Over the past decade, Neudorfer Corporation has played a major role in the conversion of the former General Electric Canada lands along the GO Barrie Line. Now known as Davenport Village, the area continues its transformation into a mixed-use neighbourhood while embracing its industrial past through the repurposing of several brick warehouses. At the northwest intersection of Lansdowne Avenue and Dupont Street, one of these heritage edifices is currently undergoing such a transformation, with Fuse & Fuse2 Condos rising above and around it.

Looking east along Dupont Street towards Fuse Condos, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Designed by Barrett Architect and Burka Architects, the two-tower development reached a milestone last December when the first highrise topped out at a height of 27 storeys. As the precast concrete panels have now been applied on the entirety of the tower, the first rows of windows are making their appearance on the building's lower half, including the restored heritage portion where 4,885 square metres of commercial spaces will eventually occupy the first floor. 

Windows are making their way up Fuse Condos, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Consisting of clear glass mixed with grey spandrel panels and mullions, the expansive windows intend to recall the industrial architecture and style that used to characterize the neighbourhood. Along Lansdowne Avenue, a portion of the building that was demolished to facilitate the first phase of development has been reconstructed since our last visit, and will soon be coated with bricks again.

Looking west along Dupont Street, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

On the west side of the lot, the second 23-storey phase of the project is steadily rising and now reaches a height of 10 levels above ground, with the first step-back by the structure having become clearly visible. A total of 576 residential units will be added to the area as the complex aims towards completion later this year, with units ranging from lofts to two bedroom + den condominiums.

Fuse2 is steadily rising along Dupont Street, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file for Fuse and Fuse2, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

With the TTC and Metrolinx unveiling maps earlier in February showing an extensive network criss-crossing the city by 2031, transit supporters could be forgiven for heaving a sigh of relief.

An impressive map but a lot could drop off it between now and 2031

Of course there have been grand plans for transit in Toronto before which came unglued—Transit City anyone? This time, however, all three levels of government say they are committed to funding infrastructure and in particular providing better public transit in Toronto. The future of transit in the city was the key issue in the recent mayoral campaign, and John Tory has said that he believes that even his own SmartTrack project on its own is not sufficient to solve Toronto's transit problems. "For years and years we would build one project, whether it was an extension of the Spadina subway or an extension of the Bloor subway, and we'd sit back and admire it for 10 years and say 'isn't that fantastic'" he told reporters recently.

Hilary Holden, the city's Director of Transit and Sustainable Transportation Planning said on Saturday that she hoped to see a comprehensive plan written into Toronto's Official Plan by the end of the year to "set it in some sort of stone so councillors in future [facing demands for change or scaling back] can say, ‘no we all agreed this is the official plan’."

All of this is hopeful news, but the map should nonetheless be seen for what it is - a broad vision and an ambitious wish list, not a detailed plan. We have seen how Tory's commitment to a three station subway proposal in Scarborough became a one station subway and an LRT proposal, and the western leg of SmartTrack is also to be replaced by another form of rapid transit. At one of the early public consultations in Etobicoke about the latter, it became clear that while the map shows an LRT with 12 stops running to the airport, the actual service could have more or many fewer stops, could be partially underground or entirely overground and might even be a bus rapid transit link not an LRT at all.

This is not to criticize those decisions—Tory has shown more commendable willingness to let transit planning be evidence-based than his predecessor. But it does show how easily this map could change further in the coming months.

Most of the hard questions still remain unanswered—particularly over the public's willingness to bear not just the costs of building but crucially of staffing and maintaining a significantly enlarged transit system longer term. In Vancouver last year, residents voted down a .5 percent sales tax that would have funded transit improvements.

While there is room to dispute some of the finer points of Toronto's bold plan, there is no doubt transit improvements of this scale are needed—indeed when looking at the relief line one could argue for more ambition. But when it comes to it, all of the GTA will need to show more willingness to reach into their wallets to pay for these improvements than we have so far shown.

So, what exactly is proposed at the moment? You can find out at public consultations currently under way, where you can also provide your feedback.

Toronto

Over February and March, seven transit meetings have been scheduled for Toronto. Planned by Metrolinx in association with the TTC, GO Transit, and the City of Toronto, these meetings are broad in scope, giving residents an opportunity to learn about—and comment on—all key projects and studies currently underway. 

The remaining five meetings are listed below:

Wednesday, February 24
Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North Building Room 203)
255 Front Street West, Toronto
6:30 - 8:30 PM

Thursday, February 25
Riverdale Collegiate
1094 Gerrard Street East, Toronto
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Saturday, February 27
Scarborough Civic Centre
150 Borough Drive, Scarborough
9:30 - 11:30 AM

Wednesday, March 9
Lakeshore Collegiate Institute
350 Kipling Avenue, Etobicoke
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Tuesday, March 22
Nelson Mandela Park Public School
440 Shuter Street, Toronto
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

GTHA

Over the same period, a series of meetings are being held in the communities surrounding Toronto. Some of these consultations will focus largely on GO RER implementation—since this project that will have the greatest repercussions in many areas—though the various other initiatives that will affect each area will also be discussed. As in Toronto, the meetings will give residents a chance to better understand how new infrastructure will affect their communities at large, laying out the groundwork of Metrolinx and GO Tansit's long-term regional transit strategy.

The study area for GO's large-scale electrification project, image courtesy of Metrolinx

Thursday. February 25 (Whitby)
Abilities Centre
55 Gordon Street
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Monday, February 29 (Oakville)
Oakville Trafalgar High School
1460 Devon Road
6:30 - 8:30 PM

Tuesday, March 1 (Brampton)
Holy Name of Mary Catholic School
115 Glendale Boulevard
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Wednesday, March 2 (Stouffville)
Stouffville District Secondary School
801 Hoover Park Drive
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Thursday, March 3 (Barrie)
Holly Community Centre
171 Mapleton Avenue
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Monday, March 7 (Vaughan)
St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School
1 St. Joan of Arc Avenue
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Tuesday, March 8 (Burlington)
Robert Bateman High School
5151 New Street
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Thursday, March 10 (Pickering)
Glengrove Public School
1934 Glengrove Road
6:30 - 8:30 PM 

Of course, we are always happy to read your feedback too. We are especially interested in what the transit expansion is worth to you—let's face it—tax-wise. Please leave you comments in the space provided below.

The skin of a building is, by its very nature temporary. The desire for its permanence an unrealistic expectation of materials that were often novel in their application and untested in their durability. As a result of this experimentation, modern works of architecture often have a hastened rate of deterioration compared to their pre-modern counterparts. Changing functional expectations, too, factor into the lifespan of a building’s façade as environmental concerns and the need for improved energy conservation spur building rehabilitation. The question, then, is not whether façade replacement represents an inherent injury to the architectural expression of a structure but rather how can the insertion of contemporary materials and technologies respect the original intent of the architect. Practitioners of modernism, although often not acknowledged, understood that the concept behind a design, an adherence to a functionalism that derived meaning from the needs of its users, was of paramount importance rather than the structure’s material composition. As such, authenticity of design is a more appropriate metric for assessing the success of building rehabilitation rather than strict material continuity. 

