IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO
HERITAGE ACT
R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.18 AND
CITY OF TORONTO, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
645 YONGE STREET
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO DESIGNATE
THE PROPERTY
TAKE NOTICE that Council for the
City of Toronto intends to designate the property, including the lands, buildings
and structures thereon known municipally as 645 Yonge Street under Part IV,
Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.O.18, as amended, as a
property of cultural heritage value or interest.
Reasons for Designation
The property at 645 Yonge Street is worthy of
designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its
cultural heritage value, and meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the provincial
criteria prescribed for municipal designation, under the categories of
design/physical value and contextual value.
Description
The property at 645 Yonge Street is located on
the east side of Yonge Street, in the block between Isabella Street and Charles
Street East and contains a mixed‐use brick building constructed in c.1887. It retains its original scale,
form, and massing as a 3-storey building designed in the Italianate style and
features extensive brick detailing. The property is part of a cohesive grouping
of built heritage resources that provide a distinct sense of place and
represent Toronto's 1860s-1950s architecture, a period when historic Yonge's
commercial main street character was established and flourished.
The property was listed on the City of Toronto
Heritage Register on March 10, 2016 and is identified as a contributing
property in the Historic Yonge Street Heritage Conservation District, adopted
by City Council in 2016 and currently under appeal.
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value
The property at 645 Yonge Street has design and
physical value as a representative example of the Italianate style, which is
evident in its extensive brick detailing and prominent cornice supported by
brackets. The 3-storey property also has design and physical value as a
representative example of a Main Street Commercial Row building constructed
during a significant period of development along Yonge Street.
Contextually, the property has cultural heritage
value for maintaining and supporting the historic main street character of
Yonge Street, south of Bloor Street. Situated on the east side of the block
between Isabella Street and Charles Street East, the subject property's scale,
form and massing contribute to the low-rise streetwall condition found on this
portion of Yonge Street. The design of the property is consistent with the
rhythm produced by fine-grained storefronts along the streetscape, and the
building's Italianate style is one of several predominant architectural styles
in the area.
The property at 645 Yonge Street is
functionally, visually and physically linked to Yonge Street, Toronto's
"Main Street", as a commercial building housing the services,
amenities, and employment opportunities necessary to support daily life in
neighbouring residential areas. As a mixed-use building, the property is also
historically linked to the metamorphosis of Yonge Street into Toronto's main
commercial corridor.
Heritage Attributes
Design and Physical Value
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the cultural heritage value of the property at 645 Yonge Street as a
representative example of a Main Street Commercial Row building designed in the
Italianate style:
·
The placement,
setback and orientation of the building on the east side of Yonge Street
between Isabella Street and Charles Street East
·
The scale, form and
massing of the 3-storey building
·
The material palette,
with the brick cladding and brick details (the brickwork has been painted)
·
The flat roofline
with the cornice supported by decorative brackets and brickwork
·
On the principal
(west) elevation, the composition of the façade in two bays of asymmetrical
width with a pilaster at the south corner of the building, which is indicative
the property was originally part of a larger row of buildings
·
The segmental-arched
window openings in the second and third stories
·
The decorative
brickwork accenting the window openings, including brick hood moulds, sills,
aprons, and dogtooth string courses
·
A ground floor
storefront featuring an increased proportion of glazing compared to the upper
stories
·
Entrances providing
at-grade access from the street to the ground floor and upper floors of the
building
Contextual Value
The following heritage attributes contribute to
the cultural heritage value of the property at 645 Yonge Street as supporting
and maintaining the character of this portion of Yonge Street, and as being
historically, functionally, and visually linked to its surroundings:
·
The placement,
setback and orientation of the building on the east side of Yonge Street
between Isabella Street and Charles Street East
·
The scale of the
building, which is consistent with the 2-4 storey streetwall height and rhythm
of narrow storefronts along this portion of Yonge Street
·
The recessed entrance
area, which is consistent with the storefronts along this portion of Yonge
Street
·
The materials of the
building's façade, which are consistent with the brick, stone, and wood
detailing found along this portion of Yonge Street
·
The higher percentage
of glazing on the ground floor façade along Yonge Street relative to upper
floors, which serves the purpose of indicating retail use at-grade that can be
accessed directly from Yonge Street and residential and/or commercial uses in
upper floors
Notice of Objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate
Notice of an objection to the Notice of
Intention to Designate the Property may be served on the City Clerk, Attention:
Registrar Secretariat, City Clerk's Office, Toronto City Hall, 2nd Floor West,
100 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2N2.; Email: RegistrarCCO@toronto.ca within thirty days of July 25, 2023, which is August 24, 2023. The
notice of objection to the Notice of Intention to Designate the Property must
set out the reason(s) for the objection and all relevant facts.
Getting Additional Information:
Further information in respect of the Notice of
Intention to Designate the Property is available from the City of Toronto at:
https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2023.PH5.13
Dated at the City of Toronto on July 25, 2023.
John D. Elvidge
City Clerk