Item - 2023.TE8.10

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council consent to the application to alter the designated property 137 Bond Street, with conditions, under Part IV, Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act and with such alterations substantially in accordance with the plans and drawings dated July 31, 2023, prepared by Hariri Pontarini Architects and the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by EVOQ Architecture, dated August 22, 2023, both 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. prior to final Site Plan Approval the owner shall:

1. provide a detailed Conservation Plan, prepared by a qualified heritage consultant that is consistent with the conservation strategy set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment for 137 Bond Street prepared by EVOQ Architecture, dated August 22, 2023, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

2. enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the property at 137 Bond Street substantially in accordance with the plans and drawings dated July 31, 2023, prepared by Hariri Pontarini Architects and the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by EVOQ Architecture, dated August 22, 2023, both on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and subject to and in accordance with the Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.a.1. above, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning including execution of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor;

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

4. 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;

5. provide a detailed Landscape Plan for the subject property, satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; and

6. 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. prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the property at 137 Bond Street, 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.a.2. above;

2. provide a detailed Conservation Plan, prepared by a qualified heritage consultant that is consistent with the conservation strategy set out in the Heritage Impact Assessment for 137 Bond Street prepared by EVOQ Architecture, dated August 22, 2023, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

3. provide building permit drawings, including notes and specifications for the conservation and protective measures keyed to the approved Conservation Plan, 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; and

4. 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

c. prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 1.b.4. 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 137 Bond Street 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 137 Bond Street.

This report recommends that City Council approve the alterations proposed for the heritage property at 137 Bond Street (designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act) in connection with the development of the subject site.

The property at 137 Bond Street is in Toronto's Downtown Yonge East neighbourhood on the east side of Bond Street, prominently situated on the southeast corner of Bond Street and Gould Street. It contains a three-storey, multi-unit residential detached house form that dates to 1855. Throughout the 1880s, a series of alterations to the building resulted in its current Queen Anne architectural style. The building was originally constructed as a single-unit residence for William Mathers, and it underwent a series of interior alterations to accommodate intermittent periods of commercial use. Since 1963 the property, known as O'Keefe House, has been owned by Toronto Metropolitan University and operated as a student residence (1964-2018) that supported the student community of the surrounding, institutional neighbourhood. The subject property is designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and has design and physical, historical and associative, and contextual values.

The proposed development involves the construction of an eight-storey building on the southern portion of the site to serve as the Toronto Metropolitan University's Student Centre for Wellbeing with the integration of the rehabilitated heritage resource. The selective removal of the house's south elevation and alterations to its other elevations is proposed.  While some interior floors and walls will be removed, most the heritage building's exterior walls and roof are proposed to be retained in situ.

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 October 10, 2023 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB10.4 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (September 18, 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 137 Bond Street (designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act) in connection with the development of the subject site.

The property at 137 Bond Street is in Toronto's Downtown Yonge East neighbourhood on the east side of Bond Street, prominently situated on the southeast corner of Bond Street and Gould Street. It contains a three-storey, multi-unit residential detached house form that dates to 1855. Throughout the 1880s, a series of alterations to the building resulted in its current Queen Anne architectural style. The building was originally constructed as a single-unit residence for William Mathers, and it underwent a series of interior alterations to accommodate intermittent periods of commercial use. Since 1963 the property, known as O'Keefe House, has been owned by Toronto Metropolitan University and operated as a student residence (1964-2018) that supported the student community of the surrounding, institutional neighbourhood. The subject property is designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and has design and physical, historical and associative, and contextual values.

The proposed development involves the construction of an eight-storey building on the southern portion of the site to serve as the Toronto Metropolitan University's Student Centre for Wellbeing with the integration of the rehabilitated heritage resource. The selective removal of the house's south elevation and alterations to its other elevations is proposed.  While some interior floors and walls will be removed, most the heritage building's exterior walls and roof are proposed to be retained in situ.

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.