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Toronto's neighbourhood of The Beach is one of the city's most walkable, with a variety of shops and restaurants creating a pedestrian friendly environment on Queen Street. A collection of new mid-rise developments aim to capitalize on this lively public realm, while others promise to add to the area's walkability with generous public realm improvements. Planned for Queen Street East, just east of Coxwell Avenue, Marlin Spring Developments' WestBeach Condominiums will increase the block's retail variety, while also adding density and potentially greater street-level activity to the block.
Designed by Graziani + Corazza Architects (G+C), the six-storey condominium features terraced massing designed to coexist with the low-rise housing to the north. Drawing on the City of Toronto's mid-rise planning guidelines, the proportions, street-level programming, and exterior materials are designed to help the project blend cohesively with its surroundings. “There is an existing rhythm of the neighbourhood that establishes scale, and we accentuated this with strong vertical and horizontal elements that reflect that,” said G+C founding partner Enzo Corazza. “We contrasted traditional brick with contemporary larger panels to tie in the existing architecture with what’s up-and-coming.”
A major focus for the architects was the task of integrating the building's ground level—previously occupied by surface parking, a KFC, and a bar—into the surrounding context. After reiterating the importance of the pedestrian realm during the design stages, Enzo Corazza points out how "this corner lacked a pedestrian presence that evoked the cadence of the area.” WestBeach's ground floor frontage facing Queen Street will be almost entirely dedicated to retail uses, with a cantilevered overhang allowing for an expanded—and partially sheltered—sidewalk below. A skate shop that currently exists on site will live on within this new retail frontage.
Above the retail-lined ground floor, WestBeach will offer a total of 89 condominium units sized from 316 ft² to 1,195 ft². Featuring glass-faced balconies, terraces, and—in some cases—sunrooms, the suites are designed to facilitate outdoor living. Residents will also have access to a collection of amenities including a rooftop terrace with firepit, an outdoor grilling and dining alcove, a party lounge and catering kitchen overlooking Queen Street, a gym, and a pet wash station.
We will return with additional information as new details about the project continue to emerge. In the meantime, you can review project facts and images by visiting our dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.
