Category: Mixed-Use

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November 2, 2021

First Phase of SmartCentres’ 1900 Eglinton East Impresses at DRP

Source: UrbanToronto

Scarborough’s Golden Mile is poised for a dramatic transformation over the coming decades as a direct result of the new Crosstown LRT line, scheduled to open in 2022. According to City Planning staff, the stretch of big box retail and industrial parks is currently subject to 12 active development applications. The majority of these are large-scale master plans that altogether are proposing upwards of 32,000 new residential units, representing a population increase of roughly 54,000 people. The largest of these master plans is located at 1900 Eglinton East, in the heart of the Golden Mile, where SmartCentres REIT is continuing its journey ‘From Shopping Centres to City Centres’ by redeveloping its existing retail property into a complete mixed-use, transit-oriented community.

Rendering of the first phase towers, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

Located on a 29-acre site flanked by the future Pharmacy and Hakimi-Lebovic LRT stations, the phased master plan comprises upwards of 20 mixed-use and residential buildings ranging in height from mid-rise to high-rise; a new street grid; plenty of retail; and an extensive public realm. The master plan also features a new central park, a signature element that SmartCentres prioritizes in its communities, which is the only park currently proposed along the Golden Mile that connects Eglinton through to Ashtonbee Road, with the City identifying potential connections beyond that to the Meadoway that runs just to the north.

Rendering of the first phase looking west from the central park, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

SmartLiving, SmartCentres’ residential sub brand, introduced the first phase of their master plan in March, 2021, and presented it at the Toronto Design Review Panel in July, 2021. The first phase involves two towers of 38 and 40 storeys, located at the southwest corner of the property along Eglinton. The development includes a total of 899 residential units, 1,219m² of retail space, and a new POPS that creates a mid-block pedestrian connection between the two towers. The design of the towers is the work of Peter Clewes and his team at architects-Alliance, along with landscape architects MHBC Planning, who are overseeing the public realm.

Rendering at street level of the first phase showing POPS and Eglinton streetscape, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

Currently existing on the site are several big box retail structures housing close to 30 tenants and over 380,000 square feet of retail, most notably a Walmart Supercentre. The early phases of the master plan will focus on the less-developed portions of the property, particularly the areas along Eglinton to the south that are mainly occupied by surface parking. SmartCentres’ retail development expertise will be leveraged to thoughtfully integrate retail, a key component of complete communities, into all phases of the master plan, which will ensure a continued retail presence on the property. Walmart, specifically, will remain an essential retailer servicing the community for the foreseeable future.

SmartCentres’ long-term plans include a diversity of smaller-scale and larger-format tenants, so look for some creative solutions that include a variety of retail in urban, mixed-use buildings as the master plan progresses. For Phase One, the ground floor of the towers contains retail on all four frontages, primarily located along Eglinton to the south, and extending along the east and west edges of the podiums.

Ground floor plan of the first phase towers, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

The towers themselves are designed with generous setbacks and separation distances that exceed the City’s Tall Building Design Guidelines. They feature architects-Alliance’s signature wraparound balconies, a feature Clewes explained is advantageous for providing passive solar shading in the summer, increased private amenity space for the residents, and more opportunities for creating a unique architectural expression. The towers are clad with alternating screens that form a distinct pattern on the north and south facades.

Site plan of the first phase towers, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

Clewes further elaborated that with the design of the towers, they were taking into consideration how they would be perceived from street level. Eglinton is quite a wide avenue, which allows for a clear view of the full height of the buildings, contrary to many downtown settings where only the streetwall of the podium is typically visible from the street and the tower then becomes mainly a feature of the skyline. With that in mind, the design attempts to create more of a seamless transition between the podium and the tower through staggered setbacks and a cohesive architectural language between the tower and the base.

Rendering of the first phase at street level along Eglinton, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

Panel members were impressed by the design of the towers, calling them “very elegant, modern buildings”. They were also intrigued by the approach taken to designing the towers, saying that there was a certain delicacy to the building grid that created an interesting texture as perceived from the street.

The Panel wanted to see more details of what would be built around the first phase, and SmartCentres acknowledged that the master plan for the larger site is still evolving, explaining that, “What we believe we are able to demonstrate with our first phase is that not only does this fit within the long term vision but also can stand on its own as part of the larger shopping centre for the foreseeable future”. SmartCentres is currently updating and enhancing the master plan, which will be resubmitted to the City in the near future.

