Toronto IQ Condos Phase 1 & Park Towers Phase 2 | 83.51m | 24s | Remington Group | Richmond Architects

Jarrek

Active Member
Member Bio
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
692
Reaction score
1
New Condos at Islington & Queensway. Not sure how many stories, but condo features are:

  • Suites start at $189,900
  • LEED Registered
  • Geothermal Heating and Cooling
  • 9,000 sq foot outdoor terrace
  • 9 Foot Ceilings

Builder is Remington Group, website and registration which does not include any renderings is http://iqcondos.com

There's plenty of old industrial buildings and vacant land around the area suited for intensification and re-development.
 
I noticed construction of what looks like a sales centre on the south side of the Queensway between Islington and Kipling at Zorra street, and there weren't any signs yet but I'm assuming this is the project in question. It's a fairly massive piece of land that was cleared a few months ago of old warehouses. I recall seeing an application to the city to build 5 or 6 towers on this site, all in the 30 storey plus range, but don't quote me on it!

Now let's get that Queensway LRT to Sherway built!
 
Smart. Brains.

chillydog.jpg
 
Not sure if this is the location, but here's the only thing (zoning related documents) I could find on Zorra St. in Toronto's archives of Community Council meetings:

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2007/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-1275.pdf

http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2007/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-1390.pdf

Aside from a couple of residential dwellings, and something that looks like an auto body shop, this land has been clear for a long time. It was actually the home of a failed industrial-commercial development in the early 90's, the remnants which can be seen from the highway.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=e...072,-79.520786&spn=0.002815,0.007167&t=k&z=18
 
It could be on the southeast corner of Islington/Queensway, around the area of the movie theatre. There's some open land there. In fact they could be using some of the parking of the theatre to build it.
 
It could be on the southeast corner of Islington/Queensway, around the area of the movie theatre. There's some open land there. In fact they could be using some of the parking of the theatre to build it.

The south east corner is a small old one storey former lighting store, right next to those disgusting new townhomes that I'd love to see go. North east corner is an ugly Hakim Optical store I'd love to see go. North west corner is a gas station I'd love to see go. South west corner is a Montana's restaurant sitting in that ocean of parking for the Queensway Theatre. I still can't believe how stupid the city was for allowing the massive parking lot to front onto the Queensway instead of to the rear of the property, facing the QEW, or even better, completely underground. A multi-storey building right by the sidewalk with the theatre, restaurants and bank and whatever else would have created a nice streetwall and brought pedestrian life, but no, that just makes too much sense. Anyway, I'd love to see that space replaced by condos, so hopefully this one is the start!
 
The south east corner is a small old one storey former lighting store, right next to those disgusting new townhomes that I'd love to see go. North east corner is an ugly Hakim Optical store I'd love to see go. North west corner is a gas station I'd love to see go. South west corner is a Montana's restaurant sitting in that ocean of parking for the Queensway Theatre. I still can't believe how stupid the city was for allowing the massive parking lot to front onto the Queensway instead of to the rear of the property, facing the QEW, or even better, completely underground. A multi-storey building right by the sidewalk with the theatre, restaurants and bank and whatever else would have created a nice streetwall and brought pedestrian life, but no, that just makes too much sense. Anyway, I'd love to see that space replaced by condos, so hopefully this one is the start!

I'd have to agree. That massive parking lot is a blight on the area. The city screwed up big time on that one. The perfume shop on the south east corner is on a lease, and I'm sure will be re-developed within time.
 
At least the parking lot is hidden behind those "pad" restaurants. Before the cinemas went in, so little had happened along the Queensway in so long I believe the City was happy to see anything redeveloped in the area.

In regards to the prefume shop on the se corner, it was originally Queensway Electric. AFAIK the owners of Queensway Electric refused to sell to the developers of the townhomes for what they were offering, and held out for more. They never got more, and the developers just built around them. At the time, the developers had proposed a 4 tower condo development and had applied for the necessary rezoning, but were turned down at some stage. If that plan was stopped by NIMBYs I am not sure, but if it was, I hope the NIMBYs like those incredibly crappy townhomes they got as a result.

In regards to IQ - these buildings are going up on the former GH Wood site (Sanitation for the Nation) on the south side of the Queensway between Zorra St and St Lawrence Av.

42
 
I was walking (yes a pedestrian lol) along the Queensway between Royal York and Islington a few weeks ago--I'd never been along the strip before--and was struck by the potential for the strip to become a trendy art gallery district. There's a few posh gourmet food shops and the rest is blahness. There's this (late 80's?) hideous strip mall with welfare offices etc that are totally out of place. And all these little post war homes--how much do those homes sell for nowadays? (You get a huge lawn and a tiny home. A better deal than a Queensway condo, eh?)

My point: those c.1950 retail strips are rather nice and need some artists willing to live way out there. Who wants to volunteer?:)
 
Interchange42: I totally understand that the city was probably eager to get something going in that area, but I still don't think it would have been unreasonable to insist that the parking lot at least should have gone in the back instead, with the theatre directly along the Queensway, kind of like the Ikea further west. Big screw up on their part. Oh and they did it again just a few months ago with the new Future Shop on the south side of the Queensway near East Mall - huge oceanic parking lot by the street, with the store seemingly a mile back, right by the highway. Driving by, the store is barely even noticeable, ironically. Why this type of horrid suburban development is continuing to occur along a designated "avenue" completely baffles me - I would have thought that with Etobicoke having been amalgamated a decade ago and with planning decisions now coming from the supposedly more urban friendly, enlightened planners downtown that this type of nonsense would have stopped. Idiots.

urbandreamer: I agree that that stretch of the Queensway has a lot of potential to become a vibrant urban street. The retail strips, though architecturally mediocre, at least encourage pedestrian activity and diverse types of retail, a quality that is fairly rare in Etobicoke, unfortunately. Who knows, perhaps one day it will benefit from being the last frontier once all the artsy hipsters are pushed out of Parkdale by the forces of gentrification!
 
I would have thought that with Etobicoke having been amalgamated a decade ago and with planning decisions now coming from the supposedly more urban friendly, enlightened planners downtown that this type of nonsense would have stopped. Idiots.

Well, the city continues to build power-like centre buildings along Queensway.

Case and point, the new Future Shop close to the East Mall.
 

Back
Top