Development News

As the new Four Seasons towers on Bay Street get the first of their glass cladding, the old Four Seasons on Avenue is finally on the verge of sliding into history.

On May 18, the Ontario Municipal Board ruled that developer Menkes current plan, for two residential towers, one 133 metres, the other 127 metres, on an 18 metre podium for two storeys of retail space, can go ahead.

There had been some controversy about the height, with opposition both from the city and the provincial government due to the effect towers of this high here would have on the north-looking view of the Ontario Legislature. The city had proposed a slightly lower plan, of 116 metres for the south tower and 99 metres for the north, but it was rejected.

According to the city's planning department, the next step in the process is for Menkes, which is building the new Four Seasons as well, to get what's known as a site plan approval, which involves plans on how garbage will be collected, where fire hydrants are going to go, landscaping, etc. "They're also required to submit a construction mitigation plan," says Louis Tinker with the city's planning office, though he says with the OMB's decision, the rest is just figuring out the details.

There's no word yet on when demolition and construction might begin.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Louis Tinker

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

The empty space that used to house the Rolls Royce dealership, just south of the Ferrari showroom on the Avenue Road facade of Hazelton Lanes, has a new occupant.

Palais Royale, ultimately a house and home store but for now mostly a high-end bedding boutique, opened April 21, expanding from a three-year-old 800 square foot space inside the mall to this 2,300 square foot space with 25-foot ceilings.

"We really jumped the ladder on this one," says Avi Narang, the owner and manager, of the significant increase in space, which he estimates cost $250,000 to renovate. He says he decided to keep a little bit of the ceilings, but changed everything else from its days as one of the city's highest-end automotive showrooms.


Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Avi Narang

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

One of the biggest projects during this season of road works is the renovation of the Jameson bridges.

"We'll be taking the decks off the Lakeshore west-bounds and to accommodate that, we'll be building a detour for Lakeshore westbound from British Columbia Drive to Dowling Avenue," says John Bryson, the city's manager of structures and expressways. As a result, Lakeshore will run south of the Gardiner for the length of the new detour.

The bridges were old, probably built, Bryson says, at the same time as the Gardiner, between 1958 and 1965. Though they're been refurbished before, this would be the first complete overhaul they'd have received, the result of the bi-annual city-wide bridge survey his department does.

The entire project, including the detour, will cost $16 million.

Work is expected to be completed in the middle of next summer, with the detour removed by September or October. With the exception of a few night-time closures of the Gardiner, Bryson does not expect traffic to be stopped or significantly affected by the work.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: John Bryson

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

The proposed $4.6-billion Eglinton light rapid transit line, part of the Transit City plan whose funding is currently in dispute with the province, cleared its last significant administrative hurdle last week when it got its notice to proceed from the Minister of the Environment.

"He's identified that there are no provincial concerns in terms of heritage culture and aboriginal rights," says Ryan Bissonnette, a spokesperson for Transit City at the TTC.

There had been concerns in those areas raised by members of the public, though the details of them were never released to the TTC.

Metrolinx, the provincial agency responsible, had given its official go ahead to the line on May 19.

The line, which will run 33km from Kennedy station to Pearson Airport, is budgeted to cost $4.6 billion and is currently scheduled for completion in 2020. More than 10 kilometres of the line, between Brentcliff and Black Creek, will be underground.

Construction is expected to start in 2011, with preliminary works, such as the relocation of utility poles and wires, starting several months before that.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Ryan Bissonnette

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

The towers being built by Concord Adex at CityPlace have a few things in common, including low starting prices, a range of smaller units, and a lot of investors buying them either to rent or to flip. It's created a lively marketplace down there, by several definitions of the term.

Plazacorp's new West Harbour City development at Fleet and Bathurst is a different animal. The average unit size for Phase I is 900 square feet, and though there are units that sell in the mid-$200s, the standard is larger and less aimed at the investor/renter market.

"It's really an end-user market we went after," says Plazacorp VP Scott McLellan, "because of the sheer size of the units."

Built on the site of the old Molson Brewery, this 36-storey tower has just opened its doors to residents, adding 469,000 square feet of residential space to the city's booming southern end.

The building, which will consist of two towers sharing a single podium, was designed by Les Klein, the Quadrangle architect known for his plan to turn the Gardiner Expressway into a green-ribbon park. It's distinguished from its CityPlace neighbours through an extensive use of pre-cast concrete, giving the project a much different look from the standard glass fa�ades that characterize the area.

