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Heading to Toronto City Council this week are major revisions to the proposal for Yonge and Birch Residences from Woodcliffe Properties, planned on the northwest corner of named streets in Summerhill. Now with architects—Alliance as designers, the 32-storey mixed-use tower retains the approved height of a previous design while introducing office space, larger family-sized condominium units, and an off-site approach to rental replacement.
An assembly of 1196 through 1210 Yonge Street and 8 Birch Avenue, the site is within the Summerhill Major Transit Station Area (MTSA), making it a short walk from Summerhill station. The Yonge corridor here just north of the CP rail corridor is a mix of heritage low-rise commercial/residential buildings and larger, more recent developments. The assembly currently hosts a row of two- to four-storey mixed-use buildings with businesses at street level, along with eight rental apartments above.
Woodcliffe’s planning process for the site dates back to late 2021, when a rezoning application was filed for a 15-storey mixed-use building designed by KPMB Architects. Following early feedback that raised concerns over height, massing, and heritage conservation, the developer appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in February, 2023 after Council failed to issue a decision.
Negotiations with City Planning, Urban Design, and Heritage Planning staff led to a revised settlement offer in early 2024 following the introduction of MTSAs within which higher densities are now encouraged, which was accepted by City Council in April and approved in principle by the OLT in October. That decision cleared the way for a 32-storey version of the tower, with heritage facades retained.
Now, Aird & Berlis LLP has submitted a Request for Review Pursuant to Section 23 of the Ontario Land Tribunal Act on behalf of Woodcliffe Properties. The latest plans retain the 32-storey form of the 2024 settlement but raise the total height from 114m to 133.7m to accommodate greater floor-to-ceiling heights within the podium, which would now contain office space across the first six floors. In contrast to the 2024 scheme’s 130 residential units, the new design proposes just 64 larger condo units, including 61 two-bedroom and three three-bedroom suites. Two elevators would serve the residential suites, or one for every 32 units, indicating prompt service.
The revised plan relocates the eight rental replacement units from the podium to an off-site property not specified in the proposal, following discussions with the City’s Housing Secretariat. This aims to eliminate the need for temporary tenant displacement and double moves, allowing current renters to transition directly into new replacement units on a more efficient timeline. City Housing staff have endorsed this off-site approach as a preferred resolution, recognizing that it provides greater certainty for tenants and frees up space within the Birch podium for new office uses.
The updated total Gross Floor Area now stands at 18,021m² with a Floor Space Index of 16.86 times coverage of the 1,069m² assembly, down from 19,821m² previously. Of this, 15,502m² is dedicated to residential use, 1,998m² to office space, and 234m² to street-level retail. The introduction of office floors, responding to local demand for small-scale professional suites, has redefined the design’s base. Residential access has been moved to Birch Avenue, while office and retail entrances would animate the Yonge Street frontage.
The project continues to integrate heritage preservation — overseen by ERA Architects and Taylor Hazell Architects — retaining and restoring existing facades along Yonge Street and Birch Avenue. Amenity spaces have been reworked in the revised submission, now totalling 295m² indoors and 180m² outdoors, compared to 260m² and 215m² in the 2024 version.
Four levels of automated parking are planned below grade, accommodating 155 residential spaces, up from 140 previously. Bicycle parking would total 65 spaces.
The site is within a two-minute walk from Summerhill station on Yonge Line 1. TTC bus service also runs along Yonge Street, connecting to both St Clair and Rosedale stations.
The Yonge Street corridor in Summerhill continues to evolve with higher density redevelopments. To the south, One Roxborough West and The James at Scrivener Square are under construction at 12 and 23 storeys, respectively, with nearby proposals such as 1140 Yonge Street at 10 storeys and 1087 Yonge at 35 storeys. Northward, projects including the 31-storey Rosehill Tower, 49 Jackes at 19 storeys, 1220 Yonge at 35 storeys, 1303 Yonge at 43 and 47 storeys, and 1233 Yonge at 48 storeys continue the upward momentum closer to St Clair Avenu, culminating in large-scale proposals that include 1366 Yonge at 49 storeys and Yonge & Rosehill at 52 storeys.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The article was updated to include details on the rental replacement units.
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| Related Companies: | Arcadis, architects—Alliance, Blackwell, Bousfields, ERA Architects, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, LEA Consulting |
