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While Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood continues to struggle with housing, (its residents have pressed it as a top issue for the City), a new Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendment application from KingSett Capital could bring a new tower with a substantial number of units at King Street and Cowan Avenue. Situated within a Major Transit Station Area — the future King-Liberty GO station — the developer aims to integrate the 21-storey tower with the lively street-level culture.
The 1304 King Street West site is in the South Parkdale neighbourhood, comprised of an assembly of lands known as 1304 through 1318 King Street West and 143-145 Cowan Avenue. The site is currently home to a 2-storey mixed-use building, in addition to a vacant three-storey building. The building, BDP Quadrangle-designed proposal entails a total of 263 dwelling units, and in addition would designate eight units as rental replacements.
The building’s design features a six-storey podium topped by a 15-storey residential tower, combining for a Gross Floor Area of approximately 16,126m². The majority of this space, 15,912m², would be devoted to residential purposes, while a modest 213m² at ground level would enhance the retail offerings of the neighbourhood. According to current design plans, with two elevators allocated to the high-rise, there would be approximately one elevator for every 132 units, indicating longer than average wait times.
In response to the area’s architecture, the podium's design steps down from six to three storeys as it transitions towards the adjoining low-rise residential area. Meanwhile, the tower ascends to 78.31m, situating most of its mass close to King Street. The development is set to include 947m² and 105m² of indoor and outdoor amenities respectively. This includes a terrace at the northeast corner of the building on the second floor, with amenities located on levels 2 through 6.
The City's push for buildings that encourage sustainable modes of transportation is evident, with only five residential parking spaces included in one level of underground garage. They are all set to be EV-ready in compliance with Toronto Green Standard Version 4. The building meets City requirements for the provision of 303 bicycle parking spaces designed to encourage cycling as a primary mode of transit, with 237 long-term, 53 short-term, 3 retail, and 10 publicly-accessible bicycle spots.
With the 504 King streetcar line at its doorstep, the development looks to have higher-density living connected to the pulse of the city’s transit network. Metrolinx and TTC have collaborated for the development of new GO stations through the SmartTrack stations program to provide increased transit options in Toronto. The site is less than 600 meters (or a 10-minute walk from) from the forthcoming King-Liberty GO station. In addition, the existing Exhibition GO station, about a 15 minute walk away, is set to offer enhanced connectivity through the addition of an Ontario Line station, now under construction.
Other nearby developments and development proposals also promise more housing in the area. East of the site, the soon-to-complete XO Condos and currently under-construction XO2 Condos will stand 14 and 19 storeys respectively. North of the site, 1354 Queen Street West is proposed at 11 storeys. East of that, CreateTO's proposed Parkdale Hub would stand 16 storeys and include affordable rental units and a community centre, in an effort to create a densified, transit-supportive 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: | BDP Quadrangle, Bousfields, Ferris + Associates Inc., Grounded Engineering Inc., RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering |
