Sunnybrook Plaza goes B.I.G.

Saving Old Leaside

Sunnybrook Plaza 1952.
Sunnybrook Plaza 1952.

A new application to replace the two-tower (11, 16 storeys) proposal approved in 2016 for Sunnybrook Plaza (660 Eglinton Ave. E.) with a three-tower proposal (32, 37 and 43 storeys) was submitted by Concert Properties to the City in December.

The 43-storey tower, if approved, would be the tallest in Leaside. But the changes are about more than height. The new application features:

  • -Four times the number of storeys (112 up from 27).
  • -Three times the number of units (1,201 up from 412).
  • -A larger proportion of smaller units (bachelor and one-bedroom) – 66% compared with larger units (two- and three-bedroom) – 62%.
  • -Smaller average size of units in the categories (bachelor, one-, two-, and three- bedroom).
  • -Reduction in the non-residential retail and office space by 64%.
  • -Increase in lot coverage by 50% and density increased 245% (FSI 8.89 from 3.62).

These changes are all going in the wrong direction – and there is more:

  • -While the earlier plan called for a fully rental building – a much lauded aspect at City Hall – the new application increases the rental component just a little (to 460 units) while most of the additional units are condo (741 units).

Storeys, a trade magazine, explains the rationale for the changes this way: “by 2023 construction costs had escalated, office demand had faltered, the complex design became uneconomical, and the planning context for the Bayview Focus Area had notably changed, calling for transit-supportive intensification”1

Yes indeed, but as we have mentioned (broken record!) – in this case the “change in the planning context” is directly attributable to the Ontario government’s overruling of the City’s Yonge Eglinton Secondary Plan in 2019 with 20-35 storeys in the Bayview Eglinton Focus Area. And the development feeding frenzy has only accelerated. In other words, the original application reflected a reasonable and thoughtful intensification that considered the City’s proposed plans for the area in expectation of the Eglinton Crosstown. And it also resulted from significant consultation, engagement, and negotiation with the community.  

Why not buildings over 35 storeys, compared with mid-rise (up to 14 storeys) and more modest tall towers? Here are some recent insights from a retired VP for a major developer who is a board member of a Toronto residents’ association.

Wind

A major issue is wind – all development applications include a developer-financed wind study generally concluding their building will not create unpleasant wind conditions for pedestrians. But even 20 storeys can create unpleasant conditions. Winds captured at 35 or 40 storeys and channelled down to the sidewalk are much more intense than those at 20 storeys. Only the combined effect of buildings already constructed are considered in wind studies, not other proposed buildings (i.e on the other side of Eglinton and Bayview). The winds above 40 storeys are also many times higher than on the ground floor. This causes wind buffeting and whistling noises in the suites on the upper floors and makes them drafty.

Loss of light

Another issue is loss of sunlight. Tall buildings cast long shadows in the cooler months when sunlight is important for pedestrian comfort.

Prolonged building

Long construction duration creates considerable disruption to the community and local traffic. The high lot coverage means that towers take up most of the property so construction staging areas are tight.

Above about 30 storeys, more and more construction days are lost to dangerous winds that at the top represent 50% lost days in the winter. Tall buildings take four to five years to complete, depending on how many levels of underground are required.

Elevators

Elevator shafts take up potential valuable saleable or rentable floor space on every floor. For this reason, and the high cost elevators, most developers do not provide enough elevators to ensure satisfactory service times in realistic conditions, including furniture deliveries, trade use, routine service, or breakdowns. Each week one of these conditions occurs five out of seven days in a building with 400 to 500 suites, so residents experience painfully slow elevator response times.

Energy

Tall buildings are energy hogs. A tall building will use two to three times more energy per square foot for heating, cooling, water delivery, fresh air supply and elevators than a three-storey walk-up apartment or a townhouse. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to power the fresh air and exhaust fans, numerous water and circulating pumps, chillers and boilers. Usually, half of the building heating and cooling energy will be used just in delivering fresh air to the corridors.

Before we accept the mantra that bigger (and taller) is better, let’s examine the whole picture. Who really benefits?

About Geoff Kettel 233 Articles
Geoff Kettel is a community connector and advocate for “making places better”. He is currently Co-President of the Leaside Residents Association, Co-Chair of the Federation of North Toronto Residents‘ Associations (FoNTRA), member of the Toronto Preservation Board and Past Chair of the North York Community Preservation Panel. He writes a monthly column on heritage and planning in Leaside Life.