Item - 2023.TE6.31

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council consent to the application to alter the designated property 64 Wellesley Street East, with conditions, under Part IV, Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act for the reasons stated in the report (May 5, 2023) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and with such alterations substantially in accordance with the plans and drawings dated April 5, 2023, prepared by Graziani & Corazza Architects Inc. and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated November 4, 2021, revised April 5, 2023 and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, all subject to and in accordance with the Conservation Plan satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and subject to the following conditions:

a. the related site-specific Official Plan Amendment and 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;

b. prior to the introduction of the Bills for such Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment by City Council, the owner shall:

1. enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the property at 64 Wellesley Street East substantially in accordance with the plans and drawings dated April 5, 2023, prepared by Graziani & Corazza Architects Inc. and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated November 4, 2021, revised April 5, 2023, subject to and in accordance with the Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.b.2. below, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, including execution of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor; and

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 for the property at 64 Wellesley Street East prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated November 4, 2021, revised April 5, 2023, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

c. prior to Site Plan approval for the proposed Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment for the property located at 64 Wellesley Street East, the subject owner shall:

1. provide final Site Plan drawings substantially in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.b.2. above to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage 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 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; and

4. 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;

d. prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the property at 64 Wellesley Street East, 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. have entered into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City required in Recommendation 1.b.1. above;

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. above, 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;

3. provide a Letter of Credit, including provision for upward 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, Heritage Lighting Plan and Interpretation Plan; and

4. provide full documentation of the existing World Pride murals, 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 USB flash drive 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; and

e. prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 1.d.3. above, 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, Heritage Lighting Plan and Interpretation Plan and that an appropriate standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; and

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 the property at 64 Wellesley Street East 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 City Council authorizing the entering into of a Heritage Easement Agreement for the property at 64 Wellesley Street East.

This report recommends that City Council approve the alterations proposed for the heritage property at 64 Wellesley Street East (designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act) in connection with the development of the subject site.

The development site at 64 Wellesley Street East contains the Wellesley Apartments, a five-storey, multi-unit residential apartment building. It was designed by architect James Ernest Harris Paisley, and built in 1931 for apartment developer Grover C. Murdoch. The property is associated with the pre-World War II apartment building type, its design is a representative example of the Georgian Revival style, and it supports the context of the Church-Wellesley Village, which is characterized by a high-concentration of pre-war apartment buildings. The property at 64 Wellesley Street East is designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and has design and physical, historical and associative, and contextual values.

The development application proposes a 31-storey plus mechanical penthouse mixed-use building, the retention of a portion of the existing Wellesley Apartments building and the demolition of the remaining buildings on the site at 64-66 Wellesley Street East and 552-570 Church Street. The retained portion of the heritage building is proposed to be restored with minor modifications to the ground floor openings to support barrier-free access. The existing World Pride Murals on the buildings at 66 Wellesley Street East and 552-554 Church Street will be lost through the proposed for demolition but the murals will be commemorated through documentation and an interpretation strategy.

The proposed alterations conserve the heritage property and are consistent with the existing policy framework. The heritage impacts of the development proposal are appropriately mitigated through the overall conservation strategy.

At its meeting on May 23, 2023, the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB6.6 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (May 5, 2023) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council approve the alterations proposed for the heritage property at 64 Wellesley Street East (designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act) in connection with the development of the subject site.

The development site at 64 Wellesley Street East contains the Wellesley Apartments, a five-storey, multi-unit residential apartment building. It was designed by architect James Ernest Harris Paisley, and built in 1931 for apartment developer Grover C. Murdoch. The property is associated with the pre-World War II apartment building type, its design is a representative example of the Georgian Revival style, and it supports the context of the Church-Wellesley Village, which is characterized by a high-concentration of pre-war apartment buildings. The property at 64 Wellesley Street East is designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and has design and physical, historical and associative, and contextual values.

The development application proposes a 31-storey plus mechanical penthouse mixed-use building, the retention of a portion of the existing Wellesley Apartments building and the demolition of the remaining buildings on the site at 64-66 Wellesley Street East and 552-570 Church Street. The retained portion of the heritage building is proposed to be restored with minor modifications to the ground floor openings to support barrier-free access. The existing World Pride Murals on the buildings at 66 Wellesley Street East and 552-554 Church Street will be lost through the proposed for demolition but the murals will be commemorated through documentation and an interpretation strategy.

The proposed alterations conserve the heritage property and are consistent with the existing policy framework. The heritage impacts of the development proposal are appropriately mitigated through the overall conservation strategy.