Rendering of the first phase looking south toward the POPS, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

There was no vote from the Panel, but the overall reception was unanimously positive, with the request that a more defined master plan be drafted as they move forward with the first phase. The parting words of the Panel emphasized that this project is setting a precedent for “taking a classic kind of retail that has worked very well and thinking about how that might transition” into a more mixed-use, complete community.

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March 8, 2021

SmartCentres REIT Introducing First Phase of Golden Mile Redevelopment

Source: UrbanToronto

In Toronto’s east end along Eglinton Avenue East, the Golden Mile area of Scarborough is to be transformed from a collection of expansive industrial parks and big-box shopping centres into an urban, mixed-use community. SmartCentres REIT is one of the many developers working to help realize the City’s Golden Mile Secondary Plan—which sets a guiding vision for development in the area—with the coming redevelopment of their 29-acre property at 1900 Eglinton East. The site (bounded by Eglinton Avenue to the south, Hakimi Avenue to the east, and Ashtonbee Road to the north) is to be flanked by two of the upcoming Crosstown LRT stops at Pharmacy and Hakimi Lebovic.

Site of 1900 Eglinton East, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The proposed development—to be developed under SmartCentres’ residential sub-brand SmartLiving—is being planned as a pair of towers forming a gateway to future phases of the property’s master plan. Located at the southwest corner of the wider redevelopment site, the proposed first phase of towers will rise from a 2.02-acre plot that fronts directly along Eglinton, a site currently occupied by a single-storey bank branch and surface parking.

Plans for this proposed development recently advanced with a resubmission of their Zoning By-Law Amendment application, with updated designs by architects—Alliance for the pair of condominium towers, a 40-storey west tower and 38-storey east tower containing a respective 461 and 438 condominium units. The towers will be anchored by a new private pedestrian mews on the east and a combined 1,219 m² of retail space on the south. The towers’ ground floors will also feature lobby and amenity spaces that face out onto a central 524 m² public plaza.

Renderings of the towers have been generating attention, with a design defined by a checkerboard of perforated and textured metal mesh-enclosed balconies. The screened balcony treatment will work towards both form and function, creating a distinctive skyline presence while adding privacy for residents and contributing to the towers’ sustainability and energy ratings.

Looking northeast across Eglinton Avenue to 1900 Eglinton East, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The buildings will establish an initial infusion of residential density and open park space plus walkable retail in the area, which will continue to further energize the existing open-air shopping centre, with an existing 380,000 ft² of commercial leasable area on the property—currently operating at nearly 99% occupancy. In the long term, all buildings will be redeveloped with a mix of low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise buildings with opportunities for street-related commercial, residential uses, parks and open spaces, as well as a new public/private road system.

Looking northwest to public plaza at 1900 Eglinton East, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The proposed change to the area is another example of SmartCentres’ publicly announced Project 512, to transform their properties “From Shopping Centres to City Centres,” to create vibrant, complete mixed-use communities. In this case, aligning with the City’s vision outlined for the area to intensify the Golden Mile. The project is an important move towards the Golden Mile area transitioning into a more modern, healthy, and successful pedestrian and transit-friendly neighbourhood, with the wider area revitalization’s introduction of higher-density uses vital to the success of the Eglinton LRT.

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March 1, 2021

SmartVMC Community Continues Expansion With New Mixed-Use Development

Source: UrbanToronto

SmartCentres REIT is at the forefront of the wave of new developments shaping the new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) area, one that shows no signs of abating as new phases are announced in the developer’s master-planned 100-acre SmartVMC site. SmartCentres is continuing to seize the opportunity to create a complete community on an almost blank canvas around the VMC TTC Subway station and SmartVMC regional bus terminal. The REIT has recently announced new phases that will bring even more vitality to Vaughan’s burgeoning Downtown.

Looking northwest over SmartVMC showing site of 101 Edgeley Boulevard, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

SmartCentres’ adage of moving “From Shopping Centres to City Centres” is perfectly epitomized in one of the latest phases to be proposed. The company’s shift from large retail centres to mixed-use, high-density developments can be seen clearly in the redevelopment of a section of the block that formerly housed the Walmart at 101 Edgeley Boulevard into a new four-building complex being developed by SmartLiving, SmartCentres’ residential sub-brand.

