Gleaner

Serving Toronto's most liveable community with the Annex Gleaner

← →

DEVELOPINGS: Bloor and Spadina tower update (Feb. 2024)

April 6th, 2024 · No Comments

Greater density is on the horizon throughout the Annex

By Fox Oliver and 

Brian Burchell

The annual Annex Gleaner development synopsis will now be published over a series of editions. The sheer volume of developments in our area requires this. Where possible, images of the current site will be presented with architectural renderings of what is proposed/being constructed for that location. A year ago we featured the many developments pending near the intersection of Bloor Street West and Spadina Avenue. Here is an update on what has changed since then near that corner alone. 

300 Bloor St. W. under construction.
Rendering for 300 Bloor St. W.

300 Bloor St. W. Construction is well underway for this tower that also straddles the subway and shares the site with the Bloor Street United Church, the walls of which are shored in situ. A portion of the original church, built in 1886, and the entirety of the Pigeon House (on Huron Street) will be retained. The 30-storey building will have 284 units, retail/café space, and office space. Worship, community, and office space for the church will also be provided. 

The developer is contributing $2.3 million towards capital improvements for new or existing Toronto Community Housing units and/or affordable housing over a 15-year period, as no affordable housing will be part of the new development.

The developer recently applied to the Committee of Adjustment for an increase in height of 17 per cent, or 5 storeys, but they were denied and have appealed to the Toronto Local Appeal Body (TLAB).

Units start at $1,253,000 for a bachelor suite, with the most expensive being a three-bedroom priced at $4,795,000. Building occupancy is scheduled for 2026.

For more information visit https://collecdev.com.

Current site of 320 – 332 Bloor St. W.
Rendering for 320-332 Bloor St. W.

320-332 Bloor St. W. This proposed, vast 37-storey building, designed by BDP Quadrangle and developed by First Capital, will sit at the northeast corner of Spadina Avenue. and Bloor Street W., directly east of the 334-350 Bloor St. W. development. Construction hasn’t started yet as the developers are currently waiting for consent to build an overhang facing 316 Bloor St. W.

An estimated completion date of 2026 for the building is listed on BDP Quadrangle’s website. Since the application has not yet been approved, that date seems highly ambitious. In addition, the city has sought to protect the historical architecture of the 3-storey commercial facade on Bloor Street stretching from the  wine store to the Fresh restaurant.

The proposed building will contain 366 residential units which have not yet been designated as rental or condo units. The building will have retail space at grade, two publicly accessible spaces bookending the site, pedestrian access from Bloor Street W. to Paul Martel Park, and access to Spadina Station.

The building’s exterior will feature a distinct vertical terracotta pattern, intended to add depth and design to its facade. 

More info: https://www.bdpquadrangle.com/portfolio/320-332-bloor-street-west

Demolition has begun at 316 Bloor St. W.
Rendering for 316 Bloor St. W.

316 Bloor St. W.  In the fall of 2023 demolition of the former 3-storey office building was complete. In  January the pile drivers were on-site in advance of excavation. 

This development is located at the northwest corner of Bloor Street W. and Madison Ave. As a result of a successful application to the Committee of Adjustment (CofA) the height of the building will increase to 34 storeys (440 units) and there will be more commercial space on the ground floor. 

The Annex Residents’ Association is urging city council to appeal this decision to the TLAB. In the new provincially mandated regime only city council can appeal a CofA decision.

At the time of writing, unit configuration, pricing, and completion dates were not available. 

For more info: https://statebuildinggroup.com/

Rendering for 334 – 350 Bloor St. W.

334-350 Bloor St. W. This proposed 35-storey condominium at the northwest corner of Spadina Avenue and Bloor Street W. has city-approved zoning but awaits site plan approval. 

This construction would force out the 7-Eleven, Tim Hortons, and office spaces that exist on the lot currently. The developer is also waiting for TTC approval as it intends to link to the Spadina subway station below the development. There is also an agreement to house the Metro grocery store at the basement level as it will move from across the street (425 Bloor St. W).

The building would be mixed-use, containing 422 residential units, 8,200 square metres of non-residential floor space, and 3,716 square metres of office space. 

An “Urban Living Room,” surrounded by kiosks, would be built on the ground floor, and public art by an Indigenous artist is proposed to be incorporated in the design. 

