A block of homes located in Toronto's Junction Triangle neighborhood could be replaced with an elegant 18-storey high-rise. Developer Kingsett Capital submitted a rezoning application to City planners to build an 18-storey mixed-use building at 1423-1437 Bloor Street West.
Toronto Storeys reported that the site is currently occupied by an assembly of nine narrow properties developed with 2 and 2 1/2 storey homes. The buildings are occupied by a mix of commercial and residential uses, including a combined total of 19 dwelling units, 15 of which are rental dwelling units, and several 1 and 2 storey accessory structures. Some of these structures are vacant and others are occupied by rental tenants.
An article in Urban Toronto states that the redevelopment would bring retail, a community centre, and over 200 dwelling units to the neighborhood.
The site is in an area with significant focus on multi-modal transportation. The entrance to the Bloor GO/UP Express Station is 110 metres to the west, and the planned Bloor-Lansdowne GO Station is 260 metres to the east. The West Toronto Railpath that provides pedestrian and bicycle connections across the city is just steps away.
The development designed by BDP Quadrangle is designed with an 18 storey tower inclusive of a 6 storey podium along the Bloor Street West frontage. The gross floor area is 14,860 with a proposed density of 7.11 times the area of the lot.
The ground floor which will include space for retail and community use, will have setbacks designed to ensure 6-metre sidewalk widths along all three street frontages for an expanded pedestrian realm. The Bloor Street-facing retail units will intentionally be shallow in order to attract smaller mom and pop tenants and will terminate in a 137 m2 privately-owned publicly accessible space (POPS) that will anchor the northwest corner of Bloor and Perth Avenue.
Also facing the POPS is the protruding, single-storey community space that reads as its own building element. On the opposite corner is the residential lobby which will reflect the residential character of Sterling Road.
The podium then steps down to 5 storeys and then 1 storey towards the rear of the site. The tower tapers from its maximum floor-plate of 825 m2 at floors 7 through 15, to 645 m2 for floors 17 and 18.
The building will also include the following:
- A second-floor terrace
- Additional south-facing outdoor amenity located on the 18th level rooftop
- Ground floor will have access to servicing, garbage, mail, and loading areas
- Two vehicle elevators that lead to two levels of below-grade parking for 65 vehicles
- Two pick-up/drop-off vehicle parking spaces
- Six visitor parking spaces
- 208 bicycle spaces and 12 short-term bicycle storage spaces
The building will have a total of 204 residences, 15 will constitute the rental replacement units. The breakdown includes:
- 47 studios
- 102 one-bedrooms
- 34 two-bedrooms
- 21 three-bedrooms
The developer has proposed a number of new high-rise projects for the city in the past year, including a 59-storey tower near Yonge and Wellesley Streets, and a nine-storey condo building in Parkdale.
DataBid is currently reporting on this project - 1423-1437 Bloor Street West Mixed Use Development - Toronto (0065041421)