Looking northwest to 101 Edgeley Boulevard, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

On the northwest corner of Apple Mill Road and Buttermill Avenue, a short walk from the SmartVMC bus terminal and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC Subway Station, the plan calls for towers of 18 and 38 storeys, along with lower-scaled buildings of four and six storeys that will foster a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere at street-level. The four buildings have been designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects with sleek curves that interplay with strong lines that emphasize the towers’ verticality, while making use of softer, natural materials framing the mid-rise building and central courtyard space to create a community feel.

Looking south toward KPMG Building to 101 Edgeley Boulevard, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

A total Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 59,191 m²/637,130 ft² is proposed, most of it as residential space, 50,530 m²/543,943 ft² in area, with 624 condominium units spread out across three of the buildings: 368 units in the 38-storey building, 184 units in the 18-storey building, and 72 units in the six-storey building. Anchoring it all, 590 m²/6,350 ft² of retail space is planned within the base of the six-storey building, which will overlook the nine-acre park to begin construction this year, providing human scale and a connection to open spaces. A landscape plan by MHBC Planning comfortably ties the buildings in with the surrounding community. Developing the full 100-acre master-planned site gives SmartCentres REIT complete oversight to ensure that all phases are holistically woven together.

Looking south to 101 Edgeley Boulevard, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The four-storey jewel box is the only non-residential building in the block. SmartCentres is in the process of determining the best use of this space to serve the site in a rare but welcome case of “architecture-first, details later” planning, but the aim is to further contribute to the pedestrian-friendly environment, creating a landmark presence at the intersection of Apple Mill Road and Buttermill Avenue. Defined by sculptural Y-shaped columns and a marble-clad elevator core, and surrounded by a public plaza, the corner building’s human scale would play a prominent role in welcoming pedestrians into the heart of the block. With its distinct look, the jewel box building would also create a transitional dialogue between the institutional uses across the street to the east. Adding even more interest to this corner, a public art feature is anticipated, with a final plan to be determined as planning continues.

Looking northwest to 101 Edgeley Boulevard, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The corner building and surrounding plaza will draw pedestrian activity towards a large central courtyard, which will function as a POPS (a Privately-Owned Publicly accessible Space). The central POPS is to feature a mix of trees, decorative paving, and ornamental plantings alongside other landscape features and outdoor furniture. The POPS and the site-wide public realm plan have been designed with similar thoughtfulness to the rest of the master-planned SmartVMC community: to create connections with existing and future public realm improvements while encouraging pedestrian access and interaction through the block. This attention to detail in creating a public realm that interacts with its surroundings has become a defining feature in SmartLiving’s planned developments.

Courtyard at 101 Edgeley Boulevard, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

Like the other buildings that will combine to realize the SmartVMC community, whether already existing, under-construction, or planned, the plan for 101 Edgeley proposes transit-supportive density made possible by recent infrastructure investments in the area: residents will benefit from close proximity to the SmartVMC Bus Terminal 100 metres to the east, and the TTC’s VMC subway station just 200 metres away. On top of that, the SmartVMC community’s mix of residential and commercial along with a thoroughly-planned out public realm will combine to foster connectivity a healthy pedestrian and cyclist presence in an area quickly shedding its suburban identity.

The proposed rezoning, Official Plan amendment, and Site Plan applications are all under review by the City of Vaughan.

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February 8, 2021

SmartCentres’ SmartVMC Continues with New Phase Announced

Source: UrbanToronto

Of the development nodes emerging around the Greater Toronto Area in recent years, few seem as sudden and exciting as SmartVMC, developer SmartCentres REIT’s 100-acre new city centre development, in the Vaughan Metroplitan Centre (VMC). Developed from a nearly blank slate around the 2017-opened subway terminal of the same name, the SmartVMC community has sprung up quickly, as the market has shown that there is great demand for residential, SmartCentres is adapting to needs and adjusting its master plan, which anticipates flexibility and changing market needs.

The first three SmartVMC residential towers are the Transit City condos, through a partnership with CentreCourt, with three more towers under construction including the area’s first purpose-built rental building. Most recently, SmartCentres submitted plans to redevelop an adjacent plot of land bordering the three residential towers that are under construction. SmartCentres has engaged world-renowned Gensler Architects to design this block, which will add architectural variety alongside the existing striking SmartVMC buildings which are designed by Diamond Schmitt.

