STAFF REPORT ACTION REQUIRED 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street, and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West - Zoning Amendment Application - Preliminary Report Date: October 27, 2016 To: Toronto and East York Community Council From: Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District Wards: Ward 20 – Trinity-Spadina Reference 16 192792 STE 20 OZ Number: SUMMARY The application proposes a 59-storey mixed-use building including retail, office and residential uses at 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street, and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West. A total of 524 dwelling units are proposed as well as 17,171 square metres of office floor area and 785 metres of retail floor area. The total gross floor area of the proposed development is 53,600 square metres, representing a density of 18.29 times the area of the site. The existing building at 100 Simcoe Street has been identified through the ongoing King-Spadina Heritage Conservation District Study as contributing to the heritage character of the area. This building is proposed to be demolished. This report provides preliminary information on the application and seeks Community Council's directions on further processing of the application and on the community consultation process. Planning staff recommends that a community consultation meeting be scheduled. Staff anticipate submitting a final report on the application to Community Council in Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 1 V.03/13 the 3rd quarter of 2017. The target dates assume that the applicant will provide all required information in a timely manner. RECOMMENDATIONS The City Planning Division recommends that: 1. Staff be directed to schedule a community consultation meeting for the lands at 100 Simcoe Street together with the Ward Councillor. 2. Notice for the community consultation meeting be given to landowners and residents within 120 metres of the site. 3. Notice for the public meeting under the Planning Act be given according to the regulations of the Planning Act. Financial Impact The recommendations in this report have no financial impact. Pre-Application Consultation A pre-application consultation meeting was held in June of 2013. At that time the applicant was considering development options including an office building or a primarily residential development on the site. Pre-application submission requirements were reviewed, and Planning staff advised that the existing building at 100 Simcoe Street had been identified as a contributing building to the overall heritage character of the King-Spadina East precinct. ISSUE BACKGROUND Proposal The application proposes a 59-storey mixed-use building including retail, office and residential uses. Overall the proposal includes 524 dwelling units comprised of 62 studio, 307 one-bedroom, 102 two-bedroom and 53 three bedroom dwelling units. The total gross floor area of the proposed development is 53,600 square metres, consisting of 17,171 square metres of office space, 785 square metres of retail space, and 35,644 square metres of residential gross floor area representing a density of18.29 times the area of the site (Attachments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). The building design includes an 8-storey base building 33.9 metres high with a 51- storey tower above. The height of the building is proposed to be 188.9 metres excluding the mechanical floors. Two mechanical floors are proposed for an overall building height of 197.9 metres. Retail uses are proposed on the ground floor along the Adelaide Street frontage of the site with the office and residential lobbies facing Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 2 V.03/13 Simcoe Street and Pearl Street. Office uses are proposed within the remaining 7 levels of the base building. Base building and tower setbacks are summarized in Table 1 and described below. Table 1 – Base Building Setback and Tower Stepbacks Street North South East West (Adelaide Street West) (Pearl Street) (Simcoe Street) Base Building 0 - 0.15 0 - 0.4 0 - 0.13 0 - 0.15 Setback (m) Tower 12 4.8 13.5 13.4 Setback (m) 12 (25th level) Most of the base building extends to the property lines or very close to the property lines on all sides with small setbacks in some areas on the ground floor. There are also small cut outs on the ground floor at the northeast and southeast corners of the building at the entrances to the residential and office lobbies. The base building extends over these spaces at the 2nd level and above. The boulevards widths along the adjacent streets vary. The narrowest is Pearl Street which has a boulevard width of approximately 3.2 metres. The Adelaide Street West boulevard is 3.4 metre wide and boulevard along Simcoe Street is 4 metres wide. The tower is proposed to be setback approximately 13.5 metres from Simcoe Street, 4.8 metres from Pearl Street, 12 metres from Adelaide Street and 13.4 metres from the west property line. A stepback on the south side of the tower is proposed at the 25th