2027.PB1.6 · Ward 4 (Parkdale-High Park)
1337 Queen Street West - Demolition and New Construction on a Designated Heritage Property under Part V, Section 42 of the Ontario Heritage Act - Approval
Upcoming: the Toronto Preservation Board meets on November 16, 2026. Nothing has been decided yet. See the steps
Can I have a say?
Yes. The City is accepting written comments on this item.
It goes to the Toronto Preservation Board on November 16, 2026.
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How to take part was taken from the official item page.
In plain language
Tap a sentence to see the exact words it comes from. Each sentence says which step it is from: a staff recommendation, a committee recommendation, or the final Council decision.
What is proposed or decided
The new building would be a 16-storey tower on a 4-storey base. It would be mixed-use and include affordable housing. [1]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“new 16-storey mixed-use tower with a 4-storey podium building that will include purpose-built affordable housing”
Source [1]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 1. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. The property is listed as "non-contributing" in the Parkdale heritage district. This means it does not add to the district's heritage value. [6]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“The subject property is identified as 'non-contributing' within the PHCD, meaning that it does not support the overall cultural heritage values, character and integrity of the District.”
Source [6]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 6. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. The new design also needs a separate request for a minor variance. That is a small exception to the zoning rules. [10]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“A separate minor variance application is also required for the proposed revisions.”
Source [10]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 4. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. The heritage plan has a rule for sites like this one. New buildings must fit in with the district's heritage, both in how they look and in their form. [11]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“ew development and additions to non-contributing properties shall be physically and visually compatible with the District’s cultural heritage value and heritage attributes,”
Source [11]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 7. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. Staff say the design would create a more consistent streetwall on this part of the south side of Queen Street West than exists now. [16]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“this scheme would introduce a more consistent streetwall condition along this part of the south side of Queen Street West than currently exists”
Source [16]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 8. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. Staff note the revised design lines up less closely with the neighbouring heritage building at 1347 Queen Street West. [17]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“there is a reduction to the horizontal alignment in the revised proposal with the adjacent contributing property at 1347 Queen Street West”
Source [17]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 9. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. Staff say the four-storey base still fits the proportions and rhythm of the heritage building next door at 1347 Queen Street West. [18]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“the articulation of the new four-storey podium continues to establish a streetwall design that responds to and is compatible with the horizontal and vertical organization, proportions, and rhythm of the contributing property at 1347 Queen Street West”
Source [18]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 9. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. The podium’s window tops line up with the signage band and roofline of the adjacent building. [19]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“The podium incorporates strong horizontal datum lines at the tops of the first- and fourth-floor windows, aligning with the adjacent signage band and roofline of this abutting contributing property”
Source [19]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 9. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. The materials, stepbacks and design stay the same. This includes limestone-coloured brick and a shop front on the ground floor. [21]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“The proposed materials, stepbacks and design of the new building remain unchanged and includes limestone coloured brick cladding and a storefront design on the ground floor”
Source [21]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 9. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. Staff recommend approving the heritage permit. It would allow the existing building to be torn down and a 16-storey tower to be built on a 4-storey base. [22]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“Staff recommend approval of the heritage permit application for the demolition of the existing building on the non-contributing property to facilitate the construction of a new 16-storey mixed-use tower with a 4-storey podium”
Source [22]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 9. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source.
Who and where it affects
The project is part of the City‑led Parkdale Hub revitalization effort. [2]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“in connection with the City-led Parkdale Hub project”
Source [2]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 1. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source.
Conditions, limits and amounts
The podium’s street‑wall height has been raised by 1.2 m, so it no longer matches the adjacent heritage building. [3]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“street wall height of the new podium building has been increased by 1.2m which means that it no longer matches the height of the adjacent contributing building”
Source [3]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 1. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. Staff say these recommendations have no financial impact on the City's budget this year or in future years. [5]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“There are no financial implications resulting from the recommendations included in this report in the current budget year or in future years”
Source [5]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 2. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. From the 4th storey up, the tower is set back 8 metres from Queen Street West, with a further 11-metre stepback at the seventh floor. [7]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“Beginning at the 4th- storey, the tower is set back 8 metres from the Queen Street West frontage, with additional upper-storey stepbacks of 11 metres at the seventh floor.”
Source [7]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 4. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. The tower would be set back 7.5 metres from the side property lines on both sides.
What changed along the way
The revised design raises the 4-storey base by 1.2 metres to give the ground-floor community space higher ceilings. [9]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“The revised proposal increases the height of the 4-storey podium building by 1.2m in order to increase the floor-to-ceiling heights within the ground floor community space.”
Source [9]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 4. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source.
Reasons given in the staff report
Staff say the modest height increase will not harm the character of the heritage district. [4]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“the proposed modest height increase for the podium of the new Parkdale Hub West Block development would not harm the character or appearance of the District”
Source [4]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 1. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. Staff say the small height increase will not weaken the low-rise streetwall character along Queen Street West. [14]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“the proposed modest increase in height of the 4-storey podium building will not negatively affect the legibility or prominence of the low-scale streetwall character along Queen Street West”
Source [14]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 8. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source. One goal of the heritage plan is to keep the district's main street character. That includes a steady street wall, its scale, and many small buildings. [15]From the staff report (October 28, 2026)
“One of the objectives of the HCD Plan is to conserve the historic main street character of the District, including its consistent streetwall, scale and fine-grained built form”
Source [15]: Staff report (October 28, 2026), page 8. Quoted exactly as it appears in the source.
Drafted with AI from the official records, checked by code and a second AI pass, and approved by a person on November 14, 2026. Reading level of these sentences: about grade 7.
What changed between steps
Code compares the official wording of each step with the next, part by part (no AI). It shows changes in wording only; for what a change means, read the official record. Struck-through words were removed. Underlined words were added.
Nothing to compare yet for the Toronto Preservation Board: it meets on November 16, 2026. Once it decides, this section will show what it kept or changed.
How it got here, step by step
Council items move through steps. Usually City staff write a report with recommendations (some items start from a councillor's letter instead). A committee (or board) considers it and recommends what City Council should do. City Council makes the final decision and can change what was recommended. The coloured tags on the sentences above say which of these steps each one comes from.
Step 1. Staff report
RecommendationOctober 28, 2026 · by Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning
City staff wrote a report with recommendations.
Step 2. Toronto Preservation Board
UpcomingMeeting on November 16, 2026
This board gives advice before City Council decides.