Real estate insolvencies have been a dime a dozen over the past few years, but 736 Bathurst Street is proof that, sometimes, they come out of the other side. A new development application from MOD Developments and Montez Corporation proposes a 40-storey purpose-built rental tower for the site at the southwest corner of Bathurst and Lennox streets, which is currently operated by the Randolph College of Performing Arts. In a previous life, the two-storey venue was the Bathurst Methodist Church, built in 1888.
As mentioned, the site has a bit of a turbulent history. In 2024, ONE Development listed the property for sale after drawing up preliminary plans for a 49-storey mixed-use tower. Less than a year later, lender Timbercreek Mortgage Servicing Inc. successfully petitioned the Ontario Superior Court to place the property into receivership after alleging the owner had defaulted on its mortgage. Court-appointed monitor MNP then marketed the site through a formal sales process before it sold, paving the way for MOD Developments' current proposal.
The planning report from MOD asks for a total of 386 units, which breaks down into 36 studio apartments, 158 one-bedrooms, 153 two-bedrooms, and 39 three-bedroom units. That translates to a ~50% share of the larger, family-sized units that Toronto so sorely needs. Residents would have no on-site vehicle parking, but would have access to 454 bicycle parking spaces, reflecting the site's location just a four-minute walk from Bathurst subway station.
Site Statistics As Of July 2026:
- Height: 40 storeys, 444 ft. (exclusive of the mechanical penthouse)
- Residential GFA: 324,940 sq. ft.
- Non-residential GFA: 14,003 sq. ft
- Residential units: 386 units
- Unit breakdown: 36 studios, 158 one-beds, 153two-bed, 39 three-beds
- Indoor amenity: 8,309 sq. ft
- Outdoor amenity: 4,768 sq. ft
- Vehicle parking: n/a
- Bicycle parking: 454
MOD’s plans also include commercial and cultural space occupying the restored church, including an outdoor patio at the Bathurst and Lennox corner.
In its planning report, MOD described the site as well suited for additional density because it sits within a Protected Major Transit Station Area, just steps from Bathurst Station and adjacent to the Mirvish Village redevelopment, where buildings ranging from eight to 26 storeys have already reshaped the neighbourhood. The application has been submitted as a Zoning By-law Amendment, but according to the report, an Official Plan Amendment isn't required because the site is already designated Mixed Use Areas, which permits residential and commercial development.
The plans from Diamond Schmitt are sensitive to the building’s heritage history, as the building was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2023. "The design enables the thoughtful integration of a modern high-rise form with a significant heritage resource, utilizing contemporary materials and a tower design which provides a distinct visual contrast to the buff brick masonry of the historic church, while conserving the important interior and exterior features of the church,” the report says.
The proposal joins a growing wave of redevelopment activity around Bathurst and Bloor. Immediately north, the former Honest Ed's site is evolving into Mirvish Village: a five-building mixed-use community rising between 13 and 26 storeys, inviting hundreds of rental homes, new retail, public spaces, and restored heritage buildings to the neighbourhood.
