At the northeast corner of Sherbourne and Shuter streets in Toronto's Garden District, an infill proposal at 191 Sherbourne Street is one of multiple developments impacted by a Minister’s Zoning Order  — Ontario Regulation 10/24 — preserving space for air ambulance services for St Michael's Hospital. With both towers reworked to not project into the revamped flight paths, a resubmission now calls for a pair of 42-storey towers, built around existing buildings on the Tower-in-the-Park style site.

Looking northeast to revised 191 Sherbourne plan, designed by PARTISANS and Rafael + Bigauskas Architects for Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc

Currently, the site contains two slab-style buildings constructed in the early 1970s, standing 17 and 23 storeys, with a total of 596 residential units. The site also includes expansive, yet underused, open landscaped areas that are typical of the Tower-in-the-Park planning style.

Looking north to the current site, image retrieved from Google Maps

An initial proposal from December, 2020 sought approval for 7- and 15-storey infill towers on the site, but a much more ambitious plan was presented in June, 2023, proposing 46 and 48 storeys, to take advantage of the new Protected Major Transit Station Area designations brought in by the Provincial government to encourage higher densities near rapid transit stations. (Moss Park station on Ontario Line 3 will be within a 200m walk of this site. The site is currently about 1km walking distance from both Dundas and Queen stations on Yonge Line 1.) With the enlargement of the protected air space due to the MZO, however, the storey counts have been trimmed for the current resubmission from April, 2024, designed by PARTISANS (with Rafael + Bigauskas Architects as Architect of Record) for Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc.

Looking southwest to the December, 2020 design by Zeidler Architecture Inc, image from submission to City of Toronto

Looking northeast to the June, 2023 design, image from submission to City of Toronto

This latest Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment calls for towers reaching heights of 141.9m and 145.3m. The towers, uniquely, would be joined by a bridge extending from one to the other above the more southerly existing building, providing an expansive new rooftop amenity space for residents, the underside of which can be seen in the rendering above.

Site plan, designed by PARTISANS (with Rafael + Bigauskas Architects as Architect of Record) for Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc

The residential Gross Floor Area of the new towers would now be 51,850m² alongside 609m² for retail. This marks a notable increase in retaiol over the previous submissions, aiming to better activate the street level. Indoor amenity spaces are proposed at 2,244m², coupled with 3,751m² of outdoor amenity spaces. There would be a 1,208m² public park at the corner of Shuter and Seaton Streets.

The new towers would add 831 rental units to the existing 596, with 351 units in the southern tower and 480 in the northern one. Rach tower would be equipped with four elevators, resulting in approximately one elevator for every 88 units in the south tower (promising short wait times) and one for every 120 units in the north tower, indicating likely prolonged wait times.

Ground floor plan, designed by PARTISANS and Rafael + Bigauskas Architects for Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc

Underneath the towers, the new buildings share the three level underground garage of the current site, reworked with 289 of the parking spaces. The design also accommodates a total of 799 long-term residential bicycle parking spaces and 163 short-term visitor spots.

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to City of Toronto

Other development sites are nearby. To the south, 245 Queen Street East is proposed at 25 storeys, the 24- and 33-storey towers of ROQ City are under construction, and 225 Queen Street East calls for 37 storeys. To the north, 214-230 Sherbourne Street proposes 46 storeys, while northwest, Elektra Condos is set to stand 42 storeys, and 239 Dundas Street West envisions 52 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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