Across the street, the neon cross fronting Toronto's Faith Impact Ministry Inc. reads 'JESUS SAVES.' To the east, the fine-grained retail landscape is still full of Italian and Portuguese cafés, and increasingly interspersed with the cute new brunch joints that are probably as acute a portend of socio-economic change as any. Immediately to the west, the street takes on another character past Old Weston Road and the rail tracks, giving way to a cluster of big box retailers. In broad strokes, this is the eclectic neighbourhood that surrounds SCOOP Condos.

North elevation along St. Clair West, image courtesy of Graywood

At a July 26th event to celebrate—and sell—the first phase of Graywood Developments' upcoming condo community, the neighbourhood was billed as the star of the show. Before the sales centre—located on the site of a future phase—welcomed prospective buyers with wine and hors d'oeuvres, the development team led a walk through the neighbourhood, meeting some of the local residents, storeowners, and gallerists.

The SCOOP sales centre is located in a parking lot that will house a future phase of the development, image by Stefan Novakovic

"We wanted to create a development that contributes to the community in a positive way," says Graywood's Adidharma Purnomo, explaining that an infill mid-rise project with street-level retail space was envisioned as a respectful addition the the neighbourhood. Replacing a surface parking lot partially occupied by a car dealership at 1771 St. Clair West, the 6-storey phase one condominium will add 72 residential suites to the neighbourhood. 

The phase one site at 1771 St. Clair West, image via Google Maps

"It's actually been welcomed by residents," Purnomo stresses. "People are excited about it, and they often ask us how soon the condo will be coming, because they believe it's going to impact the community in a positive way." Although the area is not a hotspot for new development, Purnomo believes that a sensitively scaled addition of residential density and retail will enhance the neighbourhood's vitality. "We don't want to impose a dramatic change," he explains, "we want to respect what's already here."

South elevation and courtyard, image courtesy of Graywood

Designed by SMV Architects, SCOOP's phase one condominium will feature suites ranging in size from 484 ft² to 1,137 ft². Besides appealing to a range of buyers, architect Daniel Cowling notes that the massing and architectural expression reflect the area's built form while contributing a distinctly contemporary presence. "The front has strong horizontal form that defines both parts of the building, residential and retail. It consists of rectangles and squares in a sophisticated pattern. It’s more artful than a grid. It sets a tone," says Cowling. "To the south, the building integrates itself into a more residential feel as it scales down from six to three stories. I really wanted to respect the family residences that exist there.”

The library, image courtesy of Graywood

For residents, amenities will include a library, a communal dining room, a workshop/hobby space, and a community garden with edible platings. SCOOP's interiors will be appointed by TACT. 

In the coming months, we will return with a closer look at the project's features. In the meantime, more information is available via our dataBase file, linked below. What do you think of the project? Feel free to leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in the conversation in our Forum.