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BV Realty Partners has resubmitted plans for a tower at 2 Cawthra Square in Toronto's Church-Wellesley Village, with an increase to 63 storeys from 45 storeys in the previous proposal. Now designed by ZAS Architects, the mixed-use development has been revised to preserve and restore portions of two properties designated with heritage status since the last submission. The site is located northeast of Wellesley station, placing it within three Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs).
Assembling 2 through12 Cawthra Square, the site lies west of Jarvis Street and adjacent to Barbara Hall Park. Spanning 1,711m², the assembly of properties is home to six low-rise residential buildings. Among these, the 6 and 8 Cawthra Square homes, dating to the 1890s, were recently designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, while 10 and 12 Cawthra Square, built in the early 1900s, are listed on the City's heritage register. The neighbourhood is a dense urban area with a mix of historic low-rise homes and emerging tall buildings, complemented by community spaces.
Submitted in April, 2023, the initial proposal (designed by Arcadis) was for a 45-storey/145.4m tower atop a three-storey podium. Following review, City staff provided feedback that emphasized the need to integrate elements of the properties granted heritage designation earlier this year.
With the developer's resubmission of Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications to the City of Toronto, the revised design would rise 206.97m, an increase of 61.57m. The project now includes 590 residential units, up from 488, with 14 rental replacement units. The tower would be served by six elevators, resulting in a ratio of approximately one elevator per 98 units, indicating minimal wait times for residents.
At the base, a two-storey podium would conserve and restore historic attributes of the facades for 6 and 8 Cawthra Square, including wood verandas. Above the podium, a distinct “reveal” element would separate the base from the tower.
The revised proposal features a Gross Floor Area of 40,025m², including 39,509m² of residential space and 517m² for a new community office hub on the western side of the podium. This space would serve as a connection to Barbara Hall Park and the surrounding community. The Floor Space Index would total 23.39.
There would be 1,184m² of indoor and 643m² of outdoor amenities located on the third floor including a podium rooftop terrace. Beneath the building, the two-level underground garage would provide 26 parking spaces, significantly decreased from four level and 119 spaces. In the new plan, 18 spaces would be for residents and 8 for visitors, including four accessible spaces. In contrast, the revised design increases bicycle parking, now offering 650 spaces (up from 548), with 532 long-term and 118 short-term spaces.
The site is located within 800m of three major subway stations: Wellesley, Bloor-Yonge, and Sherbourne, providing connections to Yonge Line 1 and Bloor-Danforth Line 2. It is connected to Downtown Toronto’s extensive bicycle network, with Wellesley Street’s east-west bike lanes providing a key cycling route through downtown.
The surrounding area includes numerous mid- and high-rise projects and proposals shaping Church-Wellesley Village. To the south, 100 Wellesley Street East is proposed at 11 storeys, while southwest projects include 572 Church Street at 12 storeys and 68 and 66 Wellesley Street East at 28 and 31 storeys, respectively. To the northeast, larger proposals include 10 Huntley at 45 storeys, Jarvis & Earl Place at 58 storeys, the 63-storey 5 Huntley, and 69-storey 135 Isabella Street. Nearby to the northwest, 88 and 90 Isabella Street are proposed at 62 and 69 storeys, respectively.
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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| Related Companies: | Arcadis, Gradient Wind Engineers & Scientists, Grounded Engineering Inc., Jablonsky, Ast and Partners, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, WND Associates Ltd |