There will be a small amount of retail on the ground floor, though no clients have been signed yet. The space is currently being used as a sales office for Phase II.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Scott McLellan

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

Work on the 1.3-million square foot Scarborough Town Centre, which customers have been putting up with since demolition began in the fall of 2008, is officially 6 months away from completion.

"It was time," says Kathy Meyers, STC's general manager of the $62-million project. "We were ripe for renovation."

The first full overhaul of Scarborough's flagship mall since it was built in 1973 (there was an extension to add cinemas in the mid-1990s) , the Petroff Partnership-led project is a thorough update of the mall to bring it into line with other more or less recent upgrades to Yorkdale and the Eaton Centre.

"A big part of the renovation is adding light and brightness," Meyers says, "opening up the ceilings, opening up the skylights."

Though there is no space being added to the 401 & McCowan mall, there will be new escalators, new elevators to accommodate strollers and wheelchairs, and significant new tenants, including a new Guess flagship and a Pink by Victoria's Secret.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Kathy Meyers

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

Construction has begun on 115 Dupont, the last component of the 13-unit 113 Dupont project built by Ken Zuckerman of Zinc Construction.

"It's the only single-family detached house that we'll have there," says Zuckerman of the plan for the leftover piece of land from the 113 townhouse development.

The house, by RAI Architect, features high ceilings in a two-storey loft design. "The second floor will look down on the first floor, with a bridge across the two halves (of the upper floor) to get to two bedrooms," Zuckerman says, calling it "pretty dramatic, pretty interesting."

The residence will also feature a 2,200 square foot roof-top terrace. He estimates the cost will be about $2.9 million.

"I think we've changed the area with the quality of what we did and the people that live there," Zuckerman says of the formerly orphaned strip of Dupont east of Davenport.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Ken Zuckerman

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

12 Degrees, one of most hotly anticipated new condo developments this season, partly a result of John Bentley Mays' glowing review of the design, is finally launching on Saturday, May 29.

Part of a new breed of developers specializing in infill rather than large towers, BS�R is staking its reputation on this project, their first.

The architect is Core's Charles Gane, who was also responsible for Peter Freed's 75 Portland and Fashion House, as well as 169 John St., the last condo in the area to be built before 12 Degrees, tucked in just behind the Umbra store.

"Homeowners will really feel the unique attributes of the location when they step out of their front door and get that immediate sense of being in a true urban neighbourhood," BS�R principal Tyler Hershberg says of the building's Queen and Beverly location in anticipation of the launch.

In addition to the 90 units on 11 floors, there will be rooftop gas barbeques and a private dining room and lounge available for all residents.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Tyler Hershberg


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

The latest in what's becoming a long line of high-design restaurants, begun with Commute Home's work on King Street's Kultura, is set to open in the next couple of weeks.

Parts & Labour is being put together by Kei Ng and Brian Richer, the men behind Oddfellows and the design firm Castor. The chef, Matty Matheson, is also the culinary force behind Oddfellows. The designer of the space, working in conjunction with the chef and owners, is Victoria Taylor, who will be putting an idiosyncratic stamp (described by Richer as "heavy metal dude ranch") on the 5,000 square foot space at 1566 Queen West, west of Lansdowne at Sorauren.

"It's the last frontier for Queen West," says Ng, "and we're excited to shape this particular environment and contribute to the community at large."

In addition to a 30-foot bar, the space will feature six communal tables and an 1,800 square foot roof garden where the team plans to grow many of its ingredients.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Tatiana Read

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

The TTC has announced its schedule for its "second exit" subway station updating program that will add second exits to 14 stations in the system identified as needing them by a 2002 safety study.

According to project manager Steve Stewart, in addition to Broadview, which has already been completed, Castle Frank and Pape, which are currently under construction, the stations to be upgraded, in chronological order, are Wellesley, Donlands, Greenwood, Museum, Dundas, College, Summerhill and Dundas West.

In addition, Dufferin, Chester and Woodbine stations will undergo general modernizations beginning shortly.

"We hope to finish them over the next 10 years," Stewart says.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Steve Stewart

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

A meeting to bring major tenants and major landlords together in the city's core to discuss green initiatives will take place May 27 in Commerce Court.

Organized by the law firm of Stikeman Elliott, the meeting will bring together other large-scale tenants of the building to meet with landlord GWL Realty Advisors.

