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A mid-rise proposal at the western edge of Yorkville has been fully revised and resubmitted for rezoning, in the heart of the rapidly densifying Downtown Toronto neighbourhood. Located just south of Davenport at 126 Avenue Road, Taheri Development is looking to densify a row of low-rise properties with a new 11-storey mixed-use residential mid-rise. The project features retained heritage facades and is designed by Icon Architects.
The property is currently home to three buildings of two and three storeys that contain ground floor retail and rental apartments on the upper floors. The existing structures were built in the 1930s and are contained within the East Annex Heritage Conservation District (HCD). While the HCD does not identify these specific properties as having particular heritage significance, the proponents have recognized the importance of it being a corner property and their contributions to the surrounding neighbourhood character, and so have opted to retain the heritage facades.
The new development rises 11 storeys and contains 60 residential units, 11 of which are rental replacement units. The third floor contains the residential amenity spaces, with 120m² of indoor amenities adjacent to an 83m² outdoor roof terrace. The ground floor contains roughly 219m² of retail space.
For the design of the building, the architects expressed a desire to "have it appear as a unified object with minimal visual details, so it could be perceived at a single glance, hence direct the attention to the lower heritage levels". This is achieved by cladding the building on all four sides with uniform vertical fins, which even pass over recessed balconies and terraces. The architects wanted the building to have a unique architectural expression that is contemporary and of its time so that it contrasts with the heritage base, but made sure to select a colour that is compatible with the retained brick facades.
The massing of the building features three volumes that are subtly skewed relative to one another. The form is pulled back at the third floor to allow the heritage facades to be expressed fully, so that one can "imagine without difficulty what the building looked like before the addition was made". The massing steps back out at the fifth floor to create a relief and shaded space above the brick facades.
Altogether, the unit mix of the new residential dwellings comprises 20 studios, 15 one-bedrooms, 9 two-bedrooms, and 5 three-bedrooms. The 11 rental replacement units are split between one studio, 2 one-bedrooms, and 8 two-bedrooms. The development proposes two underground parking levels and utilizes a car lift in lieu of a ramp, given the tight constraints on the site.
The development was originally submitted for rezoning in 2023 and has just been resubmitted with minor refinements. 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: | Counterpoint Engineering, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, Icon Architects, LEA Consulting, MEP Design Inc., WND Associates Ltd |
