The last decade and a half has seen a major cultural and demographic shift in Toronto lifestyles, as Downtown continues to experience an unprecedented influx of new residents. Yet, for all the new urban density recently brought to the city, the overwhelming majority of new development has catered to young professionals, with most units in new buildings having only one bedroom. Now, as the first wave of Toronto's condo-boom residents find themselves 10 years older, many are looking to start families, yet finding an urban residential market with a dearth of child-friendly Downtown housing.

As young families struggle to balance the benefits of urban condominium living with the acute shortage of space in most units, the developers of Garrison Point plan to provide a viable solution, in the form of master-planned community that seeks to combine contemporary high-rise living with family amenities. The five tower development by Cityzen Development Group, Diamondcorp, and Fernbrook Homes, aims to bring larger units and family-oriented amenities to Toronto's condo market, making Downtown a more feasible place to raise kids.

Aerial view of Garrison Point, image courtesy of Cityzen/Diamond Corp/Fernbrook

Located in the Ordnance Triangle—situated between two rail lines east of Strachan Avenue and Liberty Village—the Garrison Point redevelopment plan includes five towers between 24 and 39 storeys, bringing a total of over 1,700 new units—as well as new retail and amenity space—to the area. The first of the two towers (below) are now under way, having started site preparation late last year. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the 32 and 27-storey condos represent the first phase of the project, with another two Hariri Pontarini-designed towers set to precede the final 39-storey skyscraper by Chicago-based bkL Architecture.

Phase one of Garrison Point, image courtesy of Cityzen/Diamond Corp/Fernbrook

Units in the first two condos will have an average size of 800 square feet, while many of the two-bedroom-plus-den suites will be larger than 1,300 square feet, providing a variety of family-friendly options. Additionally, both towers will feature larger townhouse units at the base (below), while the towers are designed to facilitate buyers combining smaller apartments into a single living space in pre-construction.

A look at the townhouse exterior, image courtesy of Cityzen/Diamond Corp/Fernbrook

Aside from the larger than average unit sizes and flexible configurations, Garrison Point's first phase also caters to families through child-friendly amenities, including a large playroom in the first tower (below), as well as a kids lounge area.

The play room, image courtesy of Cityzen/Diamond Corp/Fernbrook

Beyond Garrison Point's child-friendly features, the tower also includes a more adult-oriented range of amenities, including a theater, lounge, and party room (below). The amenities are designed and appointed Toronto-based firm Munge Leung.

A rendering of the party room, image courtesy of Cityzen/Diamond Corp/Fernbrook

The Garrison Point master plan also includes a new, 3.9 acre park, designed by Claude Cormer + Associates, which would provide valuable green space to the formerly industrial district. Connecting to Stanley Park in the north and Fort York in the south via new pedestrian bridges over the rail tracks, Garrison Point is the key to bringing these severed parts of the city together again. While the design of the bridges and the park itself have not been finalized yet (a huge pool facing the city skyline has been proposed), the park will create a public space for residents and the surrounding community alike while allowing kids an outdoor space to play.

Site plan of the project, with the pool visible in the far right

We will keep you updated on this large-scale development as progress continues. In the meantime, additional information—as well as over 30 renderings—can be found in our Garrison Point dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.