The trendy West Queen West neighbourhood continues to attract new residents, many of whom are drawn towards loft-style condominium developments like The Carnaby, a new high-rise project by developers Streetcar and Dream (formerly Dundee Realty), and currently under construction at Queen and Gladstone.

Construction of The Carnaby, image by Craig White

Designed by TACT Architecture, the 20-storey, 200-unit building is part of the redevelopment of nearly a whole city block, one which has already brought us Two Gladstone and 8 Gladstone. Out of the two active phases of construction, The Carnaby is rising quickly and has reached the half-way point on its ascent, while the excavation is complete at sibling project Twenty Lofts and the lowest level of the garage is now being formed.

The Carnaby (right) and Twenty Lofts (left), image by Craig White

The Carnaby and its sibling developments in the complex all share a European-style pedestrian mews lined with shops, galleries and studio space. The mews will knit together the community on either side of the site, creating inviting pedestrian mid-block connections space sure to draw in both residents and passerby. The mid-block mews will run north-south between The Carnaby and 8 Gladstone, while east and west arms will run off it. 

Rebar being unloaded from a flatbed trailer by the crane, image by Craig White

Like all concrete structures, The Carnaby uses large quantities of steel rebar to reinforce the concrete floors, walls and columns. In the image above, we can see a worker directing a pair of rebar bundles being hoisted by the crane off the flatbed trailer which they were delivered on.

The Carnaby viewed from Queen Street, image by Craig White

The west side of the Carnaby development will be home to a new park, complete with green space and a performance area designed to take advantage of the sloping site. The area is home to a strong cycling culture, and the site's proximity to the West Toronto Rail Path combines with the cyclist and pedestrian-friendly mews to make for a very inviting space.

Rendering of The Carnaby's Metro grocery store and public park, image courtesy of Streetcar Developments

In addition to the amenities and public space the development will bring to the area, The Carnaby will also include a Metro grocery store on its south side, giving residents a place to stock up on groceries without having to travel very far.

Additional information and renderings for all of the Carnaby site projects can be found in our dataBase files, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.