Development News

High density's up and low-density's down in the latest figures released by RealNet.

"The low-density market was down by about 10 per cent," says RealNet president George Carras, of the numbers he released last week, "and the high density market was up 30 per cent."

According to Carras, this is primarily due to the fact that there is less and less low-density housing stock being built, downtown and in the outlying areas of the GTA. "You can't sell what you don't have," he says.

He expects it to be a trend that continues, though the current concentration of high-density building in the downtown core may lessen as other areas get on the condo bandwagon.

"What you're seeing now is the emergence of new nodes in Vaughan, Brampton, Oakville, but the question is, what kind of high density is it?" Carras says in many instances, it's involves a new trend of tower-free, four-storey density. He points to Daniels' first townhouse project in Mississauga last summer as example.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: George Carras

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The board of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund has approved up to $500,000 in funding for Greensaver, a non-profit that helps homeowners with the expense of installing solar panels.

TAF, a two decade-old arm's length creation of the city originally funded by the $23 million in proceeds from the sale of the Langstaff Jail farm lands, provides grants to the community and the city to help solve problems associated with air pollution.

This is TAF's second investment in residential solar panels. The first was Pure Energies last year.

"We're kind of like a mini bank," says executive director Julia Langer, explaining that Greensaver won't get all the money at once, but in the form of smaller loans as needed, depending on the volume of their business.

Langer describes TAF's financial strategy as win-win-win investments "that give us a market rate of return and are aligned with our mandate, decreasing greenhouse  impact and showing some lessons to the winder community."

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Julia Langer

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Tridel is just putting the finishing touches on a new 335-unit rental tower at Yonge and the 401, just south of Oakburn.

The building, called the Harrison, is owned by the KG Group, which owns several rental buildings in the area.

The building, which began construction in the spring of 2009, is part of Tridel's master-planed Avonshire development, which also includes the Avonshire and Aristo condo towers, and the Parkside townhomes.

According to Jim Ritchie, vice president of sales and marketing for Tridel, "At least 25% of the tenants are coming from outside of the GTA," given the relative paucity of purpose-built rental buildings to choose from in the outlying areas. He also says that a rental building owned by a single entity, as opposed to condos that get rented out by individual owners, is attractive to some tenants who like what he calls the "security of tenure" � their unit will not be sold out from under them.

Tenants have begun moving in, and have been offered two months free rent on signing an 18-month lease as compensation for the fact that not all of the building's amenities have been completed yet.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Jim Ritchie

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The Toronto Environment Office has instituted two new Green Toronto Awards to recognize individual business and homeowner efforts in the city.

Worth $5,000 each, the new awards, which join the previous prizes rewarding efforts in local food, community projects, energy conservation, environmental awareness, green design, leadership, water efficiency and youth leadership.

"With the green homeowner award, we're recognizing people showing leadership," says Lawson Oates, director of the TEO. "Examples can be energy and water conservation measures, changing light bulbs right, conserving storm water, putting in low-flow shower heads, low-flush toilets, renewable energy insulation, geothermal for their homes, it can be landscaping, zeroscaping so they're not using tap water to water their lawn, using vegetation that can withstand droughts in the summer."

The business award will focus on products, services and physical plants, with a concentration on smaller businesses without sizeable research and development budgets.

The prize consists of a certificate and plaque, and $5,000. The catch, especially for homeowners, is that the money must be spent further your own green goals, or as a donation to a green charity.

Nominations close at midnight, Feb. 7.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Lawson Oates

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Beaverhall Homes had their grand opening this past weekend for a new upscale subdivision in Woodbridge on the 10-acre site of the former Reeves Garden Centre.

The model home, showily designed by Flora di Menna Design (in the middle of its otherwise typically advertorial prose, the National Post's real estate section's description of the interior mentioned that "Tony Montana would approve"), is finished near Islington and Highway 7.

"It is an infill piece," says construction manager Elisa Pennino, "where it's surrounded by an existing, very mature residential area, which was eye-catching to us."

The project is being built on 34 lots, with frontages of 60, 65 and 70 feet, with depths between 157 and 160 feet. The target demographic, according to Pennino, is 40 to 60-year-old Woodbridge locals.

Prices range from $1.3 to $1.8 million for houses between 3,800 and 5,800 square feet. The architect is Hunt Design of Richmond Hill. Construction is set to begin in April or May, and Pennino expects the first closing to be December, 2011.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Elisa Pennino

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A planned community in mid-construction at Yonge and the 401 is exhibiting a greater than average dedication to diversity.

Avonshire, by Tridel, features not only the regular, relatively high end condo towers, and the by now usual townhouse component, but a rental building as well as a lower priced tower specifically aimed at first-time buyers and others who are willing to swap space for price.

