Location: 200 Benny Stark Street, Toronto
Developer: TBA
Architect: TACT Architecture Inc.
The Stockyards District in Toronto’s West End could see the creation of more than a thousand residences and a trio of new streets that will complement an in-the-works road extension plan.
In mid-October, an official plan amendment, zoning by-law amendment and draft plan of subdivision application was submitted to city planners to construct a mixed-use community at 200 Benny Stark Street. The proposal documents became publicly available on Toronto’s development portal earlier this week.
If approved, the project would deliver more than 1,800 new residential units, plus offices, retail space, parkland and two roads that would accommodate the proposed Keele Street and Gunns Road extensions that are slated for the neighbourhood.
Referred to as “Starklands,” the 11.16-acre project site comprises five parcels near the terminus of Benny Stark Street, which is located northwest of the intersection of St. Clair Avenue West and Old Weston Road. Stark Auto Sales, an automobile auction firm, operates on the site including an indoor showroom, offices, an auction house and outdoor storage areas for cars. The CNR/CPR rail corridor runs near the west side of Starklands.
The project would be laid out in four blocks with a large park on the west side of the development, created across six phases, according to architectural drawings. Seven buildings in mid- and high-rise forms are planned, ranging from eight to 46 storeys in height. The southernmost blocks would feature the greatest density and tallest buildings while the northern section, Block One, would provide 29 three-storey, lane-based townhouses.
Of the 1,818 units included in the Starklands, the breakdown would include 918 one-bedroom, 708 two-bedroom and 196 three-bedroom units.
Toronto’s proposed new road extensions would act as the “building blocks” for the new site, according to the application’s planning rationale. The extension of Keele Street would follow along the west side of Starklands. Gunns Road, which is planned to extend along the south side of the site into Turnberry Avenue, would connect with Keele Street in the southwest corner of Starklands. Two new roads and a lane would bisect the development, linking Benny Stark Street to the Keele Street extension from east to west.
The proposed St. Clair GO Station would exist just south of Starklands. The southern blocks of the site would therefore be closest to the station and primarily feature the mixed-use components of the Starklands project. Buildings 3B and Four, positioned on opposite sides of Benny Stark Street, would house extensive office space in their podiums from the second to sixth floors.
Block Two in the centre of the site would provide a central courtyard with connections to Keele Street. Additional outdoor amenities would be delivered in the form of landscaped terraces with dining and patio areas, barbecues and synthetic turf on the building podiums. A total of 3,578 square metres of outdoor amenity space is slated for the site. An equal quantity of space will be dedicated to indoor amenities as fitness centres, party rooms and gathering spaces.
The majority of the Starklands parking will be available in a one-level underground parking garage in Blocks Two and Four, plus a two-level below-grade garage in Block Three, for a total of 723 parking
Spaces. Parking for 1,913 bicycles would also be available.
In the neighbourhood, construction is ongoing at Reunion Crossing Condos & Urban Towns, while sales continue at Stockyards District Residences.
