There will soon be another picnic in High Park… but not the edible kind! Picnic, The High Park II condos by North Drive Investments is planned along Bloor Street West near the northwest corner of the park. The Quadrangle Architects-designed mid-rise building will add 68 suites in a highly sought-after area that has so far seen only a little of Toronto's condo boom. Located close to transit, the sprawling High Park itself, and the trendy neighbourhoods of Bloor West Village and The Junction, Picnic will have a lot to offer.

View of Picnic, The High Park II condos, image courtesy of North Drive Investments.

The eight-storey building will be composed mainly of two-bedroom suites, with ground level retail used to animate the street. Each unit will have its own private outdoor space in the form of a balcony or terrace. The master bedrooms will feature 5-piece ensuites—all of which will have windows, an increasing rarity in this city—offering plenty of natural light and views. The building will also include a host of amenities, such as a fitness centre, lounge, and party room complete with a gourmet kitchen, as well as a communal outdoor terrace facing south, with views toward the park, the lake, and the downtown skyline.

View of the rooftop terrace, image courtesy of North Drive Investments.

The exterior of the building will be composed of bold brick and textured concrete tile cladding, with large openings allowing plenty of light to the interior. The building is sensitive to its historic context by using traditional materials in a modern and playful manner. The volumes of the facade are pushed and pulled to create a modern aesthetic, while the traditional brick cladding ensures its compatibility with its immediate surroundings.

A closer look at the upper storeys of Picnic, The Park II condos, image courtesy of North Drive Investments.

Picnic is located on a unique site, bordered by Kennedy Park Avenue, which wraps around the east and north sides of the building, and by the Kennedy-Margdon Parkette to the north. The building will feature a dual entry lobby, easily connecting residents to their surroundings.

View of the lobby of Picnic, image courtesy of North Drive Investments.

Jordan Morassutti, partner at North Drive Investments, explains that Picnic was designed with the highest quality and comfort in mind. The company has developed a good working relationship with local businesses and residents through numerous public consultations, which helped to inform the design process and ensure that the building would have something to offer for everyone. Picnic will have 4,500 square feet of ground level retail, which aims to animate the street and bring a unique shopping experience to complement the neighbourhood, serving to extend Bloor West Village further east to High Park. Overall, Morassutti added, the project aims to have a community feel, and will have a positive impact on the neighbourhood, both in its quality of design and its contribution to the urban environment. Picnic is scheduled to begin construction next summer, with occupancy expected in the summer of 2018.

View of the north side of Picnic, The High Park II condos, image courtesy of North Drive Investments.

North Drive is already making its move into the High Park area, with construction underway for Picnic's sister building, The High Park. The 11-storey Quadrangle Architects-designed mid-rise condo will be located just to the east along Bloor Street, directly across from High Park. The High Park is the family-owned developer's third condo building, whose business focuses on offering ambitious high-quality architectural design that is catered to the user and integrated with the local community.

Rendering of The High Park, 1990 Bloor West, image courtesy of North Drive Investments.

Want to find out more about this project? Check out Picnic, The High Park II’s dataBase page, linked below. Want to get involved in the conversation? Visit the related Forum thread, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided below.