Post Homes
Building a gateway to the world; Two developers want to create more than just waterfront condos
Sherry Noik-bent
National Post
894 words
2 June 2007
National Post
Toronto
PH10
English
(c) 2007 National Post . All Rights Reserved.
They're going to pave the parking lot and put up a paradise.
That's the plan developers Cityzen Group and Fernbrook Homes unveiled for Pier 27 this past Tuesday. They aim to turn the site most of us know as "the foot of Yonge Street" into a crowning jewel on Canada's longest thoroughfare.
Calling Lake Ontario "our highway to the world for 250 years," Cityzen principal Joe Cordiano says, "The first phase of this project pays homage to that legacy. Toronto's waterfront will once again be a gateway to the world."
These are lofty plans for what is currently a rut-ridden car park next to Captain John's floating seafood restaurant. In 1996, this prime piece of real estate -- nine acres south of Queen's Quay, between Yonge and the Redpath sugar refinery -- was zoned for about 1,400 condos. A 2002 review by the Ontario Municipal Board opened the door for up to 600 more residential units while limiting building heights to 14 storeys. Cityzen and Fernbrook acquired the land a few years ago and commissioned Peter Clewes of architectsAlliance to work the kind of design magic for which he has won awards and accolades.
It was an astute choice given that Mr. Clewes is a member of the design review panel for Waterfront Toronto (formerly the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp.), which also owns a half hectare of land adjacent to the property.
The developers are well aware that waterfront development to date has left many Torontonians feeling adrift. "We were determined not to make the mistakes of past projects," says Danny Salvatore, president of Fernbrook. "One of our top priorities was to design and site all buildings in such a way as to preserve sight lines and to have them act as a link, not a barrier, to the lake."
Something that would, shall we say, anchor the new neighbourhood with its environs. What Mr. Clewes has done to address that is turn the originally planned U-shaped building on its side, thus creating a "gateway" -- both literal and symbolic.
There was no doubt of an iconic design from the builders responsible for Mississauga's Absolute tower -- dubbed "the Marilyn Monroe" for its sexy, curvaceous facade.
Twin 12-storey buildings will be linked by a three-storey "bridge" that sits off-centre across the top and juts beyond the eastern elevation. "It's attempting to recall the kind of container structures that you see in the port lands," Mr. Clewes explains. "It's kind of a metaphor for the original industrial heritage of the waterfront." Though this container will hold "really cool apartments." Constructed mainly of glass and white metal, the edifice will have a transparency and a nautical quality the architect feels is suited for its setting.
"It also is a framing device," he adds. "It's designed to frame views not only from the city to the waterfront but also from the water back to the city."
About 300 suites in all, ranging from 700 to 4,000 square feet, are expected to come to market as soon as mid-June. All will have a terrace or balcony or both, and two-storey suites set at the base will walk out to the quay.
Prices starting around $400,000- plus, sparkling views of Lake Ontario included. So are standard features such as 10-foot ceilings, hardwood flooring and granite countertops and amenities like an outdoor pool looking out on to lake, a spa, a 24-hour concierge and valet parking. Construction should take two years or more.
While the development will eventually comprise up to 2,000 condo units in four buildings, details of the next three phases are still sketchy.
The Redpath refinery is one reason for the delay. Current zoning calls for any building adjacent to it to act as an acoustical barrier -- meaning a featureless, windowless wall on the eastern facade. Mr. Clewes would prefer to design something "that looks like a proper building."
It may be a non-issue if the developers were to snap up Redpath's property, which they hint they are in confidential discussions about.
Another hold-up is Waterfront Toronto's yet-to-be-finalized plans for Queen's Quay and for their piece of property to the northwest.
It has been determined that Freeland Street will be extended to bisect the site, and future buildings will be situated to maximize access to public spaces incorporated on the property, including a 25-metre-wide promenade along the western and southern perimeter. The idea is to create what Mr. Clewes calls "visual and pedestrian permeability to the water's edge."
"A thriving waterfront is an important part of this city's identity," Mr. Cordiano says. "It sends a message to the rest of the world about who we are and what we aspire to be."
