Item - 2019.PB7.4

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

1. City Council state its intention to designate the properties at 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance (Reasons for Designation) – 300 Bloor Street West (Attachment 3) and the Statement of Significance (Reasons for Designation) - 478 Huron Street (Attachment 4) attached to the report (May 31, 2019) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. If there are no objections to the designations in accordance with Section 29(6) of the Ontario Heritage Act, 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.

3. If there are objections in accordance with Section 29(7) of the Ontario Heritage Act, City Council direct the City Clerk to refer the designation(s) to the Conservation Review Board.

4. If the designations are 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(s) of the properties.

5. City Council authorize the entering into Heritage Easement Agreement(s) under Section 37 of the Ontario Heritage Act with the owner of 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street in a form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

6. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bill in Council authorizing the entering into Heritage Easement Agreement(s) for the properties at 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street.

7. City Council approve the alterations to the heritage properties at 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to allow for alterations to the heritage properties on the lands known municipally as 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street, with such alterations substantially in accordance with plans and drawings prepared by KPMB Architects, dated March 6, 2019, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services and the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated March 6, 2019, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning, all subject to and in accordance with Conservation Plan, as referenced in 7.b.2, satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning, and subject to the following additional conditions: 

a. That the related site specific Zoning By-law Amendment giving rise to the proposed alterations has been enacted by City Council and has come into full force and effect in a form and with content acceptable to City Council, as determined by the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning.

b.That prior to the introduction of the bills for such Zoning By-law Amendment by City Council, the owner shall:

1. Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the properties at 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street substantially in accordance with plans and drawings prepared by KPMB Architects, dated March 6, 2019 and with the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated March 6, 2019, subject to and in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 7.b.2, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning, including execution of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor;

2. Provide a detailed Conservation Plan prepared by a qualified heritage consultant that is substantially in accordance with the conservation strategy set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment for 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street, prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated March 6, 2019, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning, with said Conservation Plan to include a revised design for the primary entrance at the Bloor Street West façade that is compatible and complementary with the character and attributes of the existing south façade at 300 Bloor Street West, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning;

3. Enter into and register on the properties at 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street one or more agreements with the City pursuant to Section 37 of the Planning Act, all to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning, with such facilities, services and matters to be set forth in the related site specific Zoning By-law Amendment giving rise to the proposed alterations, including amongst other matters, securing the final project specifications, preparation and thereafter the implementation of a Heritage Lighting Plan, a Signage Plan, an Interpretation Plan and requiring a letter of credit to secure all work included in the approved Conservation Plan and approved Interpretation Plan, including provision for upwards indexing, all to the satisfaction of  the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning.

c. That prior to final Site Plan approval, for the development contemplated for 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street, the owner shall:

1. Provide final site plan drawings substantially in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 7.b.2 above to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning;

2. Have obtained final approval for the necessary Zoning By-law Amendment required for the subject property, such Amendment to have come into full force and effect;

3. Provide a Heritage Lighting Plan that describes how the exterior of the heritage properties will be sensitively illuminated to enhance their heritage character to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning;

4. Provide an Interpretation Plan for the subject properties, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning;

5. Provide a detailed Landscape Plan for the subject property satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning.

d. That prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the properties at 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron Street, including a heritage permit or a building permit, but excluding permits for repairs and maintenance and usual and minor works for the existing heritage building as are acceptable to the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning, the owner shall:

1. Have obtained final approval for the necessary Zoning By-law Amendment required for the subject property, such Amendment to have come into full force and effect;

2. Provide building permit drawings, including notes and specifications for the conservation and protective measures keyed to the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 7.b.2 above, including a description of materials and finishes, to be prepared by the project architect and a qualified heritage consultant to the satisfaction of theSenior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning;

3. Provide a Letter of Credit, including provision for upwards indexing, in a form and amount and from a bank satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning to secure all work included in the approved Conservation Plan, and approved Interpretation Plan;

4. Provide full documentation of the existing heritage property at 300 Bloor Street West and 478 Huron street, including two (2) printed sets of archival quality 8” x 10” colour photographs with borders in a glossy or semi-gloss finish and one (1) digital set on a CD in tiff format and 600 dpi resolution keyed to a location map, elevations and measured drawings, and copies of all existing interior floor plans and original drawings as may be available, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning.

e. That prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 7.d.3 above, the owner shall:

1. Provide a letter of substantial completion prepared and signed by a qualified heritage consultant confirming that the required conservation work and the required interpretive work has been completed in accordance with the Conservation Plan and Interpretation Plan and that an appropriate standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning;

2. Provide replacement Heritage Easement Agreement photographs to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Preservation Services, Urban Design, City Planning.

This report recommends that City Council approve the proposed alterations for the heritage properties at 300 Bloor Street and 478 Huron Street, in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act to allow for the construction of a 29-storey tower at the project site and also recommends that City Council state its intention to designate 300 Bloor Street and 478 Huron Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and give authority to enter into Heritage Easement Agreement(s) for the properties.

The original application, submitted December 27, 2017, proposed a 38 storey mixed-use building with 249 residential units to the north of the current siting of the tower component, but included alterations to the two heritage properties on the site. 

Based on a series of community consultations, six working group meetings and concerns raised by City staff, a revised application was submitted on March 11, 2019 to construct a new 29 storey tower at the site that maintains the church use at the site while introducing commercial, office and residential uses within the new podium and tower elements. Substantive portions of the heritage properties will be retained and incorporated into the new development. Pidgeon House, at 478 Huron Street, to the north of the Bloor United Church at 300 Bloor Street West, would be retained and rehabilitated for continued office use.

The conservation strategy will not significantly impact the three dimensional form of the buildings as viewed from the public realm. Should the alterations to the subject property be approved, staff recommend that the property owner be required to enter into Heritage Easement Agreement(s) for the properties at 300 Bloor Street and 478 Huron Street in order to ensure the long-term protection of the heritage properties.