Item - 2025.PH24.12

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 506 Jarvis Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 506 Jarvis Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 1 to the report (August 22, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director.

2. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 510 Jarvis Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 510 Jarvis Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 2 to the report (August 22, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director.

3. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 512 Jarvis Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 512 Jarvis Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 3 to the report (August 22, 2025) from the Chief Planner and Executive Director.

4. If there are no objections to the designations, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bills in Council designating each of the properties under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the properties at 506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value according to the Statements of Significance, which include a description of heritage attributes for each property, found in Attachments 1, 2 and 3 of this report.

The subject properties at 506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street are located on the west side of Jarvis Street, in between Gloucester Street to the north and Cawthra Square to the south, in the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood. Location maps and current photographs of the heritage properties are found in Attachment 4.

The properties contain three abutting detached house form buildings. 506 Jarvis Street was constructed circa 1889 and designed by the architectural partnership of Langley and Burke in the Annex architectural style. Langley and Burke were one of Toronto's most prolific and sought-after architectural practices for designing ecclesiastical, government, and private residential projects between 1883 and 1892. The Annex architectural style was popular in Toronto from the 1880s up to 1900 and combined design elements of the Romanesque and the Queen Anne styles. The property at 506 Jarvis Street has a direct association with the United Church of Canada that used the property as a home for retired United Church missionaries. The properties at 510 Jarvis Street and 512 Jarvis Street were constructed circa 1888 and 1890, respectively, and are both representative of the Annex architectural style as well. 

Together, each property contributes to maintaining and supporting the character of the Upper Jarvis neighbourhood and the Cawthra Square - Jarvis Street - Gloucester Street block frontage, which is comprised of a collection of 19th century house form buildings that reflect the evolution of Upper Jarvis from a subdivision of private homes located on a landscaped avenue to a high-density residential and institutional arterial corridor within downtown Toronto.

All three subject properties were listed on the City's Heritage Register on June 20, 1973.

506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street have been identified as candidates for designation through the City's implementation of Bill 23 amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act and the strategy for Listed Properties that must be either designated or removed from the Register by January 1, 2027.

Part of the strategy for the review of the Listed Properties on the Heritage Register includes the procurement of qualified heritage consultants to research, evaluate, and prepare heritage evaluation reports for a subset of Listed Properties prioritized for designation. For the purpose of this report, the City Planning Division retained Alex Corey Heritage Consulting (the Consultant) to research and evaluate a collection of 15 Listed house-form buildings fronting onto Jarvis Street (see 'Jarvis Street Heritage Evaluations' map in Attachment 4) and if one or more properties met the provincial criteria for individual designation under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to then prepare heritage evaluation reports and recommendations for such properties as appropriate. The Consultant evaluated the properties subject of this report and determined that they meet or exceed the provincial criteria.

The Consultant's research of the subject properties is contained in Attachment 5 of this report. The research, analysis, and evaluations within Attachment 5 reflect the Consultant's professional expertise and opinions. Staff have reviewed the Consultant's research and heritage evaluations and concur with the Consultant's determination that the properties at 506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street have cultural heritage value and each meet two or more of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. 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.

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

At its meeting on July 18, 2025 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB34.3 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (July 3, 2025) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

 
This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the properties at 506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value according to the Statements of Significance, which include a description of heritage attributes for each property, found in Attachments 1, 2 and 3 of this report.

The subject properties at 506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street are located on the west side of Jarvis Street, in between Gloucester Street to the north and Cawthra Square to the south, in the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood. Location maps and current photographs of the heritage properties are found in Attachment 4.

The properties contain three abutting detached house form buildings. 506 Jarvis Street was constructed circa 1889 and designed by the architectural partnership of Langley & Burke in the Annex architectural style. Langley & Burke were one of Toronto's most prolific and sought-after architectural practices for designing ecclesiastical, government, and private residential projects between 1883 and 1892. The Annex architectural style was popular in Toronto from the 1880s up to 1900 and combined design elements of the Romanesque Revival and the Queen Anne Revival styles. The property at 506 Jarvis Street has a direct association with the United Church of Canada that used the property as a home for retired United Church missionaries. The properties at 510 Jarvis Street and 512 Jarvis Street were constructed circa 1888 and 1890, respectively, and are both representative of the Annex architectural style as well. 

Together, each property contributes to maintaining and supporting the character of the Upper Jarvis neighbourhood and the Cawthra Square - Jarvis Street - Gloucester Street block frontage, which is comprised of a collection of 19th century house form buildings that reflect the evolution of Upper Jarvis from a subdivision of private homes located on a landscaped avenue to a high-density residential and institutional arterial corridor within downtown Toronto. All three subject properties were listed on the City's Heritage Register on June 20, 1973.

506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street have been identified as candidates for designation through the City's implementation of Bill 23 amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act and the strategy for Listed Properties that must be either designated or removed from the Register by January 1, 2027.

Part of the strategy for the review of the Listed Properties on the Heritage Register includes the procurement of qualified heritage consultants to research, evaluate, and prepare heritage evaluation reports for a subset of Listed Properties prioritized for designation. For the purpose of this report, the City Planning Division retained Alex Corey Heritage Consulting (the Consultant) to research and evaluate a collection of 15 Listed house-form buildings fronting onto Jarvis Street (see 'Jarvis Street Heritage Evaluations' map in Attachment 4) and if one or more properties met the provincial criteria for individual designation under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to then prepare heritage evaluation reports and recommendations for such properties as appropriate. The Consultant evaluated the properties subject of this report and determined that they meet or exceed the provincial criteria.

The Consultant's research of the subject properties is contained in Attachment 5 of this report. The research, analysis, and evaluations within Attachment 5 reflect the Consultant's professional expertise and opinions. Staff have reviewed the Consultant's research and heritage evaluations and concur with the Consultant's determination that the properties at 506, 510, and 512 Jarvis Street have cultural heritage value and each meet two or more of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. 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.

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