Toronto St Lawrence Condos at 158 Front | 91.44m | 26s | Cityzen | a—A

I think this one was a worthy attempt to do something different and has come up more positive than not compared to some of its neighbourhood siblings. The black brick panel and inset windows within the podium work well. The blocked segments add architectural interest breaking up the project's rather large size. Public retail in the base gives it neighbourhood context. Hoping Developers could use this one as the bar setting for future projects...
 
I think this one was a worthy attempt to do something different and has come up more positive than not compared to some of its neighbourhood siblings. The black brick panel and inset windows within the podium work well. The blocked segments add architectural interest breaking up the project's rather large size. Public retail in the base gives it neighbourhood context. Hoping Developers could use this one as the bar setting for future projects...
Yes, 158 Front has the great advantage of sitting beside Time & Space and though it is certainly not an 'iconic building' (or even very 'interesting') it absolutely shines in comparison. I would, however, not want it seen as a 'bar' - it's an 'adequate' building that has turned out better than many of us expected. (I await the retail tenants with some trepidation as the spaces are not large - and retail is not 'in' these days - so fear it may only attract the usual dry cleaners, barbers and pot shops, which are already quite prevalent in the area - my fingers are crossed!)
 
Part 1 of 2 on May 30, 2022:

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This piece in the developers weekly updates may be of interest:

The widening of the Front Street East sidewalk.​

JUNE 2, 2022 ADMINUNCATEGORIZED
As neighbours and followers of this site will know, recent work at the St. Lawrence Condominiums at 158 Front Street East has been focused on building out the new sidewalks on Frederick Street, Sherbourne Street and Front Street East. The new Front Street East Sidewalk will be wider, extend further south than originally planned, creating more space for pedestrians and an enhanced public realm.
This extension of the Front Street East sidewalk came to be through a collaborative effort by the development lead, Cityzen Development Group (Cityzen), the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood Business Improvement Area (BIA), the City of Toronto, with the support of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA). It’s a small but significant increase in public and pedestrian space through a road alteration that accommodates a boulevard widening a section of the site along Front Street East, between Frederick Street and Sherbourne Street. With ongoing development pressures in the area the expansion of the public realm in this stretch of Front St. E. will help to meet the needs of the growing downtown population. [Reference: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2022/mm/bgrd/backgroundfile-224263.pdf]
Even though the Site Plan had long been approved and construction was underway with permits issued, Cityzen was able to respond to the request from the BIA and adjust plans without significant delays. Cityzen and the BIA, with support of the SLNA, led the way on this, in consultation with City of Toronto staff to ensure the community benefited from the improved sidewalk. The BIA’s willingness to provide up-front funding for the additional costs and the City of Toronto’s reimbursement of the BIA’s costs, were critical in achieving this enhanced public realm at 158 Front Street East.

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The sidewalk looks nice and wide, and they have the cells to support good trees there. Now I guess we'll wait and see what the ground level occupants are.
 
(I await the retail tenants with some trepidation as the spaces are not large - and retail is not 'in' these days - so fear it may only attract the usual dry cleaners, barbers and pot shops, which are already quite prevalent in the area - my fingers are crossed!)

Smaller retail spaces (e.g. 1,000-2,000 sq. ft.) appeal to a pretty wide variety of businesses, so I think it bodes well for the leasability of these units, and a finer grain of retail also provides more visual interest than a single storefront. I'd advise optimism here.
 
The sidewalk looks nice and wide, and they have the cells to support good trees there. Now I guess we'll wait and see what the ground level occupants are.
some restaurants, even fast-casual ones, would help extend the restaurant culture around front and jarvis a bit further east. might be nice..
 

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