The Aristo tower, just launched, will be 285 units on 21 floors. The sizes will range from about 400 to 900 square feet.

"Aristo differentiates itself from the Avonshire condominium in that the architecture is avant-garde, with extensive use of glass, and the suites are somewhat smaller," says Jim Ritchie, Tridel's vice president of sales and marketing. "Our target market is first-time buyers that are attracted to downtown towers, in terms of architecture and design, but prefer to live in a central location, close to transit, north of the 401."

The architect for this "central" project is Kirkor, with Munge Leung signed up to do the interiors. The building will also pursue LEED accreditation, a standard policy now for the developer.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Jim Ritchie

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The third Whole Foods in Toronto, going up at Yonge and Sheppard, in the bottom of the Hullmark Centre, will be the biggest in the city.

Though loath to reveal the square footage, or many details at all -- "that would be showing our hand to our competitors," says Metro Store Team Leader Peter Hilge -- he did say it would be on one floor, there would be a cafe, and several amenities that are not currently offered in other GTA Whole Foods stores.

When asked why the company chose that location, Hilge echoes the currently popular line among developers and others with financial interest in the quickly expanding area. "If you took a pin and stuck it in the middle of Toronto, that's where it is," Hilge says pointing out it's at the intersection of the Yonge and Sheppard subway lines, and close to the 401. "Pusateri's just opened over on Bayview, and I truly think this is a better location," he says.

The new store, designed by Markham-based firm Petroff, will begin construction in 18 months, and is scheduled to open in early 2013, before many of the residents have moved in to the large condo complex above, according to Hilge.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Peter Hilge

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Toronto's flagship Whole Foods is getting a massive expansion.

The Yorkville store, which already dominates the Hazelton Lanes shopping mall it's in, will go from 40,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet, and encompass a second atrium.

According to Peter Hilge, Whole Foods' Metro store team leader, the deal has been signed for Whole Foods to take over the space directly behind its current store, and work is expected to start in March, and finish no later than September 26, which is the end of the fiscal year for the Austin-based grocery store chain.

 "The store's nine years old, and it's doing very well, but it's time to put a new dress on the lady," Hilge says. "So we're updating the store, adding more features that have been successful in other stores we've done."

According to Hilge, 80 per cent of the existing store is being refurbished, with a pasta bar and a sit-down restaurant being added, complete with organic alcohol service.

With their second atrium, Whole Foods hopes to offer 7am calisthenics in conjunction with Hazelton Lanes, as well as chef demonstrations.
The architect for the project is Markham's Petroff Partnership Architects.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Peter Hilge

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Toronto's bridgework continues to shut down or slow down roads across the city.

This past weekend, the westbound lanes of the Gardiner Expressway were closed from the Humber River to Spadina Avenue from 11pm on Saturday until 9am on Sunday.

"We're removing some of the overhang formwork and installing some conduits on the underside of the bridges," says Mike Laidlaw, acting manager of structures and expressways.

The overhang formwork he refers to is the superstructure erected to aid in the earlier work done of the bridge, which was demolished in April, and whose reconstruction was almost completed before the winter weather halted further substantial work until spring.

Part of a larger $14-million contract, the work that was conducted last weekend, and which will continue into next weekend during similar hours, cost between $250,000 and $300,000.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Mike Laidlaw

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Highway 27 was shut down for the last three days, ending this morning, to allow six enormous vats destined for Molson Coors' Carlingview Drive brewery to be delivered from the Port of Hamilton.

At 40,000 kg, 8 metres high and 7 metres in diameter, the vats are meant to increase the brewery's production capacity, according to Gord Gilchrist, project manager for Mammoet, the heavy transportation company responsible for the transfer.

"This is probably one of the smallest things we'll move this year," Gilchrist says, explaining his company generally hauls transformers, generators and petrochemical equipment, often having to plot routes that avoid bridges when loads are too heavy for them to support.

No such measures had to be taken this time. "These things are really small," Gilchrist says with a chortle. But they did have a police escort, and in addition to Highway 27, Disco Road, Attwell Drive, Belfield Road, Farnboro Road and Dixon Road all had to be closed at various times during the last three nights.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Gord Gilchrist

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Starting Jan. 1, Toronto stopped using Michigan as its dumping ground, replacing it with the city-owned (and obviously named) Green Lane Landfill in Elgin County's Southwold Township, about 200km from downtown, just southwest of London.

There will now be between 45 and 66 trucks a day leaving from Toronto to the new landfill site, between 7am and 10am, and 2pm and 5pm, according to George South, the city's director of solid waste.

According to South, this will actually represent a decrease in the amount of traffic immediately surrounding the landfill. "There used to be other operations run from the landfill site," he says. "They used to have a large fleet of trucks which is no longer there."

