A Toronto city council committee has approved a plan to transform a heritage church into a 48-storey development -a proposal that one supporter says sets a new standard for how faith institutions redevelop underused land amid the housing crisis.
Toronto Today reports that several years ago, developer Kindred Works proposed a 12-storey building for the site atop St. Luke’s United Church, located at 353 Sherbourne Street and across from Allan Gardens.
However, after planning rules were changed last summer, allowing for taller towers near major transit stations, Kindred Works resubmitted a plan for a far larger development.
If approved by the city council, the new proposal will see the construction of about 440 residential units -30 per cent of which, the developer says, will be affordable -atop the 139-year-old church, which will be restored.
At the Toronto and East York council meeting on January 13, several Cabbagetown residents spoke against the plan.
They complained that the proposed tower would dwarf the church, and “eclipse” Allan Gardens and its newly renovated greenhouse, arguing that its approval could set a precedent that would lead to the construction of more tall buildings constructed nearby.
However, the community council disagreed, approving the proposed zoning and official plan amendments necessary for the development to proceed.
Mark Richardson, a volunteer with the affordable housing advocacy group, HousingNowTO, urged the city to seize the opportunity to secure more than 100 units of affordable housing on land it does not own.
In addition to retaining much of the existing church, the planned development would also include a community event hall with space to seat about 140 people and a ground-floor cafe.
Kindred Works’ proposal will be scrutinized next by the Toronto Preservation Board, an advisory committee that guides the city council on conserving heritage properties. Following that, it will go before Toronto’s city council.
