Church Wellesley Update
News from the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association
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City Council is soon expected to approve an 831 unit, 69-storey condominium tower at 90-94 Isabella. The proposal has already been approved by Toronto and North York Community Council. Capital Developments first submitted the application in May 2022. After consultations, the developer submitted a revised application in July 2023. The building would remain at 69 stories. The front portions of the existing heritage buildings on Isabella would be preserved to a depth of 10 metres and the rear portions demolished. The revised application was approved by Toronto and North York Community Council in November 2023 and is expected to be approved by City Council at an upcoming meeting. More information: City Staff Decision Report - Approval https://tinyurl.com/4bn89ret Toronto Development Application Information Centre: https://tinyurl.com/2pxnbxfu   City Council has approved Kingsett Capital's development proposal for two towers of 78 and 75 storeys at 475 Yonge, between Wood and Alexander Streets. The proposal includes a small park on the east side of the property and a privately owned publicly-accessible space between the two towers, connecting the park and Yonge Street. The plan to replace the Couryard Marriot Hotel dates back to 2017, when the City approved Kingsett's original proposal for two towers of 58 and 48 storeys. In 2021 Kingsett submitted a new application for the much taller towers. A community consultation took place in June 2022. In November 2023, City Council adopted the approval recommendation: https://tinyurl.com/nrw47rjv For more information: City Staff Preliminary Report (Dec. 2021) https://tinyurl.com/4kp97vzn City Staff Approval Report (Sept. 2023) https://tinyurl.com/55dxbpze Development Application Information Centre https://tinyurl.com/3s8btafn Urban Toronto: https://tinyurl.com/ycn3kszb     In October 2022, Carlyle Communities applied to build a 49-storey condominium tower at 33 to 37 Maitland Street. The proposal would demolish the existing rental building at 33 Maitland Street, while keeping the front portion of the existing building at 37 Maitland Street, incorporating it into the base of the tower. In March 2023, the developer appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal. In July 2023, City Council adopted recommendations to state its intention to designate the properties at 33 and 37 Maitland Street under the Ontario Heritage Act. In September 2023, City staff issued an Appeal Report recommending the City oppose the application at the Ontario Land Tribunal and continue discussions with the developer to resolve outstanding issues: https://tinyurl.com/wbp8fzjc For more information: Development Application Information Centre: https://tinyurl.com/5y34jcu6 Ontario Land Tribunal: http://tinyurl.com/4jyuw36x Urban Toronto: https://tinyurl.com/2p8bu9av   37 Maitland  33 Maitland   Barbara Hall Park will be undergoing improvements in the near future. The City is collaborating with the Church Wellesley community to develop a new vision and Master Plan. The objectives of the park vision and Master Plan are to enhance the park’s function for everyday use and, as a central gathering space for the City’s LGBTQ2S+ community, a space capable of accommodating passive and active uses, special events, moments of reflection, and to improve park maintenance and safety.
