Item - 2020.PB17.4

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

1. City Council include the property at 80 Queen's Park on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register.

2. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 80 Queen's Park (Edward Johnson Building) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance (Reasons for Designation) contained in Attachment 4 of the September 2, 2020 from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, City Planning.

3 City Council state its intention to designate the property at 84 Queen's Park (Falconer Hall) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance (Reasons for Designation) contained in Attachment 5 of the September 2, 2020 report from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, City Planning.

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

5. If there are objections to the designations, City Council direct the City Clerk to refer the designations to the Conservation Review Board.

6. 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 designations of the properties.

7.  City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to defer action on the alterations proposed in the report (September 2, 2020) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, until a comprehensive study of the Queen's Park cultural heritage landscape is complete.

The Toronto Preservation Board did not adopt the following recommendations:

7. City Council authorize the entering into Heritage Easement Agreement(s) under Section 37 of the Ontario Heritage Act with the owner of 78-90 Queen's Park for the properties at 80 and 84 Queen's Park, in a form and with content satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

8. 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 80 and 84 Queen's Park.

9. City Council approve the alterations to the heritage properties at 80 and 84 Queen's Park in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to allow for alterations to the heritage properties on the lands known municipally as 80 and 84 Queen's Park with such alterations substantially in accordance with plans and drawings prepared by Architects Alliance, dated March 18, 2020, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), dated March 18, 2020, prepared by ERA Architects Inc., and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, all subject to and in accordance with a Conservation Plan satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage 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 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(s) with the City for the properties at 80 and 84 Queen's Park, substantially in accordance with plans and drawings prepared by Architects Alliance, dated March 18, 2020, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), dated March 18, 2020, prepared by ERA Architects Inc., subject to and in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 9.b.2, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning including execution of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.

2. Provide detailed Conservation Plan(s) prepared by a qualified heritage consultant that is substantially in accordance with the conservation strategy set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment for 80 and 84 Queen's Park, prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated March 18, 2020, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

c. That prior to final Site Plan approval, for the development contemplated for 80 and 84 Queen's Park, the owner shall:

1. Provide final site plan drawings substantially in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan(s) required in Recommendation 9.b.2 to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage 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 Planning and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager Heritage Planning.

4. Provide an Interpretation Plan for the subject properties, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

5. Provide a detailed Landscape Plan for the subject property satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

d. That prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the properties at 80 and 84 Queen's Park, 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 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(s) required in Recommendation 9.b.2, including a description of materials and finishes, to be prepared by the project architect and a qualified heritage consultant to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage 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 Planning to secure all work included in the approved Conservation Plan(s), and approved Interpretation Plan.

4. Provide full documentation of the existing heritage properties at 80 and 84 Queen's Park, 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 Planning.

e. That prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 9.d.3, 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(s) and Interpretation Plan and that an appropriate standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

2. Provide replacement Heritage Easement Agreement photographs to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

Gary Miedema, Project Manager Sipa, CP Urban Design, City Planning, and Dan Dibartolo, Heritage Senior Planner, Heritage Preservation, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation onIntention to Designate under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, Alterations to Designated Heritage Properties, and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement - 80 and 84 Queen's Park.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate 80 and 84 Queen's Park under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and give authority to enter into Heritage Easement Agreement(s) for these properties.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate 80 and 84 Queen's Park under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and give authority to enter into Heritage Easement Agreement(s) for these properties.

This report also recommends that City Council approve the proposed alterations for the heritage properties at 80 and 84 Queen's Park, in connection with a Zoning Amendment Application by the University of Toronto (UofT) to permit the construction of a new 9-storey institutional building for the University's Centre for Civilizations, Cultures and Cities (“CCC”) at 78-90 Queen's Park. The new building would be situated in the interstitial space between Falconer Hall and the Edward Johnson Building. It would be integrated into the back of Falconer Hall with a link to the Edward Johnson Building.

The conservation strategy for the heritage properties proposes to retain both the Edward Johnson Building at 80 Queen's Park and Falconer Hall at 84 Queen's Park but the McLaughlin Planetarium at 90 Queen's Park would be demolished. The proposed new 43m high building (including mechanical penthouse) would not affect any of the protected views of Queen's Park and it is setback approximately 36 metres from the Queen's Park frontage in order to lessen its visual impact on this important avenue that links Bloor Street to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The removal of McLaughlin Planetarium allows for improvements to the open space between Falconer Hall and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) which would enhance the views of its south entrance. In conjunction with the project, there would also be considerable enhancements to the public realm at the Queen's Park frontage and between the buildings.   

This report includes a detailed assessment of the heritage values and attributes of the subject property (see pages 12-30); a description of the proposed development and its impact on the heritage properties on the subject property (see pages 7-9); an analysis of the impact of the proposed changes to the heritage properties on the subject lands and on the adjacent properties in relation to the City's Official Plan policies (pages 31-6) and staff recommendations with respect to this proposal (pages 2-5).

Statements of Significance for the properties recommended for Part IV designation under the Ontario Heritage Act are included in Attachments 4 and 5.