Owing to the visibility from various vantage points that their sheer scale affords, high-rise developments in Toronto are the most-talked-about players of our current building boom. While they are one answer to our ongoing demand for housing, the boom is also fostering a wave of smaller scale projects along many of the city's major thoroughfares, many of which can be found in the areas west of Downtown Toronto.

Now occupied by residents, and with only work on the commercial retail units and with odds and ends to complete, Reserve PropertiesMotif Lofts at 41 Ossington is soon to wrap up. The 5-storey structure by architects RAW Design is expected to be completed later this year. 

Motif Lofts, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

A little under two blocks to the north, a tower crane has been erected at the site of 109OZ Condos as excavation continues around it. Like Motif Lofts, the 6-storey development is a collaboration between developer Reserve Properties and architect RAW Design.

Site of 109OZ Condos, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

Several blocks to the northwest, IT Lofts is now topped-off and largely clad at 998 College Street, with completion and residential occupancy expected for later this year. Developed by Worsley Urban Partners, the 7-storey 56-unit development also features architecture by RAW Design.

IT Lofts, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

Further to the west, three Roncesvalles area mid-rise projects are in very different stages. Gairloch Developments and Centrestone Urban Developments Inc.'s 383 Sorauren Avenue recently topped out at a height of ten storeys and has now had its tower crane disassembled and removed. Installation of windows is well underway for the architectsAlliance-designed project, while the red-brick exterior envelope is expected to start taking shape shortly.

383 Sorauren, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

A couple blocks northwest of 383 Sorauren, finishing touches were recently installed at the first phase of Triumph Developments' now-occupied Howard Park Residences, (below right), located at 24 Howard Park Avenue, just off of Dundas. A second phase of the development—also set to rise 8 storeys—has only a few units remaining for sale, and is now starting construction, with shoring equipment and materials seen in the image below.

Howard Park Residences, with phase 2 starting construction, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

Located steps from Howard Park Residences, the third development in the works for this immediate area is Worsley Urban Partners’ The Roncy, planned for 422-426 Roncesvalles Avenue. Designed by RAW, this eight-storey condominium development would bring 93 condo units and 6 townhomes to the intersection of Roncesvalles Avenue and Howard Park Avenue.

Future site of The Roncy, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118

The medium rise buildings allow new residents to continue to live close to life on our busy shopping and dining streets. Typically the buildings terrace down to the low-rise neighbourhoods behind them, the prevents them from overwhelming established homes and streets. Other nearby examples of these building include Abacus Lofts completed last year, Nero Condos and Alto Rental Suites both to complete soon, and DUKE Condos, now under construction in nearby The Junction, and all along Dundas Street.

You can learn more about the projects featured in this article by visiting their related dataBase files, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.

Related Companies:  architects—Alliance, BDP Quadrangle, Bluescape Construction Management, Edenshaw Developments Limited, Ferris + Associates Inc., Gairloch Developments, Graziani + Corazza Architects, II BY IV DESIGN, Live Patrol Inc., McIntosh Perry, MGI Construction Corp., Milborne Group, My Design Studio, NAK Design Strategies, Ontario Panelization, PCL Construction, Peter McCann Architectural Models Inc., RAW Design, Reserve Properties, Snaile Inc., Tarra Engineering & Structural Consultants Inc, TAS, U31