A major redevelopment has been proposed for Sheppard Avenue East, east of Sheppard-Yonge Station on Yonge Line 1. The plan, designed by B+H Architects for Lev Living, calls for four residential towers ranging from 30 to 59 stories – the two tallest towers would be the only ones around the station that would be more than 50 stories tall. The proposal is well located in the Sheppard-Yonge Major Transit Station Area (MTSA) and would replace two mid-sized office buildings in North York City Center.
Looking southwest at 45-47 Sheppard Avenue East, designed by B+H Architects for Lev Living
The 45 and 47 Sheppard Avenue East site spans 11,945 square feet on the south side of the street, approximately 160 meters east of Yonge Street. The property currently consists of 7 and 9 storey 1970s office buildings and also includes parking spaces and an underground garage accessed via a driveway on the northeast corner. The area surrounding the site is where North York city center meets Willowdale. It includes tall residential and office buildings along Yonge and Sheppard with mid-rise retail surrounded by low-rise residential streets.
View south of the existing office buildings at the site, image from Google Maps
The developer has submitted applications to the City of Toronto for an official plan amendment and zoning bylaw amendment. The proposal calls for four residential towers of 30 (114 m), 49 (168 m), 53 (181 m) and 59 (203 m) floors with a total of 2,386 residential units, including 40% family units. The taller north towers would share a seven-story podium, while the shorter towers would have a three- to six-story podium.
Podium for the south towers designed by B+H Architects for Lev Living
The towers would rise from the four corners of the site and would be connected by two mixed-use podiums with setbacks and outdoor spaces. The total gross floor area of the scheme is 149,528 m², of which 147,482 m² is residential and 2,046 m² is ground floor retail space, resulting in a floor area index of 12.5 times the plot coverage.
There would be 5,530 m² of indoor and 4,032 m² of outdoor facilities, distributed across podium levels, rooftops and common tower floors. The northern Phase 1 towers would have a total of 11 elevators and 1,378 units, or about one for every 125 units. Meanwhile, the southern phase two towers would have nine elevators and a total of 1,008 units, or about one for every 112 units. The higher the number of units per elevator is over 100, the longer the waiting times become beyond the optimal value.
Ground floor plan, north towers, designed by B+H Architects for Lev Living
The development includes three levels of underground parking with 597 parking spaces for residents, 139 parking spaces for visitors and commercial users and 2 car-sharing spaces. The bicycle parking regulations stipulate that 1,624 are for resident use, 168 are for private visitor use and 16 are for retail use (4 long-term and 12 short-term).
Ground floor plan, south towers, designed by B+H Architects for Lev Living
A 1,160 m² public park is planned at the heart of the site in front of the proposed Tradewind Avenue/North York Center Service Road extension. This park would also be accessible via a landscaped mid-block pedestrian promenade connecting Sheppard Avenue to the park and retail spaces. The application notes that the facility would potentially be built in two phases, with the office buildings demolished one at a time, with the northern towers built first.
Site plan designed by B+H Architects for Lev Living
The location is 90 m from Sheppard-Yonge subway station. Several TTC bus routes also serve the area. While the nearest dedicated bike lanes are 2,300 feet away on Willowdale Avenue, plans to expand bike infrastructure along Sheppard Avenue are currently under consideration. Metrolinx is actively exploring options for the Sheppard Line 4 subway extension(s) that could improve east-west connectivity by extending to Downsview Park to the west with the McCowan Road/Scarborough Town Center area to the east connect.
An axonometric view looking north of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to the City of Toronto
There are other major projects and proposals close to the site. Mid-rise buildings are under construction or planned along Sheppard Avenue to the west and east of the site. Near the Sheppard-Yonge train station, NorthCore Condos and 4800 Yonge will expand to 18 and 49 stories, respectively. To the north on Yonge Street, 34-story Pearl Place is nearing completion, while 5051-5061 Yonge is planned for 39 stories. To the south, 4696 Yonge Street is planned to rise 40 stories, adjacent to the 26- to 45-story towers of 48 Avondale.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database file linked below. If you'd like, you can join the discussion in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
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