Item - 2021.PB26.9

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

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 109 George Street (with entrance address at 117) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance: 109 George Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 4 to the report (May 25, 2021) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 125 George Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance: 125 George Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 5 to the report (May 25, 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 properties 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 properties.

6. City Council approve the alterations to the heritage properties at 109 and 125 George Street, in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to allow for the construction of a 39-storey, 126 metre tall (not including mechanical penthouse), mixed-use building incorporating the heritage buildings on the lands known municipally in the year 2021 as 109-117, 119 and 125 George Street, and 231 Richmond Street East with such alterations substantially in accordance with plans and drawings dated April 23, 2021, prepared by Sweeny and Co Architects Inc., and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning; and the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated February 28, 2020 and revised April 26, 2021, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, all subject to and in accordance with a Conservation Plan for the subject property, 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 subject owner shall:

1. Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the properties at 109 and 125 George Street in accordance with the plans and drawings dated April 23, 2021, prepared by Sweeny and Co Architects Inc.,  and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared ERA Architects Inc., dated February 28, 2020 and revised April 26, 2021, 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 109 and 125 George Street prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated February 28, 2020 and revised April 26, 2021, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. Enter into and register on the properties at 109 and 125 George Street one or more agreements with the City pursuant to Section 37 of the Planning Act to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor, the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, 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 and securing such matters generally as set forth in these Recommendations.

c. That prior to Site Plan approval for the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment by City Council for the properties located at 109 and 125 George Street, the subject 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. 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 subject 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.

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

5. 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.

6. Submit a Signage Plan for the subject property 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 properties at 109 and 125 George 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 of the subject property shall:

1. Have obtained final approval for the necessary Zoning By-law Amendment, 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 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.

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

4. 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.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 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 a Heritage Easement Agreement under Section 37 of the Ontario Heritage Act with each of the owners of 109 and 125 George 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 of a Heritage Easement Agreement for each of the properties at 109 and 125 George Street.

Kristen Flood, Planner and Liz McFarland, Planner, Heritage Preservation, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation on 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 - 109 and 125 George Street.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the listed heritage properties at 109 and 125 George Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, approve the alterations proposed for the heritage properties in connection with a proposed development of the subject property and grant authority to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement for the subject properties.

Located on the east side of George Street between Richmond and Adelaide streets within the original ten-block plan of the Old Town of York, the properties at 109 and 125 George Street contain two early-20th century mixed-use, industrial and office buildings which are also representative examples of the warehouse / factory typology identified in the City's King-Parliament Historic Context Statement.

Constructed in three stages between 1915 and 1950, the two-and-three-storey, brick-clad complex at 109 George Street (with entrance address at 117) was originally owned by German-Jewish philanthropist and entrepreneur, Leo Frankel, and his brothers, for nearly half a century. The 1926 Frankel building fronting directly onto George Street was designed by the prominent architectural firm, Chapman & Oxley, and more recently has been the home of the offices of world-renowned, Toronto-based architectural firm, Moriyama & Teshima Architects.

The property anchoring the southeast corner of George and Richmond streets at 125 George Street contains another early-20th century industrial building. Designed by Toronto architects Molesworth, West & Secord in 1927, the four-storey structure is a rare surviving example in the city of the exposed, pre-cast concrete frame with brick infill panels. 

The two properties at 109 and 125 George Street contribute architecturally as well as typologically to the eclectic mix of late-19th and early-20th century industrial, commercial and residential properties which characterize the historic King-Parliament streetscape.

The subject properties at 109 and 125 George Street were identified in the City's King-Parliament Secondary Plan Review approved by Council in 2019 and were listed on the City's Heritage Register as part of the council-adopted King-Parliament Heritage Properties multiple listing (December 2020).

The development application proposes a 39-storey, 126 metre tall (not including mechanical penthouse), mixed-use building that incorporates a significant portion of the heritage building at 125 George Street as part of the base building. The new building will abut the side wall of the heritage building at 109 George Street with a slight cantilever over the building. The whole building at 109 George Street will be retained with modifications to support its continued use as an office. The impacts of the proposed development are appropriately mitigated through the overall conservation strategy.