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A recent resubmission for a development at 10 Huntley Street in the Upper Jarvis area of Toronto highlights the changes over just the last two years to height and density expectations when planning residential high-rise buildings. Located within an 800m radius of the Bloor and Yonge interchange station, and closer to both Wellesley and Sherbourne subway stations on Yonge Line 1 and Bloor Line 2 respectively, this project exemplifies how Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) designations are literally altering the landscape.
Glen-Huntley Holdings Limited and APS Holdings Limited have resubmitted Official Plan, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plan Control applications for the site, currently home to an existing 20-storey residential building that faces Huntley Street, and a surface parking lot that faces Jarvis Street. The building would replace the parking lot, and the entire property would be severed into two lots with different owners. Directly north is the 4-storey Casey House hospice, while to the south are low-rise townhomes.
The design by Arcadis — the Amsterdam-based global firm that acquired Toronto-based IBI Group in Fall 2022 — entails a building that rises to 45 storeys — standing 151m — from a 3-storey podium that approximates the prevailing street-wall height. The tower's design is notably slender, with a floor plate of just 568m², significantly smaller than the 750m² recommended maximum by the City's Tall Building Guidelines. The design is driven by the property's narrowness a minimal footprint and provides a 7.5m setback to the south, ensuring adequate separation from potential nearby developments.
The development has seen significant changes compared to its initial submission from November of 2021 which envisioned a 29-storey residential tower with a height of 99m and 213 market-rate rental units, seen below, while preserving the existing residential building currently on the site, seen in dark gray behind the proposal.
The developer is now proposing to introduce 334 residential units while still preserving the existing residential building currently on the site. This revised proposal also includes a comprehensive redesign of the courtyard between the existing buildings, enhancing pedestrian connectivity and offering improved amenity areas. The total gross floor area (GFA) proposed is 23,125m², including 859m² of indoor and 477m² of outdoor amenity areas.
Reflecting the City's push towards sustainable transport, the proposal outlines a total of only 54 parking spaces spread across three levels of underground garage, with 11 visitor parking spaces shared with the existing building. Additionally, plans include provisions for 301 long-term and 44 short-term bicycle spaces. The building would be serviced by three elevators, resulting in a ratio of approximately 111 units per elevator.
The site's location within the MTSAs of the aforementioned TTC stations places it less that 800m from each station. With the Province now requiring municipalities to focus greater intensification and growth close to such transit nodes, developers' proposals in the area have become larger.
Of particular note for 10 Huntley, a 58-storey tower dubbed Jarvis & Earl Place has been proposed immediately to the south, to replace the adjacent low-rise townhomes. Its proposed height compared to the initial 29-storey proposal for 10 Huntley was cited in the revised proposal for 45 storeys here, while noting that these heights are not yet approved. Meanwhile, to the east is a 69-storey proposal at 135 Isabella Street, while a block to the west are a 69-storey proposal at 90 Isabella Street and a 62-storey proposal at 88 Isabella Street.
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, Counterpoint Engineering, EQ Building Performance Inc., Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists |
