St monicas church toronto

Toronto church to be transformed into massive condo development

Yet another church conversion is in the works for Toronto, according to a development application filed with the city on Wednesday.

St. Monica's Roman Catholic Church, established in 1906, can be found in the increasingly condo-dense Yonge and Eglinton neighbourhood at 44 Broadway Avenue.

The present church building was constructed in a modified cruciform design around 1959 and, because it has been renovated on the inside a few times since, it is not considered to be of significant heritage value.

Enter condo developers.

st monicas toronto

Broadway Avenue from a southeastern view in a rendering of the new church and condo complex. Image via KPMB Architects/City of Toronto.

Urban Toronto reports that St. Monica's Parish has been looking to construct a new church since the end of 2017.

After issuing a request for proposals, church officials selected a plan from the firm Collecdev that would see not only a more modern church built atop the existing structure, but would also connect to a brand new residential tower.

"The redevelopment proposal has been conceived following a detailed consideration of the needs of the Archdiocese, which seeks to replace the existing place of worship on the subject site with a new modern facility," reads a planning rationale document submitted to the city this week. 

st monicas toronto

The proposed church and tower complex at 44 Broadway Avenue as seen from the southwest. Image via KPMB Architects/City of Toronto.

If built as proposed, the new residential building would rise 44 storeys high and contain 398 condo units: 170 one-bedrooms, 187 two-bedrooms and 41 three-bedrooms.

An underground, two-storey parking garage would contain some 177 parking spaces, 60 of them reserved exclusively for St. Monica's parishioners, and a new "front plaza area" would be created for members of the church and tower residents alike.

The church itself would be four-storeys high and connect directly to the tower. Architecturally, it's a departure from what currently exists on the site, but a striking one flush with light stone, gold-framed glass and a 25-metre tall steeple.

Inside, it would also include what Collecdev describes as a narthex: "an architectural element typically found in early Christian and Byzantine basilicas or churches. The building will also contain various office spaces, conference rooms and a new parish hall

Lead photo by

KPMB Architects/City of Toronto


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