Memorandum

Kerri Voumvakis, Acting Director, Policy & Research Heritage Preservation Services Tel: (416) 338-1079
City Planning Division City Hall Fax: (416) 392-1973
100 Queen St. West
Suite A18
Toronto ON M5H 2N2

Date: October 28, 2010

To: Al Rezoski, Acting Manager, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District
Attention: Willie Macrae, Planner

From: Mary L. MacDonald, Acting Manager, Heritage Preservation Services

Re: 580-596 Church St., 67-71 Gloucester St., ZBA Application 10 149004 STE 27 OZ

Summary

This application was made on April 19, 2010 and is subject to the new provisions of the Planning
Act and the City of Toronto Act, 2006.

The application proposes a 25-storey mixed-use building with a three to seven-storey podium, retail
uses at-grade, 193 residential units and two levels of underground parking for the property at 580-
596 Church St. and 67-71 Gloucester St. The application includes a Heritage Impact Assessment
(HIA) prepared by Philip Goldsmith, dated 27 January 2010.

Heritage Preservation Services (HPS) staff have reviewed the application and provide the following
comments and recommendation for refusal.

Description of Heritage Character

The development property contains 6 buildings and all have heritage value. Five of the properties
are listed on the City of Toronto’s Inventory of Heritage Properties (City Inventory). Two of the
listed properties, 596 Church and 69 Gloucester now are contained within one linked building with
two addresses and two distinct heritage descriptions.

The properties are described in the HPS listing reports as:

“historically linked to their surroundings as part of a group of surviving residential buildings
from the late 19th and early 20th centuries on the west side of Church Street, north of
Dundonald Street and on the south side of Gloucester Street, west of Church Street. The
house form buildings and apartment houses in this block reflect the appearance of the
Church Street neighbourhood adjoining Wellesley St. East from the era when it was one of
the most desirable residential areas in Toronto. As early as 1858, the Boulton Atlas showed
the first subdivision of the lands adjoining this section of Church Street where additional
property was subsequently severed from the “Dundonald” estate after 1903.” (Attachment
#2)

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Individually the buildings are:
• 580-582 Church St. - a three-storey, semi-detached, house-form building, built in 1878,
known as the Second Empire Residences or the Robert Simpson house; listed on the
City Inventory in 1979

• 584 Church St. - a three-storey detached house-form building constructed in 1903,

identified as the Catherine Collard House; not listed on the City Inventory but
contributes to the heritage character of adjacent properties

• 592 Church St. - a larger three-storey, semi-detached house-form building, known as

the 1873 Wallace Millichamp House; listed on the City Inventory in 2009

• 596 Church St. - a three-storey walk-up apartment building built in 1911, considered
part of the Gloucester Mansions; listed on the City Inventory in 2009

• 69-71 Gloucester St. - attached to 596 Church St., this address includes the rear
surviving portion of the 1875 Wallace Millichamp House, which fronts onto Gloucester
St.; listed on the City’s Inventory in 2009

• 67 Gloucester St. - a 3½-storey walk-up apartment building, part of the Gloucester

Mansions, built in 1911; listed on the City Inventory in 2009

The HPS listing reports for the Wallace Millichamp Houses at 592 Church St. and 69 Gloucester
St. indicates:
“Development began in the 1870s when the Wallace Millichamp Houses (1873 and 1875)
were among the first single and semi-detached houses in the block, and continued following
the opening of Dundonald St. in 1903 when additional house form buildings and small-
scaled apartment houses were introduced. As a collection, the Wallace Millichamp Houses
(1873, 1875) and their neighbours in the block retain the scale and attention to period
detailing identified with the historical Church St. neighbourhood.”

Additionally for the Gloucester Mansion apartment buildings at 596 Church St and 67 Gloucester
St. the listing reports note: “…development began in the 1870s with single and semi-detached
houses, and continued following the opening of Dundonald St. in 1903….the Gloucester Mansions
contribute to the evolution of the block as one of the small-scaled apartment houses introduced after
1900”.

