Item - 2025.PB36.5

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that:

1. City Council approve the construction of a five storey rear addition on the heritage property at 36 Prince Arthur Avenue, in accordance with Section 42 of the Ontario Heritage Act, with such alterations substantially in accordance with plans and drawings prepared by Richard Wengle, dated March 24, 2025 and Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) prepared by ERA Architects Inc. dated July 16, 2025 and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, subject to the following additional conditions:

a. the Owner shall:

1. 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 36 Prince Arthur Avenue dated July 16, 2025 prepared by ERA Architects Inc. to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

2. provide a detailed Landscape Plan for the property at 36 Prince Arthur Avenue, satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and thereafter shall implement such a Plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; and

b. that prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the property at 36 Prince Arthur Avenue, including a heritage permit or a building permit, but excluding permits for repairs and maintenance and usual and minor works for the property as are acceptable to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, the owner shall:

1. provide building permit drawings, including notes and specifications for the conservation and protective measures keyed to the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.a.1 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;

2. provide building permit drawings, including notes and specifications that are keyed to the approved Landscape Plan required in Recommendation 1.a.2 above to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

3. 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; and

c. that prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 1.b.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 has been completed in accordance with the approved Conservation Plan and that an appropriate standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

Colin Pang, Heritage Planner, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation on 36 Prince Arthur Avenue - Alterations to Designated Heritage Property Under Section 42 of the Ontario Heritage Act - Approval.

This report recommends that City Council approve the alterations proposed for the property at 36 Prince Arthur Avenue under Part V, Section 42 of the Ontario Heritage Act in connection with the construction of a new five storey rear addition to provide additional office accommodation.

The subject property is located on the north side of Prince Arthur Avenue between Bedford Road and Avenue Road and contains a two and a half storey brick form building constructed circa 1891. The subject lands are part of the East Annex Heritage Conservation District (EAHCD).

The development proposal includes the retention of the main body of the existing two and a half-storey brick and stone building and removal of its rear two-storey addition to facilitate the construction of a new five-storey addition at the rear. The existing rear addition is not original.

The new five-storey addition would be two storeys higher than the ridge of the existing heritage building and would therefore not comply with the guidelines for additions in the EAHCD Plan which state that additions should be lower than the height of the existing ridge. Notwithstanding this, the EAHCD Plan recognises that substantial development in the rear yards is evident on Prince Arthur and that rear additions here should not "over-power the existing buildings and preferably should have low visibility from the street."

Staff are supportive of the proposed redevelopment of the site, given that the addition is setback behind the existing retained two and a half storey heritage building and that it would not over-power the existing heritage building. It would be set back over 14m from the front of the heritage building and would have limited visibility from the street so that the visual prominence of the heritage building within the public realm would remain.  The HIA says that the proposed new rear addition would use "compatible materials and colours" but details of these have not been included. They will be required as part of the Conservation Plan submission.

In July 2025 a minor variance application for the five-storey rear addition was approved by the Committee of Adjustment.