Item - 2021.PB22.2

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

1. City Council include the property at 260 Church Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register.

2. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 260 Church Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance: 260 Church Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 4 to the report (March 1, 2021) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. 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 property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

4. 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 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.

6. City Council approve the alterations to the heritage property at 260 Church Street, in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to allow for the construction of the development proposal for 244-260 Church Street (referred to as 250 Church), with such alterations substantially in accordance with plans and drawings dated December 4, 2020, prepared by the IBI Group Architects for 250 Church Limited Partnership and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning and the Heritage Impact Assessment, prepared by Goldsmith Borgal and Company Ltd. Architects, dated December 20, 2020, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning all subject to and in accordance with a Conservation Plan satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, 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 have been enacted by the City Council and have come into full force and effect in a form and with content acceptable to the City Council, as determined by the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, 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 property at 260 Church Street in accordance with the plans and drawings dated December 4, 2020, prepared by the IBI Group Architects and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by Goldsmith Borgal and Company Ltd. Architects, dated December 20, 2020 and in accordance with the Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 6.b.2. below to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning including registration of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.

2. Provide a detailed Conservation Plan, prepared by a qualified heritage consultant that is consistent with the conservation strategy set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment for 260 Church Street prepared by Goldsmith Borgal and Company Ltd. Architects, dated December 20, 2020, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

c. That prior to site plan approval for the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment by City Council for the property located at 260 Church Street the owner shall:

1. Provide final site plan drawings substantially in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 6.b.2. above to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. Provide a Heritage Lighting Plan that describes how the exterior of the heritage property will be sensitively illuminated to enhance its heritage character to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. Provide a detailed landscape plan for the subject property, satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

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

d. That prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the property at 260 Church 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 Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, the owner shall:

1. Provide building permit drawings, including notes and specifications for the conservation and protective measures keyed to the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 6.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 the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. 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, Urban Design, City Planning to secure all work included in the approved Conservation Plan, Lighting Plan, Interpretation Plan and Landscape Plan.

3. Provide full documentation of the existing heritage property, 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, Urban Design, City Planning.

e. That prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 6.d.2. 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 Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

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

7. City Council authorize the entering into of Heritage Easement Agreement(s) under Section 37 of the Ontario Heritage Act with the owner of 260 Church Street in a form and 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 property at 260 Church Street.

Liz McFarland, Planner and Guy Zimmerman, Planner, Heritage Preservation, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation on Inclusion on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register, Intention to Designate under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, Alterations to a Heritage Property, and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement - 260 Church Street.

This report recommends that City Council include the property at 260 Church Street on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register, state its intention to designate the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, approve the alterations proposed for the heritage property in connection with a proposed development of the subject property and grant authority to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement for the subject property.

Located on the east side of Church Street between Shuter Street and Dundas Street East, the Sterling Bank building is valued as a fine example of an early twentieth century bank in the Edwardian Classical style. The red brick and stone clad building was completed in 1913 to the design of John M. Lyle, who has been declared to be "one of Canada's outstanding architects of the first half of the twentieth century." During a long, successful career, Lyle designed more than 55 banks across Canada. The property at 260 Church Street is unique for being the only Sterling Bank branch designed by Lyle in Toronto. Today, the building contributes contextually to the early-20th century commercial character of Church Street's land development history and evolution.

The development proposal for 244-260 Church Street (referred to as 250 Church) incorporates the former Sterling Bank of Canada Building property at 260 into a

54-storey development comprised of the condominium tower above a five storey base including commercial units at grade along Church Street.

The bank building by John M. Lyle is to be retained in-situ, undergoing restoration of the exterior features and integration into the retail space at grade as a two storey volume.

Impacts will be limited to the south west corner of the existing building where the mass of the new development intersects with the volume of the bank. Openings will be introduced on the interior walls to integrate the commercial space of the overall project and some structural impact will occur that supports the new construction over this portion of the building.