Item - 2022.PB36.1
Tracking Status
- This item was considered by Toronto Preservation Board on July 11, 2022 and was adopted without amendment.
PB36.1 - 1 St. Clair Avenue West - Notice of Intention to Designate a Property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act
- Decision Type:
- ACTION
- Status:
- Adopted
- Ward:
- 12 - Toronto - St. Paul's
Board Decision
The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that:
1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1 St. Clair Avenue West under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance: 1 St. Clair Avenue West (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 3, to the report, June 17, 2022, from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.
2. If there are no objections to the designation, 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.
Origin
Summary
This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1 St. Clair Avenue West under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value.
The Modernist building at 1 St. Clair Avenue West, largely conceived by 1963 and constructed in 1967-1968, represents a significant and unique example of precast concrete architecture in Toronto. The pleasing visual rhythm and proportions of the modular curtain wall system comprised of identical precast concrete panels hung on the north, east and south elevations, along with the deep profiles and rounded corners of their openings exemplify the sculptural possibilities of this material.
Prominently located at the southwest corner of Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue in the City’s Deer Park neighbourhood, the building at 1 St. Clair Avenue West anchors this important midtown intersection where it reflects the evolution of the area from a largely residential, low-rise 19th-century concession road beyond the City’s northern boundary to a major commercial and intermodal transportation hub since the mid-20th century.
Heritage Planning staff have undertaken research and evaluation and determined that the subject property meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act under all three categories of design, associative and contextual values. As such, the property is a significant built heritage resource.
In June 2019, the More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019 (Bill 108) received Royal Assent. Schedule 11 of this Act included amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act. The Bill 108 Amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act came into force on July 1, 2021, which included a shift in Part IV designations related to certain Planning Act applications. Section 29(1.2) of the Ontario Heritage Act now restricts City Council's ability to give notice of its intention to designate a property under the Act to within 90 days after the City Clerk gives notice of a complete application.
A development application submitted to the City proposes to amend the zoning by-law to permit the redevelopment of the site with a 49-storey mixed use building, incorporating the existing 12-storey office building. The proposed development will include the 12-storey office building with three storeys of amenities and a residential tower above. The proposed development will have a total of 340 units, at a range of unit sizes from 1-bedroom to 3-bedrooms. This application is to be reviewed concurrently with site plan application No. 22 137783 STE 12 SA.
The City Clerk issued a complete application notice in February 2022 following the application having been deemed complete on December 17, 2021. A waiver received by the City with a deadline of July 31, 2022 requires that this Notice of Intention to Designate report must be considered by City Council before that date.
A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and an HIA will be requested and considered as a part of the development process in order to understand how the heritage property is to be conserved. Designation also enables City Council to review proposed alterations or demolitions to the property and enforce heritage property standards and maintenance. A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) completed by ERA Architects Inc. and dated February 8, 2022 was submitted to support the application.
Background Information
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2022/pb/bgrd/backgroundfile-228093.pdf