An exciting new development has been proposed for Danforth and Victoria Park avenues that would deliver rental housing, retail, a public park, and a Montessori school/daycare. The plans come from Toronto-based private investment firm and developer Sigma Group and envision a mixed-use two-building project with heights of 39 and 16 storeys containing 578 rental units and spanning 470,103 sq. ft of residential space.
Designed by Gabriel Fain Architects Inc., the buildings will have striking red brick exteriors intended to be "reminiscent of Toronto’s historic warehouse forms," says Sigma's cover letter, with large floor-to-ceiling windows at grade.
If approved, the development would be located just south of Danforth Ave. at 507-513 Victoria Park Ave. and 4-14 Thora Ave. in the East York neighbourhood of Taylor-Massey. As such, future residents of the build will enjoy close proximity to higher-order transit like the Danforth GO station and Victoria Park subway station. The site is also served by the the 12 Kingston Road bus, 113 Danforth Road, and 20 Cliffside TTC bus routes.
Getting into the details, the 37,103-sq.-ft site would be organized with 39-storey Building A along the east portion of the site and 16-storey Building B along the southern edge, with both sitting atop an eight-storey L-shaped podium. The site would be enclosed in the west by Victoria Park Ave., by Wakehood St. in the north, and Thora Ave. in the east. On the other side of Thora Ave., you'd find the substantial 15,413-sq. -ft proposed public park.
At grade within the podium would be the 1,603-sq. -ft Montessori school/daycare with an outdoor play area, 4,434 sq. ft of retail space, and residential lobbies for Building A and B. Both indoor and outdoor amenity space would be found on levels two and nine, with the majority of the outdoor amenity space provided in the form of an extensive terrace atop the podium. In total, the development would provide 11,948 sq. ft of indoor amenity space and 13,282 sq. ft of outdoor amenity space.
As for the residential units, Sigma has put an emphasis on larger units, with 46.5% in the form of two- and three-bedroom layouts. There will be 309 one-bedroom units, 210 two-bedrooms, and 59 three-bedrooms.
Available to tenants will also be two levels of underground parking containing 122 vehicle parking spaces and 638 bike parking spaces.
The completion of Sigma's vision would mean the revitalization of a currently under-utilized site occupied by low-rise residential and commercial buildings and surface parking areas. In their place would be a fulsome micro-community that provides essential rental housing alongside convenient retail options, childcare and education for young families, and parkland for exercise and play.
507-513 Victoria Park Ave/Gabriel Fain Architects Inc.
507-513 Victoria Park Ave/Gabriel Fain Architects Inc.
507-513 Victoria Park Ave/Gabriel Fain Architects Inc.
507-513 Victoria Park Ave/Gabriel Fain Architects Inc.
