{"id":21040,"date":"2023-08-22T11:25:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T18:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/rockport-groups-islington-village-proposal-doubles-in-height\/"},"modified":"2023-08-22T11:25:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T18:25:20","slug":"rockport-groups-islington-village-proposal-doubles-in-height","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/rockport-groups-islington-village-proposal-doubles-in-height\/","title":{"rendered":"Rockport Group’s Islington Village Proposal Doubles in Height"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"-\"<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

\n

In a move that reflects revisited proposals near transit stations elsewhere across Toronto, plans for a new condo at\u00a04888 Dundas Street West<\/a> have taken a significant upward turn as well. A short 10-minute walk northwest of Islington station on Bloor Line 2, resubmitted Official Plan, Zoning By-law Amendment, and Site Plan applications come in response to the site\u2019s designation as a\u00a0Protected Major Transit Station Area (PMTSA)<\/a>. Developer\u00a0Rockport Group<\/a>\u00a0and their designers\u00a0Graziani + Corazza Architects<\/a>\u00a0now propose a\u00a0structure here that rises to 29 storeys,\u00a0where the initial plan was for 12 storeys.<\/p>\n

Looking northwest to 4888 Dundas Street West, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Rockport Group<\/span><\/p>\n

The previous plan (seen below) design offered retail spaces at ground level and 225 residential units above, while restoring the existing Musson House (seen above and below). A part of Islington Village’s rich history, the 2-storey heritage building was built in 1880\u00a0as Islington’s post office and then its local telephone exchange<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking northwest to the previous plan designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Rockport Group<\/span><\/p>\n

With the site now falling with a PMTSA designated area \u2014 which encourages greater intensification for sites within 800m of transit stations \u2014 the proposal has been significantly reworked, shifting from a modest 12-storey structure to a 29-storey tower, a transformation not just in height but also in its capacity, now set to house 395 units. The new design reaches a height of 100.88m, which is slightly more than double its initial 48m.\u00a0The increases are in line with the provincial governments intensions for greater development near transit hubs to respond to housing demand.<\/p>\n

Looking west to the the Musson House, image retrieved from Google Street View<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with the increase in total size, the new design reduces the massing in relation to the street and the existing mid-rise building to the north. The podium base would now step-back more along Dundas Street to better frame the heritage building, the original portion of which is being maintained and restored, while the podium is now lower at 6 storeys, leading to a stepped-back slender point tower, looking to strike a balance between more housing within the PMTSA and maintaining a harmonious scale along Dundas.<\/p>\n

Looking southeast to the north side of 4888 Dundas Street West, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Rockport Group<\/span><\/p>\n

The residential Gross Floor Area (GFA) has been expanded to 27,394m\u00b2, about 6,000m\u00b2\u00a0more than the previous submission, while there would be an additional commercial GFA of 1,322m\u00b2.\u00a0Three elevators are proposed for the tower, one for every 132 units, indicating potentially longer waits.<\/p>\n

Site plan for 4888 Dundas Street West, designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects for Rockport Group<\/span><\/p>\n

Spaces for 269 resident bicycles and 28 visitor bicycles are planned, while 73 motor vehicle parking spaces are planned for residents and 13 for visitors, all accommodated within a single underground garage level. This decrease from the previous submission is in line with the focus on public transit.<\/p>\n

While Islington station is within an 800m walk, the site is also serviced by multiple bus routes including the 37 Islington, which besides connecting to Bloor Line 2 will also connect to\u00a0the Eglinton Line 5 crosstown LRT upon the opening of its western extension, now under construction. Burnhamthorpe 50 and Junction-Dundas West 40 buses also pass by.\u00a0<\/p>\n

An aerial view of the site and surrounding area, image retrieved from Google Maps<\/span><\/p>\n

Nestled amidst a burgeoning neighbourhood, 4888 Dundas Street West\u00a0finds itself nearby several high-rise proposals.\u00a0Cavo Condominiums<\/a>, a 24-storey structure, is proposed about 150m to the south, while about 450m south, the design for\u00a025 Mabelle Avenue<\/a>\u00a0stands at 49 storeys. Finally, replacing the current surface parking lots and aging bus terminal at Islington subway station, four towers are planned at\u00a03226 Bloor West<\/a>, an expansive multi-use proposal with their heights ranging from 33 to 52 storeys.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

UrbanToronto has a research service,\u00a0UrbanToronto Pro<\/a>, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area\u2014from proposal through to completion. We also offer\u00a0Instant\u00a0Reports<\/a>, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,\u00a0New Development Insider<\/a>, that tracks projects from initial application.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n