Toronto's Yonge and St Clair area could soon get a major boost in new density once a proposal submitted to the City this month is approved. The northern three fifths of the block to the northeast of the intersection is being primed for redevelopment as Wittington Properties Limited seeks rezoning to permit a three-tower development that includes condominiums rising above significant ground-level retail and pedestrian space.

Site of proposal, image via submission to City of Toronto

The plan would redevelop 1.37 hectares of the block bounded by Yonge Street, St. Clair Avenue East, Alvin Avenue, and Heath Street East. The site is an expansion of an earlier proposal which was OMB-approved but never realized, with the recent assembly of more properties opening up the possibilities for the more substantial plan now being proposed.

Looking southeast to 1535 Yonge, image via submission to City of Toronto

Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, the proposal calls for three towers with heights of 34, 39, and 59 storeys, with the tallest tower rising 196.9 metres to the top of the mechanical penthouse level. At this height, the 59-storey tower would stand just four feet taller than the 58-storey E Condos tower at Yonge and Eglinton, becoming the tallest building in Toronto north of Downtown if it is approved at that height.

Aerial view looking southeast over 1535 Yonge, image via submission to City of Toronto

The towers would be anchored to the neighbourhood with retail bases housing a combined 27,712 m² of retail space. The shops and restaurants would front on all three of the surrounding streets, as well as facing onto an interior 18,104 ft² (1,681.87 m²) Claude Cormier + Associés-designed courtyard, aligned to the south window of adjacent Yorkminster Park Baptist Church as a terminating vista.

Looking north through courtyard, image via submission to City of Toronto

The courtyard would be accessible via a set of mid-block connections carved through the ground level, creating a shopping environment sheltered from the hustle and bustle of Yonge Street, a grander version of the lost Roy's Square that used to exist at Yonge and Bloor. The interior courtyard, functioning as a Privately-Owned Public Space (POPS), would connect with a forecourt on Heath Street at the corner of Yonge, including a 4,799 ft² or 445.82 m² land dedication to the City.

A total of 1,357 condominium units are proposed across the three towers in a mix of 782 one-bedroom units with average sizes of 62 m², 415 two-bedroom units with average sizes of 84 m², and 160 three-bedroom units with average sizes of 106 m². An additional 30 rental apartments would be included as replacements for existing units on site.

Below grade, the site would be served by a four-level underground garage containing 677 parking spaces, 462 for complex residents, and a 213-space Toronto Parking Authority public lot. The garage levels would be built on te east side of the Yonge Subway tunnel running from southeast to northwest underneath the site.

Wittington tells us that the project design is subject to more changes as the plan works its way through consultations with City staff and the community, stating “The illustrations of the project to-date reflect our commitment to building an improved public realm for the Yonge & St Clair community. The drawings included in our application are based on input received from the community through a series of three open houses held in the lead-up to the application, as well as design best practices. We look forward to working with both the community and City staff to refine the design as part of the application review process.”

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.

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