A relevant test case for this principle is the recladding of 401 Bay Street. Built as the headquarters for the Simpsons Department store, the crumbling masonry of the 33-storey tower has necessitated an overhaul of its façade. The work, as proposed, highlights the disputed value of modern work and challenges the notion of what constitutes “heritage” to those outside architecture and its allied professions. Too new to be viewed as worthy of conservation but sufficiently old to be threatened by significant alteration, mid-century projects suffer from a poor public perception that leave them exposed to demolition or careless alteration. Part of an unprecedented reconsideration of city structure, the scale of the period’s interventions and disruptions of traditional architecture and urban form has left a lingering and sometimes justified distaste for modern works. Aggravated by half-hearted facsimiles that failed to balance technical efficiency with the assiduous attention to detail of earlier work, later projects lapsed into a mediocrity that is readily apparent in many of the tower communities of the inner suburbs. The difficulty in separating the two within the public imagination has complicated preservation work and eroded the quality of our built heritage.

View of 401 Bay from Nathan Phillips Square, showing the prominence of the tower from City Hall, image by Craig White

It is through this lens that 401 Bay should be evaluated, recognizing its lineage among Toronto’s significant mid-century projects.  Designed by John B. Parkin Associates and Bregman & Hamann, the building is among a series of fine projects designed by the Parkin firm, among them the headquarters of the Ontario Association of Architects, the Celestica West Building, the original Terminal One at Pearson International Airport, the Henry Moore Gallery at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Yorkdale Simpson’s Store (now used by Hudson’s Bay). Despite the significance of the firm’s work in defining the character of modernism in Toronto it is troubling that a project as significant as this one, both in scale and location, is without protection despite the tools available to the city under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (the adjoining department store was designated in 1976). It is particularly concerning that a project as highly visible from Nathan Phillips Square as 401 Bay is without oversight by the City's Urban Design Division. This lack of protection exposes the building to the type of insensitive adaptive reuse under way here. It is important to note that in January 2014, HBC announced it would sell the tower and adjacent store to Cadillac Fairview and lease the site for 25 years. Although ownership of the tower is now with Cadillac Fairview, HBC, who have dealt with alterations to the building for years, continue to oversee work here. While HBC retained heritage specialists Goldsmith Borgal & Company Ltd. Architects (GBCA) to evaluate the compatibility of the tower redesign with the heritage elements that make up the remainder of the city block—a review that was encouraged by the City but not required by the planning department—the refurbishment of the tower itself, also under the direction of HBC, was not given to GBCA to consider in terms of its heritage value.

The renderings indicate a substantial deviation from the tower’s existing material palette as well as alterations to its overall structure. The culmination of the changes as designed by pellow/WZMH, should they be fully implemented, will improve building performance but also fundamentally alter the character of the structure, disrupting the rhythm of the façade through an odd call-out on the northwest corner of the tower while adding what appears to be new office space into a portion of the mechanical penthouse. In an attempt to contemporize the building, the qualities which differentiate it from the bulk of new construction, namely the bold articulation of its concrete frame and the warmth offered by the bronze tinted glass, will be obscured by gestures that interfere with its original architectural expression. 

Rendering of the new facade, sourced from Avison Young

Evening rendering of the new facade, sourced from Avison Young

A permissive culture toward the expedient refurbishment of mid-century work and an absence of enabling legislation to direct project approval through the planning department are the principle culprits behind this type of change. Without a proposal for additional density or change of usage, no zoning amendment was required and as such the planning department was bypassed in the approval process. In the absence of these triggers, conformity with the Building Code was the only criteria on which the proposal was evaluated and subsequently found to be in compliance. With the issuance of the building permit, there was no incentive or mechanism to bring the project before the Design Review Panel (DRP). This is not to say, however, that voluntary review by the DRP is not possible. Brookfield, for example, brought the plans for the recladding of First Canadian Place before the panel for review. It is on this point that fostering a culture of design within the private sector becomes essential. It is incumbent not only on government to incentivize design excellence and a respect for built heritage but also on the private sector to take its role as a city builder seriously, augmenting the calculus of a pro forma with the desire to improve the calibre of design within the city. As the systems of other mid-century buildings approach the end of their lifecycle, it is hoped that future refurbishments reinforce rather than weaken their fundamental character, respecting the original intent of the architect and helping to safeguard valuable cultural artifacts.

It should be noted that HBC was offered the opportunity to comment on this story but has declined. 

Interested in joining the discussion? A link to our forum thread can be found here.

Ryerson University's Department of Architectural Studies will host a lecture by acclaimed Mexican architect Alfonso Medina. Held on February 25th at 6:30 PM, the event is part of the DAS Lecture Series, which gives students—and architecture enthusiasts—the chance to hear renowned architect share their thought process and engage in dialogue with the student body. 

Alfonso Medina, image courtesy of T38Studio

Medina's T38Studio—started in Tijuana—is known for its innovative business model that combines development, urban planning, and architectural design by buying land and developing master-planned projects with full control. An intellectually rigorous practice, Medina's T38Studio has been recognized for a meticulous commitment to studying the impact of its own work.

The event will be held in "The Pit" (ARC 202) at Ryerson's Department of Architectural Science (DAS), located at 325 Church Street. The event is free.

A little past 7 PM yesterday, Koerner Hall filled with some of Toronto's most prominent city-builders, as a who's who of architects, planners, designers, and developers, took their seats. The star of the show was Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, who took to the stage to deliver the almost irresistibly charming "Yes is More" lecture that has now been making the rounds worldwide for several years. Last night, however, Ingel's well-practiced presentation crescendoed with a revealing new look at the architect's much-anticipated Toronto project at 489-539 King West. 

Aerial view of the site, image courtesy of Westbank/Allied

Working with developers Westbank Corp. and Allied Properties REIT, the superstar architect unveiled the Bjarke Ingels Group's (BIG) radical and playful vision for the site. Presenting a "hybrid of Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67 and the urban ecology of the neighbourhood's small alleyways," Ingels argued that the design—in its aesthetic style and ambition—"picks up where Safdie left off 50 years ago" in evoking a sense of radical idealism rarely expressed in Canada's built form. 

Ingels discusses BIG's New York 'Dry Line' as a love-child of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs, image by Stefan Novakovic

Characterized by a varied series of rectilinear volumes, Ingels described the design's "soft topography" as a human-made homage to mountainous landscapes. The residential volumes—which rise to a maximum height of 17 storeys—would be clad in "stone natural to Ontario," said the Danish architect.

A closer look at the King West streetscape, image courtesy of Westbank/Allied

The project's massing strategy sees the modern volumes set back from the heritage buildings along King Street, preserving their street-level prominence while visually inviting pedestrians into the "secret courtyard" within. Ingels described the greenscaped space as a "Canadian hemlock forest." Alongside the extensive landscaping—appointed by Public Work—Ingels's design allows for "integrated public art throughout the courtyard," giving the art a more vital presence in BIG's manufactured landscape.

