Following nearly four years of inactivity on a proposal from developer Impressions Group to redevelop 409 Huron, a 3-storey 40-unit apartment building (and former house) located in the neighbourhood surrounding the University of Toronto’s St George Campus, the project has resurfaced with a new design from MAR Architect Inc. Contemplating the construction of a 5-storey addition that incorporates the original facade of the house, the project would deliver a total of 90 apartment units in the student community, including 40 replacement units for the current tenants.
Located on the east side of Huron Street, just south of Bloor Street West, the site is currently occupied by a large detached house built in 1903; the house also features a 3-storey extension on the rear (east), built in 1955, allowing the building to house a total of 40 apartment units. The project proposes the demolition of the entirety of the rear addition as well as the majority of the original house, retaining only the primary (west) facade. With increases in both height and density outlined in the proposal, the project has been submitted with applications for Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and Zoning Bylaw Amendment (ZBA).
The revised proposal would see minimal changes to the initial plan in terms of statistics, offering the same number of units, a gross floor area (GFA) of 3,684m², and a nearly identical building height of just under 16 metres. The changes are seen, however, in the architectural expression of the building and its massing. The previous plan from SvN, which was defined by a saw-tooth treatment on the north elevation, has been reimagined with a more orthogonal approach that occupies a greater share of the site’s front yard. Additionally, the storey count has been increased from four to five.
Inside the building, the 90 units are broken down to a distribution of 62 bachelor layouts, 4 one-bedrooms, 11 two-bedrooms, and 13 three-bedrooms. Interestingly, the building gains an extra floor through the inclusion of a ‘lower level’ situated between the first floor and the lone basement level, making use of the elevated position of the ground level. 157m² of indoor amenity space is split between the lower level and floors one and two, while the basement level is programmed with mechanical facilities, 43 storage lockers, and 81 bicycle parking spaces; no vehicle parking is included.
Looking at what is to be retained of the existing building, the original house was designed with elements of the Queen Anne revival style, such as the asymmetrical primary facade and the Dutch-gabled roof; but due to the lack of more extensive ornamentation and the removal of key features like the original windows and doors, the property is not listed on Toronto’s Heritage Register. Still, with some contextual value as a property contributing to the built character of the Annex neighbourhood, the retention of the facade will smoothen the transition between the project and the houses located immediately to the south.
With the updated plans submitted to the City in late March, the developer is hoping that revisiting their earlier proposal will incite a more efficient approval process. Given the project’s close proximity to the University of Toronto’s St George Campus, the project could offer some relief for the current dearth of student housing.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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