Development News

Imperial Plaza, the old Toronto headquarters of Imperial Oil, is having its guts ripped out to make way for some of the city's more distinctive condominiums.

According to Richard Mariani, marketing co-ordinator for the building's re-developer, Camrost-Felcorp, floors 5 through 15 are now having their interiors demolished, a process that involves "taking down the old flooring and walls so they can strip it down to the bones to see what needs to be done."

The 19th floor was stripped out this past summer, and the 20th floor of the 22-storey building is being kept intact for the moment to allow prospective buyers to get a look at the view and an idea of what the vintage 50s interiors of the classic building, designed by architect Alvan Mathers and built in 1957, look like.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Richard Mariani

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One of the harbingers of a new breed of mid-rise, high-design condos is nearing completion at College and Shaw.

Cube, designed by Raw and developed by Neilas Inc., is 21 units and six storeys. It's structurally complete, and the windows are up to the fifth floor, and the mechanical systems are being installed.

Completion is scheduled for September, which, according to architect Richard Witt, is "not unreasonable" though he wouldn't be surprised if it extended to the end of the year.

"Design sells," Witt says of the new breed of condo. "People buy iPhones and iPods because they're objects," a fascination that he says is now extending to the places people live.

"I think the thing with mid-rise architecture is that it takes a lot of creativity to make it work financially," Witt says, "so projects like that attract people who are more creative." And as for the developers, "It attracts more people who are interested and have big ideas, but aren't necessarily as set in their ways as the big developers."

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Richard Witt

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While plans are underway for a total reconstruction of St. Lawrence Market's north building, the venerable south building is getting its own makeover, starting as early as this month.

Onespace Unlimited won the competition to redesign the market's six entrances, which Onespace senior designer Isabelle Smith says haven't been renovated in the building's entire 160-year history.

Smith describes the modifications as primarily "adding wood and warmth to the place," and signs and bulletin boards to allow vendors to advertise and the market to announce its events.

The steel doors are also being replaced, though the carved wooden red ones are being retained, and another set of iron gates, which had been in storage, are being added to the front entrance to allow the market to open the vestibule and elevator to the public while the market as a whole is closed.

Three vestibules will be closed for a time as the work is done. Smith expects the work to be completed by Christmas.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Isabelle Smith

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With the help of a $500,000 Trillium grant, announced last week, the Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre is building a 10,000 square foot addition.

The new building, built on a vacant lot to the east of the current 33,000 square foot building, built in 1994, will cost a total of $3 million. The balance of the money will be coming from fundraising and bank financing.

According to Mike Mehta, a lifetime trustee with the Markham centre, which caters to Toronto's Hindu community, "space was very limited" in the old facility, and the new space will allow for five classrooms, a library, and a centre for youth and seniors.

Work will start in mid July, and be finished by March, 2012.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Mike Mehta

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The last two city blocks in the massive CityPlace development in the former railway lands are now being developed, under the architectural direction of Raw Design.

Blocks 33 and 37, as they're currently known, will be built into a 15-million square foot residential and retail project called Quartz.

"In order to give the development a distinct image in the area, and on the skyline, Raw is working with a crystalline geometry for the towers and organization of the ground plane," says Raw principal Roland Rom Colthoff, who was also involved in the design of Panorama, another CityPlace tower. "The fractured geometry will allow Raw to orient facades to specific views and defer to existing view corridors while using a subtle axial shifts to link the buildings together."

The development will have 30,000 square feet of retail and 25,000 square feet of amenity space.

According to Rom Colthoff, "Open public ways bisect the site linking the adjacent Canoe Landing to Fort York and the new pedestrian Bridge north on Dan Leckie Way, south to the lake.  This completes a pedestrian path and strong organizing axis which begins east of Spadina."

The current plan calls for two towers of 38 and 33 storeys, though Colthoff says this may change.

Construction of the towers, which will be clad in glass, pre-cast concrete and metal panels, is set to begin in the fall, with a fall, 2013 completion date projected.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Roland Rom Colthoff


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Digging is about to begin for the geothermal system that will serve a new Burlington condominium.

