The start of construction is drawing close for a new mid-rise boutique condominium development on Avenue Road, just north of Dupont in Midtown Toronto. With the bulk of the 36 luxury units sold at Brandy Lane Homes' The Davies, the project's on-site presentation centre has shut its doors in anticipation of the arrival of construction crews.

The Davies' sales centre, now closed, image by Stefan Novakovic

Once the presentation centre is cleared from the site, the first step in the construction of the 9-storey, SMV Architects-designed condominium development will be the start of the project's shoring stage. During this initial phase of construction, crews will construct an earth retention system that will hold back the surrounding soil to allow a safe excavation.

Site of The Davies, image by Stefan Novakovic

The Davies' limited collection of units will range in size between 1,163 ft² and 2,900 ft², and will offer residents a selection of interior spaces appointed by Lukas Design, as well as a large rooftop amenity deck with landscaping by NAK Design Group. NAK will also be handling the redesign of Roberston Davies Park, which borders the site to the south.

Site of the removed trees in Robertson Davies Park, image by Stefan Novakovic

In its current configuration, the park is little more than an open green space bounded by a rail corridor to the south and Avenue Road to the west. Plans for the re-imagined park hit a snag last September, when a row of 29 maple trees on the south side of the park were cut down by HydroOne crews. The unexpected and controversial move eliminated a natural sound buffer between the park and the adjacent elevated rail corridor, threatening the future enjoyment of park-goers. In response to a public outcry, a community meeting was held by HydroOne later that month, where four initial landscaping options were presented to members of the public. It is still yet to be determined how these four design options will plug in to NAK's plan for the site, though we will be sure to keep readers updated as plans continue to develop!

Robertson Davies Park and The Davies, image courtesy of Brandy Lane Homes

For more information, including project facts and renderings, make sure to take a look at our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? You may leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page, or join in the discussion in our associated Forum threads.