13-Storey Retirement Residence Proposed on Wilson Near Bathurst
Source: UrbanToronto
An application submitted to the City of Toronto this month seeks rezoning to permit a 13-storey retirement residence at 381 Wilson Avenue, just west of Bathurst Street in the Clanton Park neighbourhood. Plans for the site, adjacent to a Highway 401 off-ramp, and vacant since 2004, come from developer SmartCentres REIT for a Global Architect Inc.-designed building that would house retirement units and provide 75 to 100 healthcare related jobs.
Looking southeast over site of proposal, image via submission to City of Toronto
The 21,630.7 m²/232,831 ft² U-shaped building is planned entirely with residential uses, set to contain 278 retirement units in a mix of 66 studios, 157 one-bedroom and one-bedroom+dens, and 55 two-bedroom plans. Units include 34 designed for memory care, 34 assisted living units, 147 independent supportive living units, and 63 seniors apartments.
Aerial view looking northeast over 381 Wilson Avenue, image via submission to City of Toronto
A two-level underground garage would provide 153 parking spaces, 140 for residents and 13 for visitors. 40 bicycle parking spaces are also proposed, including 20 short-term visitor spaces at grade, as well as 20 long-term spaces for residents to be housed on the P1 level. Access to the garage would be provided via an internal roadway and ramp at the south end of the site.
North elevation, 381 Wilson Avenue, image via submission to City of Toronto
The project is situated a few blocks east of a growing development node surrounding Wilson subway station, where several buildings have already been completed and many more mid-rise and lower high-rise projects are in various stages of planning and construction. While the 381 Wilson site is located over 450 metres east of the easternmost of these developments, proximity to these projects and the Bathurst and Wilson intersection to the east are being cited as justifications for the proposed density in a planning report prepared by MHBC Planning.