level increasing the setback of the tower from Pearl Street to approximately 12 metres. Tower floorplates range in size from approximately 840 m² for the lower floors in the residential tower decreasing towards the upper floors which have floor plates of approximately 645 m². An underground parking garage with four levels and 245 parking spaces is proposed for the residential uses (179), and the retail and office uses (66). A total of 602 bicycle parking spaces are proposed within the parking garage and on the ground floor, including 472 long-term resident spaces, 52 short-term resident spaces, 71 spaces for office uses, and 7 spaces for retail uses. Access to loading and parking is proposed from two driveways situated adjacent to one another at the southeast corner of the site with access to both off of Pearl Street. Proposed common residential amenity space includes 511.4 m² of indoor amenity space situated on the 9th floor with an associated outdoor amenity area of 1,357 m². Additional site and development statistics are included in the application data sheet in Attachment 6. Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 3 V.03/13 Site and Surrounding Area The site is located on the west side of Simcoe Street and extends the full block between Adelaide Street West and Pearl Street. The site is 2,930 square metres in area with approximately 56.8 metres fronting on Simcoe Street, 51.5 metres on Adelaide Street West and 51.4 metres on Pearl Street. The site is currently occupied with two buildings which are proposed to be demolished, an office building and an above-grade parking structure. The 5½-storey mixed-use office and retail building at 100 Simcoe Street was originally constructed in 1905 as a warehouse for the engraving and lithography firm Rolph and Clark Limited. In 1907 the building was expanded with an addition to the west of the main warehouse. Modifications were made subsequently including changes to the main entrance in 1951 and a 2 storey addition was constructed in 1983 along with alterations to the cladding and entrance during the 1980's, although much of the original building constructed in 1905 remains unmodified. This building has been identified through the Heritage Conservation District (HCD) study to date as contributing to the heritage character of the area. The HCD study is discussed in more detail in the comments section of this report. The overall gross floor area of the existing mixed-used building at 100 Simcoe Street is approximately 8,000 m², with an office component comprising 7,000 m². There is a 6-storey (7- level) commercial parking garage located at 211 Adelaide Street West with 304 parking spaces. There site is situated in an area with a diverse range of building types and scales including many historic buildings of lower scale that have been listed on the City's Heritage Register and designated historically significant under the Ontario Heritage Act. There are also a number of recently built and proposed mixed-use developments in the area including tall buildings constructed or under review. Surrounding uses include: North: Opposite the site on the north side of Adelaide Street West are a number of historic buildings ranging from 3 to 5 storeys in height. The Canadian Magazine Company Building at 200 Adelaide Street West opposite the site is an architecturally significant building and is identified on the City's Heritage Register. The Bishop's Block heritage building designated under the Ontario Heritage Act is situated on the northeast corner of Simcoe Street and Adelaide Street West with the 66-storey Shangri-La Hotel and condominium on the north side of Adelaide Street West further east at University Avenue. In the block further north there are more recently built mixed-use buildings ranging from approximately 20 to 40 storeys along Simcoe Street, Nelson Street, and Richmond Street West. Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 4 V.03/13 South: Opposite the site on the south side of Pearl Street are two historic former warehouse buildings each 6-storeys high, the Union Building at 212 King Street West and the Canadian General Electric Building at 214 King Street West. Both are designated as historically significant under the Ontario Heritage Act. To the southwest is the 45-storey Theatre Park mixed-use building at 224 King Street West and the approved Mirvish-Gehry redevelopment for two mixed use buildings of 82 and 92 storeys. Further south is Roy Thomson Hall, Metro Hall and David Pecault square. West: Adjacent to the west is a surface parking lot at 217 Adelaide Street West. A zoning by-law amendment application for a 56-storey mixed-use building on this site has been refused by City Council and is under appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) (File # 15 177189 STE 20 OZ). Further west is a small parking garage and a 5-storey heritage building at the southwest corner of Duncan Street and Adelaide Street West at 19 Duncan Street. This heritage building is the former Southam Press Building and is listed on the City's Heritage Register. At its