Proposal

The proposal is to construct a multi-use commercial and residential project with three components:

1. A base podium, on Church St. 3 stories in height, made up of one heritage building, one
heritage façade and two modern infill components replacing demolished buildings. On
Gloucester St. the 3 storey height podium is broken by the tower component which contains
an entrance to the parking garage and is sited between a new corner building on Church and
a heritage façade at 67 Gloucester.

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 2. A mid section of residential rental apartments contained in a seven storey slab structure,
running north & south, set back from the retained heritage building at 580-582 Church St.,
expressed through the tower on the north portion of the property and accessed through the
new infill building component at 584 Church St.
3. A tower shaft which rises above the lower two sections, centred in the assembly on the north
portion, to a total height of 25 storeys. The tower is clad largely in glass and has a skewed
axis on the north side. (Attachment 3)

The proposal will result in alteration of the existing streetscape and buildings as follows:
• retention and preservation of the listed building at 580-582 Church St. with the
exception of part of the back portion which will be incorporated into the 6 storey slab
building
• demolition of the 1903 Catherine Collard House at 584 Church St. and construction
of a replacement infill building, attached to the 6 storey slab, providing an entrance
to the rental apartments
• retention of the façade of the listed building at 592 Church to a depth of
approximately 2.6 metres with the tower rising immediately behind that point
• demolition of the listed building at 596 Church and replacement with a 3 storey
infill building, attached to the tower and set slightly further back from the sidewalk
• demolition of the listed building at 69 Gloucester which is attached to 596 Church to
make room for the base of the tower including the parking garage entrance
• retention of the façade of the listed building at 67 Gloucester to a depth of about 1
metre at the east side and about 8 meters at the west side

Comments

Impacts on Neighbourhood Context

The HIA recognizes there will be impacts on the contextual significance of the development
properties and area, and notes that, “a 2-4 storey main street feeling has been preserved from
Church St. to North of Gloucester” (p. 26). The HIA also recognizes that the residential blocks
within the two blocks from Yonge St. to Jarvis St. bordered by Dundonald St. and Gloucester St.,
west of Church St. and bordered by Gloucester and Monteith Streets, east of Church St. “create an
area of lower historic buildings” and notes that these buildings are “back to back”, that is, consistent
within the blocks (p. 27). However, in the consultant’s opinion, the larger towers already existing
outside of these blocks, to the north and south, diminish the heritage value of the block in which the
development would be sited. The HIA indicates that the larger contextual area is urban mid-rise in
character and that from the public streets it is hard to recognize the heritage character of these two
blocks (with the exception of the Monteith St. area bordering on a City park).

It is the opinion of HPS staff that the block containing Yonge St. on the west, Gloucester St. on the
north, Church St. on the east and Dundonald St. on the south is a significant rare survivor of the
original lots and narrow fine grained house form and commercial frontages that once predominated
in this area. Along with its bordering block running eastward between Monteith St./Cawthra Square
and Gloucester St. these appear to be the only blocks between Bloor and Wellesley that still
preserve the 19th and early 20th century lot plans and development. These two blocks have 44 listed
heritage properties located within them which represents a high concentration of significant heritage

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resources. The lot layouts in these blocks have not changed since the area was built-out at the turn
of the century, and much of the built fabric survives from this era. Newer infill is consistent with the
scale, massing, height, rhythm of openings and materials of the older buildings. Properties have not
been combined to build tall towers within these two blocks. The original narrow frontages, height
and massing are retained from this era.

Shadow Impacts
There are additional heritage properties on the City Inventory outside of the direct development
property that may be negatively impacted by shadowing from the new tower, these include the
following properties; on Church St. 551, 553, 561, 563, 565 (5 properties); on Gloucester St. 37, 47,
49, 68, 85-87, 89-91, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99, 103, 107-109 (16 properties); and on Monteith Street
numbers 2-36 (18 properties).

