Adding to the building wave of new investment gradually re-making Toronto's Danforth Avenue, Marlin Spring's Canvas Condominium is bringing more mid-rise presence to the street. Located between Woodbine Avenue and Main Street in Danforth Village, the 8-storey development offers convenient access to the TTC's Line 2, as well as proximity to popular neighbourhoods including Greektown and The Beach. 

Canvas Condominium, image courtesy of Marlin Spring

Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects, the 170-unit condominium features interiors by U31, along with landscaping by NAK Design Strategies. According to Marlin Spring COO Zev Mandelbaum, the project's location also offers an appealing mid-rise lifestyle in an established neighbourhood, which sets the project apart from the new-build towers that dominate Toronto's development.

Aerial view of the site, image via Google Maps

"Mid-rise developments are often quite difficult to do," Mandelbaum explains, "since the land assembly process is usually very challenging. Canvas was actually an assembly of two properties," he adds, noting that viable opportunities to create more intimately scaled projects can be relatively hard to come by in Toronto. 

For Mandelbaum, the goal is to contribute to the neighbourhood in a positive and contextually sensitive way. "We want to build a sustainable, enduring, and green building, with a lot of focus on interior design and the street-level experience," the developer explains.

Ample street-level retail space fronts the Danforth, image courtesy of Marlin Spring

At Canvas, the customary streetscape improvements—including widened sidewalks and new plantings—are complemented by three new retail spaces, which should bring additional vitality to the area. "As a developer, we also have a strong focus on street art, and bringing engaging work into the public realm," Mandelbaum says, adding that significant attention will be given to ensuring a thoughtful work is installed as part of the project's public art contribution. 

"We also have 200 feet of frontage on the Danforth, which is close to double what many other developers in the area have secured. This means our units will have more natural light, making for pleasant living spaces," Mandelbaum points out, adding that With units ranging from 431 ft² to 961 ft², "there are also opportunities for a diverse range of buyers, including singles, couples, and families." 

Canvas' south side steps down to meet the neighbourhood's low-rise scale, image courtesy of Marlin Spring

"Although the Marlin Spring name is new, our family has actually been in the development business for a very long time," Mandelbaun notes, shedding light on a family business that stretches back to the mid 20th century. "My grandfather started a company called H&R Developments after WWII," Mandelbaum tells us, explaining that subsequent generations of the family evolved parts of the company into Lindvest Properties and Lanterra Developments, both of which are now significant players in development across the GTA.

"After working for Lanterra, my brothers-in-law and I founded Marlin Spring. Even though it's a relatively new company, it's built on long-term relationships and decades of trust," Mandelbaum stresses. "We want to continue that tradition and maintain that reputation."

***

We will keep you updated as more information about the project becomes available. In the meantime, you can find more about Canvas Condominiums in our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts about the project? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join the conversation in our Forum.