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Moving north from our Etobicoke South coverage, UrbanToronto's Growth to Watch For series continues with an overview of development along Toronto's Bloor West corridor. Beginning at Highway 427 in central Etobicoke, we continue to travel further east, tracking construction north and south of Bloor all the way to Bathurst Street.
Our coverage focuses on the developments expected to make construction progress this year, with an overview of the completions, launches, and ongoing construction projects throughout the area. Looking to the future, we'll also take a quick look at the developments in the area that could begin making an impact in years to come.
Construction Progress in 2016
Starting off just north of the south Etobicoke development node covered on Tuesday, the central Etobicoke area is set to see a number of notable projects progress this year. Immediately east of Highway 427 and slightly north of Bloor, the third and final phase of Edilcan's One Valhalla community is set to be completed this year. The 29-storey, Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed tower—known as Triumph—will feature 298 residential units. Recent photos show ongoing cladding installation along the tower, with glazing now reaching the building's upper levels. Following cladding installation, interior work remains to be done, with move-ins expected in late 2016.
Moving east, another major Etobicoke complex is preparing to begin construction shortly. Slightly northwest of Bloor and Islington on a site that has been used as a commuter parking lot, the first phase of Tridel's three-tower Islington Terrace development is expected to break ground late this winter, following the 45-storey tower's sales launch last year. The phase one tower will be the tallest of the Kirkor Architects-designed buildings, with 38 and 35-storey towers expected to follow in the coming years.
Continuing along Bloor, the High Park area is also experiencing growth this year. Near the northwest edge of the park, North Drive Investments Inc.'s The High Park condominium is set to complete this year, adding 11 storeys of new density to the area.
Designed by Quadrangle Architects, the project is notable for the interplay of cladding that will be used, with brick, stone, and wood-toned elements interspersed along the glass exterior. Although construction has just recently climbed above grade (below), quick progress is expected throughout the year.
Slightly further east on Bloor—but still right across from the park—The Daniels Corporation's similarly named HighPark Condominiums is set to see retail opened at grade. With residents already moving in, the addition of ground-level retail will see more vibrancy brought to the area. The Diamond Schmitt-designed building features a central forecourt, which will provide a pleasant patio area for cafe and restaurant seating.
Just past the park and slightly to the north, TAS' DUKE Condos is also set to complete this year. Another Quadrangle-designed project, the Junction mid-rise has now risen well above grade on Dundas east of Keele. As of early January, the building has reached over half of its final 7-storey height. Later in the year, cladding installation will see an energy-efficient brick exterior—punctuated by recessed forms—take shape.
East of DUKE, Neudorfer's Fuse and Fuse2 Condos are asserting their presence near Lansdowne and Dupont. While the 278-storey Fuse is already topped off, and currently undergoing precast cladding installation, the 23-storey Fuse2 began rising above grade in late 2015. Fuse is set to complete this year, while Fuse2 will top off, targeting a 2017 completion. Both towers are designed by Barrett Architect Inc. and Burka Architects. A restored heritage warehouse will form the ground-level centrepiece of the project, with a Metro supermarket and Shoppers Drug Mart announced as retailers.
South of Bloor along Lansdowne, meanwhile, Aragon Properties' Enigma on the Park will add 86 residential units to the area just south of Dundas. The Quadrangle-designed the 9-storey building began construction in late 2015, with excavation currently taking place on site. 2016 will see the project make significant construction progress, and a 2017 completion date is likely. The building will introduce a somewhat unorthodox design aesthetic to the area, strongly characterized by a striking two-tone cladding pattern.
Just west again across the rail tracks from Engima is where an ambitious multi-use redevelopment is underway on Sterling Avenue, headlined by the restoration and adaptation of the Tower Automotive building for the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MoCCA) and others. Residential and retail are in the mix too, with the development known as Lower Junction.
In Sales, and Advanced Planning
With a large number of projects currently in various stages of the planning process or—in more advanced cases—already in sales, such as the master-planned Kip District community, located just west of the subway terminus, we can expect significant activity along the Bloor west corridor in years to come. Continuing east along the Bloor corridor, 4 The Kingsway which is just west of the Humber, and Picnic which is in Bloor West Village—will also see sales begin in 2016.
Other projects that could see sales begin this year include the 40-storey Aukland House in Etobicoke's Six Points area, LNX Condos in The Junction at Dundas West subway station, and 299 Campbell near Dupont and Lansdowne. In addition, some of Toronto's most notable proposals are making their way through the planning process along this corridor, including the large-scale Galleria Mall redevelopment, which is currently in the pre-approval process (with a public meeting scheduled for January 23rd), and Westbank's Mirvish Village/Honest Ed's redevelopment at Bloor and Bathurst.
Future Growth to Watch For
A plethora of projects are set to come online in the coming years, and any of these could be launched into sales this year as they make their way through the planning and development process. These include, along the furs test west reaches of Bloor in Etobicoke, 240 Markland Drive, the next phase of West Village Etobicoke on The West Mall north of Bloor, and a commercial office project at 600-620 The East Mall. Meanwhile, the following proposals are all located directly along Bloor Street (west to east): 2955-2961 replacing the Swiss Chalet in the Kingsway area, 2915 replacing the Kingsway Medical Centre, 2265 a mid-rise replacing low-rise apartments and shops in Bloor West Village, 2117 filling in a long-empty lot in Bloor West Village, 1439 filling in another empty lot at Perth Avenue, 918 where 5 storeys are proposed to replace 2, and 874 Bloor Street West where 6 storeys are proposed to replace 2. That last pair represent the type of redevelopment we may see a lot of on our main thoroughfares.
Over the longer term, Dundas Street should also experience a glut of redevelopment, with a wealth of projects proposed along the heavily suburban stretch between the 427 and Kipling subway station, with large properties at 5555 (Honeydale Mall), 5485-5487 and 5415 all having multi-tower proposals, while 5500 on the north side of the street would be a 2-storey retail redevelopment. Further east by the Humber River, 4208 is active in the planning process right now, while 3775 in Lambton and 2978 Dundas West in The Junction could move further through the process this year. A number of projects are also in the pipeline for Dupont Street beside Galleria Mall, with proposals at 1220-1230, 740, and 500 Dupont all in the hands of the City now.
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Our Growth to Watch For series will continue next week an overview of the development coming to the area northwest of Downtown (covering Chinatown, the Annex, and the U of T community). To catch up with our series so far, check out our previous GtWF stories about the Entertainment District, Southwest Toronto, and Etobicoke South.
What do you think of the projects that are transforming this area? Leave a comment at the bottom of this page, or join own the conversation on one of our associated Forum threads. For additional information, check out our dataBase files (linked below) and Forum threads.
