Item - 2024.PH11.13

The Planning and Housing Committee forwards the item to City Council without recommendation.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue 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.

Located on the south side of Danforth Avenue, east of Byron Avenue and west of Greenwood Avenue, the subject property at 1111 Danforth Avenue contains a two-storey buff brick building raised on a basement that was constructed in 1931 in the Neo-Gothic architectural style. The building was reconfigured from an unfinished apartment building to a funeral home when it was purchased by Lorne Willard Trull who engaged architect William Breden Galbraith (1885-1937) to redesign it for the Trull Funeral Home. In operation for over 100 years, the Trull Burial Company is one of the longest operating businesses on Danforth Avenue. The subject property is also associated with architect, William B. Galbraith, a prolific designer of substantial private houses located in the neighbourhoods of Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, Moore Park and Rosedale.

The subject property was listed on the Heritage Register in July 2022 as a result of the Danforth Avenue (Segment 2) Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment undertaken by City staff in 2021.

Following further research and evaluation, staff have determined that the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act under design/physical, historical/associative, and contextual vales. 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 City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application in February 2022, and a Site Plan Application in March 2022 related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject property which also includes the property at 1095 Danforth Avenue. The City Clerk issued a complete application notice for the Zoning By-law Amendment application on March 15, 2022, and on May 12, 2022, for the Site Plan application. The proposed development would partially retain and integrate the existing listed building at 1111 Danforth Avenue into the new construction of a nine (9)-storey (plus mechanical) mid-rise building with commercial uses at-grade and residential rental units above. The existing building at 1095 Danforth Avenue would be demolished.

The City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application resubmission on January 31, 2023, and a Site Plan Application resubmission On February 1, 2023.

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. An Heritage Impact Assessment and a Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) completed by ERA Architects Inc. dated February 11, 2022, and revised December 9, 2022, were submitted to support the applications.

The applicant has provided a waiver with no expiry date to extend the 90-day timeline established under Bill 108 to designate the subject property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

At its meeting on January 18, 2024 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB13.3 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (January 2, 2024) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue 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.

Located on the south side of Danforth Avenue, east of Byron Avenue and west of Greenwood Avenue, the subject property at 1111 Danforth Avenue contains a two-storey buff brick building raised on a basement that was constructed in 1931 in the Neo-Gothic architectural style. The building was reconfigured from an unfinished apartment building to a funeral home when it was purchased by Lorne Willard Trull who engaged architect William Breden Galbraith (1885-1937) to redesign it for the Trull Funeral Home. In operation for over 100-years, the Trull Burial Company is one of the longest operating businesses on Danforth Avenue. The subject property is also associated with architect, William B. Galbraith, a prolific designer of substantial private houses located in the neighbourhoods of Forest Hill, Lawrence Park, Moore Park and Rosedale.

The subject property was listed on the Heritage Register in July 2022 as a result of the Danforth Avenue (Segment 2) Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment that was undertaken by City staff in 2021.

Following further research and evaluation, staff have determined that the property at 1111 Danforth Avenue meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act under design / physical, historical / associative, and contextual vales. 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 City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application in February 2022, and a Site Plan Application in March 2022 related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject property. The City Clerk issued a complete application notice for the Zoning By-law Amendment application on March 15, 2022, and on May 12, 2022, for the Site Plan application. The proposed development includes the properties at 1095 and 1111 Danforth Avenue. The proposed development would partially retain and integrate the existing listed building at 1111 Danforth Avenue into the new construction of a nine (9)-storey (plus mechanical) mid-rise building with commercial uses at-grade and residential rental units above. The existing building at 1095 Danforth Avenue would be demolished.

The City received a Zoning By-law Amendment Application resubmission on January 31, 2023, and a Site Plan Application resubmission On February 1, 2023.

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. An Heritage Impact Assessment and a Cultural Heritage Evaluation

Report (CHER) completed by ERA Architects Inc. dated February 11, 2022, and revised December 9, 2022, were submitted to support the applications.

The applicant has provided a waiver with no expiry date to extend the 90-day timeline established under Bill 108 to designate the subject property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.