Item - 2026.PB40.4

The Toronto Preservation Board recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 150 College Street (University College - 15 King's College Circle) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 150 College Street (University College - 15 King's College Circle) (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 1 to the report (January 26, 2026) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, 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 property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property located at 150 College Street (University College - 15 King’s College Circle) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance which includes a description of heritage attributes found in Attachment 1.

For much of the city's history, the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus has existed as a distinct area at the centre of the city. It is part of an institutional urban landscape that encompasses the University, its federated universities and colleges, and Ontario’s seat of government, among other institutions. Its early establishment and patterns of land ownership have shaped the distinctive urban structure of the richly layered campus, which includes some of Toronto’s most prominent buildings and complexes and significant open spaces. 

University College was established in 1853 by the University of Toronto Act as a non-sectarian institution of higher education and opened its doors at its building on King's College Circle to students in October 1859. Today University College is a landmark in Toronto and is one of Canada’s remarkable buildings. University College is the central architectural landmark and symbolic heart of the St. George campus, constructed in 1856-1859. The university's oldest college complex comprises a 3-storey structure designed in the Norman Romanesque Revival style arranged around an internal courtyard in the manner of the "Oxbridge" campus planning principles. This National Historic Site is prominently located on a rise at the head (north end) of King’s College Circle, a defining open space around which other landmark buildings on the campus would subsequently be constructed and many of which are recognized on the City's Heritage Register. A location map and current photographs of University College are found in Attachment 2.

University College has been listed on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register since 1973 and designated as a National Historic Site since 1968.

In 2018, University College was identified as a landmark property through the work to advance a new Secondary Plan and Urban Design Guidelines for the University of Toronto St. George Campus that were adopted by City Council in July 2022.

As stewards of some of the city's most iconic architecture, the University of Toronto owns several landmark properties, and has worked collaboratively with Heritage Planning staff to advance landmark listed properties to Part IV designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. Designation will inform the understanding of a property's cultural heritage value prior to planning for any subsequent change and considering interventions.

To advance this work, the University of Toronto engaged ERA Architects (the "Consultant") to research and evaluate their landmark listed properties. First among these, for its iconic status in Toronto and beyond, the Consultant evaluated University College, on the St. George Campus. In the Consultant's opinion, University College exceeds the provincial criteria for designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The Consultant's research on the subject property is contained in Attachment 3 of this report.

The research, analysis, and evaluation contained within Attachment 3 reflects the Consultant's professional expertise and opinions, which staff have reviewed. In collaboration with the Consultant, a Statement of Significance was finalized, and both Heritage Planning and the Consultant are of the opinion that the property at 15 King's College Circle known as University College has cultural heritage value and meets 8 of the 9 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.