With registration now underway for Devron Developments' The Vanguard in Thornhill, new details have emerged about the 25-storey Kirkor Architects-designed condominium development planned for just north of Toronto's city limits. In previous articles, we have covered the general proposal, the family friendly elements, and the amenities, and today we are returning for a look at the improvement that the project will bring to its block of Yonge Street and Grandview Avenue.

Rendering of the retail podium at The Vanguard, image courtesy of Devron Developments

The Vanguard is being built on a site that has until now been the site of the Grandview Plaza, a two storey suburban commercial centre with half a dozen shops and a floor of offices above, all of it pushed to the back of the site behind a parking lot. In contrast, The Vanguard's design brings the shops up to the sidewalk, greatly improving the pedestrian experience. 

Rendering of the retail podium at The Vanguard, image courtesy of Devron Developments

A total of 12,000 square feet of retail space is planned for the development's Yonge Street and Grandview Avenue frontages. Above the retail, The Vanguard's second level will be dedicated to office space, while condominium suites—stepped back a bit from the street—start on the third floor. They range in size from 522 to 1,379 square feet, and will be available in one, two, three, and even four-bedroom configurations. 

Rendering of The Vanguard, image courtesy of Devron Developments

The Vanguard has being designed to target LEED Gold certification. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a certification system that ensures that buildings are designed and built in accordance with sound sustainability practices. Gold level indicates stringent adherence to green codes now, and continued building performance into the future. Some of the measures which will be employed to accomplish that include a 35% renewable energy use, a 20% reduction in water use compared with a standard building, 30% of the construction material will come from the surrounding region, and 20% of the material will be post-consumer. It all adds up to a building designed to fulfill the promise made in its name.

We will return with updates as additional details about The Vanguard emerge. In the meantime, additional information can be found in our dataBase file for the project, 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.