Looking northeast to 175 Millway, image courtesy of SmartCentres

Submitted to the City of Vaughan late last year, the plan seeks to build out the site at 175 Millway Avenue with a 64-storey residential tower rising 206.1 metres, a 21-storey Class-A office tower rising 97.1 metres, and a seven-storey hotel rising 31.5 metres. A total gross floor area (GFA) of 128,080 m² would include significant infusions of residential space at 63,899 m², office space at 48,543 m², hotel uses of 10,913 m², and 4,723 m² of retail space. Paula Bustard, SmartCentres’ EVP of Development, describes the mixed uses on the block as “a microcosm of what we’re trying to achieve across our entire 100-acre SmartVMC community.”

Site of 175 Millway, image courtesy of SmartCentres

The block’s defining landmark is the planned east building with frontage along Jane Street. This 64-storey mixed-use building with a tulip-inspired massing includes a range of varying floor plates, with almost 800 residential units. Below the tower, a multi-level podium, inclusive of retail, grocery and residential uses activates the public realm at-grade.

The plan for 175 Millway was thought out to have a mix of built forms, designed in an effort to create visual interest and emphasize each building’s unique attributes, a recurring pattern in SmartVMC. Like the block’s interaction between the buildings and open space, the taller tower’s skyline presence is the result of a commitment to bringing high-quality architecture to the area, with SmartCentres explaining to us that the move to include a tall tower is based on factors like meaningful use of space, aesthetics and placemaking, and “not simply to maximize FSI.”

Looking east to 175 Millway, image courtesy of SmartCentres

To the west, the seven-storey, 179-room hotel is planned with ground-floor retail anchoring it to its surroundings, and rooftop amenity space with a view. As the SmartVMC area becomes a destination, the sizeable hotel represents growing demand in the burgeoning community.

South of the hotel, a curvilinear 21-storey commercial tower is planned with over 48,000 m² of Class-A office space. Its podium would boast retail at ground level and a fifth-floor rooftop terrace. Bringing Class-A office space to the block was integral in designing a complete community, where residential, employment, public, and transit uses are all necessary cogs in a well-functioning, master-planned urban system.

To weave these new buildings into the area’s nascent public realm, the landscape design for 175 Millway Avenue is placed high on SmartCentres’ multiple blocks within the 100-acre property, with a resulting landscape program centred around a large treed courtyard. Designed by Claude Cormier + Associés, the same firm who created the well-received public spaces around existing SmartVMC properties, the site edges are perforated by a pedestrian portals that invite the public into the site interior. While each of the SmartVMC properties has been designed with unique public spaces, this and previous projects in the community aim to create a holistically-interconnected web of public realm contributions.

Looking east to 175 Millway, image courtesy of SmartCentres

Paula Bustard, SmartCentres’ EVP of Development describes the mix of uses as a “key evolution to the transit corridor,” placing future residents, tenants, employees and guests in a growing community on a site positioned “immediately adjacent to the bus terminal, kitty-corner from the new civic square and subway station. On the other side of Millway we’re just completing the PwC and YMCA development and Transit City phases 1 through 5 are all under construction or in occupancy.”

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November 11, 2020

Unprecedented Growth Reshaping Vaughan Metropolitan Centre’s Guiding Principles

Source: UrbanToronto

Residents of the former Village of Edgeley—established in the early 1800s at the intersection of Jane Street and Highway 7 in present-day Vaughan—would be awestruck at what their quaint village has become. Vaughan officially transitioned from Town to City status almost 30 years ago, and a tidal wave of change has followed.

Archival photo of Edgeley, image courtesy of City of Vaughan

Vaughan has lived up to its upgrade in status with booming population growth and the nascent urbanization of its core. The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) area has become the centrepiece of Vaughan’s metamorphosis, with the 2017-opened VMC subway station and a glittering new skyline being the jewels in this crown. The planning groundwork for VMC was laid in 2006 when the provincial government committed to extending the Spadina subway line to Vaughan, and the area around the new terminus was designated as an Urban Growth Centre. The VMC Sub-Committee would be formed by Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua four years later, its goal to create the framework for a new urban centre for the traditionally suburban municipality. A decade later, the emphasis on urban feel has begun to bear fruit.

Created from an almost blank slate, VMC is now home to active projects from multiple landowners and developers, with the first major investment coming back in 2012, when the Cortel Group broke ground on their Expo City community. Expo City has since grown to four towers, with a fifth—CG Tower—now under construction, at 189 metres to be the new tallest building on Vaughan’s skyline. Its title may be short-lived though as an even taller tower has been proposed as of early November, 2020, Vaughan’s first to break the 200-metre mark. There are several developers active in bringing the VMC master plan to realization, with the biggest current players being SmartCentres REIT and QuadReal, each working off their own sub-community master plans for sites of 100 and 80 acres respectively.