Inside the 'secret courtyard.' image courtesy of Westbank/Allied

Describing BIG's architectural style as a manifestation of "pragmatic idealism," Ingels presented the project as both an icon and a powerful social incubator. Yet, while the declarative design would certainly give the city an impressive new icon, the social impact of the project is more difficult to predict. 

A closer look at the terraces, image courtesy of Westbank/Allied

While much of the Bjarke Ingels Group's (BIG) portfolio is characterized by the sort of big-name architectural statement pieces that are sometimes—perhaps justifiably—derided as showy and self-indulgent, Ingel's presentation elucidated a deftly sophisticated grasp of the social ramifications of built form.

Another view of the courtyard, image courtesy of Westbank/Allied

In a lecture that sampled from BIG's work around the world, Ingels emphasized the power of architecture to inflect social relations, facilitating new social bonds and stronger communities. Indeed, in a lecture subtitled "how can architecture create communities," Ingels foregrounded the  social responsibility that characterizes BIG's architectural sensibility.

A strong commitment to ecology and social interaction is evidenced throughout BIG's portfolio, while a playfully irreverent aesthetic is met by a deft capacity for architectural problem-solving, thoughtfully considering the unique challenges of each site. It was a rousing presentation—and one hell of a pitch—coalescing in a utopian vision of architecture's purpose; "to make the world a little more like our dreams." 

**

Following Ingel's lecture, a panel discussion brought the architect into conversation with the Toronto Film Festival's Cameron Bailey, Sheldon Levy (formerly of Ryerson University), U of T Daniels' Richard M. Sommer, and Doblin Canada's Zahra Ebrahim. Moderated by Denise Donlon, the discusion analyzed the interstice of architecture and social relations through a broader scope, challenging the optimistic utopianism of Ingel's vision. 

Donlon, Sommer, Ebrahim, Ingels, Bailey, Levy (l-r), image by Stefan Novakovic

Looking out across the assembled audience, Bailey asked the crowd three questions. "How many of you live in million-dollar homes?" Tentatively, hundreds of audience members raised their hands, perhaps anticipating the discomfort of the questions to come. "Now, how many of you have lived in public housing?" This time, a small smattering of hands shot up across the auditorium. "And how many of you have lived in both?" Somewhere in the back of the right balcony, a single man raised his hand.

"That's the problem," Bailey concluded, "how do you a bridge that gap?" It was a question that BIG's architecture does not focus on answering. While Ingel's creative designs can indeed help for stronger social bonds within their communities, BIG's portfolio—full of expensive projects and powerful clients—offers relatively little evidence of a more broad-based commitment to social change championed by other leading architects.

A look at the scale model, image by Stefan Novakovic

"On a macro level, how can architecture help society?" Donlon asked, taking the architect into territory beyond the scope of the pitch. While Ingels argued that making "a world more like our dreams" through small architectural doses can play a part in greater change, BIG's work arguably lacks the deeper inventiveness and social consciousness required to break through socio-economic barriers. The need to have affordable buildings alongside "architectural icons" was widely discussed, although the issue of the project's affordability was only alluded to. (Time was running out).

Yet, while some of the polished edges of Ingel's vision began to seem less convincing, the panelists nonetheless enthusiastically praised the design—and justifiably so. The interplay of forms was discussed as an intelligent symbolic representation of both the individual and the whole, while the design was widely praised for introducing a new level of architectural ambition to Toronto. 

View from a balcony, image courtesy of Allied/Westbank

It's a design that has been widely well-received by UrbanToronto readers as well, garnering an enthusiastic reception from our Forum members. 489-539 King West is undoubtedly one of our city's most exciting upcoming developments, and it is one that is almost certain to become an architectural icon for Toronto. Perhaps it will even succeed in fulfilling Ingel's vision of making the modern city a more vibrant and socially cohesive space, if not quite the landscape of our collective dreams. 

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Want to learn more about the development? Our dataBase file for the project, linked below, contains more images. Want to talk about it? You're welcome to visit the associated Forum thread to get in on the discussion there, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

Last week's opening of the first Canadian location of Saks Fifth Avenue garnered much attention from the media, and plenty of interior and exterior photos of the store are now being submitted to our Flickr Pool. Today's Photo of the Day, submitted to the UrbanToronto Flickr Pool by Jamie Hedworth, captures the store's exterior in long exposure as a TTC streetcar moves through the frame.

Saks Fifth Avenue on Queen Street, image by Jamie Hedworth via Flickr

Want to see your work featured as Photo of the Day? Head over to the City Photos & Videos section of the Forum, or submit your images to the new and improved UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page!

Exhibit celebrates Jewish architect’s imprint on nearly 100 Toronto buildings; 50 years on the Bloor-Danforth subway; More rental housing could be coming to Toronto; and more news

Exhibit celebrates Jewish architect’s imprint on nearly 100 Toronto buildings (Toronto Star)

Non-profit proposes three ways Toronto can become a 'zero-waste' city (Metro News)

Vast scope of coming transit plan eludes councillors: James (Toronto Star)

Then and now: 50 years on the Bloor-Danforth subway (Metro News)

Shaping Toronto: Centennial Projects (Torontoist)

More rental housing could be coming to Toronto (Metro News)

More world news from our sister site SkyriseCities.com:

PLP Architecture Unveils Plan for Pearl River Delta Supertalls (China)

DAMAC Properties Launches Six-Tower Mixed Use Complex (Dubai)

River North Apartment Tower to Replace Retro Restaurant (Chicago)

Excavation for Drummond Condominiums Begins (Montreal)

Several new developments near the foot of Yonge Street have changed the view from the end of the street in recent years, evidenced in this week's Throwback Thursday. Back in 2009, the view north from Queens Quay centred on the then-new One King West, standing 51 storeys over the intersection of King and Yonge Streets in the Financial District. 

View north from the foot of Yonge Street at Queens Quay, 2009, image by Marcus Mitanis

Jumping ahead to 2016, a number of additions can now be seen. On the right side of the image below (east side of Yonge), the 36-storey Backstage on The Esplanade is now topped off, while the 58-storey L Tower is visible to the immediate north. The 58-storey 88 Scott Street can be seen just starting to fill the gap between Backstage and neighbouring 22 The Esplanade. Further north, the east tower of the Bay Adelaide Centre can be seen directly to the left of One King West. Even further north, the uppermost levels of the 78-storey Aura at College Park can be seen peeking out from behind the 250 Yonge office tower.

View north from the foot of Yonge Street at Queens Quay, 2016, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!

A new condominium development in Vaughan from Plaza and Berkley Developments is serving as a testament to the strength of the GTA housing market. In just its first week of sales, The Met, a Quadrangle Architects-designed 35-storey tower planned for the new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre area, managed to sell an impressive 300 units out of the 511 available within the development.

Rendering of The Met, image courtesy of Plaza/Berkley

A statement from Plaza's senior vice-president Scott McLellan reads “I believe this will ultimately be regarded as one of the most successful condo developments in Vaughan’s history. It’s easy to see why: it’s got a prime location in Vaughan’s emerging city centre, with two stops on the TTC subway extension providing direct connections to York University and downtown Toronto.”

