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In the dynamic backdrop of Downtown Toronto’s Church-Wellesley neighbourhood, a new development is set to rise at 66 Charles Street East, integrating modern urban living with the area's cherished heritage. A Minor Variance application has been submitted to the Committee of Adjustment for the 9-storey development, which would see a modern building behind the existing heritage-listed home frontage onsite. Proposed by Aspen Ridge Homes and designed by BDP Quadrangle, the nine-storey rental building is set to nestle adjacent to The Charles at Church, the 47-storey condominium currently under construction from the same developer and architect, and seen below right in white and grey.
On a plot measuring 340.8m² in area, this project is unique in its modest scale. The single freestanding house currently onsite dates back to the late 19th century, built in the Second Empire style. The proposed building, offering 16 market-rate rental units, is the only undeveloped lot on the north side of Charles Street in this stretch, situated between much taller structures.
Initially, Aspen Ridge Homes envisioned a taller 11-storey structure reaching 36m. However, after feedback from a Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) with City Planning staff in April 2023, which indicated the proposed height exceeded zoning by-laws, Aspen Ridge Homes returned with a revised, compliant nine-storey proposal by May 2023.
With a planned height of 35m, the development adheres to the maximum zoned building height. The retention of approximately 60% of the existing three-storey heritage building reflects a commitment to the heritage preservation ethos that defines the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood. The addition would extend to a depth of 12.25m from the Charles Street East frontage, allowing the historical facade to maintain its prominence along the streetscape.
With a proposed gross residential floor area of 1,574m², the building's density of 4.62 times the area of the lot is intended to harmonize with the character of the area's high-rise buildings, aiming to do so without overshadowing the community's valued heritage assets. While the proposal forgoes dedicated amenity space, it aligns with City guidelines that do not mandate such facilities in buildings with fewer than 20 units. The design features two elevators, resulting in one elevator for every eight units.
The project stands out for its lack of vehicular parking, capitalizing on the site's convenient access to the TTC subway: the development is a mere 250 m walk from the Bloor-Yonge interchange station, which connects to both Yonge Line 1 and Bloor-Danforth Line 2. The proposal does include 19 bicycle parking spaces, 15 of them long-term, in the single basement level.
Neighbouring the site to the west is the preserved and restored duplex at 62-64 Charles Street East plus 4 modern townhomes in behind, all part of the Casa III condo from several years ago, while to the east, the project directly abuts The Charles at Church at 628 Church Street/68 Charles Street East. This positioning creates a unique enclave of preserved and restored heritage residential buildings that recall the quieter, low-rise neighbourhood of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, while also looking to the future with greater density and vertical growth. South of the site, 55 Charles Condos is currently under construction and set to stand 50 storeys. To the west, the completed buildings of Casa I, II, and III range from 46 to 55 storeys. A block to the east, the proposed development at 625 Church Street would stand at 56 storeys.
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 |
