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At the heart of Toronto's East Bayfront area, components of the massive Quayside project have been modified in recent Zoning By-law Amendment resubmissions from co-developers Dream Unlimited and Great Gulf. The developers won the RFP managed by Waterfront Toronto for this massive undertaking which aims to transform former port areas south of Lake Shore Boulevard from east of Sherbourne Street to east of Parliament Street. UrbanToronto will be highlighting the sprawling site over multiple articles, today focusing on the two high-rise towers in Block 1 at the northwest corner of the site: The Western Curve, designed by Alison Brooks Architects, and The Overstory, designed by Henning Larsen Architects. architects—Alliance is Architect of Record for both.
The Quayside site currently houses low-rise commercial buildings that serve primarily as office spaces, reflecting the area's past as an active port. Nearby the site are several notable projects that reflect the wider shift towards a denser residential and commercial community. Notably, Tridel and Hines’ quartet of Bayside residential developments, as well as the recently completed commercial building T3 Bayside.
Spanning 4.9 hectares, Quayside is set to redefine Toronto’s East Bayfront with the latest resubmissions tweaking five development blocks to various degrees, with planned structures ranging from mid-rise to towers peaking at 70 storeys. The seven Zoning By-law applications include Site Plan Approval Amendment applications, as well as a Part Lot Control for Blocks 1 and 2.
In response to feedback and ongoing consultations, revisions include increased public and communal spaces, and site layout improvements. For instance, the previous plan's two separate access points for vehicular traffic into Block 1 have been reduced to a single, more efficient entrance off Lake Shore Boulevard East. Additionally, the redesign has facilitated significant improvements to a planned neighbourhood amenity called the Kid's Traffic School and Cycle Hub. Relocated to the corner of Bonnycastle and Lake Shore Boulevard East and adjacent to the base of The Western Curve, the hub now benefits from enhanced landscaping that provides a buffer from the street, creating a safer environment.
Both The Western Curve and Overstory have seen refinements including increased height and slimmer floor-plates.
The Western Curve, (Building 1A on the plan above), is situated at the southeast corner of the Lake Shore Boulevard and Bonnycastle Street. It is now set to stand 70 storeys (242.5m), an increase from the initial 68 storeys (234.7m), while the total number of units has decreased from 910 to 894 owing to smaller floor-plates. The Western Curve’s design calls for seven elevators, with two additional elevators from the parking garage as high as the 16th floor.
The Gross Floor Area (GFA) has seen a slight decrease from the initial 68,029m² to 65,983m², with 9,057m² dedicated to institutional space. It would feature 995m² of indoor and 430m² of outdoor amenity areas.
The Overstory (Building 1B on the plan above) to the east would now stand 64 storeys (228.2m), an increase from the initial 61 storeys (213m). The number of residential units here has increased, from 756 to 816. It would also be equipped with seven elevators, with two additional elevators ascending as high as the 13th floor.
There would be a slight increase in the building’s Gross Floor Area (GFA) to 52,886m² from the previous 52,228m², with 3,049m² dedicated to institutional space. There would be 917m² of indoor and 281m² of outdoor amenities.
Parking facilities for Blocks 1 and 2 entail two levels of underground garage, with 258 residential and 30 non-residential spots, a notable reduction from the previous total of 624 spaces. Meanwhile, bicycle parking spaces have slightly increased, from a total of 3,125 to 3,166, including 2,530 long-term and 563 short-term spaces for residents and visitors, and 28 long-term and 45 short-term spots for institutional and retail users.
Situated south of the Gardiner Expressway, the two buildings have close access via the Jarvis Street on-and-off-ramps. The planned Waterfront East LRT, which is set to run along Queen’s Quay Boulevard, linking Union Station to the Distillery District and extending into the western Port Lands, would improve accesss to and from the Quayside area. The LRT, despite its lack of funding, is a priority project for the Waterfront Transit Network, and is anticipated to connect with other major transit lines at East Harbour.
The area is set to rapidly evolve in and around Quayside. To the immediate south of these two towers, the 12-storey Timber House is proposed (Building 1C on the plan above), while to the east would be te 55-storey Building 2. To the south are Tridel and Hines’ Bayside projects, with T3 Bayside's commercial buildings at 10 storeys (one already built, one more planned). Aqualina and Aquavista each stand at 13 storeys, Aquabella at 14 storeys, and the 18-storey Aqualuna is currently under construction. To the southwest, a proposal for 180 Queens Quay East would introduce a 22-storey building. Meanwhile, the Lakeside Residences development to the west has towers of 14, 39, and 49 storeys, and a subsequent 43-storey tower planned for Phase Two. Eastward, the proposed towers at 351 Lake Shore East would reach 41 and 49 storeys, situated just east of Quayside’s Block 4, which is set to host buildings of 12 and 72 storeys.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, 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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| Related Companies: | Arcadis, architects—Alliance, Dream Unlimited, Great Gulf, Grounded Engineering Inc., RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, Urban Strategies Inc., VIP Condos Toronto |
