Crews & Tangos remains open and has been offered first right of refusal to return to the future retail space once construction is complete.

Graywood has been working with the owner of Crews & Tangos since we acquired the site, including extending support during Covid-19 to enable them to stay. We remain committed to working with Crews & Tangos and the community to preserve and maintain the cultural heritage and legacy of this institution.

The heritage building where Crews & Tangos is located will be retained and restored as part of the future project.

Graywood has renewed the lease of Crews & Tangos through to 2029.

Graywood has an opportunity to look at the project with a fresh perspective as the 14-storey building was not viable.

The proposed development is comprised of a two-storey streetwall element that completes a gap in the streetscape, restores the heritage protected Crews and Tangos building and creates new commercial space to animate Church Street with a tower element above (up to 48 storeys). The streetwall building responds to the low-rise “main street” character of Church Street and reinforces the restored heritage building as a focal point within the development.

Above the streetwall building, the tower element has been generously setback from the street and adjacent property lines, minimizing its visual impact, and respecting and reinforcing the low-rise “main street” character of Church Street. There are no shadow impacts on Barbara Hall Park or the AIDS Memorial.

The height of the tower seeks to move beyond the historic height limits that date back nearly a half century to the early 1980s which have constrained investment in new buildings in the Village and is generally in keeping with the height of tall buildings approved or under construction along Church Street and the immediate neighbourhood.

All Community Benefits secured as part of the previous rezoning approval will be carried forward, including:

• Retention and restoration of the heritage building containing Crews and Tangos. No substantive changes are proposed to the conservation strategy.
• Donna Shaw Lane improvements and public art will be undertaken as part of the current proposal to improve safety and comfort.

Public art and heritage commemoration will be integrated to tell the story of Crews and Tangos.

The new community space is intended to be provided as an in-kind community benefit. The final size of the space will be tied to the height and density secured as part of the new rezoning application.

We have signed an LOI with Pride Toronto as they look to return to the Village and expand their programming year-round. The exact details of how the space will be conveyed to Pride Toronto and programmed will evolve through the municipal approvals process.

Our experience with previous condominium towers located within the downtown core is that parking does not sell and the demand is low. Many projects within Downtown Toronto do not have parking and this has now become a standard in the city.

The availability of amenities and destinations in walking distance means most residents will not need a car given the availability of transit and cycling infrastructure, if they do – there is a large supply of car-share vehicles in developments downtown.

Transportation Reports identify that 2-3 PUDO spaces required during peak hours for Uber and other in-and-out drop-offs. The proposal includes 4 pick-up / drop-off spaces as well as 4 visitor spaces, which exceed this requirement.

Graywood is looking to prioritize the bike parking experience within the project with a plan to provide an abundance of bike parking spaces that will be easily accessible by way of a bike elevator plus a stair with channel.

The site is located within a short walking distance to two major subway stations – Wellesley Subway (400m) and College Station (550m), making public transition a very accessible feature of the site.

We are just starting the process. More details on timing will be available as we move the project forward.