Units at The Met start from $286,000, and range in size from 510 square feet for one-bedroom units up to 875 square feet two-bedroom-plus-den suites. The development is also offering 62 townhome units with sizes ranging from 1,250 up to 1,490 square feet and featuring private rooftop terraces and dedicated underground parking. 

Ground level rendering of The Met, image courtesy of Plaza/Berkley

A number of amenities are being offered in the development, including a fitness centre, a whirlpool spa, a party room, a dining room, a catering kitchen, and an outdoor lounge with barbecues. In addition to the residential amenities, residents will be put within the heart of the emerging Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, the new city centre for Vaughan where 12,000 residents are expected to reside in in the near future. 

Additional information and renderings can found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

In a city continuously facing intense development pressure, the politics of heritage preservation often prove a decisive factor in influencing the scope of urban growth. For an individual property, designation on Toronto's heritage inventory ensures that any redevelopment of the site maintains the heritage building's prominence and architectural character. Heritage Conservation Districts (HCD) extend similar principles across a cluster of properties, mandating strict guidelines for altering existing structures and adding new infill density to the area.

Designated under PART V of the Ontario Heritage Act (individual properties are designated under PART IV), HCDs can be created if an area is holisticly deemed to have notable historical, physicial, socio-cultural, or natural attributes. Many neighbourhoods are identified due to of a high concentration of heritage properties, in an attempt to keep the area's broader character—rather than just individual buildings. In an HCD designated area, new development is required to blend in with the scale of existing built form, even if the development site itself does not include a heritage property. 

Looking east across Union Station, image by Marcus Mitanis

For an HCD to be created, an area must be deemed to possess some type of heritage value, whether in regards to built form, socio-cultural character, or a unique and 'representative' physical layout. For example, Toronto's Union Station HCD—a component of the area's Master Plan—recognizes the rail terminal as a unique presence on the streetscape. The HCD sets out development criteria that, among other priorities, maintain the building's visual prominence.

The Gooderham Building is part of the St. Lawrence HCD, image by UT Flickr Pool contributor Matt

Toronto currently has 17 HCDs, with additional areas currently under review, and a further list of neighbourhoods set to be studied in the future. Following an HCD study, a heritage plan is created, which is subsequently reviewed by City Staff, the Toronto Preservation Board, the local Community Council, and finally City Council. Most recently, the 'St. Lawrence Neighbourhood' HCD Plan was adopted by City Council in late 2015, while the 'Historic Yonge Street' HCD—between Bloor and College—has recently been recommended for approval, and is slated to be reviewed by City Council in March.

A map of the 'Historic Yonge Street' HCD, image courtesy of The City of Toronto

The auspices of each HCD are different. Since the unique character of the city's neighbourhood's entails a specifically curated approach, every district's particular regulations are tailored to protect the area's unique features and address specific risks. On 'Historic Yonge Street,' for example, excessive storefront signage and 'over-cladding' has been identified as an area of concern. To address this, the HCD would stipulate regulations governing re-cladding and signage, protecting the area's street-level ambiance.

Excessive signage and over-cladding have been identified as areas of concern on Yonge, image retrieved via Google Maps

In the recently approved St. Lawrence HCD plan, a major priority of the new designation was protecting the area's unique built form. The 19th century storefront, the industrial warehouse, and the 'landmark building' were identified as three historically valuable architectural typologies. In order to maintain the prominence of these buildings—and the area's street-level character—Toronto's newest HCD stipulates that new development show deferential sensitivity to existing heritage structures, with more fine-grained regulations in place to maintain each of the neighbourhood's unique building typologies. 

The new St. Lawrence HCD, image courtesy of The City of Toronto

For new development, Heritage Conservation Districts can play a significant role in regulating the nature of new built form, particularly at street-level. HCD designations do not exist to prevent new development, merely providing a more fine-grained planning framework to regulate changes in the area. Like Secondary Plans, HCDs implement a specific planning framework for select neighbourhoods. However, this does mean that approving new development entails a somewhat more complex process. 

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Want to learn more about Toronto's Heritage Conservation Districts? The City's official website includes an overview of Heritage Preservation Services, including a page devoted to HCDs. The official HCD blog also tracks potential conservation areas currently under review, which include King-Spading, the Garden District, Queen Street East, and the West Annex—in addition to Historic Yonge Street. Want to share your thoughts about Toronto's Heritage Conservation Districts? Leave a comment in the space below this page. 

When we last checked up on the St. Clair Avenue West site of Madison and Fieldgate's ZIGG Condos in January, crews were in the process of shoring the site for the 11-storey, Kirkor Architects-designed development. In the weeks since, workers have begun the process of excavating the site down to a depth of four storeys below grade, with work picking up speed at the south end of the construction site as shoring continues elsewhere on site.

Excavation at the site of ZIGG Condos, image by Jack Landau

The south portion of ZIGG's footprint will be where the building's stepped terraces transition the massing down to the established low-rise housing on Lynwood Avenue to the south. The name 'ZIGG' is drawn from this ziggurat-inspired design feature.

Excavation at the site of ZIGG Condos, image by Jack Landau

As excavation proceeds at the south end of the site, shoring activity continues to the east against the site's Poplar Plains Road frontage. ZIGG is being shored with a pile and lagging system, commonly used for sites where the excavation does not require waterproofing, unlike the watertight caisson systems commonly used where high water tables exist.

The pile and lagging system is accomplished by driving steel casings into the earth followed by the insertion of vertical steel wide flange beams, or soldier piles. These beams are then secured in place with the addition of horizontal timbers—known as lagging—which can be seen forming the excavation's retaining walls in the images above. As earth is excavated, the horizontal lagging will slide down the vertical flange beams, moving along in rhythm with the excavation.

Shoring continues at the east side of ZIGG Condos, image by Jack Landau

The completed ZIGG development will add 166 suites to the Avenue and St. Clair area, with units ranging in size from 500 ft² up to 1,796 ft², coming in one to three-bedroom layouts. Residents of these suites will enjoy a selection of amenities appointed by interior designers The Design Agency, including a gym and party room, and a large rooftop terrace featuring an indoor bar, lounge space, and outdoor barbecues.

Rendering of ZIGG Condos, image courtesy Madison/Fieldgate

Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

Developer Coal Harbour Properties (a division of Vancouver-based Retirement Concepts) bought the rental apartment buildings at Maple Leaf Quay a few years ago, and has been working to improve the buildings since. The pair of 21-storey slabs that hug either side of the slip of water east of Spadina Avenue have been an architectural sore point on Toronto Harbour since they were built by developers Huang and Danczkay in the late 1980s.

Maple Leaf Quay before the renovations, image retrieved from Apple Maps

Coal Harbour's first plans to rejuvenate the exterior were greeted with some scepticism on UrbanToronto, but the beige brick was repainted in varying shades of gray, while new windows with contrasting black frames and red inserts replaced older, energy inefficient ones, and lifted the tone of the buildings considerably. Reaction on UrbanToronto to the work was enormously positive over last summer as the renovation work progressed.

