IN THE MATTER OF THE ONTARIO
HERITAGE ACT
R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER O.18 AND
CITY OF TORONTO, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
641 YONGE STREET
(INCLUDING STRUCTURE ADDRESS OF
641-643 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 641 Yonge Street (including
structure address at 641-643 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 641 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, historical/associative value and contextual value.
Description
The property at 641 Yonge Street (including
structure address of 641-643 Yonge Street) is located on the east side of Yonge
Street, in the block between Isabella Street and Charles Street East. It
contains a mixed‐use brick building constructed in 1951, which retains its original
scale, form, and massing as a 4-storey building designed in a Mid‐century Modern architectural style. This 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 Yonge Street'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
Constructed in 1951, the property at 641 Yonge
Street has design and physical value as a representative example of the
Mid-century Modern style, which is typified by the clean lines and emphasis on
horizontality exhibited by the composition of the west elevation. The property
retains its original scale, form, and massing as a 4-storey brick building
organized into three vertical bays of equal width. The Mid-century Modern style
is one of several styles associated with the period of development that
established Yonge Street's commercial main street character.
The subject property is valued for being the
location of the Roberts Gallery for over a half century (1961-2019), a notable
institution for the Fine Arts in Canada. The Roberts Gallery, whose origins can
be traced back to 1842, began to exclusively feature Canadian artists in the
late 1940s, and while located at the subject property they played a major role
in introducing modern styles of art and its practitioners to the Canadian
public. As a venue for local arts and culture, the Roberts Gallery is also
associated with the broader theme of Yonge Street's role in helping to foster
and promote an independent Canadian music, arts, and literary scene during the
latter half of the 20th century.
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 Mid-century Modern style is one of several architectural styles that
characterize the area.
The property at 641 Yonge Street (including 643
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 both a commercial building and
former art gallery providing cultural pursuits for the entire city, 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 641 Yonge Street as a
representative example of the Mid-century Modern style as applied to a
commercial main street building:
·
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 4-storey brick building
·
The flat roofline
·
The materials,
including the buff brick cladding framed by the red brick party walls and the
stone lintels, sills and parapet coping on the west elevation
·
The principal (west)
elevation of the building, which is organized into three bays
·
The flat-headed
window openings in the second, third and fourth stories with the continuous
lintels and sills on the principal (west) elevation
·
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 641 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
doorways, which are 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