While taller and taller skyscrapers will be built Downtown and in major nodes over the coming decades, Toronto is going to be growing in other areas and other ways too. On our Avenues, mid-rise development is the wave of the foreseeable future. These ground-hugging buildings are meant to take advantage of the transit services already provided, while adding vitality to the existing shopping strips.

One of the first of this wave can be found in The Junction. DUKE Condos, by developer TAS, and designed by Quadrangle Architects, is an 8-storey boutique condo building which will rise on Dundas Street West, just east of Keele, bringing with it 85 units, including 2 townhomes and 5 laneway live-work units ranging in size from 750 square-feet to 1,600 square-feet. 

Rendering of DUKE Condos, image courtesy of Quadrangle Architects

Suites at DUKE are now 77% sold, and with construction expected in the coming months, the team behind the project is making the push to sell the remaining suites. To help entice potential buyers, TAS is now offering cash-back incentives of up to $10,000.

Rendering of DUKE Condos, image courtesy of Quadrangle Architects

DUKE will employ several energy efficiency features that will pass savings down to the end user. The building's envelope will be significantly less glassy than many current condominium projects, with still-generous windows framed by a white brick exterior, upping the R-value to minimize heat gain the summer and heat loss during the winter. Amongst other energy saving features, units at DUKE Condos will also come equipped with in-suite energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems.

Rendering of DUKE Condos, image courtesy of Quadrangle Architects

DUKE Condos draws its name from the intersection it will be built near - Dundas (DU) and Keele (KE) - an area with a lot of dining and retail options. The stretch of Dundas that DUKE is coming to sees a lot of foot traffic, adding to the appeal of DUKE's ground floor live-work units. Live-work units, which are geared towards small businesses and entrepreneurs, provide buyers with a practical way to work from home while still having the privacy of a personal living space above the office. The added bonus is that the commute is transformed from a lengthy ordeal to a quick walk down the stairs.

Live-work unit with living space above and photo studio below, image courtesy of Quadrangle Architects

A selection of suites on upper levels remains available too, and a total of 21 different floor plans are available fr viewing on the official website for DUKE, for everything from Studios to 3-Bedroom suites.

Corner suite at DUKE Condos, image courtesy of TAS

Construction on DUKE will start this summer. If your curiousity has been piqued, additional information and renderings can be found in our DUKE Condos dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

EDIT: An earlier version of this article had out-of-date information which had a different number quoted for the incentives. UrbanToronto regrets the error.