One of Toronto's oldest purpose-built postal offices could soon serve as the base of a glitzy new condo tower according to a development application submitted to the City at the end of September.
The associated planning report, prepared by Bousfields, notes that the site, municipally known as 1117 Queen Street West, has been occupied by Postal Station C for over a century. Featuring Beaux-Arts architecture and designed by Samuel George Curry in 1902, the building has been listed on the Heritage Register since June 1973, and in June 2023, Toronto City Council adopted a Notice of Intention to Designate the Site.
As such, the postal office isn’t going anywhere. Pending the City’s go-ahead, the proposed 29-storey tower would be integrated into the existing building through adaptive reuse.
The report additionally reveals that Canada Post ceased operations at the site in 2020. Ownership of the property was transferred to the current owner, Queen Street Post Inc., in 2021. Sources have revealed to STOREYS that additional details on the development party are being withheld in the interests of privacy.
Reaching 102.4 m at its highest point, the development stands to bring a fair bit of height to the area, known as the West Queen West Triangle, which is currently characterized by a mix of low-, mid-, and high-rise buildings no higher than 22 storeys. As well, 272 new condo units are proposed, including 73 studios, 24 one-bedrooms, 97 one-bedroom plus dens, 50 two-bedrooms, and 28 three-bedrooms.
Renderings prepared by Giannone Petricone Associates show a semi-circular tower perched atop the two-storey heritage base. Above the base, the third floor is inset with a glazed element, which helps to differentiate it from the tower above. Slanted columns extend from the base of the tower at the rear of the tower, framing an exterior performance stage, which will face Lisgar Park to the south.
“The adaptive re-use of the Postal Station C building is intended to include opportunities for arts-related and/or community non-profit uses, as well as other non-residential uses such as retail and/or eating establishments,” the planning report explains.
“The focus is to provide for active uses at grade that serve the local community and ensure that the Postal Station C building will be open and accessible for use by the community. Through the approval of the proposal, the applicant is prepared to either convey or issue a long-term lease of the Postal Station C space to a non-profit or community use as considered appropriate by the City.”
Renderings prepared by Giannone Petricone Associates.