Impacts on Heritage Properties within Development Site

The surviving present-day character of the proposed development property is that of the 19th
century, typical when the block was one of the pre-eminent residential neighbourhoods in the city.
The collective contextual value of the individual properties would be destroyed by the proposed
development. The frontages on the east side of Church and south side of Gloucester now exhibit a
consistent street wall of late 19th and early 20th century buildings, untouched by the modern in-fill
and parking lots that more typically affect the character of other Church St. blocks. This contextual
significance will be greatly diminished by the demolition of the character-contributing Catherine
Collard House and listed 596 Church St/69 Gloucester St.

The HIA indicates that the loss of the existing heritage character of these streetscapes will be
mitigated by the insertion of two contemporary styled modern buildings in their place. It is the
opinion of HPS staff that the mitigation proposed, namely that the “form and scale” of these
buildings will be “remembered” with the new pavilion elements that will replace them, is not
sufficient and will result in the total loss of the heritage character of the demolished buildings and
the streets they now occupy.

The heritage character of the streetscape will be negatively impacted by the insertion of a 25 storey
tower too close to the front lot line of Church St., and sited directly on Gloucester St. The proposed
development will have negative impacts on views of the 19th century fine grained 2-3 storey block
by installing a large glass block in its centre. The existing streetscape will be diminished in scale by
the towering presence behind it. The tower is totally out of scale with the rest of the block. The
tower will have an impact on views into the 19th century streetscape and will damage the existing
scale and attention to period detailing identified with the historical Church St. neighbourhood.

The tower attached to the remnant façades of 592 Church and 67 Gloucester Street will greatly
diminish the perception of their scale, massing and three-dimensional integrity. Both buildings
would exist only as remnants and would appear as small thin façades tacked on to the front of a new
25 storey glass tower.

Impacts from the tower on the streetscape and facades cannot be mitigated without much greater
set-backs from Church and Gloucester.

Impacts on Individual Heritage Properties

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It should be noted that the HIA indicates “two buildings” (or “two and a half buildings”) will be
demolished and states that “the impact on the buildings to be demolished is total”. The demolitions
include one unlisted but character-contributing property at 584 Church and one attached building
with two addresses, two dates of construction, two different building types (apartment building and
house form building) and two separate heritage listings at 596 Church and 69 Gloucester. Arguably
the actual impact is that three buildings will be demolished not two.

580-582 Church St. Robert Simpson House, 1878 - proposed for retention
This semi-detached house form building was listed on the City Inventory in 1976. It is designed in
the Second Empire style popular at the time when Church Street was one of the City’s most
desirable residential neighbourhoods. It is proposed for retention except for a section at the back
north west corner where the new 6 storey podium will replace about 2/3 of the rear “tail’’.
However, it will be diminished in significance by losing the context of other buildings on the street
that currently contribute to its character. It should be noted that the HIA does not address how the
rear tail will be preserved while the parking garage is constructed beneath it. It is important to
confirm that there is no need to dismantle and reconstruct this element. The design of the
replacement building between 580-582 and 592 Church St. does not address the rhythm of
openings, ratio of solid to void, or wall to window openings on the adjacent houses or their
materials.

584 Church Street Catherine Collard House 1909 – proposed for demolition
This two and a half storey house form building contributes to the turn of the century streetscape
character of Church Street and to the contextual significance of the heritage houses on either side.
The demolition of this house diminishes the individual contextual heritage significance of the
remaining listed buildings on the street.

592 Church Street, Wallace Millichamp Houses 1873- proposed facade

The heritage attributes of this building are related to the building’s design and contextual value as
well-crafted late 19th century semi-detached houses designed in the Second Empire style and
historically linked to the development of the Church Street neighbourhood. The proposal is to
demolish the building except for a façade of approximately 2.6 metres in depth. This will result in
the loss of the following listed heritage attributes:
• The scale, form and massing
• The mansard roof with extended eaves, round-arched dormer windows and, on the north and
south ends, brick chimneys
• On the north and south elevations, the fire break walls with segmental-arched window
openings, with the south wall abutting the adjacent house form building at 584 Church St.

