proposing an approximately 7m sidewalk zone along Camden Street with decorative paving and lighting. The south facade of the building, clad with a mixture of glass and light-coloured masonry at-grade, would offer clear views into and out of the retail space and residential vestibule.
For vehicles, two levels of underground garage would provide 22 residential parking spaces, all equipped with electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). The proposal does not allocate parking for visitors. Bicycle users have also been considered, with a total of 204 bicycle parking spaces proposed, including 167 for long-term and 37 for short-term use.
The development's proximity to the future Queen-Spadina station on Ontario Line 3 places it within a designated Major Transit Station Area. The site is already within walking distance of multiple TTC stops and stations, however, including stops along the existing 510 Spadina, 501 Queen, and 504 King streetcars.
The proposal notes 30 other developments proposed, under construction, or recently completed in the surrounding area. These include the Fabrik Condos, another 17-storey project about 100m north on Richmond Street, and 32 Camden Street, a mid-rise about 65m west of the site.
The developer states their intention for 8 Camden Street is to create an urban space that meshes seamlessly with the existing and future context of the King-Spadina neighbourhood, with a diverse mix of uses and a focus on public realm enhancement.
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: | architects—Alliance, Bousfields, EQ Building Performance Inc., Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists |
