Item - 2013.TE28.42

This report outlines the King-Spadina East Precinct Built Form Study preliminary findings and potential directions. The East Precinct is a Regeneration Area bounded by Front Street West to the south, Richmond Street West to the north, Simcoe and John Streets to the east, and Spadina Avenue to the west.  Major Secondary Plan policy objectives aim to encourage reinvestment in the area for a diverse range of employment and residential uses while preserving and reinforcing the historic scale and character of the area and enhancing the public realm.

With over 30 applications at various stages of review, the East Precinct has a high concentration of tall building proposals. These developments are creating a tower neighbourhood east of Spadina which was not contemplated by the in-force Plan.

The King-Spadina Plan was created to maintain and enhance the distinct warehouse and heritage character of the area while at the same time attracting investment by opening up land use permissions.  This plan has been largely successful in repurposing medium scale warehouse buildings and using that unique character to support the branding and visual amenity of the area.  The result has been the preservation of many heritage buildings and one of the largest concentrations of creative industries in the City.

However, as with some other areas of the City, this area has evolved and has now effectively become a tower neighbourhood.  The Built Form review of the area seeks to re-imagine the King-Spadina East Precinct in a way that accommodates tower forms while incorporating the character of the area that distinguishes this part of the City.  To do this, preliminary directions are to:

-           reinforce and maintain the special heritage character of the area;

-           permit tall buildings within the precinct which comply with the City's tall building guidelines (subject to the results of the on-going Heritage Conservation District Study);

-           update the public realm plan for the area to guide and secure higher quality sidewalks, public spaces and connections throughout the area;

-           complete a parks, recreation and community services study to identify services to be provided in tandem with growth;

-           assess hard services, transit, water, sewer and transportation for upgrades; and

-           achieve a balanced mix of entertainment, employment and residential uses.

The Built Form Study will refocus the policies for King-Spadina East Precinct to manage new towers, create an infrastructure plan and define the overall capacity of the area to absorb growth while maintaining a high quality of life for residents, employees and visitors. This will be accompanied by clear direction to enhance the quality of the public realm and character of the neighbourhood through carefully planned and managed intensification.