Item - 2025.PH26.15

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 1 to the report (October 2, 2025) from the 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 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 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of heritage attributes in Attachment 1.

The properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street contain two pairs of semi-detached house-form buildings completed between 1886 and 1888. The Late Victorian-era dwellings are located on the west side of "old" Sumach Street, a remnant one-block stub severed from the original street alignment in the 1960s to make way for the

Richmond Street Bridge from the westbound Don Valley Parkway (DVP) off-ramp at Richmond and the concurrent eastbound Adelaide Street Bridge. Both infrastructural interventions cut through the city's historic Corktown neighbourhood and demolished over 200 residences. The subject properties stand today directly alongside the parkway ramps as remnants of the area's late-19th century residential character, as well as physical evidence of the impact of mid-20th century urban renewal efforts on existing neighbourhoods. A location map and current photograph of the properties are found in Attachment 2.

The subject properties were identified as having cultural heritage value through the Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment conducted as part of the King-Parliament Secondary Plan Review (2019) and were included on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register in December 2020.

Staff have determined that the properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street have cultural heritage value and meet 4 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 2 or more of the 9 criteria.

As of July 1, 2021, Section 29(1.2) of the Ontario Heritage Act restricts City Council's ability to give notice of its intention to designate a property under the Act to within 90 days of a "Prescribed Event".

The properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street are subject to a Prescribed Event. On September 13, 2021, the City received an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject properties (21204556STE13OZ). The City Clerk sent a Notice of Complete Application on December 24, 2021. The owner provided a waiver to hold the time limit for Council to make a decision in abeyance until such time as either the Owner or the City of Toronto provides written notice to the other party (the “Notice”) that the 90 day time period will recommence with the first day of the 90 day time period being the day that is fourteen days after the date of the Notice. Neither party have reenacted the time period and have instead through dialogue co-ordinated the timing of the staff report to the Toronto Preservation Board. On July 23, 2025, the City received a resubmission of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application to facilitate a revised development proposal including partial retention and integration of the subject properties.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) authored by ERA Architects and dated November 30, 2021 was submitted in support of the active development application on the site of the subject properties. A revised HIA authored by ERA Architects and dated July 11, 2025 accompanied the revised development application submission on July 23, 2025. Both versions of the HIA conclude that the properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street have cultural heritage value with each property meeting 2 or more criteria in their evaluation under Ontario Regulation 9/06 prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. 

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

At its meeting on October 16, 2025 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB36.3 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (September 26, 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 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of heritage attributes in Attachment 1.

The properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street contain two pairs of semi-detached house-form buildings completed between 1886 and 1888. The Late Victorian-era dwellings are located on the west side of "old" Sumach Street, a remnant one-block stub severed from the original street alignment in the 1960s to make way for the Richmond Street Bridge from the westbound Don Valley Parkway (DVP) off-ramp at Richmond and the concurrent eastbound Adelaide Street Bridge that cut through the city's historic Corktown neighbourhood and destroyed over 200 residences. The subject properties stand today directly alongside the parkway ramps as fortunate survivors of the area's late-19th century residential character, as well as physical evidence of the impact of mid-20th century urban renewal efforts on existing neighbourhoods and their sense of place. A location map and current photograph of the properties are found in Attachment 2.

The subject properties were identified as having cultural heritage value through the Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment conducted as part of the King-Parliament Secondary Plan Review (2019) and were included on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register in December 2020.

Staff have determined that the properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street have cultural heritage value and meet 4 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 2 or more of the 9 criteria.

As of July 1, 2021, Section 29(1.2) of the Ontario Heritage Act restricts City Council's ability to give notice of its intention to designate a property under the Act to within 90 days of a "Prescribed Event".

The properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street are subject to a Prescribed Event. On September 13, 2021, the City received an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject properties (21204556STE13OZ). The City Clerk sent a Notice of Complete Application on December 24, 2021. The owner provided a waiver to hold the time limit for Council to make a decision in abeyance until such time as either the Owner or the City of Toronto provides written notice to the other party (the “Notice”) that the 90 day time period will recommence with the first day of the 90 day time period being the day that is fourteen days after the date of the Notice. Neither party has reenacted the time period and has instead through dialogue co-ordinated the timing of the staff report to the Toronto Preservation Board. On July 23, 2025, the City received a resubmission of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application to facilitate a revised development proposal including partial retention and integration of the subject properties.

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) authored by ERA Architects and dated November 30, 2021 was submitted in support of the active development application on the site of the subject properties. A revised HIA authored by ERA Architects and dated July 11, 2025 accompanied the revised development application submission on July 23, 2025. Both versions of the HIA conclude that the properties at 6-8 and 10-12 Sumach Street have cultural heritage value with each property meeting 2 or more criteria in their evaluation under Ontario Regulation 9/06 prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

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