Known for its $3 well drinks on Tuesdays, swamp-themed decor and middle-aged clientele, Toronto’s famed Crocodile Rock is poised for redevelopment.
The Entertainment District nightclub announced its closure in May after almost 30 years in business. Freed Developments purchased the property to the tune of $67 million in November and today revealed its plans for a 68-storey, mixed-use development at 240 Adelaide Street West.
The site includes four adjacent commercial buildings, occupied by restaurants Yuzu No Hana, Copacabana and Burrito Boyz — the latter of which is a converted cottage with heritage value dating back to 1872. If the project is approved, all structures would be razed to make way for the 219-metre (718.5-foot) high-rise, comprising 637 residential units, approximately 2,225 square metres of office space, and 112 square metres of ground-floor retail.
The tower was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, a Chicago-based firm known for its supertall structures. The team envisions a stepped-back podium that relates to the surrounding buildings and creates a series of large terraces. A V-shaped cutaway at the tower’s base is mirrored at its peak, lending a distinctive silhouette to the Toronto skyline.
The ground floor would include retailers and a lobby, while office space would occupy the tower’s second and third floors. The remaining floors would be dedicated to residential use, housing 74 studios, 403 one-bedroom units, 96 two-bedroom units and 64 three-bedroom units. A total of 57 vehicle and 651 bicycle parking spaces would also be provided across six subterranean levels.
Indoor and outdoor amenities would be found on floors 7, 12 and 67, topped by an indoor infinity-edge pool with sweeping city and lake views. In all, the proposed high-rise would encompass nearly 43,253 square metres of gross floor space.
Freed Developments has submitted its proposal to the City of Toronto for official plan and zoning by-law amendments. For updates on the project, follow its development page on BuzzBuzzHome.
