Tall & Urban News

Changes Submitted for Mixed-Use Toronto Development

The three-tower mixed-use development would contain residential and commercial restaurant uses.
The three-tower mixed-use development would contain residential and commercial restaurant uses.
02 October 2019 | Toronto, Canada

Planning documents have been resubmitted for a 2.1-hectare site located at 3450 Dufferin Street, across from Yorkdale Shopping Centre in northwest Toronto. The three-tower mixed-use development would contain residential and commercial restaurant uses. The project is being pursued by the Gupta Group, whose Easton’s Group of Hotels division currently owns and operates a 12-story Holiday Inn hotel on the site.

In March 2019, the City Solicitor recommended City Council accept a settlement offer with Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments. New supporting documents have now been submitted as a response with the required changes, and are currently under review by the Ontario Municipal Board/Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. Some of the alterations of note include changes in tree species within the on-site public park, and an adjustment to residential bicycle parking spots. Additional information regarding traffic flow has been studied, due to the project abutting the Highway 401 to the north.

Striking changes have been made to the exteriors of the three IBI Group-designed buildings. As seen in the latest architectural plans, the proposed towers rise from a two-story podium, which connects them all. Where the original plan featured curved façades with wraparound balconies for Tower A, in the northwest corner, and Tower C, in the southeast corner, the new glass towers are rectilinear in appearance and feature segmented balconies placed around the towers in an abstract manner.

Perhaps the biggest adjustment to the original plan is the elimination of a hotel component to the residential and retail mix. Along with this, the three towers have taken a drop in height in this update. Tower A has taken a cut from 37 stories to 27 stories, for a final height of 97.5 meters; Tower B in the center has taken a cut from 33 stories to 29 stories, for a final height of 103.4 meters; and Tower C has reduced in height from 29 stories to 23 stories, standing at a final height of 79.65 meters. This results in a reduction of residential units, to a proposed 908 units in comparison to original 1,044 units. The space allocated for retail use has risen slightly from 342 square meters to 517 square meters. There will be 784 parking spaces provided for residential use and 91 for visitor use, located in a four-level, below-grade parking garage.

For more on this story, go to Urban Toronto.