Location: 705 Lawrence Avenue West, North York
Developer: Midtown West Residences Ltd
Architect: CORE Architects
Situated around the Lawrence West TTC station, Glen Park is a growing hub for high- and low-rise development. In the North York neighbourhood, you’ll find townhome projects like the Wenderly Park Towns, and taller condo communities such as Glen Hill Condos.
A new development application could deliver upwards of 300 new homes to the area in a recently-proposed 40-storey tower.
In early February, a zoning by-law amendment application was submitted to Toronto city planners to construct a 40-storey mixed-use development with 360 units at 699-711 Lawrence Avenue West. The architect on the project, CORE Architects, has also collaborated on The One with Foster + Partners, which is working to become one of the tallest buildings in Canada.
The proposed development site is located on the south side of Lawrence Avenue West, just west of Allen Road. Spanning roughly 0.45 acres, the area is occupied by a two-storey retail plaza. If approved, the application would demolish the retail plaza and replace it with a high-rise tower supported by a seven-storey podium.
Entry to the residential portion of the building would be provided off of Lawrence Avenue West via a lobby in the northeast corner of the podium. The ground floor would also be occupied by an indoor amenity space, short-term bicycle parking spots, a bike room and about 162 square metres of retail space facing Lawrence Avenue West.
“The proposed retail uses will strengthen access to daily services and needs within proximity to where residents live,” explains the application’s planning rationale by MacNaughton Hermsen Britton Clarkson Planning Limited. “The proposed non-residential uses will help activate the streetscape to create a sense of place and local identity along Lawrence Avenue West, thereby facilitating a space that is comfortable and inviting throughout the year.”
Of the 360 units slated for the tower, the breakdown would include 46 studios, 183 one-bedroom, 43 one-bedroom-plus-den, 52 two-bedroom and 36 three-bedroom residences. In the podium, 104 units would be included from floors two to seven.
The podium would feature architectural setbacks on various levels that transition away from the surrounding residential neighbourhood. Projecting balconies, in addition to wood materials, metal panels and a black and white palette would be incorporated on the tower’s exterior to “enhance visual interest.”
Approximately 1,420 square metres of indoor and outdoor amenity space would be added in the tower on the ground and eighth floors. This includes a dog run, plus dining and lounging areas, communal barbecues and patio furniture on floor eight. Ornamental trees, shrubs and paving would be incorporated into the project to improve the public realm along Lawrence Avenue West, as well as on the outdoor amenity spaces and terraces located from the fourth to eighth levels.
A driveway connected to Lawrence Avenue West would lead to the site’s loading space and underground parking garage, where there would be 135 spaces across four levels.
In the neighbourhood, construction is ongoing at The New Lawrence Heights while registration is open for Marla On The Park Condos.
