Toronto tower in the works for nearly a decade just keeps changing plans

A Toronto redevelopment scheme dating back to 2017 has been having an almost decade-long identity crisis, changing up plans seemingly every few years and coming no closer to shovels in the ground.

However, the ever-changing and still-unbuilt proposal in the Church and Wellesley Village neighbourhood may have finally reached a turning point, as a new developer has stepped in to take the helm, and has submitted a revised plan for the site at 64-66 Wellesley St. E. and 552-570 Church St.

When first proposed in 2017, the vision for the northwest corner of Church and Wellesley called for a flashy design from Danish architects 3XN. However, like many bold proposals of this era, it was ultimately watered down by previous developer ONE Properties in a series of increasingly bland iterations.

Now in the hands of MOD Developments, the project has once again been revised with a new scheme that reintroduces some of the visual boldness that was lost in previous plans.

The planned 36-storey tower features a design by Diamond Schmitt Architects — a firm that has achieved notoriety in recent years for its controversial involvement in designing the Therme megaspa planned to replace a large swathe of Ontario Place.

Previously planned under condominium tenure by the now-replaced developer, the latest plan responds to changing market conditions and the cratering of the local condo market, instead revising the units to purpose-built rentals.  

The current plan builds on earlier approvals granted in 2023, including increased height, now seeking 36 storeys and 120.56 metres, a fair leap over the 31-storey, 104.5 metre allowance granted a few years earlier. Other increases include overall gross floor area and added ground-floor retail space, increasing the commercial frontage from 770 to 870 square metres.

A total of 431 rental units are proposed in the building, an increase of 26 units over the 2023-approved plan. 

The unit breakdown includes 366 market-rate units and an additional 65 apartments to replace existing units that would be lost to redevelopment, in accordance with the City's rental housing demolition policy.

While it would address demand for rental housing, the project could also result in over 100 vehicles being added to gridlocked downtown streets. The proposal calls for an underground parking garage housing 107 vehicular parking spaces, along with 432 bicycle parking spaces.