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An abnormally warm February continued one of Toronto's most unusual winters, its above-average temperatures translated to a more active than normal winter construction season, while new and updated masterplanned sites grabbed attention across the Greater Toronto Area. Now above the 50-storey mark, The One continued to dominate all three of our top 10 lists, while 160 Front West celebrated its turnover to tenants with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This past month, these big stories were joined by another major project to improve the Royal Ontario Museum, and Freed Developments announced its plan for the Freed Hotel & Residences, its first foray into the city's luxury hotel market. Meanwhile, transit projects continued to populate our top 10 threads along with the major developments, and a new river!
Let's take a closer look at our top stories, database files, and threads for February, 2024.
Our Top 10 Most Read News Stories:
Brampton's Queen & McVean starts our dive into the Top 10 news stories at #15. This unique 34-storey mixed-use proposal is designed by Icon Architects for Bramcon Construction Ltd and is set to include 444 residential units, commercial spaces, and a significant amount of publicly accessible open space. The development's design, reflecting the site's triangluar shape, features dynamic architectural forms.
15. Unique Site Inspires Design of 34-Storey Brampton Development
As mentioned above, The One, the Freed Hotel & Residences, and the ROM feature here, at #1, #4 and #7 respectively, while we continue to see master planned developments shooting for greater height and density, including the Scarborough Junction Masterplan in the runner-up spot at #2, and Waterloo's Conestogo Park Square (aka Kraus Carpet Mills) making our list at #9. What was very rare though was to have one of our Daily Photos make a Top 10 appearance, but the soon-to-be new mouth of Don River did just that in our #10 spot.
9. Waterloo Embraces Urbanization at Kraus Carpet Mills Redevelopment
8. Resubmission Shortens, Reshapes Yonge and Moore Park Proposal
7. OpenROM: A Multimillion Dollar Valentine's Gift to Toronto
6. 15-Tower Mixed-Use Development Proposed on Brampton's Queen Street
5. Resubmission at Yonge and Isabella Expands to 70 Storeys
4. Freed to Brand Hotel and Condo Project in Entertainment District
3. Cadillac Fairview Celebrates 160 Front Street West with Ribbon Cutting
2. Height, Density Increased in Scarborough Junction Masterplan
1. The One Surpasses 50 Storeys, Approaches Third Mechanical Section
Our Top 10 Most Searched Database Files:
Sitting just inside the top 10 at #11 is KING Toronto, developed by Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT and designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Diamond Schmitt Architects. This standout development in King West showcases a unique 'staggered-boxes' design blending residential, commercial, and public spaces just north of The Well. KING Toronto has risen above its heritage walls to assert its presence in the neighbourhood.
11. KING Toronto
The top 10 list continues to be topped by vertical juggernauts The One and Pinnacle One Yonge, along with the unique architecture and design of The Well, while the flooding of the new mouth of the Don River made it to the number 3 spot here with the Lower Don Lands Redevelopment. Freed Hotel & Residences and the rectilinear massing of Ivy Condos have made the list this month at #7 and #8 respectively.
10. CIBC SQUARE
9. M2M Condos
8. Ivy Condos
5. The Well
4. 101 Spadina
3. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment
1. The One
Our Top 10 Busiest Threads:
Just on the cusp of not making the top 10 busiest threads is the Freed Hotel & Residences, with Forum contributors buzzing with discussion about this upcoming 63-storey mixed-use development in the city's Entertainment District, highlighting its potential impact on the ever-densifying area. The tower's design by AS + GG Architecture includes a faceted roof, with rooftop restaurant. At groun d level, the second floor will feature Canada's first Katsuya Restaurant, which already has locations in Dubai, Miami, and New York.
Once again, transit projects populate the top 10, set to help to connect the various developments throughout the Greater Toronto Area. These include the Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT at #4, Ontario Line 3 at #6, and Union Station Revitalization at #10. At #9 is the renovations for the Rogers Centre, a multi-year project enhancing the stadium in advance of the Blue Jays' upcoming season. A big story here, thought, is that new mouth of the Don again, muscling out near-perennial Pinnacle One Yonge out of the #2 spot!
10. Union Station Revitalization
8. CIBC SQUARE
7. KING Toronto
6. Ontario Line
5. The Well
4. Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT
2. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment
1. The One
We will be back at the beginning of April for a recap of March's top news stories, Database files, and Forum threads!
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UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
