Resubmission Reduces Dual Towers’ Impact on City Hall Views | UrbanToronto
Downtown Toronto is filled with iconic sights and views, from the heights of the CN Tower to the architecture of City Hall at Nathan Philips Square. The latter plays a key part in the resubmission for 123 Edward Street. Located just to the north and west of Dundas and Chestnut streets, less than 300m north of City Hall, the proposed complex designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Crown Realty Partners’ has been adjusted in height and scope to a more context-sensitive design.
Looking northwest to 123 Edward Street as it surrounds the adjacent office building, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Crown Realty Partners
The L-shaped site, sprawling over an area of 3,070m², currently hosts a blend of structures including a 15-storey commercial tower along Edward Street and a parking facility along Centre Street. This project would replace all existing structures on the site and be built around another existing 25-storey office building at 180 Dundas Street West.
Looking southeast to the current site, image from Google Maps
The initial submission from June, 2022 proposed a pair of 72-storey towers soaring to 316.8m. That plan has undergone significant revisions driven by extensive dialogues with City Planning which are detailed in a resubmission of the Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plan Approval applications for the site.
Looking southeast from Edward Street and Centre Avenue, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Crown Realty Partners
The project has been significantly scaled back to 53 storeys/171.05m and 59 storeys/189.05m, identified as Towers A and B respectively in the site plan, below. The inintial Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 124,852m² has been reduced to 102,691m² in the revised submission, with the residential GFA decreased from 124,580m² to 102,260m², reducing the Floor Space Index (FSI) from 40.6 to 30.71.
Site plan, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Crown Realty Partners
The number of residential units has dropped from 1,889 to 1,551, with 628 in Tower A and 923 in Tower B. Indoor amenities substantially increased from 1,938m² to 5,638m², and outdoor amenities decreased from 1,181m² to 567m², with the overall increase in response to By-law requirements.
Looking southeast to 123 Edward Street, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Crown Realty Partners
Notably, the resubmission also improves circulation within the towers. Initially proposed to have three elevators per tower, this has been revised to six elevators for Tower A and eight for Tower B, resulting in approximately one elevator per 105 and 115 units respectively, indicating just slightly longer than optimal wait times.
Ground floor plan, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects for Crown Realty Partners
The initial tight 6m separation between the towers has been reconfigured into an L-shaped layout, resulting in conjoined towers with separate interiors. The revised design also increases the separation distance from the adjacent office building. These adjustments would also improve natural light penetration, as well as privacy for residents.
Increased setbacks from the street aim to enhance the pedestrian experience, contributing to a more inviting and accessible public realm. Furthermore, the introduction of a POPS (Privately Owned Publicly accessible Space) spanning 104² in the northwest corner and additional landscaped areas, including an off-leash dog area at the south end.
Looking northwest from Nathan Philips Square to the latest proposal, image from submission to the City of Toronto
The application’s Heritage Impact Statement notes that the Official Plan delineates City Hall as “a ceremonial site of exceptional importance and prominence and protective views.” This directive has influenced the revision, ensuring that the new towers do not intrude into the vital view corridor from Queen Street, thus maintaining the visibility of City Hall’s east and west towers, council chamber, and podium.
Looking northwest from Nathan Philips Square to the previous plan, image from submission to the City of Toronto
Situated less than a two-minute walk from St Patrick subway station on University Line 1, as well as the 504 Dundas streetcar, both the previous and current iterations include no resident parking, in line with the area’s transit accessibility. Motor vehicle visitor parking spaces decrease from 38 to 32 in the new plan, while bicycle parking goes from 1,893 to 1,570 spaces, with 1,404 long-term and 156 short-term spaces, as well as 10 publicly accessible spots.
Aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image from Google Maps
In the surrounding area, other proposals reflect the district’s vertical trajectory. Nearby submissions include 522 and 505 University Avenue at 62 and 64 storeys respectively. 191 Dundas Street West calls for 41 storeys to the south. Eastward, proposals include the Bay and Edward Condos’ 19- and 22-storey towers, as well as the Atrium on Bay Expansion’s tower calling for 34 storeys, with these lower heights maintaining the integrity of the City Hall view corridor. Under construction immediately to the west is the 52-storey United BLDG to the west.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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