A number of other active projects within and beyond these community master plans are bringing much more urban density to VMC, including under-construction buildings such as phases 1 through 5 of Transit City, Mobilio, and a much longer list of upcoming projects either working their way through planning and approvals, or currently in pre-construction sales. Complementing all of this residential growth, the VMC Centre of Community including a YMCA, daycare, library branch, and community recreation space is set to open its doors next year, and three new public art installations are underway.

Transit City Condos, image by Forum contributor DarkSideDenizen

Another jewel in the crown is the planned Edgeley Pond and Park, a signature community amenity that will double as a stormwater management facility

Edgeley Pond + Park, image via vaughan.ca

All of this investment and demand has far outpaced Vaughan’s initial expectations for height, density, and speed of city building, exceeding projections even during the most turbulent months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The VMC Secondary Plan established a population target of approximately 25,000 residents and 6,500 jobs by 2031, though due to the unexpectedly high volume in development activity, this projection has swelled considerably. Current development potential measured through approved and proposed developments represent more than 63,352 residents across 31,996 residential units moving into the VMC, a staggering 267% of the units and 253% of the population target identified for the 2031 planning horizon.

Construction in the VMC area, image by Jack Landau

Vaughan is responding to this unprecedented growth in VMC with a plan to update and expand documents guiding the area’s development, outlined in a VMC Sub-Committee report recommending sweeping changes to reassess and refocus efforts for the new downtown’s build-out moving forward based on development trends. This November 10th report identified and explained a range of issues and goals stemming from this outpacing of targets, noting that:

Proposed densities are rising exponentially each year
Greater diversity of building types and tenures is desired for a complete community
The downtown’s Neighbourhood Precincts need to be protected
Development must be balanced with delivery of supporting social infrastructure to achieve a complete community
The VMC needs a critical review of parkland provisions based on development trends
The right moment to reassess and refocus efforts
Proposed new office uses have increased significantly over the last year
Proposed retail uses have been lagging behind other uses, though there has been a significant increase since 2019

Factoring in all of the growth, an update to the VMC Secondary Plan has been initiated with an aim to address new provincial and regional policies, while staying true to the initial framework that has guided existing, approved, and proposed development in the VMC zone. This Secondary Plan revision is set to be adopted under the Vaughan Official Plan Update, which would functionally guarantee that planning goals are realized as envisioned.

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October 14, 2020

SmartCentres Bringing Mixed-Use Intensification to 2501 Victoria Park

Source: UrbanToronto

A property at the meeting point of North York and Scarborough, on Victoria Park Avenue north of Highway 401, is the latest Toronto redevelopment proposal in SmartCentres REIT’s program to reimagine their land assets with mixed-use redevelopments. Currently home to a low-rise plaza and its parking lot, the 5,066 m² site at 2501 Victoria Park is planned to be intensified with a new mid-rise residential building with retail at grade from SmartCentres’ new residential sub-brand, SmartLiving.

Site of 2501 Victoria Park, image courtesy of SmartCentres

Submitted to the City for Zoning By-Law Amendment last month, the proposal calls for an 11-storey mid-rise with retail at the base and 354 residential units above. Designed by Rafael + Bigauskas Architects, the building would take on a U-shaped massing, forming a six-storey street-wall along Victoria Park. To the east, terraces taper the building down to the height of the adjacent Faith Miracle Temple of Toronto and low-rise residential uses across Meadowacres Drive.

2501 Victoria Park, image courtesy of SmartCentres

From a massing perspective, the project’s mid-rise scale is meant to form an eastern bookend to the emerging reinvestment area where eastern North York meets Scarborough, while creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment with retail fronting the public realm and opening up to the south towards the existing Farmcrest Parkette, replacing the car-centric retail that exists today. Similarly, the three surrounding side street frontages would be animated with residential uses, on frontages currently occupied by surface parking and unadorned rear facades.

Looking west over 2501 Victoria Park, image courtesy of SmartCentres

The proposed overall gross floor area (GFA) of 32,017 m² is broken down into 512 m² of ground-floor retail space and 31,505 m² of residential space. Residential space—representing 98% of the GFA—is divided into 354 units, planned in a range of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units including a selection of ground-floor townhomes with private entrances.