meeting of July 12, 2016 City Council stated its intention to designate this property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. There is also a zoning by-law amendment application under review on this site proposing a 56-storey mixed use building including the retention of the heritage building (File # 15 164825 STE 20). East: Opposite the site on the east side of Simcoe Street is the 4-storey Enwave Energy Steam Plant a surface parking lot and a 12-storey brick commercial building. Provincial Policy Statement and Provincial Plans The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) 2014 provides policy direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development. These policies support the goal of enhancing the quality of life for all Ontarians. Key policy objectives include: building strong healthy communities; wise use and management of resources; and protecting public health and safety. The PPS recognizes that local context and character is important. Policies are outcome-oriented, and some policies provide flexibility in their implementation provided that provincial interests are upheld. City Council’s planning decisions are required to be consistent with the PPS. The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe provides a framework for managing growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe including: directions for where and how to grow; the provision of infrastructure to support growth; and protecting natural systems and cultivating a culture of conservation. City Council’s planning decisions are required to conform, or not conflict, with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 5 V.03/13 Staff will review the proposed development for consistency with the PPS and for conformity with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Official Plan The site is located in the Downtown and in the King-Spadina Secondary Plan Area. The site is designated Regeneration Areas in the Official Plan. Downtown Policies As an area where growth is anticipated and encouraged, the Official Plan provides for new development in the Downtown that: builds on the strength of the area as an employment centre, provides for a range of housing opportunities and supports and enhances the speciality retail and entertainment districts. The Official Plan directs growth to the Downtown in order to achieve multiple City objectives. Among other things, it promotes the efficient use of municipal services and infrastructure, concentrates jobs and people in areas well served by transit, promotes mixed use development to increase opportunities for living close to work and to encourage walking and cycling, improves air quality and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing reliance on the private automobile all in keeping with the vision for a more liveable Greater Toronto Area. This reurbanization strategy recognizes that the level of growth will not be uniform across the Downtown given its diversity. The policies of Section 2.2.1 seek to accommodate development that builds on the strength of the Downtown as a premier employment centre in the GTA, provides for a full range of housing opportunities for workers and reduces the demand for in-bound commuting, and focuses on the Financial District as the prime location for prestige commercial office buildings and landmark buildings that shape the skyline. Public Realm and Built Form Policies The public realm policies of Section 3.1.1 of the Official Plan recognize the essential role of our streets, open spaces, parks and other key shared public assets in creating a great City. These policies aim to ensure that a high level of quality is achieved in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design in public works and private developments to ensure that the public realm is functional, beautiful, comfortable, safe and accessible. The Official Plan recognizes that most of the City’s future development will be infill and as such will need to fit in, respect and improve the character of the surrounding area. As a result, the built form policies of Section 3.1.2.2 seek to ensure that new development is located, organized and massed to fit harmoniously with the existing Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 6 V.03/13 and/or planned context and will limit its impacts on neighbouring streets, parks, open spaces and properties. Among other things this harmony is achieved by: massing new buildings to frame adjacent streets in a way that respects the existing and/or planned street proportion; creating appropriate transitions in scale to neighbouring or existing planned buildings, providing for adequate light and privacy and adequately limiting any resulting shadowing of, and uncomfortable wind conditions, on neighbouring streets and properties. Due to the larger civic responsibility and obligations associated with tall buildings, the built form policies of Section 3.1 provide additional design direction to ensure that they fit into the existing and planned context and limit local impacts. Policy 3.1.3.2 requires new tall