On Wednesday, February 19, Canderel Residential and KingSett Capital celebrated the start of construction for the first phase of their new Saint Clair Village community in Midtown Toronto, a 12-storey Quadrangle-designed condominium building at 900 Saint Clair West. The start of construction came with the reveal and preview of an art installation that will span across the St Clair Avenue frontage of the development.

Attendees to the ground breaking were treated to the first glimpse of a new 55-foot mural, revealed by artists working with Toronto-based Akin Collective and the Museum of Contemporary Art. A 20-foot preview of the work titled ‘The Spirit of St. Clair' was revealed on the project's hoarding.  

Sneak peek at new mural 'The Spirit of St. Clair,' image courtesy of Ziyaad Haniff

This mural was inspired by a 1961 photograph, below, by Eric Trussler of a woman waiting by the transit loop at St. Clair Station, representative of the area's longstanding relationship with public transit.

Photo the mural is based on, image via Toronto Archives

“Through research and exploration, we noticed that although people continue to move into this neighbourhood, there’s a beautiful way that it coexists. The ‘Spirit of St. Clair’ is shifting demographics yet a strong sense of connectedness. The essence of culture within St. Clair West has, and likely always will, remain,” reads a statement from artists Leone McComas, Liang Wang, and David Nuff. Canderel CEO Brett Miller joined artists McComas, Liang Wang, and David (Nuff) Balogun in revealing the new mural, which was followed by remarks from other project principals.

“900 St.Clair West marks the beginning of what will soon be St. Clair Village – a long-term vision for this unique community, which Canderel is proud to be a part of,” reads a statement from Brett Miller, CEO of Canderel. “A key objective was for this project to seamlessly become a part of the existing neighbourhood while enhancing street life along St. Clair West. Through responsive architecture, design, and transit connectivity, we feel strongly that the future of St. Clair Avenue West will be dynamic, purposeful, and beautiful. The artwork is the perfect precursor for what’s ahead.”

Principals at the ground breaking event, image courtesy of Ziyaad Haniff

The image above features (left to right) Adam Gold, Canderel; Brett Miller, Canderel; Richard Diamond, Canderel; Neil Vohrah, Canderel; Ben Rogowski, Canderel; Mark Garber, KingSett Capital; Christian Taylor, KingSett Capital; Katrina Gajic, KingSett Capital; Joshua Berger, Canderel. 

900 St.Clair West is now more than 75% sold out.

Additional information and images can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment below.

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