Although construction was to begin in the spring of 2024 and last for 42 months, the developer is no longer providing a start date. The TTC’s original plans to extend the Spadina subway platform in 2040 may change to coincide with this construction which will be happening overhead.

For more info: www.350bloorstreetwest.com

425 Bloor St. W. is currently the home of Metro.
Rendering for 425 Bloor St. W.

425 Bloor St. W. Currently the site of the Metro grocery store, the developer Bousfields has submitted an application to build a 30-storey condo tower on the site. 

The Metro grocery store would vacate and move into a below grade site in the new development at the  northwest corner of Bloor and Spadina. 

The 418 residential units in the building would likely be condominium units, consisting of 79 studios, 229 single-bedroom units, 67 two-bedroom units, and 43 three-bedroom units. Over 1000 square metres of space on the ground and mezzanine floors would be used for retail. 

The developer has plans to work with the Bloor Annex BIA, to not only enhance its parkette space on Robert Street, but to expand upon it.

More info: https://www.425bloorstreetwest.com/

Construction at 700 Spadina Ave. is almost complete.
Rendering for 700 Spadina Ave.

700 Spadina Ave. The University of Toronto’s new 70-metre, 23-storey student residence is near completion. 

The building will house 508 students and provide student amenity space, as well as retail space along Spadina Avenue. A small row of townhouses is also being built on the site facing the alley at the rear. 

Notably, the university agreed to accommodate and restore the built form of the building on the corner of Spadina and Sussex which accommodated Ten Editions bookstore for many years.

More info: https://vporep.utoronto.ca/welcome-to-the-community-page-for-the-spadina-sussex-student-residence-project/

Construction well underway at 666 Spadina Ave.
Rendering for 666 Spadina Ave.

666 Spadina Ave. An 11-storey condo tower is being constructed just south of an existing rental building, an Uno Prii-designed modernist tower. 

The new build is south of the existing structure and north of Harbord, about a city block and a half from Bloor Street.

The tower will include 119 units and eight four-storey townhouses on the west side along the alley. Though the build is well along, the developer has not posted an expected completion date or prices. 

The developer, Cromwell Property Management Group, also operates the adjacent residential tower.

—With files from Mia Keskinen. Rendering courtesy of 666 Spadina Developments

The east portion of the site, where University of Toronto Schools is housed, has undergone a recent significant capital renewal and will remain protected in the re-development. COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MEDIA RELATIONS

371 Bloor St. W. UTS Block Site 1 v The University of Toronto’s Site 1: The Gateway project will be located at the southeast corner of Bloor Street W. and Spadina Avenue and will feature a mix of residential, academic, retail, and outdoor space. 

Two towers are planned: 27 storeys for the Bloor Street frontage and 22 storeys for the Spadina Avenue frontage. 

In total 700-800 residential units would be built in varying configurations.

Westbank, the developer of the ambitious Mirvish Village project at Bloor and Bathurst, has been selected by U of T to lead the project. University of Toronto Schools, presently on the site, would not be affected, according to the university. 

No plans have been submitted for approval and no dates have been published.

More info: https://realestate.utoronto.ca/project/site-1-the-gateway/

Construction at 9-11 Madison began in 2022.
Rendering of the completed Keskus International Estonian Centre.

9-11 Madison Ave. Construction on the KESKUS International Estonian Centre, began in April 2022. 

KESKUS will be replacing the Toronto Estonian House, originally located near Danforth Avenue and Broadview Avenue as the centre of Estonian heritage, community, and culture in Toronto. KESKUS is also meant to encourage business relations between Canada and Estonia. 

This development is rapidly moving through the difficult challenge of building over and around the TTC Line 2 subway tunnel. The current construction will rise above ground level by the end this spring. The courtyard contour mirrors that of the shape of the Estonian state. Facing the courtyard is a glass wall featuring 6.5-meter-high triple glass. These 21-foot-tall panes are being produced in Europe.

The interior of the building will feature a large event and performance space that will be made available to the public, as well as spaces for other Estonian services. 

This project has a budget of $41 million and an estimated completion date of 2025.

More info: https://www.estoniancentre.ca/

READ MORE:

Tags: General