A new facility is slated for a historic site on the Toronto Metropolitan University campus. In October, a Site Plan Approval application was submitted to the City of Toronto on behalf of Toronto Metropolitan University with respect to 137 Bond Street at the corner of Bond and Gould. The application included renderings by Hariri Pontarini Architects depicting an eight-storey Student Wellbeing Centre clad in glass to be integrated with an existing heritage property on the site.
The property is currently occupied by a former student residence and one of the oldest buildings on campus, O'Keefe House. The worn down brick Victorian-style walkup was the housing for 30-some students per year for over 50 years before the university shuttered it in 2018.
Storeys reports that according to the university's website, O'Keefe House was identified as the best candidate on campus for adaptive reuse due to its central location. It also states that the school will be consulting with the City's Heritage Planning services and an independent heritage consultant throughout development processes and that eco-friendly building practices, such as mass timber construction, will be utilized in an effort to reduce the building's overall carbon footprint and advance TMU's commitment to sustainability and ecological health.
Upon completion, the new facility will include:
- Eight-storey addition on south side of the property standing 31.38m
- Total gross floor area of 2,272 square metre
- Consolidate all health services currently offered across the campus
- 534m2 space for offices
- 1,452m2 for medical exam rooms
- Multiple passive green roofs
The proposed facility will be akin to the architecturally stunning Student Learning Centre that towers over Yonge Street, and is in line with TMU's ongoing transformation into a modern landmark-esque establishment that will better serve the needs of students, faculty and staff.
Currently the campus's health services are spread out across the university's 42 buildings in the downtown core. The variety of services include the following:
- Tri-mentoring
- Health promotion programs
- A support centre for those affected by gender-based violence called Consent Comes First
The proposal entails the tower being built to the south side of the O'Keefe House, with three storeys being added to the house itself. There would be a glazed transitional podium behind the house, along with a rooftop terrace. The L-shaped tower would wrap around the historic site.
DataBid is currently reporting on this project - TMU Centre for Student Wellbeing Campus Health Services Building Garden District - Toronto (0039020823)
