The Toronto Preservation Board submits the Item without recommendation as the motion to adopt lost.

This report recommends that City Council approve the proposed alterations for the heritage properties at 482 and 488 Wellington Street West, in connection with the proposed redevelopment of the site and per the settlement offer submitted to the City by Davies Howe Land Development Advocacy and Litigation on March 20, 2019, in conjunction with an appeal to the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal ("LPAT") of the application for Zoning By-law Amendment.  This report also recommends that City Council state its intention to designate both 482 and 488 Wellington Street West under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act and give authority to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement for these properties.

As part of the project scope, the existing properties at both 482 and 488 Wellington Street West will be conserved and incorporated into the redevelopment. The new development, proposing office and ground related retail uses, will be stepped back 10.5 metres from the front façade of the heritage properties at the roof level. The conservation strategy would not significantly impact the building's three dimensional form as viewed from the public realm, and the front and side street facing façades would be retained and restored to a depth of 10.5 metres. On the western portion of the development site, the heritage property at 488 Wellington Street West, will have the floors replaced with new construction aligned with both the existing window openings and the floor levels of the new building. To the east, the floors at 482 Wellington Street West will be removed to provide for an open five-storey atrium. The sixth storey 1990s roof addition, visible from the street, will also be removed.  A new heavy timber frame retention structure will be provided within the new atrium to reference former floor levels and to reflect the original timber structural system.

Should the alterations to the subject property be approved, staff recommend that the property owner be required to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement to ensure the long-term protection of the heritage properties.