Ontario Construction News staff writer
Toronto’s Bay Street Corridor is experiencing intensive development, with 13 new towers in the downtown area across all phases of development – including a 50 storey mixed-use structure submitted to city planners in July.
Ongoing projects include The United Building Condos by Davpart and The One by Mizrahi Developments, according to BuzzBuzzHome.
In addition, a Site Plan Approval application has been submitted to city planners to construct at 50-story mixed use building at 10 St. Mary St., DataBid.com reports, citing Livabl Market News.
The site also includes 79-85 St. Nicholas St. and 710-718 Yonge St. ArchitectsAlliance is the designing the project. The architect has previously worked on other condo towers in the Bay Street Corridor, including Lumiere and 1000 Bay Condos.
Eight properties currently occupy the land, including an eight-story mid-century office building at 10 St. Mary Street, five commercial buildings at 710-718 Yonge St. and a two-storey brick former stable building at 81-85 St. Nicholas St.. All of these properties are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act application’s Heritage Impact Statement.
The 10 St. Mary St. site was previously owned by Lifetime St. Mary Inc. After submitting a rezoning application to the city for demolishing the existing office building, the application was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in 2015 for failure to make a decision within the prescribed timelines under the Planning Act.
The current owners acquired 10 St. Mary St. in 2016 along with 79-85 St. Nicholas St. and 718 Yonge St. They also assumed the previous application and appeal.
The OLT approved the zoning by-law amendments for a portion of the site in 2017. After that, the owners expanded the area by acquiring a private laneway and nearby heritage properties along Yonge Street. A new settlement offer was endorsed in 2019 by the city and then updated proposed zoning by-law amendments for the additional properties were then approved.
The owners are now proposing the following minor revisions to the development’s plans:
- The tower has been reduced by one level (from 51 storeys to 50);
- The number of units has increased by nine to a total of 465 with a total gross floor area of 350,688 sq. ft.;
- The project will include 25 bachelor suites, 211 one-bedroom, 45 one-bedroom-plus-den, 118 two-bedroom, 16 two-bedroom-plus-den and 50 three-bedroom units;
- Along St. Mary Street, the tower would retain existing office building at 10 St. Mary St. with retail spaces along Yonge and St. Nicholas Streets behind heritage facades. The main residential lobby would front onto St. Nicholas Street;
- Amenity spaces would be between the second and fourth floors, including two outdoor areas and an indoor pet spa;
- Multi-level underground parking structure for 105 vehicles along with bicycle and locker storage, and a parking shuttle elevator,
According to Urban Toronto, the project also calls for enhanced streetscape along St. Mary Street and the conservation and retention in-situ of the office building on 10 St. Mary St..
The proposed development is set back from Yonge, St. Nicholas and St. Mary streets with the tower’s massing articulated as shifting boxes. According to Heritage Architect ERA, the overall approach for the site is rehabilitation with select areas of restoration.
The retained portions of the existing buildings at 81-85 St. Nicholas St. and 710-718 Yonge St, would be incorporated into the proposed development. The office building at 10 St. Mary Street would have the windows and lobby glazing replaced while observing the original pattern. The mosaic tile in the lobby and on exterior columns would also be repaired and reinstated. The ground floor for the expanded retail space would also be altered, DataBid reports.