A bold new proposal to reshape Toronto’s Church-Wellesley Village has been unveiled with plans for a striking 70-story residential tower at 81–83 Isabella Street. Designed by Arcadis, the high-rise will blend modern vertical living with a nod to the past, preserving the historic Edwardian Revival façade of the 1927 Merlan apartments that is an architectural landmark recognized on the City’s Heritage Register as of December 2024.
Located within walking distance of three major subway stations—Bloor-Yonge, Wellesley, and Sherbourne—the site sits at the core of a rapidly intensifying neighbourhood marked by dense, high-rise residential development. The proposed tower would reach 226.68 metres in height and offer 647 rental units, including 48 replacement one-bedroom suites replicating those in the existing building.
The design features a reconstructed two-to-three-storey streetwall that preserves the Merlan’s twin-entrance U-shaped form, topped by a 10-storey podium and a stepped tower. The total Gross Floor Area would be 46,385m², yielding a Floor Space Index of 31.70 on a 1,463m² site.
Amenities span 1,747m² indoors and 647m² outdoors, highlighted by a rooftop sky garden blending landscaped and weather-protected spaces. Six high-speed elevators would serve the building’s residential population.
A two-level underground garage would provide 29 parking spaces, primarily for visitors, while cycling infrastructure is robust, with 711 bike parking spots—582 long-term and 129 short-term—alongside dedicated bike access via stair and elevator.
Surrounded by similarly ambitious proposals, the development joins a wave of high-rise transformation across the Church-Wellesley and Upper Jarvis corridor. These include towers at 88–90 Isabella (62 and 69 storeys), 2 Cawthra Square (63), and 135–141 Isabella (69), as well as the ongoing construction of The Charles at Church (47 storeys) and multiple 70+ storey projects along nearby Yonge Street.
Learn more at Urban Toronto.