Parking for the development is to be split above- and below-grade, with 66 spaces housed above grade and 111 spaces on a single-level underground. The above-grade parking is to be wrapped in retail spaces to the west, and townhome units to the north, south, and east, hiding the parking from passersby. Of the total 177 parking spaces, 142 are resident spaces and 35 are visitor spaces. The ground floor is also planned to house 271 bicycle parking spaces in a mix of 242 long-term and 29 short-term spaces.

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July 6, 2020

SmartCentres’ Mixed-Use Diversification Expressed in New Vaughan Development

Source: UrbanToronto

The emerging Vaughan skyline is set to receive another major boost when a masterplanned, multi-tower community proposed by SmartCentres REIT comes to the northeast corner of Weston Road and Major Mackenzie Drive West. SmartCentres REIT has expanded its scope in recent years, maintaining specialization in retail real estate but increasingly diversifying and redeveloping its properties into mixed-use, urban communities.

View from Major Mackenzie, SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The 6.3-acre development site encompasses a vacant area within a larger 45-acre property currently featuring a Walmart-anchored shopping centre and a SmartStop Self Storage facility now under construction. The new community will fill in a spot located immediately south of a 12-acre parcel which is being developed into a 179-townhouse project by SmartCentres’ SmartLiving residential brand in partnership with Fieldgate.

Landscape plan, SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications have been submitted to the City of Vaughan to permit SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, which would feature two seniors supportive living buildings and four residential towers. The residential towers and overall site plan are being designed by IBI Group, Kasian is designing the two supportive living buildings, and MEP Design Inc. is the landscape architect designing the master landscape plan.

Seniors' residences, SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

A Site Plan application has also been submitted for phase one, situated at the north portion of the property, where the proposed 10 and 12-storey seniors’ buildings will rise.

Seniors' residences, SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The southwestern portion of the property, where Weston Road and Major Mackenzie intersect, is proposed to be redeveloped into 12 and 16-storey residential towers with at-grade retail. A large piazza graces the corner as a welcoming gesture, marking the entry point to an expansive network of green spaces, internal walkways, sidewalks, and landscaping features that animate the public realm.

The southeastern quadrant of the site at Vellore Park Avenue will host the tallest pair of towers, at 20 and 24 storeys. Achieving a diversity of housing tenures and meeting the demand for ownership and rental options, a mix of condominium and apartment units are proposed.

Internal park view, SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

A two-level underground garage will service residents and visitors. On the ground, a new private road from Vellore Park Avenue will serve as the main entrance and exit point for vehicles, with connections to multiple pick-up and drop-off areas.

An abundance of landscaping and walkways are proposed between each of the buildings, including an elongated privately-owned public space (POPS) just south of the two seniors residences, where an active play space for children will be located.

Entry plaza, SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

Outside the boundaries of the site, an amenity-laden, complete community is already blossoming. The townhouse development to the north will further amplify Vaughan’s housing stock and introduce ‘missing middle’ housing types to the neighbourhood.

Already well served by SmartCentres’ multi-tenant, open-air shopping centre on the adjacent lot, the development also benefits from a York Region Transit bus route with direct access to Maple GO Station. The route will feature a transfer just east of the site through the future VIVA Rapid Transit Station at Major Mackenzie Drive and Jane Street, providing a direct route down Jane to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and Line 1 of the TTC subway system.

Master plan, SmartCentres Vaughan Northwest, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The new Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, the first “smart” hospital in the country, is also located approximately one kilometre east of this future mixed-use community. Preparing for the hundreds of homes that will soon transform the vacant property into a vibrant neighbourhood, the SmartStop Self Storage facility nearing completion is a harbinger of the promising community assets to come for the area.

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June 22, 2020

SmartCentres and Greenwin Propose Skyline-Defining Development in Downtown Barrie

Source: UrbanToronto

A prime slice of lakefront property in Downtown Barrie is proposed to undergo a multi-phase transformation by SmartCentres REIT and Greenwin Corporation. The two development partners have been working collaboratively with the City of Barrie to create a comprehensive vision for the site, and their ambitious proposal adds a mix of uses and four skyline-defining towers to the edge of Kempenfelt Bay.