Maple Leaf Quay mid-renovations, August 2015, image by Craig White

Now we know that the renovations were just the first phase of a grander plan, one that was shown publicly for the first time two weeks ago, and which will be submitted to the City of Toronto shortly. Coal Harbour has revealed plans for a third tower at the site, one that is proposed to rise to 29 storeys, replacing the existing four-storey linking building there now.

Improved ground realm a goal at Maple Leaf Quay Redevelopment, image courtesy of Coal Harbour Properties

Part of the plan includes improvements to and expansion of the existing buildings too, and remaking the public realm around the base of the entire development. To say that the current interface with the lake at this site is poor is an understatement. Coal Harbour aims to correct the situation through a redesign, and through cooperation with Toronto Parks, Forestry, and Recreation, Waterfront Toronto, and Ports Toronto.

Improved ground realm a goal at Maple Leaf Quay Redevelopment, image courtesy of Coal Harbour Properties

Coal Harbour wants to see a more inviting ground level where new retail and restaurants enjoy outdoor space facing the water. The slip itself tends to collect garbage that floats in from the Harbour, (Ports Toronto has the responsibility for keeping it clean), and a boom that was added last summer was only a limited success, so a more robust cleaning operation will be needed to make the slip attractive as a place for people to congregate. Coal Harbour is also hoping that the granite sett paving scheme that was implemented at Harbourfront last year south of Queens quay can also be put in place around the slip, bringing the newly cohesive public realm of the area to this site too.

Southwest view of the Maple Leaf Quay Redevelopment, image courtesy of Coal Harbour Properties

Above ground level, Coal Harbour is proposing rental apartment suites from the second floor to the penthouses on the 29th level, with the sixth and seventh floors—atop the podium—being the location of most of the tower's amenities. 

The existing buildings are proposed to be extended further north, to match the proposed alignment of the north wall of the new tower. On the west tower, that would add two suites per floor, on the east tower it would add three suites per floor. The new north walls of those buildings are proposed as potential locations of giant living walls, with plants chosen for their ability to withstand our climatic extremes while providing all-season interest. Atop the existing towers, the proposal includes new visors and green roofs with trees among the plantings to architecturally tie the proposal together and further improve their overall appearance from all sides.

Descending building heights around the Maple Leaf Quay Redevelopment, image courtesy of Coal Harbour Properties

Sited south of the taller Harbourview Estates towers of Concord CityPlace, the new tower would be far enough to the west of the Rogers Centre that it would remain a part of the "postcard view" of Toronto from the Toronto Islands, a view corridor which the City of Toronto desires to retain.

View corridors will be maintained by Maple Leaf Quay Redevelopment, image courtesy of Coal Harbour Properties

Another view corridor in the area is one that starts beside the Rogers Centre, where pedestrians walking around the facility can see south to the lake. To preserve most of that view, the new central tower is proposed to be sited 30 metres from the existing east tower. The City of Toronto's Tall Buildings Design Guidelines asks for 25 metre tower separations, so the plan here asks the City to consider the extra 5-metre gap on the east side as a trade-off for a 20-metre gap on the west side.

Considering the context of the Maple Leaf Quay Redevelopment, image courtesy of Coal Harbour Properties

At the initial public consultation, held as a courtesy in advance of the application to the City, response to the plan was quite favourable, with attendees voicing no objections during the meeting, although it is known that some residents of Harbourview Estates to the north have voiced their concerns to Ward 20 Councillor Joe Cressy about losing direct views to the lake. Views are not guaranteed in Toronto, however, so those concerns are not likely to have a direct effect on negotiations concerning the upcoming application. It remains to be seen if the City will accept the 5-metre view corridor trade-off, or what other aspects of the plan might be considered concerns. Based on the reaction to the proposal at the meeting, it would seem that the proposal is already being met by a generally favourable reception.

If you would like to know more about the proposal, you can check out UrbanToronto's dataBase file for the development, linked below. If you want to talk about the plans, you can get in on the discussion in the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

With a working population of nearly half a million, Toronto's burgeoning Downtown is the premier economic region in Canada, with the greatest output of prosperity generated in the heart of the country's largest city. The second largest? It's not in Vancouver, or Montreal, or Calgary. Employing some 300,000 people, the second largest economic region in the country is the area surrounding Pearson International Airport.

While the area's employment numbers are impressive, a new report argues that the lack of accessible transit presents a crucial hindrance to long-term economic potential. Prepared by Urban Strategies for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the report's findings demonstrate "an urgent need for a multi-modal transit hub... in this key area." 

An aerial view of Pearson International Airport, image by Jack Landau

Unlike many of Canada's largest economic clusters, the area is not a Downtown transit hub, with "very limited transit connectivity" giving workers few commuting options. Instead, the area's robust economic output is attributed to its proximity to Canada's largest airport, which served a record 41 million passengers last year, directly connecting to 67% of the global economy. Located "at the convergence of five 400 series highways," most of the employment zone—which straddles the borders of Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto—is in Peel Region, which is "itself the fastest growing in the GGH." 

A new hub could effectively knit together existing but disparate services into a more effective network, image courtesy of GTA

In the midst of the region's fast-paced growth as an employment centre, however, the report notes that "traffic congestions is reaching critical levels." Given the infrastructural limits and comparative inefficiency of automobile-based transportation, "[t]he creation of a new regional transit hub serving Toronto Pearson and the surrounding employment area would represent potentially one of the most effective, efficient, and productive transit investments in the region."

Though the much-publicized UP Express delivers an express rail connection to Downtown, Pearson continues to trail many other large international airports in transit options. The share of passengers using transit to reach the airport remains low at 8%, while much of the surrounding area remains somewhat underserved.

Comparing Pearson to other worldwide airports in transit connectivity, image courtesy of GTAA

Nonetheless, the report argues that "Toronto Pearson is well situated to evolve into something more functional and valuable for the region." Given the variety of transit networks (seen below) that serve the surrounding areas, the creation of a secondary transit hub—alongside Union Station—could effectively knit together a wealth of transit services into a more cohesive and efficient network. (The recently revived western extension of the Crosstown LRT would likely prove a good starting point.)

An overview of the transit services that approach Pearson, image courtesy of GTAA

The report touts the multi-modal transit hub as a driver of local job growth and regional prosperity, growing the airport employment area while facilitating more fine-grained, interconnected transit service across the GGH. For Toronto—currently the 8th most congested city in North America—the productivity lost to commute time could markedly decrease, with the added benefit of a more environmentally-friendly transit network.

We will keep you updated as the preliminary plans for a multi-modal transit hub at Pearson continue to evolve. What do you think of the report? Feel free to make your voice heard by leaving a comment in the space below this page, or by joining the ongoing—and informative—conversation on our Forum. 

Over 200 submissions from some of Ontario's brightest young minds and established architectural firms alike have been narrowed down to just 20 finalists for the 2016 Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Awards' Design Excellence category. As part of the countdown until the April 1st aannouncement of the winners, each of the 20 finalists in the Design Excellence category will be featured on the OAA blOAAg over the course of the month of March.