The site is actually on the old route to the Michigan landfill, so the path the trucks and their waste are now taking is the same.

There were 905 trucks going from the city to the site in 2009, and in 2010, there were about 1,362 trucks, plus the traffic to Michigan. The total number for 2011 is expected to be between 11,700 and 17,600 trucks annually. Last year, the city estimates there were 15,294 trucks on the Michigan route.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: George South

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Today's the last day to get an advance look at the designs for the Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Museum, being built on a large campus of land between 49 and 77 Wynford Drive.

On display on the first floor of the Ontario Science Centre since Dec. 23, the exhibit is free. According to theismaili.com, the website of the international Ismaili community, "The Aga Khan Museum will be a museum of Muslim culture that will seek to address the gap of knowledge about Islam and create opportunities for dialogue and understanding between peoples and cultures. The first of its kind in North America, it will bring together visitors locally and internationally, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to explore their connected heritage and celebrate their unique backgrounds."

According to Councillor John Parker, in whose ward the buildings are going up, the exhibit is "well worth viewing."

The $300-million, 6.8 hectare project is set to be completed in 2013.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Councillor John Parker

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Scadding Court and Alexandra Park will be holding two public meetings at the Scadding Court Community Centre to discuss plans and priorities for redevelopment of the areas.

"Scadding Court Community Centre, the Sanderson Library and the Alexandra Park Neighbourhood Learning Centre are starting to plan for the future by exploring options for redeveloping the important community assets at Bathurst and Dundas," the ward's councillor, Adam Vaughan, said in a Dec. 23 email to his constituents.

The development process is currently in its first phase, a feasibility study conducted by Levitt Goodman Architects, begun in October, of which these meetings are a part. Issues such as traffic, parking, zoning and community space requirements are all being considered, and the study is due to be issued next month.

After that, there will be a business planning phase, and finally a decision about what tack to take, which will involve more community consultations. There is no announced time line for this third phase, or for the redevelopment itself.

The meetings will convene on Jan. 26 at 6pm, and on Feb. 1 at 7pm. Scadding Court Community Centre is at 707 Dundas Street West, on the southeast corner of Bathurst and Dundas.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Councillor Adam Vaughan

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As Torontonians get more and more environmentally conscientious, recycling, composting, not using plastic bags for their groceries, a second-wave sort of feeling can set in. Are we doing enough? Or are all these little things we do just that, little things that don't add up to enough to have any real effect?

And this questioning can extend to the corporate world, as well. If a hotel says it's being green by using low-flow showerheads, or an office building toots its own horn because it turns off all its lights at night, are they greening, or greenwashing?

According to Doug Webber, the green building practice leader for Halsall, an engineering and consulting firm that helps corporate clients use their energy more efficiently, turning off an office tower's lights at night is no small beer.

According to Webber, an average tower tenant expends about a quarter of its energy on lighting.  So if they only turn on their lights between 7am and 6pm, instead of keeping them on all night, "That's 50 per cent of the hours that the lights are off. You could save 12 per cent of your energy just by turning the lights off at night."

Another quarter of corporate tenant's energy tends to go to information technology, so turning computers off -- and reducing the number of servers that need to be on all the time, whenever possible -- when they're not in use can have a similar effect.

"One of the problems with accusations of greenwashing, if they're not careful, is that they can throw cold water on what might be legitimately good first steps," says Chris MacDonald, visiting scholar with the Rotman School of Business's Clarkson Centre for Business Ethics who also runs the Business Ethics Blog "A company may be trying to get some credit for doing the right thing, but then figures they're getting crapped on, so they'll stop."

For his part, MacDonald reserves the term for companies he thinks "have just an atrocious track record and they're really holding up something tiny that isn't central to what they do."

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Doug Webber, Chris MacDonald

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Behind the now familiar hoarding on the Yonge Street facade of the Toronto Reference Library, aka Metro Reference, the glazed glass wall is going in at street level, one of several renovations and expansions that will bring the famously inward-looking building out into the street.

According to Linda Mackenzie, director of research and reference libraries, there will also be a chain cafe and a gift shop that, she says, "will add some commercial activity on Yonge Street."

The entrance is also being reconceived by the Moriayama and Teshima, the building's original architects, in the form of two stacked transparent cubes that will serve as a welcome lobby, a gathering place and ultimately a place for library events.

"We did have a very recessed entrance under a canopy," Mackenzie says, "and now the two cubes combined will reach out to the edge of the property, and the curtain wall along Yonge will [also] be at the property line."

In the planning stages since 2000, and under construction for two years, the next phase of the Eastern Construction-managed $34-million project to be completed will be the expanded main floor, which is due to open in the spring.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Linda Mackenzie

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to [email protected].