In spring 2023, Phase 1 of Community Engagement took place, with an online survey and an in-person workshop. The results were collated and the following "Drivers of Change" were published on the City of Toronto website: A place with diverse users and needs Barbara Hall Park has diverse users with varied needs. In many ways, the space is expected to be “everything to everyone”: a space for the everyday, while also being a place for reflection, mourning, celebration, and where people come to access the services of the 519 Community Centre. In the past, the park accommodated all of these uses quite well, but this has not been the case more recently. There is a lack of cohesion between the different park elements, and the park struggles to accommodate the huge number of users who visit during the annual Green Space Festival. A green heart in need of improvement The park is the green heart of the Church-Wellesley Village – a highly prized oasis of green within the community that is also its central gathering place. The raised lawn, garden beds, and canopy trees are all highly valued by nearby residents. However, the park lacks an appropriate range of seating, is not properly lit, and the pathways are not wide enough to accommodate heavy use. The programmed spaces present maintenance challenges that the community would like improved. The park has a lack of flat surfaces which make it difficult to program. A place for reflection and grief As the home of two significant LGBTQ2S+ memorials, the Toronto AIDS Memorial and the Trans Memorial, Barbara Hall Park is an important community space for grief, reflection, and activism. There is a strong desire to maintain these memorials as places where people can grieve or reflect quietly. However, there is a feeling that these memorials are not properly or clearly identified or maintained and they are sometimes vandalized. In addition, the AIDS Memorial does not resonate strongly with HIV-positive youth, who feel it should also inspire hope and celebrate the lives of those people who are currently living with HIV. A place where people sometimes feel unsafe The lack of clear sightlines throughout the park and the presence of dark corners present safety challenges and often attract undesirable activities, like drug use and drug dealing. Particular areas of the park, including the area to the south of the 519 and the northeast corner of the park, lack good lighting and/or programming and can feel particularly unsafe. Future phase timeline:
In August 2022, Originate Developments submitted a proposal for a 58-storey, 690 unit condo tower at 102-120 Earl Place and 561 Jarvis Street. The new building would replace a block of ten three-storey condominium townhomes on Earl Street as well as the three-storey rental apartment block at 561 Jarvis Street. In February, 2023 a Community Consultation Meeting was hosted by City staff. In March 2023, the developer appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal, having resubmitted the application. The resubmission added a parkland dedication at 6-8 Huntley Street. City Staff released an Appeal Report in August 2023, recommending that the City oppose the application at the Ontario Land Tribunal and continue discussions with the developer to resolve outstanding issues: https://tinyurl.com/mw6j8hzn For more information: Development Application Information Centre: https://tinyurl.com/ynfsraz8 Urban Toronto: https://tinyurl.com/yncmrjhj  Barbara Hall Park The City is collaborating with the local Church-Wellesley Village community to develop a new vision and Master Plan for Barbara Hall Park. The objectives of the park vision and Master Plan are to enhance the park’s function for everyday use and, as a central gathering space for the City’s LGBTQ2S+ community, a space capable of accommodating passive and active uses, special events, moments of reflection, and to improve park maintenance and safety. Community consultations have started. For more details see our blog post on Barbara Hall Park and the City's page on Barbara Hall Park Improvements. James Canning Gardens Of the three linear parks running between Charles and Dundonald Streets, James Canning Gardens underwent a rebuild and was re-opened to the public in 2021. Since then the lot immediately to the east, at 14 Dundonald, has been transferred to the City as parkland. However, the new open space has not been integrated into the design of James Canning Gardens. There will be a future opportunity to expand the park and make the combined space more useful.  James Canning Gardens in 2021 George Hislop Park and Norman Jewison Parks In 2020 and 2021 the City hosted two public consultations and two stakeholder meetings on the redesign of the other two linear parks, George Hislop and Norman Jewison Parks; as well as Alexander Street Parkette. (See the Yonge Street Linear Park Improvements page at Toronto.ca for background.) Revitalizations of George Hislop and Norman Jewison Parks had been projected to start in late 2022; however, construction was delayed until 2023 with a projected completion of mid-2024. Among the improvements, George Hislop Park will feature an LGBTQ2S+ art installation; artist Catherine Tammaro has been engaged to create Indigenous placemaking elements in Norman Jewison Park. Unfortunately, George Hislop Park has been fenced off from public access since the summer of 2021, after the City cleared an encampment. Looking forward, there is a good possibility that George Hislop Park will have a small expansion to its southwest as a part of two proposed development projects to its immediate west.  A larger image of the George Hislop Park plan is here (after opening, click the image for maximum size).  A larger image of the Norman Jewison Park plan is here (after opening, click the image for maximum size). Alexander St. Parkette Alexander Street Parkette's improvements are being coordinated with a garage roof replacement project for 25 Maitland Street's underground parking. The garage project is now underway and the park has been excavated and fenced off. The rebuild of the park should be complete by mid-2024.  15 Wellesley Green P Parking Lot
