LONDON — An ambitious redevelopment initiative has been approved for 735 Wonderland Road North, led by 735 Wonderland Road North Inc. in collaboration with Strik, Baldinelli, Moniz Ltd.
The development was approved by council on April 23, 2024.
The site is located south of Beaverbrook Avenue between Wonderland Road North and Horizon Drive and spans 1.45 hectares (3.6 acres) in area.
The development entails the construction of a 25-storey mixed-use building with a 3-storey podium, capable of accommodating up to 189 units per hectare.
Additionally, the development will consist of one and two-bedroom units, totalling 219 residential units, along with 134 square metres of ground-floor commercial space fronting Beaverbrook Avenue.
The developer has received approval to demolish the current Swiss Chalet occupying the site and replace it with the 25-storey building.
The rest of the commercial site is planned to stay the same for this specific development.
To bring the vision to life, adjustments to the Official Plan and Zoning regulations were imperative.
The London Plan stipulates that the site, which is within a Transit Village Protected Major Transit Station Area, buildings must have a minimum height of two storeys or eight metres and a maximum height of 22 storeys.
Nonetheless, the requested Official Plan amendment required approval to authorize a maximum building height of 25 storeys on-site.
The site previously held multiple variations of the Associated Shopping Area Commercial zones, accommodating a wide array of office, commercial, and retail functions.
A Zoning By-law Amendment was required to rezone the site from the Associated Shopping Area Commercial (ASA1/ASA2/ASA3/ASA5/ ASA6) Zone to a Business District Commercial Special Provision (BDC1(_)) Zone to permit the residential component of the development.
Regarding parking provisions, the development encompasses 98 surface parking spaces and 188 underground parking spaces, including eight barrier-free spaces.
Additionally, 244 bicycle spaces are designated, comprising 200 long-term spaces for residents, 22 short-term spaces, 16 for commercial utilization, and six for office use, all designed in accordance with stipulated requirements.
The approved development will redefine the skyline of Wonderland Road North by adding this new mixed-use building to the area.
The next step in the development process for this site is the approval of the site plan. To read more articles on this specific development, click here.
