43 Room Boutique Hotel Proposed for Kensington Market

A Zoning By-law Amendment application has been submitted to the City of Toronto for a six-storey boutique hotel at 309-311 Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market.

Designed by Joel Gerber Architect for 1001216787 Ontario Inc., the development would replace two single-storey commercial buildings with a 43-room hotel containing restaurant, café, retail and amenity spaces.

The proposal calls for a 2,967 m² building on a compact 462 m² site, creating a significant hospitality and mixed-use construction project in the Kensington Market Heritage Conservation District. The building would rise to 25.5 metres and include six storeys, a basement and a mezzanine above the top floor.

Two Commercial Buildings Would Be Replaced

Urban Toronto reports that the development site is located on the east side of Augusta Avenue between College and Oxford streets.

It currently contains two attached single-storey commercial buildings. One is occupied by a laundromat, while the other is vacant following the relocation of bicycle retailer Bikes on Wheels.

The proposed building would cover approximately 436 m² of the 462 m² property. With such a tight urban site and neighboring buildings nearby, demolition, excavation, material deliveries and construction staging could require careful coordination.

43 Hotel Rooms Planned

The six-storey hotel would contain 43 guest rooms in several configurations.

The proposed room mix includes:

28 standard rooms
Six accessible deluxe rooms
Six accessible family rooms
Three loft units

The building would have a Gross Floor Area of approximately 2,967 m² and a Floor Space Index of 4.75 times the lot area.

At 25.5 metres, the proposed hotel would rise to more than twice the property's current 12-metre height limit, making the requested Zoning By-law Amendment an important step in the approval process.

Design Responds to Heritage District

The site's location within the Kensington Market Heritage Conservation District is a significant consideration for the project.

The design would maintain the established Augusta Avenue street wall through the first three storeys before the upper levels step back from the street.

This approach is intended to preserve the pedestrian scale of the existing low-rise streetscape while allowing additional hotel space on the upper floors. Heritage consultant a+LiNK Architecture Inc. concluded that the development would not adversely affect the Kensington Market Heritage Conservation District or nearby contributing properties.

For the construction team, the heritage district setting could require close coordination among architects, heritage consultants, planners and contractors as the project proceeds through approvals and detailed design.

Three-Level Restaurant Component

Food and beverage space will represent a substantial portion of the hotel's construction program. An 85-seat dining room and supporting kitchen facilities are planned for the basement.

At street level, the hotel would provide another 36 restaurant seats along with a combined hotel reception and café counter opening into a publicly accessible lobby and lounge.

A second 36-seat restaurant is planned for the sixth floor. The upper restaurant would connect with a west-facing outdoor terrace, adding exterior dining and amenity space near the top of the building.

Developing restaurant operations on multiple levels will require extensive coordination of commercial kitchen equipment, ventilation, exhaust, plumbing, electrical systems, fire suppression, refrigeration and food-service support areas.

Café, Retail and Hotel Amenities Included

The ground floor would include flexible retail or branding space in addition to the reception, café, lounge and restaurant uses.

Levels two and three would contain flexible amenity rooms that could be used for meetings or spa services.

Other areas throughout the building would accommodate:

Hotel storage
Laundry facilities
Administrative offices
Maintenance areas
Kitchen support spaces
Waste and servicing functions

These uses add a substantial back-of-house construction component to the project beyond the 43 guest rooms and public restaurant spaces.

No Underground Parking Garage Planned

The development would not include an underground vehicle parking garage. Instead, much of the basement would be used for the 85-seat restaurant, kitchen operations, waste handling and building servicing.

The project would provide three long-term and five short-term bicycle parking spaces. The site's access to public transit is expected to support the hotel without providing on-site vehicle parking. The property is within walking distance of the 506 College/Carlton, 510 Spadina and 505 Dundas streetcar routes, providing connections to Toronto's subway system.

Construction Trades Involved

If the Zoning By-law Amendment and subsequent approvals move forward, the hotel could create opportunities for contractors and suppliers specializing in urban hospitality and restaurant construction.

Potential trades include:

Demolition contractors
Excavation contractors
Shoring and underpinning contractors
Foundation contractors
Concrete contractors
Structural steel and miscellaneous metals contractors
Masonry contractors
Building envelope contractors
Window and glazing contractors
Architectural cladding contractors
Roofing and waterproofing contractors
Mechanical contractors
HVAC contractors
Plumbing contractors
Electrical contractors
Fire protection contractors
Elevator contractors
Commercial kitchen contractors
Kitchen ventilation and exhaust contractors
Refrigeration contractors
Restaurant equipment suppliers
Architectural millwork contractors
Hotel cabinetry and furniture contractors
Drywall and insulation contractors
Flooring and tile contractors
Painting and wall-covering contractors
Lighting contractors and suppliers
Washroom fixture and accessory contractors
Hotel room furniture, fixtures and equipment suppliers
Restaurant and café interior fit-out contractors
Terrace and exterior amenity contractors
Signage contractors
Security and access-control contractors

The three restaurant areas, café, hotel rooms and flexible amenity spaces could make interior fit-out and mechanical systems a particularly important portion of the overall construction package.

Kensington Market Development Activity Continues

The Augusta Avenue proposal joins several other projects moving through planning or construction in and around Kensington Market.

Nearby activity ranges from low-rise additions and four- to six-storey developments to substantially taller projects along College Street.

Projects in the surrounding area include a planned five-storey addition to the Planet Traveler Hostel, a six-storey proposal at 452 Bathurst Street, and the four-storey development at 35 Bellevue Avenue, which is under construction. Larger nearby projects include a proposed 16-storey development at 419 College Street and the 20-storey project at 333 College Street, which is under construction. Additional proposals include the 10-storey Scott Mission redevelopment and a 30-storey project at 243 College Street.

Zoning Application Begins Approval Process

The 309-311 Augusta Avenue development remains in the municipal approval stage, with the Zoning By-law Amendment application now submitted to the City of Toronto. No construction start or completion date has been announced.

If approved, the project would transform two single-storey commercial properties into a 25.5-metre boutique hotel with 43 guest rooms, three restaurant areas, a café, retail space, flexible amenities and a rooftop-level dining terrace.

The combination of heritage district requirements, a basement restaurant and kitchen, multiple dining levels, hotel rooms and contemporary new construction could make 309-311 Augusta Avenue a specialized construction opportunity as it advances through Toronto's development approval process.