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Castlepoint Numa has returned with a resubmission for 115 Saulter Street South in the McCleary District of Toronto's Port Lands, a two-tower proposal rising to 47 and 53 storeys to the southeast of the future East Harbour station. Originally submitted in 2024, the updated application seeks Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments to allow for a mixed-use complex designed by COBE Architects in collaboration with SvN.
While the preliminary submission included most of the elements that appear in the resubmission, all of the numbers have been tweaked and refined, and this submission is also the first to include high0quality renderings of the concept plan. While reducing the residential unit count from 1,300 to 1,046 residential suites, the revised plans have increased the Production, Interactive, and Creative (PIC) uses from 3,330m² to 4,634m², supporting the Port Lands’ growing role as a hub for film and creative industries. The design moves nearly all of this space to the second floor, especially tall at 7 metres, and also moves away from the original black box studio concept in the middle of the complex in favour of a flexible, open-format space that spans an entire level.
The site sits on the east side of Saulter, between Lake Shore Boulevard East and Commissioners Street. Currently home to a single-storey warehouse with surface parking, the property sits within a transitional industrial area targeted for regeneration. Vacant lots and municipal service infrastructure flank the east, including McCleary Park and the Commissioners Waste Transfer Station. A new southerly extension of Broadview Avenue would pass to the east of the site, while a new east-west street would define the southern edge of the site.
This application builds on an earlier Official Plan Amendment (OPA) submitted in May, 2024 for 40- and 45-storey towers. Following feedback from City staff and three rounds at the Waterfront Design Review Panel, the resubmitted OPA and new Zoning By-law Amendment application are in response to changing planning priorities and adjacent approvals, notably the settlement for 685 Lake Shore Boulevard East directly north, which was approved at 54 and 59 storeys.
The proposal envisions 47- and 53-storey towers rising to 167m and 185.25m, respectively, atop 6- and 5-storey "bar buildings", up from the previous heights of 125m and 140m. Tapered massing, meant to echo the industrial smokestack in nearby McCleary Park, would feature floor-plates that decrease as they rise, from 868m² to 615m² in area in the west tower and from 795m² to 675m² in area in the east tower. Set 40m apart, they would frame an elevated courtyard on the third floor.
A total Gross Floor Area of 75,781m² would entail a Floor Space Index of 12.85 times coverage of the 6,270m² parcel. Off the total, 69,335m² would be dedicated to residential use and 6,123m² for non-residential uses, including 1,489m² of street-level retail, and the 4,634m² flexible PIC space on the second floor.
Residential elevators have increased from eight to 11 (six in the taller tower and five in the shorter), yielding a ratio of about one per 95 units, indicating quick response times. Indoor amenities would be located on floors three, six, and seven, along with outdoor terraces on levels six and seven. A two-level underground garage would house 164 spaces for residents and 40 for visitors. Plans entail 960 long-term and 242 short-term spots for cyclists. The ground floor would be programmed with a mix of retail, residential, and live/work uses. Several open spaces include two pocket squares at the northeast and southwest corners, and a triangular plaza fronting the new extension of Broadview to the east.
Presently, the area is served by TTC bus routes with the nearest stop at Saulter and Commissioners, connecting to Pape station in about 15 minutes. Looking ahead, the site lies 440m south of the future East Harbour station which will connect GO trains, the Ontario Line 3 subway, and streetcar service on the Broadview Avenue extension. The long-range Waterfront East LRT plan also includes service along Commissioners Street and Broadview, while bus service will presumably be adapted to the transformations of the area too. Cycling infrastructure includes bi-directional cycle tracks on Lake Shore Boulevard East, with further improvements planned through the East Harbour development.
The proposal joins several other large-scale development proposals in the McCleary District area of the Port Lands. Northeast, 120 Bouchette Street calls for three towers ranging from 43 to 49 storeys. To the south, 280 Commissioners Street is proposed at 40 and 45 storeys, with the adjacent Pinewood Studios and planned Basin Media Hub rising to five storeys. To the northwest, East Harbour envisions 18 commercial towers from 23 to 65 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: | Arcadis, Castlepoint Numa, CCxA, EQ Building Performance Inc., ERA Architects, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering |
