Item - 2024.PH10.7

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance; 80-86 Lynn Williams Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 3 to the report (February 8, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. If there are no objections to the designation, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council designating the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street - the A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse), under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 3.

The property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street is located in the Liberty Village neighbourhood, on the north side of Lynn Williams Street, mid-block between Hanna Avenue and Western Battery Road.

The property contains a 59-metre-long, brick warehouse building with a two-storey central mass flanked by one-storey wings constructed in 1928-29. The warehouse was constructed for the A. R. Williams Machinery Company which used the building as a warehouse and likely for manufacturing purposes until c.1946. By 1943 the west wing was being used by other companies as a welding shop and by 1948 the property had become the Liberty Storage Warehouse and operated in this capacity into the 1960s.

In 2005, the south half of the central portion of the warehouse was renovated for office use. The north half of the warehouse is currently vacant.

The A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse property, sometimes referred to as  the Liberty Storage Warehouse,  was listed on Toronto's Heritage Register on February 2, 2006. 

Staff have undertaken research and evaluation and determined that the property at

80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its  design / physical, historical / associative and contextual value. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria. The property is deemed to meet five of the nine criteria.

On October 18, 2023, the City received a zoning by-law amendment application to permit the development on site for a 43-storey mixed use building containing 588 dwelling units and retail at grade. The development proposes the retention of the south half of the warehouse at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street. The application includes the demolition and redevelopment of the north half of the warehouse. As of the date of this report, the Zoning By-law Amendment application has not been deemed complete.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and will be considered when determining how a heritage property is to be conserved. A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report for the property was prepared by E.R.A. Architecture, dated October 2, 2023.

Designation also enables City Council to review proposed alterations or demolitions to the property and enforce heritage property standards and maintenance.

At its meeting on February 15, 2024 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB14.1 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (January 29, 2024) from the Acting Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property

at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of Heritage Attributes found in Attachment 3.

The property at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street (including the structure address of 130 East Liberty Street) - the A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse - is located in the Liberty Village neighbourhood, on the north side of Lynn Williams Street, mid-block between Hanna Avenue and Western Battery Road.

The property contains a 59-metre-long, brick warehouse building with a two-storey central mass flanked by one-storey wings constructed in 1928-29. The warehouse was constructed for the A. R. Williams Machinery Company which used the building as a warehouse and likely for manufacturing purposes until c.1946. By 1943 the west wing was being used by other companies as a welding shop and by 1948 the property had become the Liberty Storage Warehouse and operated in this capacity into the 1960s. In 2005, the south half of the central portion of the warehouse was renovated for office use. The north half of the warehouse is currently vacant.

The A. R. Williams Machinery Company Warehouse property, sometimes referred to as  the Liberty Storage Warehouse,  was listed on Toronto's Heritage Register on February 2, 2006.

Staff have undertaken research and evaluation and determined that the property at

80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its design / physical, historical / associative and contextual value. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria. The property is deemed to meet five of the nine criteria.

On October 18, 2023, the City received a zoning by-law amendment application to permit the development on site for a 43-storey mixed use building containing 588 dwelling units and retail at grade. The development proposes the retention of the south half of the warehouse at 80 - 86 Lynn Williams Street. The application includes the demolition and redevelopment of the north half of the warehouse. As of the date of this report, the Zoning By-law Amendment application has not been deemed complete.

A Heritage Impact Assessment is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and will be considered when determining how a heritage property is to be conserved. A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report for the property was prepared by E.R.A. Architecture, dated October 2, 2023.

Designation also enables City Council to review proposed alterations or demolitions to the property and enforce heritage property standards and maintenance.