Item - 2026.PB40.10

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that:

1. City Council approve the alterations to the heritage property at 56 Yonge Street, in accordance with Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to allow for the construction of a 65-storey mixed use building, with such alterations substantially in accordance with plans and drawings dated October 3, 2025, prepared by architects AS + GG Canada, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, and the Heritage Impact Assessment, prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated October 23, 2025, all subject to and in accordance with the Conservation Plan satisfactory to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, and subject to the conditions as set out below:

a. that the related site-specific Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment bringing about the proposed alterations have been enacted by City Council and have come into full force and effect in a form and with content acceptable to City Council, as determined by the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

b. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to amend the existing Heritage Easement Agreement, fully executed on November 26, 2019, and on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; and

c. prior to the issuance of any permit for all or any part of the property at 56 Yonge Street, including a heritage permit or a building permit, but excluding permits for repairs and maintenance and usual and minor works for the existing heritage building as are acceptable to the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, the owner shall:

1. enter into an Amended Heritage Easement Agreement with the City for the property at 56 Yonge Street, substantially in accordance with the plans and drawings dated October 3, 2025 prepared by AS + GG Canada and the Heritage Impact Assessment prepared by ERA Architects Inc., dated October 23, 2025, all on file with the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, subject to and in accordance with the Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.c.2 below, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, including execution and registration of such agreement to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor;

2. 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 the property at 56 Yonge Street to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

 3. have obtained final approval for the necessary Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendments, and such Amendments to have come into full force and effect;

4. provide a Heritage Lighting Plan that describes how the exterior of the heritage property will be sensitively illuminated to enhance its heritage character to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and thereafter shall implement such a plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager Heritage Planning;

5. provide an Interpretation Plan for the subject property, to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning and thereafter shall implement such plan to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

6. submit a Signage Plan for the proposed development to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning;

7. provide building permit drawings, including notes and specifications for the conservation and protective measures keyed to the approved Conservation Plan required in Recommendation 1.c.2 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; and

8. 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 Interpretation Plan; and

d. prior to the release of the Letter of Credit required in Recommendation 1.c.8 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 and the required interpretive work have been completed in accordance with the Conservation and Interpretation Plans and that an appropriate standard of conservation has been maintained, all to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning; and

2. provide replacement Heritage Easement Agreement photographs to the satisfaction of the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and City staff to take all necessary actions to implement City Council's decision.

Dan DiBartolo, Senior Heritage Planner, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning gave a presentation on 111 and 115 Berkeley Street - Alterations to Heritage Properties and Authority to Enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement.

This report recommends that City Council approve the application for alterations proposed at the designated heritage property at 56 Yonge Street under Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act in conjunction with an application to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit the development of a 65-storey (246.2-metres, including mechanical penthouse) mixed-use building, containing 648 residential units and 68 square metres of non-residential space.

The project site contains the 8-storey designated heritage property at 56 Yonge Street and a 12-storey building at 60 Yonge Street which is not designated. The proposed tower would demolish the 12-storey building at 60 Yonge Street and construct the new tower at that site that would contain a cantilever to project 2.6 metres from the north elevation of the heritage property (south elevation of tower at 60 Yonge Street) over the heritage building. This projection would be four stories above the existing designated 8-storey hotel on 56 Yonge Street, which will be retained as is. This report also requests authority to amend an existing Heritage Easement Agreement for the building at 56 Yonge Street.   

In October 2019, City Council approved an application to alter the designated property at 56 Yonge Street and also to alter properties at 199 Bay Street and 25 King Street West in conjunction with a development of the Commerce Court site. The application retained 56 Yonge Street in full and in situ. At that time, the only alteration proposed was to allow pedestrian access at the ground level from Yonge Street through the building and through the rear of the property to allow access to the new project.

As a result of the Commerce Court development, the property at 56 Yonge Street is already subject to an existing Heritage Easement. An amended Heritage Easement Agreement and Conservation Plan will be required. There is no conflict between the proposal that is the subject of this report and the approved alteration permit which already impacts the designated building at 56 Yonge.