The second of five such meetings planned, it is part of the Greening Our Workplaces Tenant Series, an initiative of Greening Greater Toronto, which is itself under the auspices of the Toronto City Summit Alliance.

"It's tenants who are driving these meetings," says Linda Weichel, managing director of Greening Greater Toronto. "It's really about understanding the obstacles for commercial buildings to reduce their energy use."

Weichel says that one of the main benefits of such meetings is the opportunity they provide for some tenants to share data relating to programs they may already have tried out themselves that may end up working for their neighbours.

"There are capital constraints where people only have so much money to spend," she says, "and they need to know the money they will be committing is actually going to make a difference, and is going to work for them."

The first meeting was held between BMO and their landlord at First Canadian Place, Brookfield Properties. The next three have not yet been announced.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Linda Weichel

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

Though you may not have noticed it, the King Edward Hotel, one of Toronto's most redoubtable, has been in limbo for years.

Once owned by a consortium that included Lehman Brothers, which planned a major overhaul, it's been on the market for a couple of years now, But even beyond that, it's third, fourth and fifth floors, once commercial fashion space, have been utterly vacant for a decade. But a new partnership, including Dundee Realty, has bought the hotel and at the beginning of June will launch their $20-million plan for 140 condos to be tucked into those three floors.

"For some purchasers, this will be seen as the quintessential pied � terre," says Jason Lester, chief operating officer for Dundee, who expects it to be popular with down-sizers as well.

In addition to its historic location, and the fact that it's in a hotel and all that will entail, the condos will actually be relatively reasonably priced -- suites will start in the low $400s --  putting the project in a different, more accessible category then the other hotel condos going up around town.

Though there will be no structural renovations, the partnership does plan to redo the lobby into a lobby-bar. It's also currently asking City Council whether they'll be able to restore six King Street balconies � three on the third floor and three on the fifth -- that were part of the hotel's original design.

The Consort Bar, one of the city's favourite old-style hotel bars, will probably stay in its current form.

Renovation and construction is planned to begin in January, with a completion date in the summer of 2012. The hotel will remain open throughout.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Jason Lester

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

The area that's become Liberty Village was never meant to be as popular as it's become. As a result, it's 1911 power grid is being taxed, limiting the amount of growth potential the neighbourhood has. So Toronto Hydro is investing $2.5 million in upgrading the system.

"The project essentially will accommodate the area's growth as new customers connect to the gird," says Denise Atallah, Toronto Hydro's spokeswoman. "The new equipment will also provide more reliable service to the area."

The new equipment includes new poles and higher voltage transformers.

Crews have been on the site since February, and work should be completed by August.

For those who keep track of such things, the current voltage is 4.16kV, and the proposed voltage for the upgrade is 13.8kV, with 4,000 kVA worth of load being transferred onto the new system

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Denise Atallah


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

Sales quotas have been reached and the vacant plot is being prepared for construction of the King West condominiums, the Plazacorp development that, with its 1,117 units, will be adding a whole new village to Liberty Village.

With construction set to begin this summer, and to be completed sometime in 2013, the large, three-tower, single-podium building will not only be adding between 2,000 and 2,500 people to the neighbourhood.

"The way it's designed, with the towers and a podium, the residents are getting a half acre of rooftop garden," says Nestor Repetski, spokesman for the project.

King West was sold and is being built in three phases, and will be spread out between 65 and 85 East Liberty Street. Designed by Quadrangle Architects, who are also responsible for the Village's Toy Factory Lofts.

The three towers will be 25 storeys each.

The project has been a long time coming, having been first proposed in 2004, 9 years before it's current scheduled completion.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Nestor Repetski

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

The enormous River City development planned for the West Don Lands, to be developed by Urban Capital Property Group, received one of the top prizes at this year's BILD Awards.

Named the best building design in the high-rise category (Edgemere won the low-rise category), River City was designed by Montreal's Saucier + Perrotte Architects and Toronto's ZAS Architects.

When completed between 2017 and 2020, River City will be a five-building development with 900 condominiums south of King Street between River Street and the Don. It is being built to LEED Gold standards, with a plan for it to be, with offsets included, carbon neutral.

The first phase is expected to begin construction early next year and completed early in 2012. It will consist of one five-storey, 100-unit building and one 15-storey, 230-unit building. Daily Commercial News estimates the ultimate construction cost of the project to be $150 million.

The BILD Awards are given out by the Building Industry and Land Development Association, a GTA residential building, development and renovation industry association.

Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Waterfront Toronto

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