551 Mount Pleasant Road - Notice of Intention to Designate a Property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act

The property is a fine and surviving example of an early 20th-century purpose-built theatre along a neighbourhood main street, a typology that was once common but is becoming increasingly rare. In addition to the association with Murray Brown and his designs for a series of atmospheric theatres in Ontario, Saskatoon and Halifax, the property has significant historical associations with the Crest Theatre, an influential repertory theatre company founded in 1953 with a mandate to "contribute to the cultural life of Canada by providing opportunities for the development of Canadian artistic directors, playwrights, designers, managers and technicians."[1] For the thirteen consecutive seasons that the Crest Theatre leased the property at 551 Mount Pleasant, they presented a full range of dramatic productions, including classical, contemporary, and original works. The property has been a landmark in the Mount Pleasant Village neighbourhood for nearly a century and is beloved for its cultural heritage as a theatre. The property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road was listed on the City of Toronto's Heritage Register on May 28, 1984, and contributes to the intact historic village streetscape of this section of Mount Pleasant Road, as identified in the Midtown in Focus Planning Study. On May 2, 2017, Toronto and East York Community Council requested Heritage Planning staff to report back to the Toronto and East York Community Council on the possibility of designating The Regent Theatre at 551 Mount Pleasant Road under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. Staff have completed the Research and Evaluation Report for the property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road and determined that the property meets Ontario Regulation 9/06, the criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act under all three categories of design and physical, historical and associative, and contextual values. As such, the property is a significant built heritage resource. In June 2019, the More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019 (Bill 108) received Royal Assent. Schedule 11 of this Act included amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act. The Bill 108 Amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act came into force on July 1, 2021, which included a shift in Part IV designations related to certain Planning Act applications. Section 29(1.2) of the Ontario Heritage Act now restricts City Council's ability to give notice of its intention to designate a property under the Act to within 90 days after the City Clerk gives notice of a complete application. An application under the Ontario Building Code to partially but substantially demolish the property at 551 Mount Pleasant Road was submitted on June 13, 2022 and, as of the date of this report, is incomplete. No planning application has been submitted. A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) dated August 26, 2022 was completed by ERA Architects Inc. in advance of any planning application and was submitted to support the demolition permit. A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) is required for all development applications that affect listed and designated properties and will be considered when determining how a heritage property is to be conserved. Designation also enables City Council to review proposed alterations or demolitions to the property and enforce heritage property standards and maintenance.

2. If there are no objections to the designation, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council designating the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.