Corktown can finally see some new life in an area that was damaged in two separate fires. A redevelopment proposal was approved by City planners and will be located on a site where fire-damaged row houses used to be.
Toronto Storeys reports that in late 2020, Lamb Developments submitted an application to amend the Zoning-By-Law to allow them to build a 15 storey (51.1 metres plus a 3.7 metre mechanical penthouse) mixed-use building with retail at grade level. The building will be located at 471 Queen Street East.
The plans call for building an infill development on an under-utilized site on vacant land with the exception of a vacant 2-storey converted dwelling at 479 Queen Street East.
The previous rowhouses on the site were badly damaged due to a fire in mid-2018, followed by a second even more damaging fire in June of 2020. The buildings were later ordered to be removed by the Fire Department.
The developer is now looking for approval to redevelop the site with the following:
- Building named Queen with a total gross floor area of 8,653 m2
- Building would rise to a height of 54.85 metres
- 143 residential dwelling units
- 231 square meters of retail space
- Below grade parking served by two car elevators accessed from the private lane at the rear of the site
- Parking garage would include parking spaces for 33 vehicles and 180 bicycle parking spaces
The new building is designed by A & A Architects and will feature the following:
- Seven storey base building
- Ground floor, mezzanine and second level would be set back 1.2 metres from front lot line
- Widened sidewalk zone
- Distinctive architectural treatment with large arched windows
- 2,023 square feet of double-height retail space will front Queen Street East while an additional 269 square feet will be retail back-of-house area
- Residential vestibule and lobby
- Three amenity rooms totalling 753 square feet on mezzanine level
- Five condo units will be built above on the second floor
- Indoor and outdoor amenity areas on second floor in back of the building
The building will also include:
- Levels 3-7 will have masonry and punched windows
- Each floor contains 13 residential units oriented north-south
- Levels 8-15 are stepped back 2.5 metres from the frontage and will feature a glazed surface
- A long terrace will be located on top of the stepback on 8th floor
- North-facing units will have no balconies and south-facing units will have extended balconies
There will also be secondary windows running up the east and west sides of the structure instead of blank walls. Each floor will have a floor plate of 628 metres, with 12 residential units per floor on levels 8-11 and eight residential units per floor on levels 12-14 to accommodate larger units.
Of the 143 units proposed, the breakdown would include the following:
- 76 studios
- Eight one-bedroom units
- 20 one bedroom plus den units
- 23 two-bedroom units
- 16 three-bedroom units
Lamb Development has a large number of condo projects across Toronto, some of which are currently in registration, including The Bread Company Condos and Bauhaus Condos.
DataBid is currently reporting on this project - The Queen Residential Mixed-Use - Toronto (0010011921)
