Location: 150 Eglinton Avenue East, Toronto
Developer: Madison Group
Architect: BDP Quadrangle
Just east of Toronto’s bustling Yonge and Eglinton intersection, a newly proposed development could bring a host of new housing and public amenities to the community.
Last month, an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted to city planners to construct a twin-tower development with 845 new homes at 150-164 Eglinton Avenue East, in addition to 134 and 140 Redpath Avenue. The developer, Madison Group, is known for several other Toronto projects, including The Capitol Residences and Nobu Residences Toronto.
The development site in question is located on the north side of Eglinton Avenue East, south of Roehampton Avenue and west of Redpath Avenue. Spanning roughly 55,676 square feet, the irregularly-shaped site is composed of five properties with buildings used primarily for commercial office and retail spaces.
This is not the first time that this particular property has been elected for redevelopment. According to the application’s planning rationale, authored by Bousfields Inc, an application was previously submitted in April 2015 for 150 Eglinton Avenue East to build a 39-storey mixed-use building with retail, office and residential uses. In May 2018, the City of Toronto adopted two zoning by-law amendments which permitted a revised proposal with a 46-storey structure and 429 residences.
The latest proposal intends to maintain elements of the original approval — along with new retail, residential and office spaces — in the form of a 43- and a 46-storey tower atop a six-storey podium. Factoring in the size of the podium, the 49-storey eastern tower would be located at 160 and 164 Eglinton Avenue East, with the 52-storey high-rise at 150 Eglinton Avenue East.
Of the 845 new residential units proposed in the project, the breakdown would include two bachelor suites, 126 one-bedroom, 288 one-bedroom-plus-den, 338 two-bedroom and 91 three-bedroom units.
The base building’s average 12-metre setback would make room for a 11,172-square-foot, privately owned publicly accessible space (POPS) fronting onto Eglinton Avenue East. At the rear of the site, a second 6,276-square-foot POPS would be included that extends from the building lobby’s rear doors and through 134 and 140 Redpath Avenue. The Redpath properties would act as “pedestrian connections” to the site, redeveloped as landscaped areas with seating, pathways and a “new art walk” that would include unique paving, tables and chairs.
The building’s podium would house residential lobbies on the east and west sides for each tower, in addition to five retail entrances and a grand six-storey central lobby that would provide access to the site’s office spaces. The 5,790-square-foot central lobby and atrium, which would reach up to six storeys in height, would be lit by a skylight on the podium’s roof. This area would also offer a landscaped publicly-accessible pathway to the two POPS on site.
The podium’s mezzanine level would house residential lockers, bicycle storage and two residential amenity rooms. Floors two to four would consist of traditional office spaces with access to outdoor terraces, and 14 live-work units on levels five and six. Each unit would have access to a private terrace and meeting rooms.
Indoor amenity space would be incorporated into the seventh floor of each tower, joining into a shared outdoor amenity area that wraps around the atrium’s skylight. Amenity facilities would also be included on the fifth and sixth floors, plus a ground-floor dog run at the rear of the building.
A cul-de-sac in the west end of the site would provide a car turning circle and access to a short-term bicycle storage room, plus access to the west tower’s lobby, pet wash facilities and the entrance to the underground parking garage. Across three levels, 304 parking spaces would be provided.
In the neighbourhood, construction continues on The Winslow Condos, while sales are underway at Savile on the Roe.
