Item - 2022.PB36.2

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that:

1. City Council approve the alterations to the designated property at 4946 Dundas Street West, in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, for the construction of a new nine-storey mixed-use building with the alterations to the designated property consistent with the plans and drawings dated March 31, 2022, prepared by Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. and the Heritage Impact Assessment dated March, 2022 prepared by EVOQ Architecture, all subject to and in accordance with a Conservation Plan satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning and subject to the following conditions:

a. That the related site-specific Zoning By-law Amendment permitting the proposed alterations has been enacted by City Council and has come into full force and effect in a form and with content acceptable to City Council, as determined by the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

b. That the owner shall:

1. Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the property at 4946 Dundas Street West in accordance with the plans and drawings dated March 31, 2022, prepared by Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc. and the Heritage Impact Assessment dated March, 2022 prepared by EVOQ Architecture, subject to and in accordance with approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.b.2, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning including execution of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.

2. Provide a detailed Conservation Plan, prepared by a qualified heritage consultant that is substantially in accordance with the conservation strategy set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment 4946 Dundas Street West prepared by EVOQ Architecture and dated March, 2022, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. Recommendation b.1. and 2. above are required to be satisfied prior to the introduction of the bill for any Zoning By-law Amendment related to the property, unless other legal mechanisms are utilized so as to satisfy the City Solicitor that no Building Permit will be issued until such time as the Owner has entered into the Heritage Easement Agreement and registered the agreement on title.  In any case, the Conservation Plan must be accepted and the Heritage Easement Agreement must be entered into and registered no later than December 9, 2022, or such later date as may be agreed by the owner and the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning in writing, failing which this condition will be determined to be unfulfilled.

c. That prior to final Site Plan approval for the proposal, for the property located at 4946 Dundas Street West, the owner shall:

1. Provide final Site Plan drawings substantially in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.b.2 to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. Provide a Heritage Lighting Plan that describes how the exterior of the heritage property will be sensitively illuminated to enhance its heritage character to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. Provide an Interpretation Plan for the subject property, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning and thereafter shall implement such Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

4. Provide a detailed Landscape Plan for the subject property, satisfactory to theSenior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

d. That prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the property at 4946 Dundas Street West, including a heritage permit or a building permit, but excluding permits for repairs and maintenance and usual and minor works for the existing heritage building as are acceptable to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, the owner shall:

1. Have entered into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City required in Recommendation 1.b.1.

2. Provide building permit drawings, including notes and specifications for the conservation and protective measures keyed to the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.b.2, including a description of materials and finishes, to be prepared by the project architect and a qualified heritage consultant to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

3. Provide a Letter of Credit, including provision for upwards indexing, in a form and amount and from a bank satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning, to secure all work included in the approved Conservation Plan, Lighting Plan and Interpretation Plan.

4. Provide full documentation of the existing heritage property, including two (2) printed sets of archival quality 20.32 cm X 25.4 cm (8” x 10”) colour photographs with borders in a glossy or semi-gloss finish and one (1) digital set on a USB in tiff format and 600 dpi resolution keyed to a location map, elevations and measured drawings, and copies of all existing interior floor plans and original drawings as may be available, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

e. That prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 1.d.3, the owner shall:

1. Provide a letter of substantial completion prepared and signed by a qualified heritage consultant confirming that the required conservation work and the required interpretive work has been completed in accordance with the Conservation Plan and Interpretation Plan and that an appropriate standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning.

2. City Council authorize the entering into of a Heritage Easement Agreement under Section 37 of the Ontario Heritage Act with the owner of 4946 Dundas Street West in a form and content satisfactory to the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary Bill in Council authorizing the entering into of a heritage easement agreement for the property at 4946 Dundas Street West.

Dan DeMoissac, Planner, Heritage Preservation, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation on Alterations to a Heritage Property and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement - 4946 Dundas Street West.

This report recommends that City Council approve the alterations proposed for the property at 4946 Dundas Street West (designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act) in connection with the proposed redevelopment of the site. This report also recommends that City Council grant authority to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement for the property.

The subject property is located at the northwest corner of Dundas Street West and Burnhamthorpe Road. The property was formerly the Islington Methodist Church built in the mid-19th century, and was later the first Etobicoke Township Hall. The building is composed of three parts. In the front, a 1946 Georgian Revival addition facing Dundas Street West, a central segment comprising the original Methodist Church that was built in 1843 (reclad in 1888), and to the rear behind is another addition built in 1946. The complex was designated 1979 for its significance as a historical landmark as the first municipal hall for the Township of Etobicoke, for its contextual value within the streetscape, and for its architectural design value.

In conjunction with a Zoning Amendment Application (File No. 19 264443 WET 03 OZ) and Site Plan Application (22 139883 WET 03 SA), the development proposes a 9-storey building on the properties located at 4916-4946 Dundas Street West and 4-16 Burnhamthorpe Road in order to create 199 seniors residence rental suites, including 29 memory care suites, 90 assisted living suites, 80 independent living suites, and retail at grade. The former Etobicoke Township Hall building will be incorporated into this development and used for restaurant purposes on the ground floor with private dining and amenity space on the upper floor.

The proposal involves the demolition of the rear 1940s addition to the heritage building along with a 1980s complex of retail buildings which connected to its east wall. The Georgian Revival front addition from the 1940s will be retained and restored while the central Methodist Church segment of the building from the 1840s will be retained and restored with the exception of a portion of the east wall that is being removed to create a two-storey connection to the new development.