Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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STAFF REPORT ACTION REQUIRED

Alteration of a Heritage Property Designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act and Protected by a Heritage Easement Agreement – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

Date: February 7, 2012

To: Toronto Preservation Board Toronto East York Community Council

From: Acting Director, Policy & Research, City Planning Division

Wards: Ward 27 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Reference Number:

P:\2012\Cluster B\PLN\HPS\TEYCC\March 20 2012\teHPS10

SUMMARY

This report recommends the refusal of the proposal to alter the interior of the designated property at 153 Bloor Street West which would entail the application of ceramic tile to the vaulted ceiling in the original pool room. While decisions under Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act are appealable to the Conservation Review Board, the property is also protected by a Heritage Easement Agreement (held by the city). Refusal of the proposed alterations, subject to the Heritage Easement Agreement are not appealable.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The City Planning Division recommends that:

1. City Council refuse the proposed alterations to the heritage property at 153 Bloor Street West under Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act and within the terms of the Heritage Easement Agreement held by the city on the property.

2. If the owner appeals City Council's decision to refuse the application for alteration under Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act, Council authorize the City solicitor and the necessary City staff to attend at the Conservation Review Board hearing in opposition to the appeal.

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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Financial Impact There are no financial implications resulting from the adoption of this report.

DECISION HISTORY The property at 153 Bloor Street West was listed on the first City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties in June 1973. The property was later designated by City Council under By-law 84-76 on March 17, 1976. A Heritage Easement Agreement protecting the south, west and north façades as well as interior features of the west and north wings was registered as instrument No. CA534066 on April 17, 1998.

ISSUE BACKGROUND This important example of Toronto neoclassical architecture, which was originally the University of Toronto's Department of Household Sciences, has been home to the Club Monaco retail clothing store since its opening in the spring of 1996.

The 1996 renovation work executed by Club Monaco included extensive restoration of existing features and faithful reproduction of missing components. There is no doubt of Club Monaco's intention to invest in the building and that they continue to maintain and improve the building. The question is whether the currently proposed work is appropriate based on the specific character of the architectural feature and in terms of the disturbance to the original historic fabric.

Proposal As part of their current upgrade to this retail location, Club Monaco has pursued their design with the expressed intent of incorporating all the existing heritage features within the space. These efforts extended to include marble detailing and millwork beyond that specifically referenced in the "Reasons for Identification" within the Heritage Easement Agreement.

The aspect of the current proposal that staff do not support is the request to clad the vaulted ceiling with a white porcelain tile. These 3" x 6" tiles would be applied in a running bond, which is represented in a digital rendering (Attachment 5).

Policy Framework

Official Plan Section 3.1.5 of the City of Toronto Official Plan directs that significant heritage resources will be conserved by listing properties of architectural and/or historic interest on the City’s Inventory of Heritage Properties; designating properties; entering into conservation agreements with owners of heritage properties; and designating areas with a concentration of heritage resources as heritage conservation districts.

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada On March 3, 4 and 5, 2008, Council adopted Parks Canada’s Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada (Standards and Guidelines) as the document guiding planning, stewardship and conservation approach for all listed and designated heritage resources within the City.

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/cc/decisions/2008-03-03-cc17-dd.pdf

Of particular importance in this regard are the standards relating to retaining intact character defining features, conserving heritage value through minimal intervention and basing restoration on sufficient physical, documentary and oral evidence.

COMMENTS

Reference in the Heritage Easement Agreement to the vaulted ceiling in Section 1.1 Reasons for Identification reads as follows:

In the north wing, where the swimming pool was located in the basement, surviving elements are the plaster Corinthian columns, moulded cornices, and vaulted ceiling with skylights.

The submission seeks to "achieve the recreation of the historical value," however in this case, from both the viewpoint of design objectives and authenticity this is not an appropriate solution. The vaulted ceiling in its current form represents original fabric and it does not need to be replaced or altered save and except for the current design aesthetic being pursued by the applicant. The simplicity of the heritage attribute's existing form and the uniformity of the surface allow for the soft play of light on the vaults, and early archival photographs illustrate this original design choice.

While recognizing Club Monaco's continued efforts to incorporate heritage features into the retail outlet's branding, the desire to embellish the ceiling with a treatment that displaces original fabric and alters the design intent of the heritage attribute is not consistent with standard conservation practice. Although there is evidence of a white tile treatment in some lower areas of this room, there is no documentary evidence to suggest that the ceiling would ever have been tiled.

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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CONCLUSIONS The tile appliqué proposed for the identified heritage attribute constitutes an applied cosmetic treatment that alters the original surface and does not reinforce the aesthetic of this type of vault. The only rationale that would support this alteration would be if the proposed tile replacement was supported by documentary evidence and a true restoration was being proposed. Documentary evidence shows that the opposite is true. The current vaulted ceiling is original in material and in type. It therefore recommended that City Council refuse this alteration.

CONTACT Mary L. MacDonald, Acting Manager Heritage Preservation Services Tel: 416-338-1079 Fax: 416-392-1973 E-mail: mmacdon7@toronto.ca

SIGNATURE

_______________________________ Kerri A. Voumvakis, Acting Director Policy and Research City Planning Division

ATTACHMENTS Attachment No. 1 – Location Map Attachment No. 2 – Context Photographs Attachment No. 3 – Context Photographs Attachment No. 4 – Archival Photograph Attachment No. 5 – Proposal- Digital Rendering

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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ATTACHMENT NO. 1

LOCATION MAP: 153 BLOOR STREET WEST

This location map is for information purposes only; the exact boundaries of the property are not shown.

153 Bloor Street West Street

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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ATTACHMENT NO. 2

EXISTING CONDITION PHOTOS: 153 BLOOR STREET WEST

Heritage Easement Agreement photo – North façade (1991)

Current North façade and Club Monaco storefront on Bloor Street

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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ATTACHMENT NO. 3

HEA PHOTOS (1991): 153 BLOOR STREET WEST

Heritage Easement Agreement photos – vaulted ceiling with skylights (1991)

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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ATTACHMENT NO. 4

ARCHIVAL PHOTO: 153 BLOOR STREET WEST

Archival photo – original swimming pool (1991)

Alteration of A Heritage Property – 153 Bloor Street West (The Lillian Massey Building)

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ATTACHMENT NO. 5

PROPOSAL IMAGE : 153 BLOOR STREET WEST

Digital photo mock-up of proposed ceiling treatment