Location: 412 Church Street, Toronto
Developer: Fitzrovia Real Estate
Architect: bKL Architecture
A heritage building formerly occupied by the famed Barn and Stables nightclub near Ryerson University’s campus could be integrated into a newly proposed purpose-built rental tower.
Earlier this month, a Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted to city planners to construct a 39-storey, mixed-use tower with 319 apartments at 412-418 Church Street and 79-81 Granby Street. The developer, Fitzrovia Real Estate, recently launched leasing at another purpose-built Toronto rental project near Spadina Avenue and College Street, The Waverley.
The rectangular development site is located on the west side of Church Street, bordered by Granby Street to the north and McGill Street to the south. A three-storey brick building known as the Stephen Murphy Houses and Store occupies the 15,726-square-foot lot at 414-418 Church Street, and is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Built in 1891, the Stephen Murphy Houses and Store features gabled dormers, Palladian windows and a painted mural on the south wall that is associated with the former Barn and Stables nightclub, a previous building tenant. The application’s planning rationale authored by Bousfields Inc. explains that the club, which had occupied the building since the early 1990s, “played a role in the evolution of Church Street and the Village as the centre of gay culture in Toronto.” The building was home to the now-closed The Marquis of Granby pub after the closure of the Barn and Stables nightclub in 2012.
A pair of two-and-a-half-storey semi-detached houses are also located on the development site at 79-81 Granby Street, in addition to surface parking. Built in 1892, these homes were used as rental units, but have been vacant since 2017, per the planning rationale.
The proposal plans to retain the Stephen Murphy Houses and Store and demolish the existing semi-detached buildings to make way for a 39-storey rental tower. For a total of 278,182 square feet of gross floor area, the high-rise building would include 3,304 square feet of ground-floor retail in addition to a 4,434-square-foot daycare or community space.
Of the 319 rental units, the breakdown would include 143 one-bedroom, 141 two-bedroom and 35 three-bedroom apartments. The unit sizes would average 603 square feet, 827 square feet and 1,189 square feet, respectively.
A three-storey base building would incorporate the Stephen Murphy Houses and Store on the north side of the site, which would contain new retail space. The ground floor would also be shared by the three-level community portion and a residential lobby with access onto Church Street.
Indoor amenity rooms and bicycle parking would be included on the second floor. A terrace for the community space, a dog lounge, dog run and an outdoor amenity terrace would be constructed on the third level along with four apartments. A rooftop pool and deck would be included on the 39th floor, in addition to an indoor amenity room. A total of 17,598 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space is proposed for the tower.
Fifty parking spaces would be built in a three-level underground garage, and 319 bicycle parking spots are slated for the site.
In the neighbourhood, registration is now open for The Gloucester on Yonge, while sales continue at Jac Condos.
