{"id":54911,"date":"2018-04-26T11:35:39","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T15:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/?p=54911"},"modified":"2018-04-26T16:09:44","modified_gmt":"2018-04-26T20:09:44","slug":"hi-lo-rise-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/2018\/04\/26\/hi-lo-rise-buildings\/","title":{"rendered":"REID: Hi-Lo-rise infill buildings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dylan<\/a><\/p>\n

Amidst the discussion of the potential and challenges of building new mid-rise buildings to increase density along Toronto’s main streets outside the core, it might be worth paying attention to a modest type of new infill building that pops up here and there on main streets in the older parts of the city. These are generally 4-storey mixed-use buildings built quickly on one or two lots, replacing smaller previous buildings. They are often inserted beside existing, attached buildings.<\/p>\n

I think of these as high low-rise buildings — Hi-Lo is maybe catchier — because\u00a0they share more characteristics of low-rise buildings, stretching those characteristics to their practical limit.\u00a0 They can be contrasted with low mid-rise buildings<\/a>, which might be a similar height but are usually built as a single large, detached project over many lots (examples are visible, for example, along Kingston Road east and west of Victoria Park).<\/p>\n

Many have pointed out<\/a> that mid-rise buildings (5-11 storeys) present a variety of challenges. They share many cost elements (in money and time) of high-rise buildings but don’t benefit from the same economies of scale. These costs include land assembly, underground parking, elevators, and re-zoning processes. The costs in time mean that they can take a long time to get built. The costs in money mean that, generally, the prices of their units are fairly high, and the retail at their base is mostly likely to end up as well-established chain stores. As former Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat noted at the Building Vibrant Main Streets event<\/a>, there’s a danger that extensive new mid-rise building along a main street could knock out the local, independent retail that gives a street its character, and keeps money circulating locally.<\/p>\n

Hi-Lo rise building can help alleviate some of these issues, while still increasing density along a main street to some extent. They generally replace 1-3 storey buildings, and possibly add some extension towards the back of their lot, so they can increase square footage by anywhere from 33% to 300%. Since they generally replace the same size of storefront, they often maintain small floorplates better suited to independent businesses (Keesmaat, at the same event, said that the City does not at the moment have the tools to dictate floorplate size in new developments). The second floor is sometimes used for professional offices, creating local employment and daytime use. Upper floors will likely be residences, either condos or rental. (They can be thought of as the main street equivalent to walk-up apartments<\/a>).<\/p>\n

It wouldn’t be accurate to say any of this is “affordable” — a new building still has costs to cover — but there is potential for costs to be lower than a mid-rise, and therefore accessible to a wider and more varied market. Some of the potential cost savings include:<\/p>\n