The awards also honour other categories, including Concepts, Landmark Designation, Best Emerging Practice, G. Randy Roberts Service Award, Honour Roll, Lifetime Design Achievement Award and Order of da Vinci. These awards are judged by a jury of peers from the design and architecture communities, using the following criteria; Creativity, Context, Sustainability, Good Design/Good Business, and Legacy. 

Aga Khan Museum, image by David Timchuck via Flickr

The 2016 OAA Design Excellence award winners will be honoured at the OAA Celebration of Excellence Awards and Dinner, on May 13th in the Allstream Centre, as part of the 2016 OAA Conference. Additional winners in the Lieutenant Governor’s Award, Michael V & Wanda Plachta Award and the People’s Choice Award categories will be announced.

A list of the 2016 OAA Awards Design Excellence Finalists follows below.

Aga Khan Museum - Moriyama & Teshima in association with Maki and Associates - Toronto, ON

Borden Park Pavilion -  gh3 architecture - Edmonton, AB

Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre - MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects Ltd. and HIP Architects in joint venture - Edmonton, AB

Curtiss Kitchen and Dining Facility - ZAS Architects and Jean-Christian Koch Architecte in joint venture - Borden, ON

Daniels Spectrum - Diamond Schmitt Architects -Toronto, ON

Detail shot of the Daniels Spectrum, image by Lori Whelan via Flickr

George Brown College, Waterfront Campus - Stantec and KPMB Architects in joint venture -Toronto, ON

Go Home Bay Cabin - Ian McDonald Architect Inc. - Georgian Bay Township, ON

Grange Triple Double - Williamson Chong Architects - Toronto, ON

Harbord Towns - superkül - Toronto, ON

Harbord Towns, image by UT Forum contributor salsa

Old Main Academic Building Addition, Thompson River University - Diamond Schmitt Architects and Stantec (Associate Architect) - Kamloops, BC

Prince Arthur’s Landing, Thunder Bay Waterfront - Brook McIlroy Inc. - Thunder Bay, ON

Redstone Winery - Sweeny &Co. Architects Inc. - Beamsville, ON

Richard Ivey Building, Ivey Business School, Western University - Hariri Pontarini Architects - London, ON

Richard Ivey Building at Western University, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects

Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, University of British Columbia - KPMB Architects& HCMA Architecture + Design in joint venture - Vancouver, BC

Skygarden House - Dubbeldam Architecture + Design - Toronto, ON

Stade de soccer Montréal - Saucier + Perrotte Architectes/Hughes Condon Marler Architects (now HCMA Architecture + Design) - Montréal, QC

Toronto Public Library Scarborough Civic Centre Branch - LGA Architectural Partners Inc. and Phillip H. Carter, Architect in joint venture - Toronto, ON

Toronto Public Library Scarborough Civic Centre Branch, image courtesy of LGA Architectural Partners

Surrey Operations Centre and Works Yard Redevelopment - Taylor Kurtz Architecture + Design Inc. & Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley Architects Inc. (Design Architect) - Surrey, BC

The Mississauga Public Library Project - Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley Architects Inc. - Mississauga, ON

The Waterdown Library and Civic Centre - Rounthwaite Dick & Hadley Architects Inc. - Waterdown, ON

What's your take on 2016's nominees? Let us know in the comments section below!

The late-2015 unveiling of a massive plan to improve the underside of the aging Gardiner Expressway, made possible through a generous philanthropic donation from Judy and Wil Matthews, has garnered much media attention since November. The City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto made an announcement earlier today that put the wheels in motion for the project—known at the moment by the working title of Under Gardiner—that would see a major overhaul of the underside of a 1.75 kilometre stretch of the Gardiner Expressway extending from Strachan to Spadina.

Map of Under Gardiner, image courtesy of PUBLIC Work

Closely related to the project's goal of creating spaces for the public's enjoyment, today's announcement celebrates local involvement by asking members of the public to participate in a city-wide brainstorming campaign, known as Reclaim the Name, that will develop the official name for the over 10-acre project.

The Reclaim the Name campaign will be carried out in four phases between March and June 2016, with the first phase calling on the public to submit their name submissions at: www.undergardiner.com/name.html. A number of tools and resources have been made available as part of the campaign's first phase, including a DIY Brainstorming Toolkit, a pop-up at the Spacing Store at 401 Richmond St. W., school outreach programs, and three "brainstorm parties". 

Rendering of Under Gardiner, image courtesy of PUBLIC Work

Name submissions will be accepted until April 1, 2016, after which, phase two of the campaign will begin. During April, phase two will see a Naming Jury convene to select a shortlist of between three and five names to consider for public voting. Members of the Naming Jury, who will hail from design, cultural, artistic, civic engagement and social activism fields in Toronto, will be announced in April.

The campaign's third phase will kick off in May, during which time members of the public will be able to select their favourite name from the shortlist of candidates. Public voting details will be announced in late April, and once a winner has been selected, the name will be presented to city council for review and adoption as the project's official branding.

The fourth and final phase of the campaign, slated for June, will confirm the project's new name and finalize the logo and other branding, with details to be announced in either late June or early July. 

Put on your thinking caps!

In recent years, the intersection of Yonge and Bloor has been the site of some of Toronto's tallest proposals and construction projects, with the 76-storey 1 Bloor East—now topped off—potentially set to be neighboured by the 84-storey The One. The surrounding Bloor-Yorkville area has also been a hotbed for new development, as a glut of point towers re-shapes the neighbourhood into one of Canada's foremost high-rise clusters. Now, a new Menkes Developments proposal at 771 Yonge Street—just north of Bloor—calls for a slender 49-storey residential tower to rise immediately across Asquith Avenue from the Toronto Reference Library. 

A view of the west and north elevations, image courtesy of Bousfields Inc.

Located at the southeast corner of Yonge and Asquith, the Wallman Architects-designed tower would see the heritage building at 771 Yonge retained and restored, with the residential entrance—and new retail—fronting Asquith Avenue. The 322-unit tower would rise to a height of 154.1 metres, with a 7.0 metre mechanical penthouse taking the total height to 161.1 metres. Proposed unit configurations would see the project add 46 bachelor, 92 one bedroom, 92 one bedroom + den, 46 two-bedroom, and 46 two-bedroom + den, suites to the market. 

An early rendering, looking southwest, image retrieved from Menkes' submission to the City of Toronto

With a floorplate of 493 m², the point tower's slim form is—according to the Planning & Urban Design Rationale provided by Bousfields Inc.—"substantially lower than the recommended standard of 750 m²." Set atop a three-storey podium, the tower would be set back 10 metres from the west property line at Yonge, and approximately 4.5 and 4 metres from the north and east property lines respectively. 

The site as it appears now, image retrieved via Google Maps

Due to the relatively small footprint (954.4 m²) of the site, the separation between the new tower and the 34-storey Hudson Bay building to the south would only be 10 metres. (The new development would share a wall with the former Alfred Britnell Bookstore—now a Starbucks—at 665 Yonge, which would effectively be tucked between the two high-rise towers.) With the City of Toronto's Tall Building Guidelines setting out an optimal tower separation of 25 metres, the site's very tight configuration could prove a contentious issue in the approvals process.

