Location: 239 Dundas Street East
Developer: Metropia
Architect: Turner Fleischer Architects
The Garden District is one of Toronto’s key downtown neighbourhoods, and is a city hot-spot for high-rise development.
Currently, there are 15 high-rise projects that are planned, under construction or recently completed in the Garden District according to data from BuzzBuzzHome. This includes the 95-storey Concord Sky by Concord Adex and 252 Church, which is developed by CentreCourt.
Another residential tower is now in the works, which could bring hundreds of additional units to the downtown neighbourhood.
In mid-March, an official plan and zoning by-law amendment application was submitted to build a 49-storey mixed-use development at 239-255 Dundas Street East. The developer, Metropia, has previously collaborated on Exhibit Residences and 11 Yorkville, and is also behind the 39-storey tower proposed near Deer Park cemetery.
The irregularly-shaped, curved development site is located on the southwest corner of Dundas Street East and Pembroke Street, centrally located between Jarvis Street to the west and Sherbourne Street to the east. Encompassing three lots, the site spans approximately 1,039 square metres. A variety of two- and three-storey buildings occupy the lot, which are converted house-form, mixed-use dwellings with commercial uses at-grade, according to the application’s planning rationale. Eight rental units currently exist in the buildings, which will be replaced in the new development.
If approved, the new tower would rise 49 storeys with a two-storey curved base building. The base structure, which follows the curved layout of Dundas Street East, would feature the retained heritage façades of the existing on-site buildings along Dundas Street East, wrapping around to Pembroke Street. The façades of 239 and 241-243 Dundas Street East would be preserved in their current location, while the exterior of 255 Dundas Street East would be relocated northward to “be more in alignment [with] the westerly heritage properties.” A one-storey building addition that is currently occupied by a Papa John’s Pizza Restaurant location would be removed in order to make way for the restoration of the original heritage façade.
An architectural setback on the third floor would distinguish the base building from the tower above. Between the 30th and 34th levels, the design of the tower portion tapers in slightly for visual relief and an hourglass-like design.
The high-rise’s 670 residential units would include 93 studio suites, 191 one-bedroom, 182 one-bedroom-plus-den, 80 two-bedroom and 124 two-bedroom-plus-den residences. The eight rental replacement units would be broken down by three one-bedroom, four two-bedroom and one-bedroom suites, for a total of 678 units in the project.
The ground floor would house a 191 square-metre retail space fronting onto Dundas Street East, in addition to short-term bicycle parking and service facilities. Access to the tower’s residential lobby, mailroom and elevators would be provided off of Pembroke Street.
A total of 1,564 square metres of indoor and outdoor amenity space is proposed for the project. Approximately 819 square metres of indoor amenity area is slated for the base building’s second floor, and the remaining amenity space in the development is proposed on the third level.
The tower provides just six at-grade parking spaces, five of which are reserved for visitors and one for car sharing, accessible from a driveway connected to Pembroke Street. A total of 752 bicycle parking spaces would be available on-site, many of which would be contained in a one-level underground storage facility.
In the neighbourhood, sales are underway for The Garden District Condos, while registration is open for Elektra.
