Bloor West Village Heritage Conservation District Study - Final Report

In November 2017, City staff, with a consultant team (Stantec Consulting Ltd.), initiated a study of this area to determine whether it merited designation under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act (the "OHA"). The HCD Study included the survey, analysis, and evaluation of the Bloor West Village area and solicited feedback from a Community Advisory Group and the community. The HCD Study was initially undertaken concurrently with the Bloor West Village Avenue Study (the "Avenue Study"), which was conducted by a consultant team between 2016 and 2018. Implementation of new planning policy did not move forward at that time. The HCD Study was delayed by the COVID-19 global pandemic but was completed in 2021.The consultant team did not recommend that a HCD Plan be prepared for the Study Area, but a list of properties was recommended for inclusion on the City's Heritage Register as outlined in Attachment 4. The Study also recommended the preparation of comprehensive, area-specific Urban Design Guidelines to guide context-sensitive growth and change in a way that supports and maintains the historic main street character of Bloor West Village, including its low-rise, fine-grain built form and other character-defining elements, particularly within the Village Main Street character area. The final report for the Avenue Study, including its recommendations regarding the Urban Design Guidelines, will be considered by Toronto and East York Community Council at its meeting on November 27, 2025. The findings and recommendations from the HCD Study have informed and guided the development of the Urban Design Guidelines (the "Guidelines"), ensuring that heritage considerations are meaningfully integrated into the planning framework.