Ontario Construction News staff writer
Weston Park Baptist Church has struck a development partnership with Castlepoint Numa to reimagine its property with a mixed-use proposal for two towers of 28 and 38 storeys. The church at Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue will share the redeveloped site with residential and retail uses,
The proposed Weston Park Development will include expanded church facilities and retail space at grade level, below two curvy towers. One will be a 38-storey flatiron, above a three-storey podium, the developers say.
Urban Toronto reports SvN and Giannone Petricone Associates have designed the structure.
The church building on the site will be relocated to its southwest corner and likely be converted for commercial or retail uses. New church facilities will be housed in the podium. An existing wedge-shaped commercial building on the corner will be retained and incorporated into the development’s base.
The church will include a multi-purpose 350 to 400 seat Sanctuary and Performance Hall to serve as a place of worship. It can also be used to host events and performances.
The podium will also include a gymnasium, community and administrative spaces, a new home for the Weston Area Emergency Support food bank, and other commercial and retail occupants.
Blogto says the development has been advancing through consultations with the local community, working towards a plan that keeps area residents happy while making the most of the property’s soaring value.
The church has been exploring changes to the site since 2008, when it hosted a community consultation that produced a development vision.
A couple years later the church, started looking for a development partner. Twenty-one potential developers were considered in 2015, narrowed down to a shortlist of just three, from which developer Castlepoint Numa was chosen in 2017.
One key detail that has not been made public yet is whether most of the residential units will be condos or rentals. The quantity and types of residential units is still being worked out, DataBid.com reported.
The developers have expressed interest in pursuing an affordable housing component. Low-cost housing would almost certainly require most of the remaining units to be built as condominiums or luxury rentals to keep the development profitable.
The planning and approvals process is expected to continue into 2022, so construction isn’t yet imminent.