cityscape
Urban Toronto: Proposed U of T Area Residence Loses Some Height
Plan for private sector–supported highrise on College street gets reduced from 42 to 24 storeys.
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Podium rendering for original project.
CLARIFICATION: November 17, 2:45 p.m. This post originally indicated that this was a University of Toronto project. In fact, says U of T director of news and media relations Laurie Stephens, the school’s only involvement in the project is that it owns and is leasing a portion of the land on which the residence will sit. Students from any school can apply to live there, and it is “a private development.”
To address the city’s student housing shortage, plans for a massive 42-storey student residence located at 245 and 253 College Street were announced last year. The project met with criticism from local residents, however, who were concerned about its height and others were worried about the involvement of Knightstone, the project’s developer.
The recently submitted zoning amendment application from October 6 outlines the renewed plan—a 24-storey tower, less than two thirds of the height originally proposed. The amendment proposes a building that appears to consist of a variety of cubes that protrude from the building, of varying height and size. Diamond + Schmitt are rumoured to be the project’s architects. The new report gives a tentative community consultation date of December 5.
Visit Urban Toronto to learn more about the project.