building developments to address key urban design considerations set out in the Plan. Toronto’s Economic Health Policies To support and strengthen Toronto’s economy the growth management strategy for the City identifies areas for both growth in jobs and population. This includes the Downtown with policies aimed to create opportunities for development to accommodate diverse business ventures, to meet the changing economic conditions of the future and create a vibrant city. Official Plan Amendment (OPA) No. 231 discussed in more detail below introduced additional policies to achieve this aim. Sections 3.1.5 and 3.5.1.3 speak to a multi-faceted approach that stimulates transit- oriented office growth in the Downtown and Central Waterfront, the Centres, and promoting a balanced growth of jobs and housing across the City. Regeneration Areas Policies A broad mix of commercial, residential, light industrial, parks and open space, institutional, live/work and utility uses are permitted within Regeneration Areas to promote reinvestment and revitalization. The framework for new development within Regeneration Areas is set out in a Secondary Plan intended to promote the desired type and form of physical development for an area. The policies of Section 4.7 1 provide for the restoration, re-use and retention of existing buildings that are economically adaptable for re-use, particularly heritage building and structures in Regeneration Areas. Section 4.7.2 sets out the intent of Secondary Plans for Regeneration Areas and provides that they will guide the revitalization of the area through among other matters; - urban design guidelines related to the unique character of the area; - strategies to promote greening and community improvements; and - a heritage strategy identifying important heritage resources, conserving them and ensure new buildings are compatible with adjacent heritage resources. Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 7 V.03/13 Official Plan Amendment No. 231 Official Plan Amendment No. 231 (OPA 231), adopted by City Council on December 18, 2013, received approval by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on July 9, 2014 and, is in large part, under appeal before the Ontario Municipal Board. As an outcome of the Official Plan and Municipal Comprehensive Reviews, OPA 231 contains new economic policies and designations to stimulate office growth in the Downtown, Central Waterfront and Centres, and all other Mixed Use Areas, Regeneration Areas and Employment Areas, and also contains new policies with respect to office replacement in transit-rich areas. In particular, policy 3.5.1 (9) requires the provision of office space on any site containing 1,000 m² or more of office space, where residential development is proposed. Policy 3.5.1 (6) and (9) are both currently under appeal. The site is located within 500 metres of the University-Spadina subway line with the St. Andrew Subway Station approximately 150 metres southeast of the site. The King Street Streetcar line is approximately 100 metres south of the site and the Queen Street Streetcar line is approximately 450 metres to the north of the site. The existing building at 100 Simcoe Street contains approximately 7,000 square metres of office space. The proposal includes 17,171 square metres of office floor area representing an increase of 10,171 square metres of office floor area from the existing condition. King-Spadina Secondary Plan The site is situated in the King-Spadina Secondary Plan area. The King-Spadina Secondary Plan provides a framework for reinvestment and development, intended to encourage reinvestment for a wide range of uses in the context of a consistent built form that relates to its historic building stock and pattern of streets, lanes and parks. Major objectives of the King-Spadina Secondary Plan include: - New investment is to be attracted to the King-Spadina Area; - The King-Spadina Area will provide for a mixture of compatible land uses with the flexibility to evolve as the neighbourhood matures; - The King-Spadina Area is an important employment area. Accordingly, the retention and promotion of commercial and light industrial uses including media, design and fashion businesses within the area is a priority; - Commercial activity, including the retail service industry, which supports the changing demands of the King-Spadina Area will be provided for, to ensure the necessary services for the new residents and businesses of the area; and - Heritage buildings and other important buildings within the King-Spadina Area, will be retained, restored, and re-used. Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 8 V.03/13 The King-Spadina Secondary Plan emphasizes reinforcement of the characteristics and qualities of the area through special attention to built form and the public realm. The policies of Section 3 Built Form and in particular the policies of Section 3.6 – General Built Form Principles, specify that: - The lower levels of new buildings will be sited and organized to enhance the public nature of streets, open spaces, and pedestrian routes; - Servicing and parking are encouraged to be accessed from lanes rather than streets; - New development will be designed to minimize pedestrian/vehicular conflicts; - New buildings will be sited for adequate light, view, privacy and compatibility with the built form context; - New buildings will achieve a compatible relationship with their built form context through consideration of such matters as height, massing, scale, setbacks, stepbacks, roof line and profile and architectural character and expression; - Appropriate proportional relationships to streets and open spaces will be achieved and wind and shadow impacts will be minimized on streets and open spaces; and - Streetscape and open space improvements will be coordinated in new development. King-Spadina Secondary Plan Review King-Spadina is one of the highest growth areas in the downtown and it has a strongly influential heritage character. The in-force King-Spadina Secondary Plan emphasizes reinforcement of the area's existing characteristics and qualities through special attention to built form, heritage areas of identity, and the public realm. The Secondary Plan is currently under review and a final report on the whole Secondary Plan area is anticipated in early 2017. An estimated 50,000 people will live in King Spadina and the area will accommodate space for an estimated 50,000 jobs. The review recognizes that the Secondary Plan area has evolved from an area of employment (non-residential uses) into an area with a range of uses including residential. The updated Secondary Plan will recognize that while the area will continue to grow and change, it must do so in a way that positively contributes to liveability, is better supported by hard infrastructure and community infrastructure, and more carefully responds to the strong heritage and character of the area. The updated Secondary Plan will recognize that while the area will continue to grow and change, it must do so in a way that positively contributes to liveability, is better supported by hard infrastructure and community infrastructure, and more carefully responds to the strong heritage and character of the area. King-Spadina Heritage Conservation District Study The King-Spadina area is identified as a potential Heritage Conservation District (HCD) on Map 39 – Site and Area Specific Policy 305 in the Official Plan. The subject site is Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 9 V.03/13 within the boundary of the study area. On August 16, 2012, City Council authorized the King-Spadina HCD Study, encompassing an area generally bounded by Queen Street West to the north, Bathurst Street to the west, Wellington Street and King Street West to the south, and University Avenue to the east. The initial findings of the study were presented and endorsed at the May 23, 2014 meeting of the Toronto Preservation Board. The study process will result in the preparation of an HCD plan(s) and an HCD by-law to protect the historical and cultural significance of the study area. Details on the King-Spadina HCD study are available here: http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/heritage_districts.htm. The recommended HCD Plan was posted for review on the City's web site on October 25, 2016. It can be found at https://hcdtoronto.wordpress.com/. Zoning The site is zoned Reinvestment Area (RA) by Zoning By-law 438-86, as amended (Attachment 7). The RA Zone permits a range of residential uses, as well as commercial, institutional and limited industrial uses. As part of the RA zoning controls, density standards were replaced with built form objectives expressed through height limits and setbacks. The Zoning By-law permits a maximum building height of 30 metres for this site if a 3 metre stepback at 20 metres is provided. An additional 5 metres is permitted for rooftop mechanical elements. The site is also subject to the new City-wide comprehensive Zoning By-law 569-2013. The By-law was passed by City Council on May 5, 2013 and is subject to numerous appeals and is not yet in force. By-law 569-2013 zones the site as CRE (x74) with a maximum height of 30 metres. The purpose of the CRE (Commercial Residential Employment) Zone is to provide a range of retail, service commercial, office, residential and limited industrial uses in single use buildings and mixed use buildings. Exception 74 (x74) indicates that certain site-specific zoning by-laws will prevail on individual sites within the exception area. The site is not subject to any prevailing site- specific zoning by-laws. Site Plan Control The proposed development is subject to site plan control. A site plan control application has not been submitted. Design Review Panel The City’s Design Review Panel considers large scale development proposals within the growth areas throughout the City including within the Downtown. The application will be scheduled to be considered by the City’s Design Review Panel. Staff report for action – Preliminary Report – 100 and 130 Simcoe Street, 99 Pearl Street and 203 and 211 Adelaide Street West 10 V.03/13