Premium Properties has submitted plans to the City of Toronto to replace a six-story mid-century office building at 59-65 Adelaide Street East with a 63-story residential tower. The plan calls for the introduction of a pencil-thin floor plate of approximately 472 m² in the St. Lawrence area of ​​Toronto, positioned within the protected mainline station areas of King and Queen stations on the Yonge Line 1. The latter will soon also be a transfer station for Ontario Line 3.
Looking northwest at 59-65 Adelaide Street East, designed by BDP Quadrangle for Premium Properties
The site extends from 59 to 65 Adelaide Street East, on the south side of the street west of Church Street. It currently consists of a six-storey early 1950s commercial office building, situated amongst a mix of heritage buildings, mid-rise commercial space and a growing collection of tall towers.
Looking south at current location, image from submission to the City of Toronto
The property is within the St. Lawrence Neighborhood Heritage Conservation District, although the existing mid-century building is considered non-contributing. Its most significant neighbor is the former York County Courthouse at 57 Adelaide Street East, an 1850s Classical Renaissance landmark now known to many as the Terroni Restaurant. Courthouse Square Park, a compact city green space, faces the site to the south.
An axonometric view looking north at the current location, image from submission to the City of Toronto
WeirFoulds LLP has submitted applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw to the City of Toronto on behalf of the project developer. The proposal calls for a 63-story mixed-use building designed by BDP Quadrangle, consisting of a four-story podium and a slender tower with a height of 227.55 m. The building would be constructed along its property boundaries, with commercial space on the second and third floors and a residential lobby fronting Adelaide.
Looking southeast towards the podium designed by BDP Quadrangle for Premium Properties
The gross floor area would be 25,824 m², consisting of 25,121 m² of residential area and 703 m² of non-residential area, resulting in a floor area index of 52.3 times covering the 493 m² plot. The residential tower above would have a floor plate of approximately 472 m², creating the building's pencil-thin profile. The leisure spaces would be concentrated on the 11th to 14th floors and offer 1,220 m² of indoor space and 217 m² of outdoor terraces.
A total of 357 units are planned, for which three elevators are provided. This gives the building a ratio of one elevator per 119 units, meaning high-speed motors would be required to ensure adequate response times. A fourth would be dedicated to the commercial levels.
Ground floor plan designed by BDP Quadrangle for Premium Properties
A single basement floor is planned below the site, which will accommodate permanent bicycle parking and service rooms. There are no parking spaces for vehicles. The bicycle program includes a total of 208 parking spaces, including 167 long-term and 36 short-term spaces for residents, as well as five spaces for the commercial portion. Adelaide Street East has an eastbound cycle path connecting to the wider inner city network. Two blocks north, Richmond Street heads west over the bike path.
The nearest entrance to King Station is approximately 250 m southwest. Queen train station is approximately 500 m northwest. East-west streetcar lines are located on King Street and Queen Street, one block south and three blocks north. The future Ontario Line 3 station at Yonge and Queen, about a seven-minute walk away, will add another commuter rail connection.
An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from submission to the City of Toronto
The proposal lands in the middle of a rapidly densifying part of the St. Lawrence area. 59-65 The Adelaide Block Context Plan identifies a tower clearance of approximately 21.2m between the proposed building and the 88-storey tower proposed at 23 Toronto Street to the west. This clearance is below the minimum clearance of 25m set out by the City in the high-rise design guidelines, although the planning justification report asserts that the clearance is acceptable given the site context and conditions. It goes on to say that the adjacent properties to the east are too small to support a tower form and that a future high-rise building on these properties is unlikely.
Proposed location relative to other nearby proposals, image via submission to the City of Toronto
Other nearby proposals include 110 Adelaide East to the east, planned at 65 storeys, while 100 Lombard aims for 72 storeys. To the north of the site, 48-story Alias ​​is completing construction, while 57-story QueenChurch is still under construction and 59-story 119-127 Church Street is planned. To the west, other nearby proposals are at 15 Toronto Street at 56 storeys and 34-50 King East at 33 storeys.
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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