200 Queens Quay Proposal Redesigned From Two Towers to One

Lifetime Developments and Diamond Corp have submitted a refined design for their 0.5 hectare site located at 200 Queens Quay West, on the north edge of Toronto’s Harbourfront area and beside the Gardiner Expressway. The new design brings refinements to plans for a Wallman Architects-designed 59‐storey tower at the southeast corner of Lower Simcoe and Harbour streets.

Currently the home of a multi-storey above-ground commercial parking structure, an initial application for Zoning By‐law Amendment at the site was submitted to the City in June of 2020, at that time seeking two towers of 41 and 71 storeys (seen below) that had a total GFA of 96,009m². At the southeast corner of Harbour and Lower Simcoe, a POPS (Privately Owned Publicly-accessible Space) was proposed.

The developers presented the proposal at both a community consultation and before the Waterfront Design Review Panel (WDRP) in January of 2021. In addition to feedback from these meetings, the review process with City Staff and key stakeholders generated more comments that resulted in an evolved design.

A completely new, 2.0 version in grey and silver for a now single 59-storey tower was brought to the community as well as the WDRP in February of 2022, where the new massing was better received. Further refinements have occurred since then, mostly to the exterior architectural expression, while the massing and components of the overall 2.0 design have remained basically the same.

The 2.0 version has been recommended by City Planning for adoption at the June meeting of Toronto East York Community Council, scheduled to be considered at 10 AM or soon thereafter on June 30. If it passes there, which is likely, it would then go to Toronto City Council at the July 2022 meeting, seeking approval.

This version proposes a GFA of 60,563m², and includes 1,003 residential units, with a mix of one, two, and three‐bedroom suites.10% of the gross residential floor area within the development is proposed to be new affordable rental housing. The main floor would feature a building lobby and a street level retail unit, while the second level would be home to indoor amenity space, as well as a bike storage room.  Below ground, a four‐storey garage would accommodate both residential and commercial parking. The parking levels would be accessed via an internal driveway.

The proposal also includes the dedication of a 500m² on‐site public park at the west end of the site, contributing to the growing park system of the Central Harbourfront. The public park, designed by DTAH, would serve as a ‘green link’ in the connectivity from Roundhouse Park to Toronto’s waterfront, creating an active and accessible space.

Source: Urban Toronto