Named Ironstone, the 16-storey, 210-unit condo is being developed by Davies Smith. The geothermal heating, cooling and ventilation system is expected to reduce energy costs by between 60 and 70 per cent, and eliminate the need for natural gas completely.

According to Riva Finkelstein, who handles public relations for the projects architect, Raw Design, Ironstone "will be one of the first residential condo buildings to use geothermal in country."

Geothermal heating and cooling is based on the fact that the temperature remains fairly constant several metres below the earth's surface, and when water is circulated through specially designed pipes under a building, it can draw heat from the surrounding soil and rock during the winter, and shed heat during the summer. According to Select Energy Solutions, Inc., which is providing environmental consulting services to the development, the temperature 15 metres underground in Southern Ontario remains at a constant temperature of about 11 degrees.
The landscaping is being done by the Seferian Design Group and the interiors have been designed by Fullscale and Partners.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Riva Finkelstein

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Construction has started on another condo project in Regent Park.

Dubbed Paintbox by developer Daniels, the condo is being built on top of the Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre at 591 Dundas Street East.

Though Daniels is offering little particular information about the project except to potential buyers at the moment, Buzzbuzzhome reports that it will be 26 storeys with 284 units between 392 and 925 square feet. One thing Daniels is saying is that the prices will start in the low $200,000s, meaning that unlike Daniels nearby One Park West condos and townhomes, which start at around half a million, these condos are priced for people who might already live in the surrounding area (though not, at those sizes, for families).

Buzzbuzzhome is also reporting that the current plan is to incorporate a cafe into the development.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Matthew Slutsky

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Residents are moving in to 717 Broadview, a comprehensively renovated seniors building owned by Toronto Community Housing.

Originally slated for a December opening, the $10-million renovation and redesign has taken a 1970s building with 200 small rooms and transformed it into a 69-unit apartment building. The overhaul also turned part of the rear parking lot into a community garden.

In addition to being a more livable space for seniors in need of assisted housing, the new building is expected have its energy needs reduced by between 25 and 40 per cent.

Woodgreen Community Services will also be running programs out of the refurbished building's first floor.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Riva Finkelstein

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There was a symposium held last week on poverty and homelessness that could have substantial repercussions on how low-cost housing is handled in the city.

The symposium was attended by about 200 representatives of government and non-profit organizations. Its purpose was to discuss developments since the 2010 senate report, "In from the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness," which was written by senators Art Eggleton and Hugh Segal.

Senator Eggleton, a former Toronto mayor, was at the symposium, as was the new chair of the city's affordable housing committee, Ana Bailao.

"This symposium keeps the momentum going as we work to strengthen the engagement of the federal government to adopt comprehensive strategies on poverty, housing and homelessness," Senator Eggleton said in a press release. "It also shows how important it is to have all the players working together."

"Neighbourhood decline and disinvestment is a great risk to the future prosperity of our city. And our efforts to address the most complex issues facing our communities will require collaboration and commitment from all of us," said United Way CEO Susan MacIsaac. "We all have a role to play to reverse the growing trend of concentrated poverty to ensure all of our neighbourhoods are vital and strong."

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Gil Hardy

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An alternative home financing organization released a report last week to remind government that selling surplus land for low-cost residential development can help struggling neighbourhoods as well as aspiring homeowners.

Home Ownership Alternatives released three case studies of properties in Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto where government surplus land was used by HOA to improve the area and provide housing.

The Toronto example was Shermount, at Bathurst and Lawrence, on land that was once under the stewardship of the Canada Lands Company, the bureau responsible for federal land that's been designated as surplus.

"Home Ownership Alternatives wanted more people to realize what an impact careful redevelopment can have on a community." said Joe Deschenes Smith, vice president of partnerships for Home Ownership Alternatives, explaining the thinking behind releasing the report. "In each case study, governments committed to find partners who would develop mixed income communities.  Each government was paid market value for their land and at the same time helped families realize their dream of home ownership."

