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This edition of UrbanToronto's Growth to Watch For series shifts into midtown Toronto with an overview of development along the St. Clair Avenue corridor. Identified as an avenue in the City of Toronto's Official Plan, the area is targeted for mid-rise residential and mixed-use development aimed at creating density and urban streetscapes, while avoiding the forest of high-rise tower typologies seen elsewhere in the city.
Passing through more sensitive and smaller scale neighbourhoods, there are many developments along St. Clair that are poised to make an impact on their immediate area. We will take you through a list of projects expected to be completed this year, as well as a list of projects continuing excavation and construction through 2016. Finally, we have compiled a list of all development proposals along the St. Clair, whether approved or still in their design phase, that are planned for the area in the near future.
Completing and Topping Off
Beginning in Forest Hill, BLVD Developments and Lifetime Developments' The Code Condos has topped off on St. Clair Avenue West just east of Spadina Road. The 9-storey, Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed building will bring 10 two-storey townhouses with private street entrances and 108 new condo units to the neighbourhood. Offering expansive views in all directions from its upper floors, expect The Code Condos to reach completion later in 2016.
Right next door, National Homes' Churchill Collection is just being completed at 288-290 St. Clair Avenue West. The development adds a series of three-storey three-bedroom townhouses across from Sir Winston Churchill Park designed in a style that helps to blend within the mostly traditionally styled homes of the Forest Hill neighbourhood.
Moving south of Casa Loma, Burnac Corporation's South Hill on Madison is nearing completion. Designed by Northgrave Architects, the 7-storey building will feature 10 townhouses and 159 condominium units, offering private rooftop terraces and sweeping views of downtown and Casa Loma.
A Year of Construction
Joining the construction boom a couple blocks to the east, Brandylane Homes' The Davies should begin to rise on Avenue Road over the next year. With the presentation centre now open, this nine-storey condo building designed by SMV Architects will soon make its presence felt along the avenue.
Several buildings along St. Clair are continuing construction this year, with expected completion in 2017 or later.
Hopping up Avenue Road, one block just to the east is where one of the more exciting projects along St. Clair is starting to rise out of the ground. The second of three phases at Camrost-Felcorp's Imperial Plaza is a 27-storey rental tower added at the rear of the building, which a peaking above grade. The project's first phase was the restoration and repurposing of the Imperial Oil Building—including the stunning two-storey polished marble lobby containing York Wilson's two-mural masterpiece 'The Story of Oil'—into which residents and retail have recently moved into at the end of last year. The next phase of the project will see will continue construction through 2016.
To the west a couple blocks, ZIGG Condos by Madison Homes and Fieldgate Homes is currently digging down into the ground in order to rise up. Shoring and excavation are now taking place for the 11-storey Kirkor Architects-designed mid-rise. Bringing 166 new condo units to the exclusive area, excavation will finish mid-2016, with an expected completion date in 2018.
Continuing west to Bathurst, excavation is wrapping up on Reserve Properties' Rise Condos. The 23-storey tower designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects will bring 283 condo units to the bustling intersection. Stay tuned for updates as the tower will begin rising above the ground sometime in 2016.
Further west, Rockport Group's Nest Condos is rising out of the ground at 829 St. Clair Avenue West near Winona Drive. The nine-storey 123-unit condo building by RAW Design is bringing its boxy aesthetic to the historic area. After holding their groundbreaking event back in October 2014, the building has completed excavation and is now rising past ground level. Look for completion of this building sometime late in 2016 or early 2017.
Future Growth to Watch For
Beginning at the busy intersection of Yonge and St. Clair, Aspen Ridge's The Jack Condos is set to appear on the site of the former CHUM Building at 1331 Yonge. Designed by Quadrangle Architects, the 11-storey mid-rise building will see 149 units erected on a piece of prime real estate located between two subway stations, with demolition expected on site this year. South of St. Clair, meanwhile, Old Stonehenge and the Clifton Blake Group are collaborating on Hill and Dale Residences, an adaptive reuse project—designed by Studio JCI—at 1027 Yonge (below). Sales will start soon.
Moving west along the St. Clair corridor, Camrost-Felcorp is selling units at the last phase at Imperial Plaza, called Blue Diamond Condos, a 28-storey 292-unit Diamond Schmitt Architects-designed tower that incorporates part of the existing Norman-style Deer Park United Church constructed in 1911. The church, whose restoration will be undertaken by ERA Architects, will be partially preserved and serve as part of the tower's gardens. Paired with Camrost-Felcorp's other Imperial Plaza phases at the site, the intersection of St. Clair West and Avenue Road is about to get a lot more interesting. Hoarding has now been erected around the site, so look for construction to begin on Blue Diamond in 2016.
Continuing west along St. Clair, construction is expected to begin on The Goldman Group and The Lash Group's The Barrington Condos sometime this year. Currently in sales, the 18-storey boutique condo building designed by Richmond Architects will bring 93 new units in a range of sizes and layouts to the rapidly growing intersection of Bathurst Street and St. Clair West. The new tower will add ground level retail and increased density to the area.
Further west near Winona Drive, Homes of St. Clair West, a 9-storey mid-rise building at 836 St. Clair should go under construction soon.
In The Works
In addition to the projects preparing for construction this year, a slew of proposals are making their way through the design and planning process along the St. Clair West corridor. Starting on Yonge, it is apparent that the flurry of development along Toronto's main drag is not restricted to the stretch south of Bloor. Two proposals see high-rise towers added at the transit hub of Yonge and St. Clair: a 42-storey mixed-use residential tower at 1421 Yonge, and a complex of three towers at 14- 16- and 37-storeys encompassing 1481, 1491, and 1501 Yonge. The 42-storey tower was turned down by Council, but has been appealed to the OMB, while the larger complex north of St. Clair is sitting dormant at the moment.
Travelling west from Yonge Street, a new 15-storey residential development is proposed on the site of a vacant parking lot at 200 St. Clair West near Avenue Road. Not approved by the City, this development will go to the OMB on March 14. Just northwest of Bathurst and St. Clair, Oben Flats is proposing another 10-storey superkül-designed rental building at 109 Vaughan Road, and has approval for it.
Several blocks to the west at Alberta, Main and Main are planning a retail-condo mixed use mid-rise at 894-900 St. Clair.
Finally, closer to the trendy Junction area, an zoning application was just submitted back in October for a mixed-use residential development of two 17-storey towers and two blocks of three-storey townhouses at 386-394 Symington Avenue, just south of Davenport.
Our Growth to Watch For series will continue soon with an overview of the development coming to the Yonge and Eglinton area and surroundings. To catch up with our series so far, check out our previous GtWF stories about Chinatown, U of T, and The Annex; Bloor West; 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 in on the conversation on one of our associated Forum threads. For additional information, check out our dataBase files (linked below) and Forum threads.
