Huge flatiron-style tower would redefine major Toronto intersection

A new flatiron-shaped tower has been proposed for a major Toronto intersection, and could bring about a huge visual transformation for the predominantly low-rise area.

A 76-year-old bank branch at the corner of Weston Road and Eglinton Avenue West is the subject of a new development application from the team of Republic Developments and Silver Hotel Group.

The developers aim to partially demolish the existing bank building at 1151 Weston Road and incorporate its exterior into the base of a 46-storey condominium tower boasting a unique flatiron shape that responds to the irregular site footprint.

City of Toronto

Immediately adjacent to Mount Dennis station on the future Line 5/Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the site's unique triangular plot helped to shape the design vision from architects SvN.

City of Toronto

The tower is proposed to reach a height just shy of 153 metres. While this may not stack up to the soaring heights of projects and proposals in downtown Toronto, it's a leap above the low- and mid-rises that populate surrounding blocks.

SvN

Plans call for 512 residential units, though the tenure has not yet been specified at this stage of the proposal. The residential component would be joined by 315 square metres of retail space within a four-storey podium.

SvN

The proposal marks joins a growing list of high-density development proposals that have emerged along the course of the Crosstown during its immensely lengthy construction timeline, though it also exemplifies the transformation of the Mount Dennis neighbourhood from a working-class inner suburb to a mixed-income hub served by an urban transit network.

The site is home to a Scotiabank branch dating back to the mid-20th century, originally built in 1949 for what was then known as the Bank of Nova Scotia and later repositioned slightly to accommodate a road widening project in the 1960s. 

City of Toronto

This branch long served the working-class neighbourhood, where the adjacent LRT station was once home to a massive Kodak plant, and many workers would visit this location to deposit their wages after a hard week at the factory.

City of Toronto

With the plant long vacated and an LRT station and maintenance facility soon to open in its place, land values have skyrocketed, turning this prominent but awkward wedge-shaped plot of land into a prime redevelopment opportunity for the current owners.