Earlier today, Great Gulf Homes celebrated the ground breaking of Yonge & Rich Condominiums with a reception held at the project's Lombard Street sales centre in Downtown Toronto. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the unofficial start of construction, meaning we can expect to see visible progress soon, with the parking lot that currently occupies the site now fenced off in anticipation of construction activity. 

Deputy Mayor Denzill Minnan-Wong joins Great Gulf representatives at the groundbreaking ceremony, image by Stefan Novakovic

Representing the City of Toronto, Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong (second from left, above) was on hand to praise the 45-storey architectsAlliance-designed project, which will bring significant new residential density to the comparatively underdeveloped east side of Downtown Toronto. "What I particularly like about this project is the emphasis on larger unit sizes," Minnan-Wong told the audience, "which allow for much-needed family housing in Toronto's Downtown."

The development is unique for its configuration into two separate condominium projects, which are divided by vertical location rather than by the lateral one suggested by the varying expressions of the notched, L-shaped tower's exterior. While the 'Yonge & Rich' condominium suites will constitute the majority of the development, the larger and more family-oriented 'Lombard' suites—beginning at the 34th floor—will occupy the top floors.

A rendering of the project, image courtesy of Great Gulf Homes

The two condominium corporations will feature separate amenities and different decor styles, with the upper-level 'Lombard' suites aimed at older and more established buyers, while the target clientele for 'Yonge & Rich' is strongly implied by the project's rather declarative but tongue-in-cheek name. Both condominiums will feature interiors by Burdifilek, while landscaping for the towers will be appointed by DTAH.

All told, the combined development will bring 669 residential suites to the market, with the eye-catchingly patterned towers rising above a brick-coloured podium that elegantly meets the area's established architectural character. The podium's ground level will also introduce new retail options to the neighbourhood, bringing further vibrancy to the area's increasingly lively streets. 

A scale model of the development takes centre stage at the sales centre, image by Stefan Novakovic

With construction now set to begin, we will keep you regularly updated with progress on the site. In the meantime, check out our dataBase page for Yonge + Rich, which features further information about the project, including additional renderings. Want to share your thought about the project? Leave a comment on this page, or join the conversation in our associated Forum thread, linked below.