The Minto Midtown is a residential complex on

Yonge Street Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. Once the southernmost leg of provincial H ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

in the Davisville neighbourhood near

Yonge and Eglinton Yonge is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Charles Duke Yonge (1812–1891), English historian and translator of Philo of Alexandria * Charles Maurice Yonge (1899–1986), British marine biologist * Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823� ...

consisting of two towers, Quantum (37 storeys) and Quantum 2 (52 storeys) developed by Minto Developments Inc. The proposed project—which substantially exceeded existing height and zoning limits—was met with substantial neighborhood and city opposition, until Minto appealed to the

Ontario Municipal Board The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) was an independent administrative board, operated as an adjudicative tribunal, in the province of Ontario, Canada. It heard applications and appeals on municipal and planning disputes, as well as other matters sp ...

and worked out a deal with the City of Toronto. Quantum is 37 storeys (413 ft) and was completed in 2007. Quantum 2 is 52 storeys (541 ft) and was completed in 2008. The initial conceptual design was done by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill;

Zeidler Partnership Architects Zeidler Architecture is an international architecture, interior design, urban design, and master planning firm with four Canadian offices located in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria. In addition, the firm has locations in Beijing (China ...

developed the design and completed the project.

History

The construction of the towers, the tallest in the neighbourhood, was controversial. In March 2000, the developer bought the land to be developed and submitted an application for the project in December of the same year, which included the plan for the two towers and demolition of a ten-storey building (below left). The project was greatly in excess of the existing height and density limits. However, the chief planner was considering zoning changes to increase development in the area. The local ward councilor, Michael Walker, kicked the developer out of his office when approached with the proposal and remained steadfastly against the project. Walker had the backing of a number of neighborhood groups, especially the ''North Toronto Tenants Network''. Other councilors were amenable to the proposal. After delays and the City's plans to reject the project, Minto appealed to the

. Minto reached an agreement with city council, by reducing the height by several storeys, providing CAD $1.2 Million for social housing, and $200,000 for transit connections. The OMB Decision (No.1263) set a new standard for development. The buildings still sparked a strong response from the North Toronto Tenants Network. The OMB ruled in favour of Minto. The debate over the towers proved central in the 2003 municipal election. Incumbent city councillor

Anne Johnston Anne Johnston (1932 – June 26, 2019) was a Canadian politician and community activist. She was a longtime city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was first elected to Toronto City Council in 1972, and served until 1985 when she ran ag ...

had helped broker the compromise that approved the towers. She was opposed by

Karen Stintz Karen Stintz (born November 2, 1971) is a former Canadian politician who represented Ward 16 Eglinton—Lawrence on Toronto City Council from 2003 to 2014 and was the chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) from 2010 to 2014. Background Bor ...

, who took a strong stand against the development and intensification. In a result that surprised many, longtime incumbent Johnston lost by 2,321 votes.

LEED certification

This development has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, making it the largest multi-residential LEED certified condominium in North America in 2009.

Awards

In 2011, Quantum 2 tower was chosen as the Condo of the Year by CCI Toronto.

References

{{Toronto skyscrapers Postmodern architecture in Canada Residential skyscrapers in Toronto Buildings and structures completed in 2007 Twin towers Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings

History

LEED certification

Awards

See also

References