Toronto 1156 The Queensway | 37.7m | 9s | Leader Lane | Core Architects

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Northern Light

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New application into the AIC for the current Mercedes dealership on The Queensway. Interestingly, no ZBA here, going straight to SPA w/ Minor Variance.

Purpose-built rental

Site as is:

1712220775055.png


The App:

www.toronto.ca

Application Details

www.toronto.ca www.toronto.ca

From the above:

1712220623411.png


1712220910962.png


Block Context Plan:

1712220965920.png



Site Plan:

1712221030840.png


Ground Floor Plan:

1712221100940.png


Unit sizes/layouts - uhhh, uhhhh

1712221182296.png





Comments: At first blush, I wanted to say some nice things....... I mean the height ask is very reasonable, and for CORE, the building appearance is..... bad, the building is well within precedent and this is certainly a more urban site use than what is currently present.

On top of that, it's purpose-built rental!

But then we get to a few problems....... badly configured retail, and indoor amenity spaces facing The Queensway at-grade.

On that point, the extensive use of at-grade townhomes contributes to a contrived ground floor layout as does more, separate indoor amenity space at the rear of the building.

Thereafter, there is the matter of problematic unit sizes and layouts, heavy on shoe boxes (can't say investor boxes if they're purpose-built rental) ........we see 1bdrm units, - not studios at sub 500ft2, not ok.

I wonder if they're thinking of this serving the students at Humber College south campus? I can't otherwise explain the unit size/layouts.

The elevator ratio does pass muster at 2 elevators for 213 units or 0.94 elevators per 100 units / 1 elevator per 106.5 units

77 resident parking spaces is a reasonable ratio for a site that is not all that close to rapid transit. 0.36 ratio.

****

Required, vast improvements in ground-floor layout, re-think everything, consolidate indoor amenity at the rear 1/2 of the ground floor and/or move it up one level.

Larger, better laid out units, accurately represented (call a studio a studio.
 
Another great find @Northern Light.

Yes that residential entry should be moved onto Woolgar Ave, eliminating that corner townhouse unit in order to expand that retail presence on The Queensway. I dont know why they're afraid to have more retail on this front, with the increased density coming along this area it would do well eventually. The unit sizes of the retail are also questionably small and would it much better if re-thought the demising.

I find the scale of this excellent, while the materials look pretty decent. Purpose built rentals are great for this site, but those unit layouts are atrocious. There should be a bigger push for 2 and 3 bedroom units here and I would find it comical if they are looking to serve Humber College students, I dont think that would work out particularly well for the proponent here at all.
 
Amare said:
Another great find @Northern Light.

Yes that residential entry should be moved onto Woolgar Ave, eliminating that corner townhouse unit in order to expand that retail presence on The Queensway. I dont know why they're afraid to have more retail on this front, with the increased density coming along this area it would do well eventually. The unit sizes of the retail are also questionably small and would it much better if re-thought the demising.

I find the scale of this excellent, while the materials look pretty decent. Purpose built rentals are great for this site, but those unit layouts are atrocious. There should be a bigger push for 2 and 3 bedroom units here and I would find it comical if they are looking to serve Humber College students, I dont think that would work out particularly well for the proponent here at all.
Click to expand...
Let's hope the city will push back on these points.
 
Interesting. When I looked at this site 3 years ago, the City hadn't relaxed any of the terracing mandate to the north and so it didn't make sense. Wonder what the change in density is without it...
 
ProjectEnd said:
Interesting. When I looked at this site 3 years ago, the City hadn't relaxed any of the terracing mandate to the north and so it didn't make sense. Wonder what the change in density is without it...
Click to expand...

Are you asking for the current FSI? Its 4.94
 
Some additional info here on acquisition on RENX - https://renx.ca/leader-lanes-mid-rise-development-strategy-is-simple-avoid-rezonings

"Our corporate strategy for pursuing development projects in our mid-rise program is to pursue developments sites, and development proposals, that do not require rezoning,” Don Manlapaz, founding partner of Leader Lane Developments, told RENX.

‘Our proposed nine-storey building is as-of-right, so we don’t require rezoning. We’re facilitating our approvals through a site-plan approval and a minor variance.”

That’s part of what Manlapaz called “time compression,” adding, “we initiated our site-plan approvals many months before closing on the property.”


Bloor-Jane likely pushed Don to this... lol
 
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