The proposal is for a 6.7 metre setback for the tower from the property line at 592 Church St. When
considering impacts on heritage buildings we need to review the setback from the front wall of the
building. The actual setback of the tower from the front wall of the house is approximately 2.6
metres, not sufficient to preserve the three-dimensional integrity of the massing and form of the
building. What is left will appear as a remnant façade attached to the front of a glass tower. It also is
not clear how the applicant intends to assure preservation of the façade while the parking garage is
constructed beneath it.

The design of the replacement building on the corner at 596 Church does not address the attributes
of the façade at 592. The new element has a large area of glass and includes an overhanging second

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floor which introduces atypical elements which are not in-keeping with the streetscape context, ratio
of solid to void and rhythm of openings on the adjacent property.

596 Church St. Gloucester Mansions – proposed for demolition

The heritage attributes of this building relate to its design and contextual value as a well-crafted
early 20th century apartment house with Edwardian Classical styling that is historically linked to the
development of the Church Street neighbourhood. The demolition of this building results in the loss
of the following listed heritage attributes:
• The scale, form and massing
• The materials, with red brick cladding and brick, stone and wood detailing
• Along the roofline, the cornice with extended eaves, modillion blocks, dentils, and a
moulded frieze
• The fenestration, which mixes oriel windows with wood trim and flat-headed window
openings with stone lintels and sills
• On the principal (east) façade on Church St., the centrally placed entrance where double
doors are set beneath a triangular pediment in a flat-headed surround with a glazed transom
labeled “Gloucester Mansions”
• On the south and west elevations, the wood balconies with brackets and, on the west wall,
Classical columns
• The setback of the building on the southwest corner of Church and Gloucester streets

As well, this building makes an important contribution to the historic streetscape and supports the
character of the other listed buildings on the street. Loss of this building destroys its individual
heritage character and diminishes the heritage character of the three remaining heritage buildings on
Church and Gloucester.

69 Gloucester, the Walter Millichamp House (1875) – proposed for demolition

Located on the south side of Gloucester St., west of Church St., the Wallace Millichamp House
(1875) comprises the 2½-storey west portion and two-storey rear (west) wing of a former L-shaped
house that faced east onto Church St. until 1910 when it was altered and attached to the apartment
house at 596 Church St. The heritage attributes of the building are associated with its design and
contextual value as a surviving late 19th century house form with the Second Empire styling that is
historically linked to the development of the Church Street neighbourhood. Demolition of this
property would result in the loss of the following heritage attributes:
• The scale, form and massing
• The materials, with red brick cladding and brick, stone, and wood detailing
• The mansard roof and gabled dormers on the house and wing, and the brick chimney (west)
and extended eaves with brackets on the house
• The main (north) entrance, which is placed on the wing and protected by a semi-circular
pediment with wood detailing
• The fenestration, with the segmental-arched window openings with hood moulds (house)
and flat arches (wing)
• The setback of the house and wing on the south side of Gloucester St.

The heritage character of this house is particularly interesting from a historical perspective as it
represents an important phase of development in the area, as noted in the HIA (p. 4): “After the turn
of the century, a new trend emerged. Apartment houses began to be built as land in the city began to
be less available and much more expensive to purchase. Another trend which occurred in the

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Church Street corridor was the houses were converted or expanded into low rise apartment blocks”.
This is what happened at 596 Church/69 Gloucester, with a new 1911 three storey Edwardian style
apartment block fronting on Church St. attached to the original 1875 Second Empire style house at
69 Gloucester. This accounts for the differing front and back volumes of the building, and the lack
of set-back for 596 Church as the developer of the time wanted to maximize the space available.
Both elements of the building tell an important part of that development story.

