Toronto City Council considered and put their stamp of approval on a handful of development proposals last week, and among them was what is poised to be the tallest mass timber building not only in Canada, but in the world. Council considered the proposal and opted to defer it to a later date, however, it has been recommended for approval by Toronto and East York planning staff.

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The proposal — which first hit the City’s desk in July 2022 — comes from Unix Housing Group and Icon Architects, and seeks to bring a 31-storey mixed-use building to 191, 193, 195, 197, and 199 College Street and 74 and 76 Henry Street. One of the more notable aspects of what’s been proposed is the sizeable affordable housing component: 490 rental units have been proposed in total, and 80% of those would be maintained as affordable housing for a period of 40 years. 

These details are according to the most recent rendition of the proposal, which was filed at the end of February 2024. However, it was the 2022 version of the plans that dubbed the development “the tallest wood construction building in Canada,” as it would utilize Cross Laminated Timber in lieu of traditional concrete construction.

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