The Master Plan for the Toronto Entertainment District embodies the long-term vision for this vital and extraordinary part of the City. The Vision section provides a broad framework for shaping the intended role, function and character of the Toronto Entertainment District Master Plan. It build’s on the District’s inherent assets and potential strengths to set the overarching intent and objectives for the area.

This Vision is consistent with and builds upon a clear and concise set of guiding principles that emerged through the process of preparing the Plan. These principles include:

The Master Plan Should Protect:

• Historic & Character Buildings
• The Balance of Mixed-Uses
• The Diversity of Entertainment, Living, Working & Shopping Choices
• Current Height Patterns

The Master Plan Should Promote:

• Area Businesses
• Attractions & Tourism
• Distinct Heritage Environments
• Parking Options

The Master Plan Should Enhance:

• Streetscapes & Open Spaces
• Livable & Pedestrian Environments
• The Area’s Vitality & Energy
• Connections & Wayfinding

Consistent with the Guiding Principles, the following six key visioning strategies summarize the most significant and unifying themes in the Master Plan. Most of these strategies are interrelated, having implications on the guidance provided in the Character Areas, Public Realm, Built Form, and Implementation sections of the Master Plan.

ONE DISTRICT WITH EQUAL BUT DIFFERENT PARTS

The Master Plan recognizes that the District encompasses a large part of west Downtown, comprising of areas that have historically differed in their planning polices, identities, emphasis of uses and built character. For example, the historic warehouse area at the north end of the District differs greatly in its character and potential then that of the former railway lands at the south end. Consequently, guidance for public investment and development ought to be reflective of each area’s unique constraints and opportunities.

The Master Plan identifies five distinct but complementary Character Areas and provides each with a guiding vision to direct and coordinate appropriate built forms, uses and improvements so as to reinforce the best existing and potential qualities of these areas. The Character Areas are:

• Warehouse Precinct
• King Street Precinct
• Front Street Precinct
• Bremner Boulevard Precinct
• Union Station Precinct

A NORTH-SOUTH CENTRAL SPINE

The John Street corridor extending from the Art Gallery of Ontario to the waterfront has long been identified as a ‘Cultural Corridor’ for which the Master Plan aims to bring to fruition. Envisioned as a splendidly designed and pedestrian-oriented destination in its own right, the John Street Promenade can serve as a compelling and memorable new focus for the District that:

• Links the Districts major civic and cultural attractions
• Provides a strong and central north-south connection linking five of the six Character Areas and key east-west destination shopping and dining streets
• Strengthens the District’s physical and visual connection to the Queen West and Waterfront areas
• Can serve as location for festivals and events that would require road closures

LATTICE OF GREAT STREETS FOR WALKING

Fundamental to successful retail and mixed-use areas is a high quality public realm that is inviting to pedestrians and that entices them to walk great distances. Streets not only serve as the primary way in which people move about, they also shape how a place is experienced and often make the greatest impression on visitors. The Master Plan encourages the creation of great streets throughout the district to encourage pedestrian movement; to beautify the environment; and, to strengthen visual and physical connections. Furthermore, guidance is provided for a hierarchy of streetscape treatments to ensure supportive design and developments, depending on the intended pedestrian role and land use function of a particular street.

SEQUENCE OF ANIMATED SQUARES & PLAZAS

A variety of open spaces of high quality can complement adjacent commercial uses, provide a focus for immediate areas, serve as attractions and catalysts for revitalization, and are essential to ensuring adequate amenity for high density living. The Master Plan proposes improved and expanded open space opportunities of a variety of types and scales. Direction is provided for potential purposing, programming and appropriate land use interfaces to enhance space utilization, complement civic and cultural attractions and to ensure vibrant and safe spaces.

PROTECTED & LEVERAGED POCKETS & RIBBONS OF HERITAGE

As the area continues to revitalize and intensify, the meaningful protection of buildings that have heritage and architectural significance becomes increasingly critical to retaining the District’s distinction. This is especially the case in the Character Area identified as the Warehouse Precinct where contiguous concentrations of ‘brick and beam’ buildings dating from the District’s industrial era still remain. The Master Plan identifies existing and potential heritage resources in the District and provides guidance for differing levels of heritage retention for reinforcing the integrity of contiguous heritage environments, streetscapes and stand-alone buildings.

A HIGH QUALITY AND LIVABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

New development should not only aspire to great architectural design, it should also ensure a vibrant, inviting and appealing environment for walking, living and commercial vitality. This is achieved with developments that enhance their contexts and contribute to the convenience, comfort, safety and visual appeal of pedestrians — particularly at the level of the street. The Master Plan provides guidance for new development with an emphasis on ensuring the best possible relationships to the streetscape, adjacent buildings and to heritage and residential areas. To do so, considerations are made for transitions in height, the character of the street wall and appropriate massing with respect to shadow and wind impacts.

The Toronto Entertainment District BIA includes a variety of unique uses and urban characteristics of varying integrity, some in a state of transition. Each of these areas poses strengths and assets that can be capitalized on and collectively they present a tremendous opportunity for enhancing the role, function and appeal of the Toronto Entertainment District BIA as a place to work, shop, live and play.

Identifying these distinct character areas can assist in directing certain uses and improvements to enhance focal areas, as well as guiding appropriate built form responses. The objective is that while each area may maintain its own identity, collectively they complement one another and contribute to the overall vitality and appeal of the Toronto Entertainment District.