Loss of this building will destroy the individual heritage character, diminish the character of the
remaining façade at 67 Church Street and diminish the legibility of the historical context of the
development of Church Street.

67 Gloucester, Gloucester Mansions (1911)

The heritage attributes of this building relate to the building’s design and contextual significance as
an early 20th century apartment house with an Edwardian Classical styling that is historically linked
to the development of the Church Street neighbourhood. The proposal will result in the loss of the
following heritage attributes:
• The scale form and massing
• The materials, with red brick cladding and brick, stone and wood detailing
• The fenestration on the east wall

The tower is set at an angle to Gloucester St. with the nearest point of the tower set back from the
property line by 2.2 metres. The actual setback of the tower from the wall of the heritage façade at
the east side would be less than one metre. On the west side about 8 metres of the building would be
preserved. Heritage attributes associated with the massing and side elevations of the building will
be lost. The setback is not sufficient to preserve the sense of the building as having three-
dimensional integrity, the angled tower block will throw off the sense of scale of the building
making it appear diminished. The HIA does not address how the façade will be kept in place and
preserved while the parking garage is built underneath it.

Policies

The Provincial Policy Statement 2.6.1 (PPS) indicates that “Significant built heritage resources and
cultural heritage landscapes shall be conserved”. Properties listed on the City’s Inventory of
Heritage Properties are considered to be “significant” in this context. In the PPS 2005, “conserved”
means “the identification, protection, use and/or management of cultural heritage and
archaeological resources in such a way that their heritage values, attributes and integrity are
retained. This may be addressed through a conservation plan or heritage impact assessment”.

Comment – The proposed development will not conserve the significant built heritage resources at
596 Church/69 Gloucester and will not conserve all the heritage attributes of 592 Church and 67
Gloucester. Heritage attributes and integrity associated with contextual significance will be affected
by the addition of a large tower set very close to the street edge.

The Ministry of Culture has published “Info Sheets” under the collective heading of “Heritage
Resources in the Land Use Planning Process” to provide guidance on heritage policies in the PPS.
Info Sheet # 1 indicates “To conserve significant built heritage resources, a municipality…may
require a heritage impact assessment….to demonstrate that a …resource will be conserved.
Mitigative (avoidance) measures or alternative development or site alteration approaches may be

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required”. Components of an HIA are noted in Info Sheet # 5 and negative impacts include but are
not limited to:
1. Destruction of any, or part of any significant heritage attributes or features
2. Alteration that is not sympathetic or is incompatible with the historic fabric and
appearance
3. Shadows created that alter the appearance of a heritage attribute
4. Isolation of a heritage attribute from its surrounding environment, context or a
significant relationship
5. Direct or indirect obstruction of significant views or vistas within, from or of built and
natural features
6. A change in land use…allowing new development or site alteration to fill in the
formerly open spaces
7. Land disturbances …that adversely affect an archaeological resource

Comment – The proposal will result in negative impacts as described above in 1 to 5.

Info Sheet #5 also notes that mitigation or avoidance – methods of minimizing negative impacts
include but are not limited to:
1. Alternative development approaches
2. Isolating development and site alteration from significant built and natural features and
vistas
3. Design guidelines that harmonize mass, setback and materials
4. Limiting height and density
5. Allowing only compatible infill and additions
6. Reversible alterations
7. Buffer zones site plan control and other planning mechanisms

Comment – For this application alternative development approaches 1-7 that would create fewer
impacts to heritage attributes should be considered. The proposed tower is too high and set too close
to the street and heritage facades to be appropriately mitigated.

Policy 3.1.5 Heritage Resources

The City’s Official Plan Policy 3.1.5.2 notes that listed heritage properties will be conserved and
that development adjacent to listed heritage properties will “respect the scale, character, and form of
the heritage buildings and landscapes” Development proposals will be accompanied by a Heritage
Impact Statement for Zoning By-Law applications.