Looking further forward, the Green P parking lot that sits across from the Wellesley subway station has been promised, in Toronto's Official City Plan, as parkland for many years. In the recently released, "TOCore Implementation Strategy: Downtown Parks and Public Realm Plan," 15 Wellesley East is listed as one of the “New Parks Secured through Development and Acquisitions.” The City has not yet determined if the entire lot will go to parkland or if some will be allocated to affordable housing. Given the significant increases in our neighbourhood's population in the past years -- and for many years to come -- the CWNA supports the allocation of the entire lot to parkland. Improvements to existing parks and the addition of more green space will be very welcome in our rapidly densifying neighbourhood. In July 2023, City Council approved ONE Properties' revised application for the proposed tower at 64 and 66 Wellesley Street and 552-570 Church Street. The revisions are in response to final negotiations with the City Planning Dept., following the January 2022 City Staff Preliminary Report and the June 2022 Community Consultation. The proposal is for a 28-storey tower stepping back from Church Street. The laneway that once separated the Church building from the Wellesley building has been eliminated and the corner at Church and Wellesley has been rounded. For full timeline and links to documentation, see our dedicated article. In late 2021 Republic Developments proposed a 54-storey condominium tower at 15 Charles Street East, currently occupied by the Anndore House hotel and Constantine restaurant, adjacent to George Hislop Park. The proposed tower included a six storey podium, 549 units, retail space at street level and 65 parking spaces. The developer also owns the property directly to the south, at 16 Isabella, and proposed a 150m² park space that would enlarge George Hislop Park. The developer appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal. The City agreed to a Settlement Offer in June 2023 that will see a 66-storey tower with a slightly smaller footprint, creating a larger setback from the park. Details can be found in the links at the end of the City Council adoption minute: https://tinyurl.com/3kytscpu More Information: March 2022 City staff issued a Preliminary Report https://tinyurl.com/4y3khw5w June 2022 City staff issued a Report for Action: https://tinyurl.com/y7pfskzv June 2023: Settlement Offer: https://tinyurl.com/3kytscpu Urban Toronto: https://tinyurl.com/2p8b4rm8 Development Application Information Centre: https://tinyurl.com/v77shktp    In July 2023, Capital Developments received approval from City Council to demolish the 14-storey apartment building at 88 Isabella Street and replace it with a 62-storey condominium tower. The site is one building east of Church Street, adjacent to Al Sparrow Lane. The existing apartment building has 82 units. The new tower will include 720 residential units, 82 of which will be rental replacement units. Details about the proposal can be found at the City's Development Application Information Centre and the Staff Decision Report. [Update: In November 2023 Capital Developments received approval for a 69-storey building next door at 90-94 Isabella]   current building at 88 Isabella  Hazelview Investments has proposed the redevelopment of 34 to 42 Maitland Street, including The Maitlands Apartments. The proposal is for a 61-storey rental apartment building, including a 4-storey podium that "retains the heritage character" of the existing heritage buildings, and will add 584 rental units, including 55 rental replacement units. The tower would be adjacent to Plaza Corp's already approved 41-storey condominium tower at 20 to 26 Maitland Street and kitty-corner from Carlyle Communities' proposed development of 49 storeys at 33-37 Maitland. The proposed height contradicts the established City planning concept of an angular plane running from approved heights for buildings set back from Church Street of about 14 storeys to approved heights for buildings on Yonge Street of about 50 storeys. Following the principle of decreasing heights from Yonge to Church, the new proposal should certainly be lower than the 41-storey approved tower to its immediate west. City staff have not yet released a Preliminary Report. You can view the applicant's documentation on the City's Development Application Information Centre page. A Community Consultation took place on April 26. The City issued an Intention to Designate the property under the Ontario Heritage Act in May.    |
