The City of Toronto has approved an application to replace a No Frills grocery store in Toronto's Corktown neighborhood with a new high-rise. Development Firm WZMH Architects first applied to remodel the proposed site near Front and Princess streets in 2018. Proposals for this project have undergone several re-submissions, with the plan finally being approved by the City in the summer of 2022.
The new residential complex will be alongside a proposed 28-storey office building and will include the following:
- 37 storey tower
- 310 rental apartments
- 661 parking spaces
- 809 bicycle parking spaces
The No Frills grocery store currently services Old Town, the Distillery District, Moss Park and Corktown residents. The zoning application includes possible retail space on the towers' ground floor.
BlogTo states that the knockdown of the store could leave residents with less affordable grocery options within the current 2km radius although a revised proposal does suggest there is still a chance that a smaller grocery store could be part of the new development.
The project is led by WZMH Architects - the firm behind Bay Adelaide Centre West and the award-winning 33 Bloor East building.
The Globe and Mail Centre, Coca-Cola, George Brown building and existing buildings that face King Street E. will remain, and the new structures will be built around it.
CP24 News reports that some stakeholders are concerned about the loss of a large affordable grocery store. Though the zoning application does not eliminate the possibility of a new grocery store, it does indicate the new structure will have fewer loading bays, which will not be sufficient for the existing No Frills as it currently stands.
WZMH Architects, based in Toronto, has been around for over six decades with projects in Canada and overseas. Their expertise encompasses all aspects of the architectural process including:
- Master planning
- Site evaluation
- Feasibility studies through the design and construction documentation phases
- Final selection of finishes and fittings
Before the building permit is issued by the City of Toronto, WZMH must either pay a cash contribution of $5 million for the construction of affordable housing, local landscaping improvements and community culture initiatives, or open a child care centre in the central office building.