The site sits in the "height ridge" north of the "height peak," image courtesy of the City of Toronto

In terms of height, the site sits just north of the Yonge-Bloor "height peak" set out in Area Specific Policy 211. Located in the "height ridge" that surrounds the intersection itself, the 49-storey tower would rise above the 132-metre 2 Bloor East to the south. However, with a number of taller projects currently underway further north—including the 58-storey 1 Yorkville tower just up Yonge—the height of the development is in similar in scale to some of the recently approved towers in this area of the height ridge. 

An overview of the heights of existing and planned built form, image courtesy of Bousfields Inc.

The second floor of the restored heritage structure at 771 Yonge would house some of the residential amenities, which would also be spread out across the third floor of the podium. Of the total 23,636 m² GFA proposed, 188 m² would also be given over to new retail fronting Asquith Avenue, while 132 m² of existing floor area is slated to be retained for a total of 320 m² of non-residential GFA. In total, the new density proposed is 24.8 times the size of the lot. 

Looking northeast on Yonge, image retrieved from Menkes' submission to the City of Toronto

No automobile parking is planned for the development, while a total of 330 bicycle spaces are proposed, meeting the City's minimum requirement of a 1/1 ratio of units and bicycle spots. Below grade, a single underground level would provide a direct connection to the Hudson Bay complex to the south. The project also includes landscaping by the NAK Design Group, with outdoor greenery seen above the second level.

A closer look at the ground level on Asquith Avenue, image retrieved from Menkes' submission to the City of Toronto

Given the early stage of these plans, the proposal is subject to potential significant change as the approvals process unfolds. We will keep you updated as new information continues to become available. In the meantime, our dataBase file features additional information, while a discussion of the proposal is already underway in the Forum. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in the conversation in our associated Forum thread.

East of the Don River, to Leslieville, The Beach, and beyond—to neighbourhoods that until recently were among the last stalwart holdouts of Toronto's early 1900s mix of single-family residential blended with main street retail or light industrial—the wave of redevelopment that has exploded across the city in the last decade has at last begun to catch up, having made some considerable headway in the last few years. This edition of our Growth to Watch For series concentrates on the area from the Don Valley Parkway to Woodbine, from Lake Ontario to the Danforth, covering a range of proposals and new construction from condos to retail and beyond. 

Crossing the Don River, image by Forum member anonymous0024

While the more newsworthy projects—such as the transformation of Jilly's strip club into the Broadview Hotel, akin to the successful re-imaginings of the Gladstone Hotel and the Drake Hotel to the west—have captured the most attention, there remain a host of projects east of the Don that will soon transform this sizeable chunk of the city, bringing density and new life into areas long overlooked.  

Under Construction

Beginning at the Don River and moving east along Queen to Broadview Avenue, the first under construction project in the works for the area is the 24-storey Riverside Square designed by RAW Design for Streetcar Developments, where the build site is currently undergoing the demolition of two structures, one a red brick warehouse dating to the 1920s, the other a rather nondescript, windowless concrete warehouse which will likely not be missed. The site will eventually have quite a number of new buildings, pedestrian-priority streets, and a new park. The first phase of Riverside Square is in sales now.

Demolition underway at Riverside Square site, image by Forum member skycandy

Meanwhile, north across Queen at Broadview, the historic Broadview Hotel (most recently home to Jilly's) is undergoing an extensive restoration and redevelopment by heritage experts ERA Architects. Working for Streetcar, this site is tied to the Riverside Square development across the street, and will bring the 1891-built Dingman's Hall (converted in 1907 into the Broadview Hotel) back to its former glory while adding a modern extension. Once complete, the expanded Broadview Hotel will feature 57 guest rooms, a ground-level restaurant and lounge, and a rooftop patio. 

Broadview Hotel under wraps as progress on rear addition continues, image by Forum member skycandy

North of Queen at Dundas and Carlaw, meanwhile, the 8-storey, 96-unit mid-rise The Taylor, another Streetcar Developments project, is nearly complete, and will finished by the end of 2016. A mixture of lofts and towns, the TACT Architecture-designed The Taylor will feature a sprawling layout with varied massing that upon completion will add some modern flair to this stretch of Dundas East. 

The Taylor nears completion on Dundas East, image by Forum member salsa

Moving further east along Queen, between Carlaw and Jones, the recently topped-off, 6-storey Oben Flats Leslieville rental building—designed by superkül for Oben Flats—is awaiting cladding and interior finishes, and will open later this year.

Recently topped-off Oben Flats Leslieville, image by Forum member skycandy

Up Jones Avenue, Lifestyle Custom Homes' One6Nine Jones is set to see construction begin this year. The 4-storey townhouse project—designed by Open Architects—will add 12 units of modest residential density to the area (below). Next door, the former St. Clements Church is slated to begin re-construction at a later date, joining the condo market as deCargani Developments' recently launched St. Leslieville Church Lofts.

A rendering of One6Nine Jones Townhomes, image courtesy of Lifestyle Custom Homes

Further east again at the intersection of Woodbine Avenue and Queen is 200 The Beach on the northwest corner. To be complete by 2017, demolition is well underway at the site for the 6-storey condo designed by Richard Ziegler Architect for The Riedel Group.

Demolition of Edwardian-era apartments making way for 200 The Beach, image by Forum member interchange42

Meanwhile, a couple of blocks to the east, the 6-storey Lakehouse Beach Residences, designed by RAW Design for Reserve Properties has recently been topped-off with cladding and exterior glazing nearly complete.

Recently topped-off Lakehouse Beach Residences, image by Forum member amlem

We find Beach Club Lofts in the Upper Beach on Kingston Road. This boutique condo, designed by Quadrangle Architects for Zen Homes is expected to see residents move in in the coming months.

Beach Club Lofts nearing completion, image by Forum member salsa

Up Woodbine at Gerrard, there's another building that's soon to complete. Seen below back on December 25th, Carlyle Communities'Beach Hill Residences, with architecture by RAW Design, will open this year.

Beach Hill Residences on the southeast corner of Woodbine and Gerrard, image by UT Forum contributor Salsa

Back to Kingston Road and moving east, Aykler Development's similarly named Beach Lofthouses on are also seeing the closing stages of construction this year, with occupancy of the 4-storey building in early 2016. 

Beach Lofthouses in late December, 2015, image by UT Forum contributor Salsa

Nearby, site clearing has paved the way for the start of construction at Beech House, (we're talking the tree this time, named after the local street), a 6-storey Richard Ziegler-designed condominium development by Mitchell & Associates. Construction of the 93-unit building will continue throughout the year.

Beech House, image courtesy of Mitchell & Associates

Finally, Streetcar Developments'The Southwood—also on Kingston Road—will see construction begin this year, with site clearing taking place in late 2015. Launched last year, the TACT Architecture-designed development will bring two 6-storey buildings to the area, a block apart on either side of Kingston Road.

