Item - 2019.PB11.6

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends to the Toronto and East York Community Council that:  

1. City Council include the following 15 properties on the south side of Niagara Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register, in accordance with the Statement of Significance (Reasons for Inclusion): 55-73 and 79-87 Niagara Street attached as Attachment 3 to the report (November 4, 2019) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

55 Niagara Street

57 Niagara Street

59 Niagara Street

61 Niagara Street

63 Niagara Street

65 Niagara Street

67 Niagara Street

69 Niagara Street

71 Niagara Street

73 Niagara Street

79 Niagara Street

81 Niagara Street

83 Niagara Street

85 Niagara Street

87 Niagara Street

2. City Council state its intention to designate the following 5 properties under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance (Reasons for Designation): 61-69 Niagara Street attached as Attachment 4 to the report (November 4, 2019) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:  

61 Niagara Street 

63 Niagara Street

65 Niagara Street

67 Niagara Street

69 Niagara Street

3. If there are no objections to the designation, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the bill in Council designating the properties under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

4. If there are objections in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council direct the City Clerk to refer the designation to the Conservation Review Board.

5. If the designation is referred to the Conservation Review Board, City Council authorize the City Solicitor and appropriate staff to attend any hearing held by the Conservation Review Board in support of Council's decision on the designation of the property.

The Toronto Preservation Board recognized the exceptional contribution to heritage conservation the owners of the properties located at 61-69 Niagara Street in the South Niagara Planning study area including their stewardship of these heritage properties for more than 30 years and commissioning a consultant to prepare an independent Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report in support of their nomination for designation. 

This report recommends that City Council include the properties at 55-73 and 79-87 Niagara Street on the City of Toronto Heritage Register and state its intention to designate the properties at 61-69 Niagara Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value. This row of fifteen properties, completed together in 1885-1886, contains two-storey, Victorian-era brick row houses located on the south side of Niagara Street between Tecumseth Street and Bathurst Street in the South Niagara District neighbourhood. 

City staff previously identified the fifteen subject properties have already been identified as a collection of buildings having potential cultural heritage value in the South Niagara Planning Strategy adopted by City Council in August 2014.

Following further research and evaluation, it has been determined that each of the 15 identified properties at 55-73 and 79-87 Niagara Street meet Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, which the City of Toronto also applies when evaluating properties for its Heritage Register. 

Around the time that the South Niagara Planning Strategy was underway, the owners of 61, 63, 65, 67 and 69 Niagara Street nominated their properties for Part IV Designation under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. Since then, the owners reiterated their interest in protecting their properties at 61, 63, 65, 67 and 69 Niagara Street and hired a heritage consultant to prepare a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report recommending the properties have cultural heritage value. Recently, the owner sold his property at 67 Niagara Street, however, the purchaser acknowledged the likelihood of future designation of the property.

Properties on the Heritage Register will be conserved and maintained in accordance with the Official Plan Heritage Policies.