Aerial view looking west at the four-tower development, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

Continuing a pattern of intensification along the Barrie waterfront, the proposed Barrie Lakeshore Developments occupies a 7.8-acre property within the Urban Growth Centre of the City addressed at 51, 53, 55 and 75 Bradford Street and 20 Checkley Street. Bounded by Bradford Street to the west, Lakeshore Drive to the east, and a series of residential buildings to the north and south, the site currently contains a single storey building on the southwest section, while the remainder is vacant.

Site plan, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

This Turner Fleischer Architects-designed project is conceived as a four-tower rental development, with retail-inclusive podiums providing a consistent street wall and human scale to the project at street-level. Two residential towers of 45 and 38 storeys share a podium that fronts Bradford Street with ground-floor retail, stretched east to an extended Checkley Street that provides ingress and egress through the site.

Looking west towards the combined hotel and residential tower, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

A third residential tower climbs 35 storeys to the immediate south. Facing Lakeshore Drive and overlooking the waterfront will be a 25-storey mixed-use building containing a total of 230 residential units and 145 hotel suites. A five-storey parkade is planned at the northern edge of the site. Upon full build-out, the development will introduce 1,697 rental units and 3,594 square metres of retail space to the property, with 1,740 parking spaces servicing the development.

Looking southwest at the hotel-residential tower, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The towers, stepping down in height closer to the waterfront, are strategically positioned to optimize views and maximize sunlight exposure for residents. Parking and loading services are largely hidden from the public realm to secure an accessible and pedestrian-friendly environment.

Ground floor plan, image via submission to the City of Barrie

A variety of cladding materials envelop the buildings, giving the towers and the podiums their own distinct identities. Glazing wraps the sinuous projecting balconies of the towers, while a combination of glass and masonry units characterize the rectangular podiums.

A series of walking trails around Bunker's Creek, looking north towards the hotel podium, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The development opens up new pedestrian and cycling connections to the waterfront, linking Bradford Street with Lakeshore Drive, where the barren plot of land that currently defines the property greatly hinders accessibility.

A number of new public pathways are proposed to provide links to existing green spaces in the immediate area, including Bunker’s Creek, which drains into Kempenfelt Bay and Lake Simcoe. Complementing the Creek, adjacent pond and trails, landscape improvements extend the public realm with active community spaces for year-round relaxation and recreation.

Looking southwest, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications are currently being reviewed by the City of Barrie. An application for Site Plan Approval will be submitted in the near future to permit the first phase of development, which could begin as early as Q1 2021.

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June 8, 2020

SmartCentres Development to Reshape Corner of Highways 400 and 7

Source: UrbanToronto

The mixed-use SmartVMC development is creating a new and true urban centre for Downtown Vaughan. As the masterplanned project by SmartCentres progresses, another multi-phase development from the REIT—which is evolving from shopping centres to city centres—will reshape the northwest corner of Highways 400 and 7 using the same tried-and-tested design principles.

Looking northwest at the multi-tower development, image courtesy of SmartCentres

The project will occupy a 8.2-hectare J-shaped property currently defined by three large commercial retail buildings. The site at 137 Chrislea Road and 57 through 101 Northview Boulevard is located within the Weston Road Secondary Plan area. The property is serviced by a VIVA Rapidway station, providing a direct transit connection to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station, and from there, Downtown Toronto.

Overview of the property, image courtesy of SmartCentres

Featuring disparate architecture by Weston Williamson + Partners and Turner Fleischer Architects, a total of 14 buildings ranging from 8 to 45 storeys are proposed. Separated by green spaces, five high-rise towers would be positioned on the eastern edge of the site facing Highway 400. A more modest collection of mid-rises are proposed on the remaining lands to the west, with the development serviced by a new central spine road and several other minor roads.

Site plan, image courtesy of SmartCentres

SmartCentres Highway 400 & 7 is informed by the same core principles guiding the development of SmartVMC, with an acute focus on transit connectivity, quality open spaces and distinct architecture. Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications are currently being reviewed by the City of Vaughan. An application for Site Plan Approval to permit the first phase will be submitted shortly.

View from Portage Parkway, image courtesy of SmartCentres

SmartCentres REIT owns approximately 3,500 acres of land situated at major intersections across every province in Canada. The company has embarked on a strategic diversification of its real estate portfolio, with its SmartLiving sub-brand driving residential development on dozens of SmartCentres’ properties. A $12 billion development program was announced in 2019 and will transform 94 of the 165 SmartCentres properties.

View from proposed POPS, image courtesy of SmartCentres

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