Buildings in Toronto's Kensington Market could be torn down for new hotel

A new boutique hotel could soon transform the historic vibe of Toronto's Kensington Market neighbourhood. 

Recent plans filed with the City seek to redevelop a site on Augusta Avenue with a new six-storey boutique hotel featuring a distinctive design by Joel Gerber Architect.

The proposal is planned to replace the properties at 309-311 Augusta Avenue, a site currently home to a pair of one-storey buildings, including a laundromat and the former home of Bikes on Wheels, which sits vacant as of 2026.

If approved, the application would pave the way for the construction of a six-storey mixed-use boutique hotel containing 43 guest rooms, as well as a multi-level dining establishment to help weave the new density in with the surrounding vibrant streetscapes.

The hotel's signature visual feature would be a vibrant yellow crown playfully mimicking house-form rooflines.

One key factor shaping the hotel's design is its location within the historic Kensington Market Heritage Conservation District, which adds another legal level of protection for the neighbourhood by requiring additional approvals to demolish or alter buildings that make up the area's unique urban fabric.

Planning documents note that the building has been designed to preserve the existing streetscape to conform with the area's requirements, with the first three floors to be built out to the existing buildings' facades along Augusta Avenue, with the levels above to be set back from the street — maintaining a low-rise neighbourhood feel for pedestrians.

A proposed fully licensed restaurant at street level could actually offer improved animation over what exists today. The planned multi-floor restaurant would feature a main kitchen on the ground floor, with dining areas spread across the basement, ground and 6th floor, all equipped with satellite kitchens and support spaces.

Additional retail space is also planned on the ground floor, which would either be used as an extension to the cafe or to provide added guest services for the hotel.

In a report prepared by the project team to justify the redevelopment to planners, the team explains that "The development aims to revitalize the site by intensifying the land use, replacing existing one-storey commercial buildings with a mid-rise structure that contributes to the vibrant, pedestrian-oriented character of Kensington Market."

Do you think this new hotel proposal would fit into the Kensington Market area? Let us know in the comments.