154 Front St. East gets a Thumbs Up
By Lucas on Mar 06, 2013
One project that we have kept a keen eye on over the past year is Cityzen's 154 Front St. East development. We love the cool and clean design that architectsAlliance and Cityzen have presented. As much as we loved the proposal, some within the City did not, as they initially rejected it when it was submitted to council. Cityzen revised the proposal and sought out the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) to act as an impartial third party. In a judgement released February 26, 2013, the OMB ruled in favour of the development.
"The Board finds that the proposed development is consistent with the provincial plans, conforms to the City's OP and the K-P Secondary Plan, and has appropriate regard for the City's tall building guidelines. The proposal does not represent an overdevelopment of the subject site and would be compatible with the physical character of the surrounding area. The proposed development would not create unacceptable adverse impacts and in the Board's view will fit within the existing and planned context of the surrounding area," said member Jason Chee Hing in a release.
The approval is with a condition. As the plan currently sits, there is a lack of family-sized units, which was an issue for both the City and the OMB. The OMB would like to see Cityzen work on adding larger units, or adapting its current layouts to feature more three-bedrooms.
154 Front St. is a two-tower project, with heights reaching 34 and 24 storeys, and should feature approximately 477 units. The site is famously known as the first ever “surplus” land sold by Build Toronto, the City's real estate arm. The former Greyhound Bus Parcel Express depot is now a parking lot, at least until the new condominium project is announced.
154 Front St. East is a prime example of why we need the OMB. The independent board takes the emotion and NIMBYism out of development disputes, and is guided by the City’s official plan, as well as existing buildings in the neighbourhood.
Nothing is finalized at this point, but we have no doubt that both the City and Cityzen will work together to bring forward a pretty impressive project, one that will elevate the standards of architecture in the city!
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