DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
March 05, 2026 by Anthony Teles 
1K
Menkes Resubmits Filmores Redevelopment as 44-Storey Rental Tower
Menkes Developments has submitted a revised Site Plan Approval application for 218 Dundas Street East in Toronto’s Garden District, replacing an earlier condominium plan with a 44-storey purpose-built rental tower designed by Rafael + Bigauskas Architects. The project would redevelop the northeast corner of Dundas and George streets, long associated with the Filmores Hotel property, and incorporates a heritage component tied to the historic flatiron building.
Looking north to 218 Dundas Street East, designed by Rafael + Bigauskas Architects for Menkes Developments
The proposal applies to a site encompassing 212 through 218 Dundas Street East and the rear property at 279½ George Street. The lands include the Filmores Hotel building, along with adjacent parcels and a three-storey detached house currently operating as a licensed rooming house. A rear parking area forms part of the assembly. The site is just east of the Downtown Yonge area in a neighbourhood experiencing rapid intensification.
Looking north to the current site, image retrieved from Google Maps
Plans to redevelop the site first emerged in June, 2020, when Menkes advanced an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment application for a condominium tower designed by Giannone Petricone Associates. Marketed as Elektra Condos, the proposal called for a high-rise incorporating the retention of the historic Filmores facade. In December, 2023, the rezoning was approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal. The condominium project was cancelled in January having not sold enough units, with the developer now returning with this Site Plan Approval resubmission.
A high-angle view looking north to the previous plan, designed by Giannone Petricone Associates for Menkes Developments
The development would take the form of a 44-storey tower rising to 136.89m, a reduction from the 46-storey, 154.4m height previously proposed. The podium would retain the heritage facade of the Filmores building, with work overseen by GBCA Architects and Giaimo. The updated massing would deliver 32,829m² of total Gross Floor Area, including 31,623m² of residential space and 1,206m² of a retail fitness club space at grade, resulting in a Floor Space Index of 13.06 times coverage of the 2,513m² site.
Looking north to the retained heritage facade, image from submission to City of Toronto
The tower would contain 542 purpose-built rental units, replacing the earlier condominium program and reducing the overall unit count from the 588 units proposed in 2020. The revised mix includes 148 studios, 183 one-bedroom units, 157 two-bedroom units, and 54 three-bedroom units, while the earlier plan emphasized one-bedroom-plus-den suites. Vertical circulation would be provided by four elevators, translating to about one elevator for every 136 units, indicating high-speed motors would be required for adequate response times.
Site plan, designed by Rafael + Bigauskas Architects for Menkes Developments
Residents would have access to 1,343m² of indoor amenity space and 696m² of outdoor amenity areas. Below grade, the project would include one level of underground parking providing 29 residential vehicular spaces, a substantial reduction from the previous 116 spaces.
Ground floor plan, designed by Rafael + Bigauskas Architects for Menkes Developments
Bicycle parking would entail 554 spaces, including 489 long-term and 55 short-term spots for residents, alongside 3 long-term and 7 short-term spaces serving the retail component. The earlier proposal provided 596 bicycle parking spaces.
Looking northwest to the podium, designed by Rafael + Bigauskas Architects for Menkes Developments
The site is within the Downtown PMTSA, placing it about a 620m walk from TMU station on Yonge Line 1. Dundas Street East also carries the 505 Dundas streetcar, providing frequent east–west service across the downtown core, while additional routes operate along nearby Jarvis and Sherbourne streets.
An aerial view of the site and surrounding context, image from submission to City of Waterloo
The proposal would rise amid a growing cluster of high-rise development in the eastern Downtown area surrounding TMU. To the west, Toronto Metropolitan University has proposed a 14-storey Science Building, while a 36-storey residential tower is planned at 295 Jarvis Street to the northwest. South of the site, a 52-storey tower has been proposed at 239 Dundas Street East, with additional high-rise projects nearby, including Primrose Hill’s 39- and 40-storey towers to the southeast and a 46-storey proposal at 214–230 Sherbourne Street. Farther west, the 53-storey 241 Church tower is currently under construction, while the 68-storey Missoni Sky has been proposed to the southwest.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
* * *
UrbanToronto’s research and data service, UTPro, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe—from proposal through to completion. Other services include Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