As assessment of the area’s history, planning policies, land uses, and built character reveals that the Toronto Entertainment District BIA can be defined according to five unique precincts. For the purposes of the Master Plan they have been identified as follows:

• Union Station Precinct
• Warehouse Precinct
• King Street Precinct
• Front Street Precinct
• Bremner Boulevard Precinct

In some instances, there are overlaps between the precincts which have been identified as ‘transitional areas’. Where this occurs, it is recognized that there will be shared attributes, objectives and sensitivities between adjacent areas of differing characteristics.

Warehouse Precinct

General Precinct Description

• Defined by a concentration of mid-rise ‘brick and beam’ structures, many of which have historic and architectural significance.
• Contains a broad mix of uses, including office, commercial, restaurants, bars and night clubs, pockets of Victorian house forms, and book-ended with high density residential uses.
• Richmond and Adelaide Streets are the main streets and primary focus for the precinct but are currently uninviting pedestrian environments that lack a vibrant street life throughout the day.
• The area currently serves as a transition in scale and character between the newer large scaled developments and the Financial District to the south and east, and the low-rise adjacent Queen Street West Heritage Conservation District and neighbourhoods to the north.

Key Precinct Objectives

• Protect, reinforce and leverage the ‘warehouse’ look and feel of the precinct to create a unique heritage destination and attraction on par with comparable former industrial areas in other cities.
• Continue to intensify the mix and variety of uses but with sensitivity to the precinct’s heritage character and function as a transition between areas of varying scales and intensity.
• Greatly enhance all the streetscapes and promote active uses at-grade to create a vibrant and inviting street life.
• Explore new opportunities for public spaces to enhance the area’s appeal and liveability.

King Street Precinct

General Precinct Description

• Defined by the animated and active King Street corridor comprised of contemporary and pockets of historically significant buildings.
• Contains a broad mix of uses with a fine-grained rhythm of street-oriented shops and restaurants, as well as hotels, theatres and cultural attractions.
• Straddling the transition line between the Financial District and Warehouse Precinct, the area is in the midst of transforming from a traditional ‘main street’ to an environment that includes larger scaled and taller buildings.
• The current interface with Metro Square and Roy Thomson Hall does not lend to King Street’s potential.

Key Precinct Objectives

• Protect and enhance remaining heritage resources that lend to King Street’s distinction and charm.
• Ensure that new developments contribute to the vibrant street life through small scale at-grade shops and restaurants and by ensuring adequate levels of sunlight.
• Enhance the streetscape to complement the ‘main street’ character and to support outdoor cafés and the high levels of pedestrian and streetcar traffic.
• Enhance the Metro Square and Roy Thomson Hall complex to serve as the District’s premiere open space destination, including improvements to the interface with King Street and the surrounding uses and attractions.
• New larger scaled developments should provide adequate transitions to the Warehouse Precinct and the lower heights to the west of Spadina Avenue.

Front Street Precinct

General Precinct Description

• Defined by more contemporary and large-scaled buildings and formats.
• While the major large-scaled office, hotel and convention facilities define the areas to east adjacent to the Financial District, a notable high-density residential character is emerging in the west part of this precinct.
• The area is afforded with two significant but underutilized open spaces: Clarence Square and Simcoe Park.
• Front Street is the primary street in the precinct, but is unfriendly as a pedestrian environment due to fast moving traffic and large segments of building frontages with no at-grade uses.

Key Precinct Objectives

• Protect and enhance the remaining heritage resources around Clarence Square and revitalize the park as an important focus for the adjacent residential intensification.
• Enhance the Front Street environment to be more conducive to pedestrians, including the introduction of at-grade uses wherever possible.
• Enhance Simcoe Park to better interface with the surrounding uses.
• Improve connections to the Financial District, Union Station and the areas south of the railway.

Bremner Boulevard Precinct

General Precinct Description

• Defined by large-scale contemporary buildings including major landmarks and attractions.
• A concentration of high-rise residential uses exists to the west, while the balance of the precinct is comprised of large scaled public uses.
• The combination of large scaled uses and poorly defined public spaces contribute to an unfriendly pedestrian environment.

Key Precinct Objectives

• Enhance and program the public spaces to serve as attractions in their own right and to better connect adjacent destinations.
• Continue to intensify the area with infill that will help to better define and engage with the public spaces and Bremner Boulevard.
• Enhance and reinforce visual and physical linkages to the Front Street Precinct, Air Canada Centre and the waterfront.

Union Station Precinct

General Precinct Description

• Defined by large scale historic and contemporary forms and formats as well as major landmarks.
• While Union Station, the Fairmount Royal York and Financial District characterize the area north of the railway, an emerging context of office, residential and commercial uses along with the Air Canada Centre characterize the south end.
• Despite the heritage and gateway significance of the area, the public realm is poorly defined and does not lend to an inviting pedestrian environment.

Key Precinct Objectives

• Enhance the public spaces to reinforce the presence of the precinct’s major attractions and in particular Union Station.
• Strengthen the area’s gateway function and enhance the pedestrian connections under the railway, as well as to the waterfront and Bremner Boulevard Precinct.
• Ensure developments define and engage with the public spaces and Bremner Boulevard.