One of the two 6-storey buildings of The Southwood development, image courtesy of Streetcar Developments

Planning and In Sales

Once again starting at the Don and moving east, projects of various scope and function have entered the planning and pre-construction phase. Beginning with the massive, 30-acre site of of the former Lever Brothers complex at 21 Don Roadway, now known as the Unilever site, and what is one of the largest privately-held parcels of land in the City of Toronto will be up to developers First Gulf who over the next handful of years will transform this former industrial land into something akin to London's Canary Wharf. The first building to be transformed onsite is the former Lever Soap factory, with an update designed by Pellow + Associates Architects. 

21 Don Roadway, rendering courtesy of First Gulf

To the near-immediate SE of the Unilever site, yet another corporate transformation is underway, this time involving the relocation of a FedEx courier facility and warehouse from its current address at Lake Shore Boulevard and Lower Sherbourne, to a sizeable plot of land at 475 Commissioners Street. The new, 7,300 square foot facility, in addition to providing the company with a new office headquarters and state-of-the-art operations warehouse, will make available for sale and redevelopment their former home along the quickly-transforming stretch called the East Bayfront, which in recent years has become home to the Corus Entertainment Building and adjacent Sugar Beach, the new waterfront campus of George Brown College, and Sherbourne Common just across the street. 

475 Commissioners St, Toronto, Google Maps screen capture by Adrian Gamble

A little further to the east, at 459/462 Eastern Ave, the light industrial site which includes the Weston Bakery has been purchased by a numbered holding company. Turner Fleischer Architects Inc have been retained for the design of the redevelopment. What will eventually become a 7-4-2-storey mixed-used, residential/commercial/office complex, straddling either side of Eastern Ave just west of Carlaw, will likely incorporate all or some of the Weston Bakery building, ostensibly in an effort to not not break completely with the industrial character of the neighbourhood, for an end result that has the potential to be reminiscent of something in the vein of what has been accomplished on Broadview south of Queen Street. While details are as of yet scarce, it will be interesting to note how this project develops.

Elevations for 462 Eastern Ave, including former Weston Bakery, rendering courtesy of Turner Fleischer Architects Inc.

More ambitious still, are plans for a large site to the east of the Weston Bakery site, called StudioCentre. It is being developed by SmartCentres, and designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects to bring a collection of new structures to the area, with an emphasis on Toronto's film industry. Anchored around a film studio, Revival 629, the surrounding structures will include offices, retail, and food services, all of which will be in support of an on-site digital media hub purpose-built to support the latest and greatest in film production. A hotel and other amenities are also planned for the site, with the aim of creating a one-stop-shop for future film projects in a city (along, of course, with Vancouver) that has more than earned the right to be known as Hollywood North. 

StudioCentre, rendering courtesy of SmartCentres

More shopping could be coming to the south side of Lake Shore Boulevard at Leslie, where plans for a brand new, 2,200 square metre SportChek retail store have been submitted for a Site Plan Approval. If approved, the new store would join Canadian Tire and other retailers at the suburban-style big box plaza.

Adding some potential customers, a proposal for a more urban 7-storey, 110-unit condo at 1331 Queen Street East, designed by RAW Design for the Rockport Group, is working its way through the planning process. Results of a January, 2016 hearing at the OMB are not yet known. Whatever is developed here will bring some added density to this still relatively low-rise stretch Queen Street East.

1331 Queen Street East, Rockport Group, RAW Design, Toronto

To the east, Toronto's first 6-storey timber-frame residential building is planned: the Quadrangle Architects-designed Heartwood The Beach set to rise at Queen and Woodbine. A Hullmark and Fieldgate Homes project, Heartwood will be Toronto's first residential development to take advantage of new regulations allowing for taller wood-frame buildings. 

Heartwood The Beach, image courtesy of Fieldgate/Hullmark

To the northwest, the area surrounding Gerrard Square could see new development, with an 8-storey condo proposed by Sigma Properties at 354 Pape. Now making its way through the planning process, preliminary renderings of the project depict a distinctive ATA Architects Inc. design. Future residents here could find themselves living at a Relief Line subway and GO RER interchange station.

An early drawing of 354 Pape, image courtesy of Sigma Properties

Further north at Danforth and Woodbine, the 10-storey On the Danforth by Diam Developments has been selling, with its striking south-facing stepped terrace design by Onespace Unlimited meant to attract buyers interested in living along this rejuvenating, rapid-transit-served corridor. 

On the Danforth, rendering courtesy of Diam Developments

On Hold?

While it would seem that the rate of development east of the Don has no bounds, there are, as always, a small collection of projects that for whatever reason, cannot seem to get off the ground. The first of two stalled projects, a 6-storey mixed-use building was proposed back in 2014 for 759-763 Queen Street East to be designed by KAVE Architects, which would go up adjacent to the popular Opera House music venue and would feature commercial uses on the ground floor, and 29 residential units above. The project would utilize a parking sorter system to serve the building's 11 parking spaces, which would be accessed via June Callwood Way to the rear of the site. For now, the plan is still awaiting approval with further details yet to come. 

763 Queen Street East, rendering courtesy of KAVE Architects

Meanwhile, further to the east along Queen at 45 Connaught Ave, between Greenwood and Coxwell, plans for the 4-storey Loft 45, designed by Quadrangle Architects for Berkshire Axis Development, has similarly gone quiet with few details as to when development may resume. 

Loft 45, rendering courtesy of Berkshire Axis Development

That's it for the 2016 Toronto East of the Don edition of our Growth to Watch For series. Please stay tuned for UrbanToronto's next instalment, and feel free to check the link for all of our previous editions. Have a neighbourhood in mind for the next edition? Let us know in the comments section below. 

In today's Photo of the Day, which was submitted to the UrbanToronto Flickr Pool by Empty Quarter, we are shown a view of Toronto captured from a plane on approach to Billy Bishop airport. In addition to the main downtown Toronto skyline, this view also captures the distant Midtown and North York skylines to the north.

Aerial view of Toronto captured from above Toronto Harbour, image by Empty Quarter via Flickr

Want to see your work featured as Photo of the Day? Head over to the City Photos & Videos section of the Forum, or submit your images to the new and improved UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page!

Power outage sounds alarm bells over Toronto’s failing transit infrastructure; When Is a GO Train not a GO Train? When It’s UPX!; Ryerson light installation a beacon for the homeless; and more news

Transit-mageddon shows why a little repetition would go a long way: Keenan (Toronto Star)

Power outage sounds alarm bells over Toronto’s failing transit infrastructure (Globe and Mail)

Is this farm the last frontier of GTA sprawl? (Toronto Star)

When Is a GO Train not a GO Train? When It’s UPX! (Steve Munro)

Ryerson light installation a beacon for the homeless (Toronto Star)

Toronto will vote on name for Under Gardiner green space (Metro News)

More world news from our sister site SkyriseCities.com:

Checking In With Edmonton's Ice District (Edmonton)

New Home for Minnesota United FC Unveiled (Minneapolis)

2016 China Tall Building Award Winners Announced (Global)

Amazon's Biosphere Will Become New Seattle Landmark (Seattle)