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A major redevelopment has been proposed on Sheppard Avenue East, just east of Sheppard-Yonge station on Yonge Line 1. Designed by B+H Architects for Lev Living, the plan features four residential towers ranging from 30 to 59 storeys – its two tallest towers would be the only ones to exceed 50 storeys surrounding the station. Positioned well within the Sheppard-Yonge Major Transit Station Area (MTSA), the submission would replace two mid-rise office buildings in the North York City Centre area.
The site at 45 and 47 Sheppard Avenue East spans 11,945m² on the south side of the street, approximately 160m east of Yonge Street. Currently occupied by 7-storey and 9-storey office buildings constructed in the 1970s, the property also includes surface and underground parking accessed via a driveway at the northeast corner. Situated where North York City Centre meets Willowdale, the area around the site includes high-rise residential and office buildings along Yonge and Sheppard with mid-rise retail, surrounded by low-rise residential streets.
The developer has submitted Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City of Toronto. The proposal envisions four residential towers at 30 (114m), 49 (168m), 53 (181m), and 59 (203m) storeys, with a total of 2,386 residential units, including 40% family-sized units. The taller northern towers would share a 7-storey podium, while the shorter towers would feature a 3-6-storey podium.
Rising at the site’s four corners, the towers would be connected by two mixed-use podiums with step-backs and outdoor amenity spaces. The design’s total Gross Floor Area is 149,528m², consisting of 147,482m² for residential use and 2,046m² for retail at ground level, resulting in a Floor Space Index of 12.5 times lot coverage.
There would be 5,530m² of indoor and 4,032m² of outdoor amenities, distributed across podium levels, rooftops, and shared tower floors. The northern Phase One towers would have eleven elevators and 1,378 units combined or approximately one for every 125 units. Meanwhile, the southern Phase Two towers would have nine elevators and 1,008 units combined or about one for every 112 units. The higher the number of units per elevator grows over 100, the longer the wait times grow beyond optimal.
The development entails three levels of underground parking, comprising 597 spaces for residents, 139 for visitors and commercial users, and 2 car-share spaces. Bicycle parking provisions call for 1,624 for resident use, 168 for residential visitor use, and 16 allocated to retail (4 long-term and 12 short-term).
At the heart of the site, a 1,160m² public park is proposed front the planned Tradewind Avenue/North York Centre Service Road Extension. This park would also be accessible via a landscaped mid-block pedestrian promenade linking Sheppard Avenue to the park and retail spaces. The application notes the development would potentially be built in two phases to demolish the office buildings one at a time, with the northern towers built first.
The site is 90m from the Sheppard-Yonge subway station. Multiple TTC bus routes also serve the area. While the nearest dedicated bike lanes are 700m away on Willowdale Avenue, plans to expand cycling infrastructure along Sheppard Avenue are under review. Metrolinx is actively exploring options for Sheppard Line 4 Subway Extension(s), which could improve east-west connectivity by linking as far west as Downsview Park to McCowan Road/Scarborough Town Centre area in the east.
Close to the site are other large-scale projects and proposals. Mid-rise buildings are under construction or proposed along Sheppard Avenue to the west and east of the site. Close to Sheppard-Yonge station, NorthCore Condos and 4800 Yonge are rising to 18 and 49 storeys respectively. To the north on Yonge Street, Pearl Place is nearing completion at 34 storeys, while 5051-5061 Yonge is proposed at 39 storeys. Southward, 4696 Yonge Street is planned at 40 storeys, alongside the 26- to 45-storey towers of 48 Avondale.
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: | Aercoustics Engineering Ltd, B+H Architects, Goldberg Group, Greck and Associates Limited, Janet Rosenberg & Studio |
