STAFF REPORT ACTION REQUIRED Final Report 300 Front Street West Rezoning Application Date: April 4, 2008 To: Toronto and East York Community Council From: Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District Wards: Ward 20 – Trinity-Spadina Reference 07-193797 STE 20 OZ Number: SUMMARY This application was made on May 4, 2007 and is subject to the new provisions of the Planning Act and the City of Toronto Act, 2006. This application proposes the redevelopment of the site at 300 Front Street West, at the northwest corner of Front and John Streets, for a residential building ranging in height between 16 and 52 storeys, with commercial uses on the ground floor. A Section 37 Agreement is recommended to secure community benefits. This report reviews and recommends approval of the application to amend the Zoning By-law. RECOMMENDATIONS The City Planning Division recommends that: 1. City Council amend the Zoning By-law substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment No. 8; 2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Staff report for action – Final Report – 300 Front Street West 1 Executive Director, City Planning Division, to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required to implement the intent of this report; 3. Before introducing the necessary Bills to City Council for enactment, require the owner to enter into an Agreement pursuant to Section 37 of the Planning Act, satisfactory to the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division, and the City Solicitor, such agreement be registered on title to the lands in a manner satisfactory to the City Solicitor, to secure a financial contribution of $2,000,000 to be indexed pursuant to the Non-Residential Building Construction Price Index, to be paid prior to the first above grade building permit and to be allocated to the following public benefits and in the following order of priority: (i) the amount of $1,050,000 to be applied to: (a) improvements for the east and west sides of John Street between Front Street West and Wellington Street West, including streetscape improvements, beyond what is typically secured through site plan approval under Section 41 of the Planning Act; (b) improvements to Isabella Valancy Crawford Park to generally implement the design modifications illustrated in the attached Schedule “A”; and (c) streetscape improvements within the King-Spadina area east of Spadina Avenue; The amounts to be applied to each of 3(i)(a) and 3(i)(b) above shall be determined through the finalization of design and construction drawings, however no more than $750,000 shall be applied to John Street and other streetscape improvements and no more than $500,000 shall be applied to improvements to Isabella Valancy Crawford Park (ii) the amount of $750,000 payable to the City of Toronto, to be used for improvements to: (a) Metro Hall Park; (b) Simcoe Street Park; and/or (c) Clarence Square Park (iii) the amount of $200,000 for capital improvements to Toronto Community Housing Corporation properties in Ward 20; (iv) the provision and maintenance of public art pursuant to a public programme, to be located on publicly accessible portions of the lot, or within publicly owned or publicly accessible locations in the East Precinct of the King-Spadina Plan Area, of a value not less than one per cent of the gross construction costs of all buildings and structures to be erected on the lot; Staff report for action – Final Report – 300 Front Street West 2 (v) that 10% of the total units be 3-bedroom units and/or have knock-out panels to enable the conversion; (vi) the submission of 1:50 scale drawings for representative portions of the buildings to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning. (vii) the provision of 825 square metres of publicly accessible open space on the lot. 4. On the Zoning By-law Amendment for 300 Front Street West coming into effect, the applicant shall withdraw their appeal to Official Plan Amendment 921-2006 for the King-Spadina Plan area; and 5. City Council authorize City officials to take all necessary steps, including the execution of agreements and documents, to give effect to the above-noted recommendations. Financial Impact The recommendations in this report have no financial impact. ISSUE BACKGROUND Site History In 1996 City Council enacted Official Plan and Zoning By-law amendments for the subject site and surrounding King-Spadina area to provide for redevelopment in the area and encourage its transformation from a historical industrial manufacturing area to a mixed-use urban neighbourhood. The former owner of the subject lands appealed these amendments. Although settlement discussions occurred, the appeal was never resolved. Therefore, while the draft zoning by-law attached to this report is based on the RA zoning being in force and effect, it is recommended that the City solicitor be given authority to dispose of the appeal and/or amend this draft zoning by-law so that by the time the bill is brought forward, if Council chooses to enact it, such will reflect the intent of this report. Proposal The original application, submitted on May 4, 2007 proposed a T-shaped residential building with commercial uses on the ground floor. A 183 metre north-south building on the east limit of the site and a 39 metre east-west building at the north end of the site were proposed. A private open space area was proposed on the west side of the site. Through discussions with City staff and based on comments at the community consultation meeting, the proposal has been modified. The current proposal reorganizes the development on the site, reduces the maximum building height and modifies the built form of the tall building element through offsetting of the building length and stepping of the building height. The current application proposes the redevelopment of the site for a residential building with commercial uses at grade. The building is comprised of two distinct elements: a tall element of 48 storeys (140 metres) and 52 storeys (156 metres) centrally located on the site in a north-south orientation; and, a lower rise building that graduates in height from 1 storey (6 metres) to 16 storeys (50 metres) oriented east-west at the north end of the site. (See Attachment 1: Site Plan) Staff report for action – Final Report – 300 Front Street West 3 A publicly accessible open space area of approximately 825 square metres is proposed at the intersection of John Street and Front Street West. A total of 676 residential units are proposed. The unit breakdown is approximately 63% one- bedroom units, 35% two-bedroom units and 2% three-bedroom units with knock-out panels to be incorporated to allow the opportunity for up to 10% of the units to be three-bedroom. The total gross floor area for the project is 56,528 m2 of which 349 m2 is proposed for ground floor commercial uses. Indoor residential amenity area totalling 1,267 m2 is proposed to be located on the top floor (sixteenth floor) of the lower building element and include a fitness centre, party room and theatre. The indoor residential amenity area is to be located directly adjacent to the outdoor residential amenity area to be comprised of an outdoor patio and swimming pool. Vehicle access to the site will be from both John Street and Front Street West. A five-level underground parking garage will provide 481 parking spaces for residents, residential visitors and commercial space. The loading and servicing area for the development is to be integrated into the ground floor of the east-west oriented building. For further statistical information, refer to the Application Data Sheet found at Attachment 7 of this report. Site and Surrounding Area The site is located at the northwest corner of Front Street West and John Street on the block bounded by Front Street West to the south, John Street to the east, Wellington Street West to the north and Windsor Street to the west. The site is located at the southern edge of the King- Spadina Secondary Plan area. The total site area is 4,169m2, with frontage of approximately 65 metres on each of Front Street West and John Street. The site currently supports a surface parking lot. The site is surrounded by the following uses: North: Abutting the north limit of the site is a Toronto Hydro Transformer station. A concrete wall of approximately 2.75 metres in height encloses the station with billboard advertising above. The total height of the transformer elements is approximately 15 metres in height. South: Directly south of the site across Front Street West is Isabella Valancy Crawford Park. This park provides landscaping and seating and forms an entrance to the Rogers Stadium directly south. Southwest of the site on the south side of Front Street West is a commercial building with a building height of approximately 75 metres. Southeast of the site, on the south side of Front Street West, is the Metro Toronto Convention Centre which has building heights ranging between 9 and 70 metres. East: Across John Street is the CBC broadcast building which ranges between 50 and 70 metres in height. This building is part of the CBC block which includes, to the east of the CBC building, Simcoe Park and the WSIB building which are located along Front Street West and the Ritz Carlton hotel residence and Royal Bank office building both of which are under construction and located along Wellington Street West.