UrbanToronto's Forum and consequently the Twitter-sphere were on fire today regarding the perceived closure of the highly-regarded and much-anticipated Context King West, by Context Developments. We got in touch with Context management and can now provide clarification in order to quell some of the rumours circulating.

Project rendering for Context King West, image courtesy of Context Developments

The project, combining several properties, has unfortunately been dealing with land title issues and has thus far been unable to resolve all of them. Rather than pushing forward with a public opening without first resolving said issues, Context has decided to put the project on hold — and has not abandoned it. Deals that have been made prior to the hold have not been cancelled, and Context is continuing to work to resolve the issue.

While we're sorry to see this project come to a bit of a halt, we're glad Context is approaching the matter proactively and more importantly responsibly, rather than opening to the public while outstanding issues persist. Our earlier reports on Context King West praised the architecture by Hariri Pontarini, as well as the benefits this project would bring to the community. The building reconnects to the district's warehouse roots through the use of brick on the lower levels and expansive arches. The courtyard that was proposed to run the length of Context King West would greatly contribute to the public realm by creating a retail laneway that would connect King Street to Adelaide. We'll hold out hope for this project's speedy return to market and the successful mediation of the land title issue.