Construction of the Crosstown LRT is making more areas of Toronto attractive for redevelopment, and developers are finding undervalued properties to improve. One such site is on Dufferin Street, north of Eglinton Avenue where a new mid-rise development will soon be replacing a former auto repair shop.

Developer Royalpark Homes is following up on their 'Baker Street Residences' downtown townhouse development with a new five-storey condominium residence called The Bean Condominiums. Designed by Romanov Romanov Architects, The Bean will add 50 condominium units to a stretch of Dufferin Street that is well served by transit and only a short distance north of a future Eglinton-Crosstown LRT station. In the image below, we take a southeast-facing look at the site as seen from the Beltline Trail as it passes over Dufferin Street.

View of The Bean site looking southeast from The Beltline trail, image by Craig White

For a better understanding of the development site and surrounding context, we turn to an aerial image, facing north on Dufferin Street with a red pin marking the future site of The Bean.

Apple Maps aerial of The Bean development site

As for the building itself, renderings have yet to be released for the funkily-named development, but earlier elevation sketches, as well as details from a City of Toronto background file give hints of what is to come here. The building will offer ample retail in the form of 197.3 square metres (about 2,000 square feet) of ground floor commercial space located adjacent to Dufferin Street. Residents of the development will have access to 463.9 square metres of amenity space (nearly 5,000 square feet) on the fifth floor including 93.9 square metres of indoor amenity and 370 square metres of outdoor amenity space.

We will return with renderings and new information as additional details about the development continue to emerge. In the meantime, you can check out the associated Forum threads, or join in the discussion by leaving a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.