Item - 2023.PB8.9

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that:

1. City Council consent to the application to alter the designated heritage property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road under Part IV, Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, for the reasons stated in the report, dated June 23, 2023, from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, with such alterations to be substantially in accordance with the plans and drawings dated January 30, 2023, prepared by Hariri Pontarini Architects and NORR Architects and Engineering Ltd. and the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated November 2, 2022, revised January 30, 2023, with an addendum dated June 15, 2023 on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, all subject to and in accordance with an approved Conservation Plan and drawings satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and the following conditions:

a. That prior to final Site Plan approval for the property located at 551 Mount Pleasant Road, 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.

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

3. Provide a detailed Landscape Plan for the subject property, satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

4. Submit a Signage Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

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

b. That prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road, 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, the owner shall:

1. Provide evidence of conformity with the City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

2. Provide a Conservation Plan, prepared by a qualified heritage consultant substantially in accordance with the conservation strategy set out in approved Heritage Impact Assessment for 551 Mount Pleasant Road prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated November 2, 2022, revised January 30, 2023, with an addendum dated June 15, 2023, with the following revisions to be incorporated to the conservation strategy and related drawings, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning as follows:

i. Conserve the ‘teardrop’ forms on the extant stone capitals at the north and south edges of the building’s principal façade.

ii. Conserve the original plaster ceiling with details of the sun, stars, flowers, and astrological symbols through recasting of the ceiling in a prominent location on the interior of the theatre.

3. Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan and revised drawings required in Recommendation 1.b.2, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning including registration of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.

4. 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.

5. 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, to secure all work included in the approved Conservation Plan.

6. Provide full documentation of the existing heritage property, including two (2) printed sets of archival quality 8” x 10” colour photographs with borders in a glossy or semi-gloss finish and one (1) digital set on a CD 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.

c. That prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation

1.b.5, the owner shall:

1. Provide a letter of substantial completion prepared and signed by a qualified heritage consultant confirming that the required conservation work, exterior lighting and signage and the required interpretive work has been completed in accordance with the approved Conservation, Lighting, Signage and Interpretation Plans, and that an appropriate standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

2. Provide replacement Heritage Easement Agreement photographs to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage 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 551 Mount Pleasant Road 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 551 Mount Pleasant Road.

Michael Seaman, Planner, Heritage Preservation, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation on 551 Mount Pleasant Road (Regent Theatre) - Alterations to a Heritage Property and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement.

This report recommends that City Council approve the alterations proposed for the heritage property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road (including the active entrances at 549, 553 and 555 Mount Pleasant Road) under Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act in connection with a Site Plan application on the subject property, and that Council grant authority to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement.

The property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road contains a three-storey theatre constructed in 1927. The property is designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation, under all three categories of design and physical, historical and associative and contextual values. The building was added to the City of Toronto's Heritage Register by City Council on May 28, 1984 and recommended for designation by City Council on September 28, 2022.

The proposed Site Plan Control and Heritage Permit applications include the retention of the western (primary) elevation of the theatre along Mount Pleasant Road, conserving the building's two-storey massing and Edwardian Classical three-bay façade. To accommodate a new live theatre space, the existing third storey is proposed to be expanded with a contemporary addition that steps back from and projects above the principal elevation. The building will extend toward the rear property line on Hadley Road, creating a rehearsal / community space, back of house facilities, a mechanical room, an electrical room and a loading zone.

A Heritage Impact Assessment describing proposed conservation and mitigation measures designed to reduce the impact of the proposed addition was prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated November 2, 2022, revised January 30, 2023. On June 15, 2023, the applicant prepared an addendum to the Heritage Impact Assessment which confirms the treatment of the subject property's heritage attributes.

The proposed development also requires approval from the Committee of Adjustment to permit the expansion of a legal non-conforming use as a theatre / entertainment / place of assembly use is not permitted in the Residential zone that applies to the east half of the site, and to permit variances from the Commercial Retail zoning standards that apply on the west half of the site. On May 25, 2023, application A0195/23NY was heard by the Committee of Adjustment, North York Panel. The application was deferred by the Panel. The application was considered by the Committee of Adjustment, North York Panel, on June 22, 2023, and was again deferred.