The result of the Shermount development was 380 mid-rise condominiums and 51 town homes, which sold at an average cost of $144,000 to buyers under the HOA second-mortgage scheme.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Joe Desch�nes Smith

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Skirt, a women's clothing store with shops in Waterloo, Guelph, Peterborough and London, opened its first Toronto location on Feb. 8.

The storefront at 476 Bloor, just east of Bathurst, the 1,200 square foot shop needed about $40,000 worth of renovations to transform it from the All Things Tea shop into a boutique catering to 18-30-year-old women.

"It was quite a bit of work," says manager Carmen Mitchell, who worked closely with owner Walter Engel on the opening. "We replaced the floors, we replaced all the lighting, we switched the door entrance at the back, knocked out of a few walls and a bathroom and extended the back room for storage."

The work was handled by contractor Mark Muller.

The company, which started up in the late 90s, though most of the shops have opened over the past two years, also operates seasonal stores in Grand Bend, Port Carling and Bala.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Carmen Mitchell

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Build Toronto, the city's arm's-length property development agency, sold its first piece of surplus city property in December.

The 0.78-acre lot at 154 Front Street East, previously home to a Greyhound depot, sold for $19 million after a request for proposals elicited 9 responses, of which seven met the RFP's requirements.

The winning bid came from Cityzen, which plans to erect a residential development there, and estimates are that the lot, once developed, will be worth around $100 million.

"This is hugely significant for us," says Bruce Logan, director of communications and stakeholder affairs at Build Toronto. "The sale sets a very strong tone for Build Toronto in its first full year of operation by demonstrating how a dedicated real estate expertise can capitalize on market conditions, planning assessments and prepare a compelling offer. The result is the ability to realize the best possible outcome and highest value for our shareholder."

The City of Toronto is Build Toronto's sole shareholder, and new councillor Doug Ford sits on its board.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Bruce Logan

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Tomorrow, and the city's commercial real estate development association, NAIOP (which, believe it or not, does not seem to be an acronym for anything), will be handing out its major prizes at the 10th annual Real Estate Excellence Awards.

There are 18 nominees for the six Rex Awards, which include office development of the year, industrial development of the year, investment deal of the year and an award for the greenest commercial development.

Oxford Properties has been nominated five times in four categories, and CB Richard Ellis is up for two of the awards.

The prizes will be handed out at the Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place at a $500-a-seat gala dinner, the proceeds from which are going to help build a community kitchen for Eva's Initiatives, which helps youth who are homeless or otherwise disadvantaged.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: John Thomas

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Toronto Waterfront's 11-acres of neighbourhood seeding that includes Sugar Beach, the Sherbourne Common and the Water's Edge Promenade, has been named one of this year's Best of the Best.

The Best of the Best Awards, now in its thirteenth edition, are handed out each year by the Toronto Construction association for "a unique adaptation/approach of a non-product, on-site process, technology, technique or implementation of a concept."

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, built and financed by Vanbots and designed by HOK Architects, and The Palisades on the Glen, whose construction was managed by PCL Constructors Canada, were also winners.

Eastern Construction, which is managing the Waterfront development, took the award in the medium-sized project category.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Samantha Gileno

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

The dockwall at the Portland Slip next to the Canada Malting silos is the latest improvement to the award-winning Water's Edge Promenade currently under construction by Waterfront Toronto and its construction manager, Eastern Construction.

Last week, according to Waterfront Toronto's newsletter, crews have been "driving sheet steel pilings to provide structural support for the dockwall. This work requires crews to take columns of wood, steel or concrete and drive them into the ground along the length of the dockwall."

Waterfront Toronto expected this phase of the work to be done by this past week, after which, work on the steel framing will begin.

Once complete, the promenade will have granite pavestones in a red and grey maple leaf mosaic, like the promenade that currently connects Sugar Beach and Sherbourne Common.

The promenade is expected to open in the spring of 2012.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Samantha Gileno

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