Another development has started construction in Toronto's Regent Park community following this morning's official ground breaking for The Sumach by Chartwell. Located at the southwest corner of St. David and Sumach Streets, the SvN Architects + Planners-designed development will rise 12 storeys, and add the first retirement residences to the reborn neighbourhood, 332 of them.

The Sumach by Chartwell, image courtesy of Chartwell/Daniels/Welltower

Developed by Chartwell Retirement Residences in partnership with The Daniels Corporation and Welltower Inc. Canada, the project aims to serve Canada's rising seniors population, with the 75+ population expected to more than double nationwide over the next twenty years. At that rate, over 600,000 new retirement units will be needed by 2036 to address the changing demographics.

75+ population projections, image courtesy of Chartwell

The project's groundbreaking kicked off in the nearby Paintbox Bistro, where Chartwell's President and CEO Brent Binions, Daniels VP Martin Blake, and interim TCHC CEO Greg Spearn all spoke about the project.

“The Sumach by Chartwell is our first large-scale development in Ontario offering a wide variety of amenities and activities on an à la carte basis, making this living option much more affordable in comparison to an all inclusive retirement living model prevalent in the province today,” said Brent Binions, President and CEO of Chartwell Retirement Residences. “We expect that this state-of-the-art, urban development located in the vibrant Regent Park neighbourhood will generate significant interest as we continue to expand Chartwell’s service offering.” 

L-R W. Brent Binions of Chartwell, Martin Blake of Daniels, and Greg Spearn of TCHC, image by Jack Landau

After the remarks at the bistro, the event then moved a couple of blocks to the southeast, where grading work is already underway at the development site.

Site of The Sumach by Chartwell, image by Jack Landau

The Sumach by Chartwell will rise to the immediate east of Nelson Mandela Park Public School and the new Regent Park Community Centre, and directly across the street from the new Regent Park Athletic Centre, putting it in the emerging heart of this community. Residents of the $100 million development will have access to approximately 5,500 square feet of retail spaces, as well as a number of amenities like a pet spa and an outdoor terrace. The project will be served by an 82-space underground parking garage. 100 bike racks will also be provided. Occupancy for the project is currently scheduled for September 2018.

We will be sure to return with updates as additional details about the project emerge. In the meanwhile, you can learn more about The Sumach by Chartwell by visiting the project's dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.