For people who love city living, the revitalizing areas east and west of Toronto's Downtown offer our ever-increasing bounty of urban delights on their virtual doorstep. Redevelopment east of Downtown in particular is now capitalizing on more affordable land values in a design-savvy area that is quickly coming into its own. Developers Signature Communities, Berkshire Axis Development and Andiel Homes are teaming up on a project running through the block from Parliament and Berkeley Streets just north of Adelaide that is a prefect candidate site for smart new infill, and they are calling it East United Condos.

Rendering of East United Condos, image courtesy of SigNature Communities

The call to design a development with parallel street frontages gave architect Ralph Giannone, principal of Giannone Petricone Associates, the chance to create distinct languages for the building's Parliament Street and Berkeley Street frontages. “It’s unusual to have a building span two parallel streets. The idea was to create a concept that modulates its built form based on the spirit of both Berkeley and Parliament,” explained Mr. Giannone. The development will rise 21 storeys high, containing 279 residential suites, and providing commercial space to enhance the urban nature of the site too. East United will retain the 1906-built two-storey Christie, Brown & Co. Stables building at 95 Berkeley Street, incorporating it into the base for office space. New retail will face Parliament Street.

East United Condos' Parliament Street frontage, image courtesy of SigNature/Berkshire Axis/Andiel

The development's Parliament Street frontage will feature a bold podium with a double-height ground floor meant to give a modern spin on the industrial buildings to the south, while the Berkeley Street frontage includes the preserved masonry Christie, Brown & Co. Stables building, which ties the development in with its heritage surroundings. The two streets will be connected by a pedestrian mews running along the south side of the building, which will allow for six, two-storey townhomes to be added to the site.

“Mirroring the heritage of the area, the podium works hard to fit into a neighbourhood that has a lot of history, lots of rich context, but definitely offers something new,” said Mr. Giannone, referring to the new glass and steel 19-storey tower. “It’s definitely a statement. We’re saying there is a new, design-driven future for the east end.”

Northeast facing view of East United Condos, image courtesy of SigNature/Berkshire Axis/Andiel

East United is offering 279 units, ranging in size from 350 square feet up to 1,400 square feet, starting at $199,900 and an average cost per square foot in the mid-$500s. Design packages for suites are inspired by east-end neighbourhoods, offering earth tones and rustic finishes to reflect the look of the Distillery District, sleek finishes as a nod to the minimalist aesthetic of the King East Design District, or playfully designed units that emulate the verve of the St. Lawrence Market area.

The building's interior common areas will be appointed by The Design Agency. Residents will enjoy amenities like a yoga lounge, private dining room, event space with a "jam room", and a rooftop patio with lounge seating, fire pits and an outdoor theater. “We have this amazing sequence of amenity spaces that are direct reflections of the eclectic end-user’s lifestyle,” said Matthew Davis, co-founder of The Design Agency.

Rendering of rooftop amenity area at East United Condos, image courtesy of SigNature/Berkshire Axis/Andiel

East United will be situated where the St. Lawrence neighbourhood, the Distillery District and the King East Design District meet, putting residents within a short walk of some of the east side's most popular destinations, and in fact the site has a walkscore of 97. “We know the east side has a lot to offer and it’s our job as a group to cultivate a destination that delivers on the promise of these great neighbourhoods” said Sebastian Mizzi, Vice President of SigNature Communities. 

Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file for East United, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.