Comment – the listed heritage building at 596 Church and 69 Gloucester Streets and listed heritage
attributes associated with the roofs and sides of 594 Church and 67 Gloucester would not be
conserved by this proposal. Adjacent development would not respect the scale, character and form
of the heritage buildings and streetscape.

Policy 3.1.5.8 directs that additional gross floor area may be permitted in excess of what is
permitted for lands designated Apartment Neighbourhoods for a lot containing a conserved heritage
building and new development provided that:
• The application includes the conservation of a building designated under the Ontario
Heritage Act

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 • Additional floor area does not exceed the floor area of the designated building being
retained
• The property is designated at the same time as the approval of the site plan
• Where only a portion of the building is kept, that portion contains the features of historic
and/or architectural value or interest for which the building was designated
• The quality, character and three-dimensional integrity of the conserved building is
maintained and additional density will not be granted for the incorporation of facades or
historic building elements into the new development.

Comment – The proposed development is for far more additional floor area than contemplated in
this policy. An attached building with two heritage listings is proposed for total demolition. The
three dimensional integrity of 592 Church and 67 Gloucester would not be maintained.

Parks Canada Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
These extensive standards and guidelines were approved by Council for use as the official
document guiding planning, stewardship, and conservation issues for all listed and designated
properties within the City. Council approved the document March 3, 4 and 5, 2008, (see Standards
Attachment No. 1)

Comment - Of the 14 Parks Canada Standards the following relevant standards would not be
followed by the proposed development:
Conserve the heritage value of a historic place. Do not remove, replace, or substantially alter
its intact or repairable character-defining elements. Do not move a part of a historic place if
its current location is a character-defining element.

Conserve heritage value by adopting an approach calling for minimal intervention.

Find a use for a historic place that requires minimal or no change to its character-defining
elements.

Evaluate the existing condition of character-defining elements to determine the appropriate

intervention needed. Use the gentlest means possible for any intervention. Respect heritage
value when undertaking an intervention.

Conserve the heritage value and character-defining elements when creating any new
additions to a historic place or any related new construction. Make the new work physically
and visually compatible with, subordinate to and distinguishable from the historic place.

Create any new additions or related new construction so that the essential form and integrity
of a historic place will not be impaired if the new work is removed in the future.

Conclusions

The proposed development will cause significant negative impacts on the heritage character of the
development property and the individual heritage buildings.

Individual heritage buildings will be diminished by the loss of contributing heritage context,
provided by 584 Church St, 596 Church St. and 69 Gloucester St. but proposed for demolition and

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replacement. The loss of heritage attributes for the listed linked building to be demolished at 596
Church and 69 Gloucester would be total. Creation of heritage facades at 592 Church and 67
Gloucester Sts. would result in the loss of heritage attributes associated with the roof and sides of
these buildings including, most significantly, the perception of their three dimensional integrity.

Along Church St. and Gloucester St. the development property currently represents an intact turn-
of-the-century streetscape, illustrative of an era when Church Street was one of the pre-eminent
residential neighbourhoods in the City. Demolition and replacement of 584 and 596 Church Street
and 69 Gloucester St. will erode the fine grained scale and attention to period detail that are heritage
attributes of the neighbourhood. The addition of the new tower component so close to Church and
Gloucester Streets will have a negative impact on views and the perception of scale of the existing
heritage streetscape, diminishing the visual impact of the collective.

Recommendations:

Heritage Preservation Services is recommending that;

1. Council refuse the application on the basis of unacceptable impacts to heritage resources.

2. Council state its intention to designate the heritage properties at 580-582, 592, 596 Church
Street and 67 – 71 Gloucester Street under Part IV Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Marilyn Miller, Preservation Officer, at (416)
338-1091, mmiller2@toronto.ca.

Mary L. MacDonald, Acting Manager

Heritage Preservation Services

Attachment 1 – Parks Canada Standards

Attachment 2 – Heritage Preservation Services Listing Reports
Attachment 3 – Proposed Development
Attachment 4 – HIA review

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