Category: Residential

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May 24, 2022

SmartVMC’s much-awaited luxurious condos just launched & here’s a first-look

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April 8, 2022

Smart Move: A Luxurious Lifestyle Awaits At Vaughan’s Master-Planned City Centre

Source: STOREYS

As Vaughan’s highly-anticipated downtown hub steps into its next phase, those seeking a brand-new luxury suite that’s as welcoming as it is well-connected will be smart to make a move.

Serving as the newest juncture of SmartVMC — SmartCentres’ flagship 100+ acre master-planned community, rising in the heart of Vaughan — SmartLiving is poised to introduce a host of new suites to the neighbourhood via Park Place condos.

Standing at Highway 7 and Commerce Street, this pair of mixed-use towers will bring 1,100 residential units to the area, alongside more than 10,000 sq. ft. of retail space at grade.

With the project’s launch just around the corner, the time for getting acquainted with all the lavish livability, comfort, and connection this development has to offer is right now.

With SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust at the helm of Park Place condos, future residents can trust their homes are in (read: being crafted by) good hands. As part of SmartCentres’ major project of the moment – a $15.2B intensification program wherein rental apartments, condos, seniors’ residences, and hotels are being developed under SmartCentres’ residential sub brand, SmartLiving – all eyes are on Park Place.

Park Place (rendering)

The fast-approaching condominium launch will introduce two buildings — one soaring 48 storeys, and the other 56 — directly adjacent to SmartVMC’s nine-acre central park. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the towers will feature a suave curving design, rising over a three-storey podium that connects their bases. With thanks to their ultra-connected location, the builds will offer ease of access to transit, amenities, retail, and an expansive public realm.

Indeed, the ground level of the buildings will serve as a communal hub; its generous retail plaza and public space considered. With thoughtful architecture that seamlessly integrates the development with the surroundings planned for the area, this shopping and gathering space celebrates form as much as it honours function.

With suites ranging in size from 470 through to over 1,100 sq. ft., luxurious layouts from one- up to three-beds will be available at Park Place. Furthermore, the buildings will be smart, with special features including touch-free entry, smart thermostats, app integration, and Wi-Fi available throughout common areas.

Amenities on site will include a lounge and games room, a fitness area complete with a dedicated yoga and wellness hub, a cycle lab, and a large outdoor terrace that comes complete with plenty of greenery, ample space for seating, and an outdoor cooking area.

Complementing all the elegance and ease to be found throughout Park Place, the community surrounding the condominium is overflowing with just as many comforts. Already, SmartVMC has emerged as a location not just of the moment, but as a location for life. The master-planned project boasts swoon-worthy green space, residential and office builds, and cultural offerings ranging from art exhibits to music to festivals.

What’s more, additional SmartLiving residential projects and a brand-new, soon-to-open YMCA are all neighbours to the rising Park Place towers.

And, for those who love downtown Toronto’s buzz, and crave visits to the core for a Raptors game or a Kensington Market crawl, access couldn’t be easier: with Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC station — not to mention the SmartVMC regional bus terminal and Commerce Street VIVA station — sitting at the community’s centre, it’s a breeze to get into the city’s core.

Whether you travel via transit for work or for play, or your sunlight hours are spent stomping the pavement of this burgeoning community, Park Place is perfectly positioned to welcome you home at the end of the day. If you ask us, to plant yourself here sounds like a pretty smart move.

To learn more about Park Place, and to register, visit theparkplacecondos.ca.

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April 7, 2022

The March Towards Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Has Begun, The Highly Anticipated Park Place Condominiums are About to Hit the Market!

Source: CanIndia

The development of the SmartVMC located in the heart of Vaughan is well underway and demand shows no signs of slowing.

To keep up with the demand in this burgeoning community; SmartLiving, SmartCentres REIT’s wholly owned in-house residential development brand, is launching Park Place Condominiums, the next phase of mixed-use living at SmartVMC this Spring 2022.

Coming to the corner of Highway 7 and Commerce Street, immediately adjacent to SmartVMC’s future 9-acre central park, are two elegant, luxury-inspired towers of 48 and 56 storeys comprising of 1100 suites.

Park Place will bring refined luxury to the SmartCentres flagship 100+ acre master-planned new City Centre, with world-class architecture punctuating Vaughan’s emerging skyline. No other location in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre incorporates connectivity, urban conveniences, and architectural beauty quite like Park Place Condominiums

Featuring a modern curved design, with two towers elegantly rising from a three-storey podium; Park Place will stand as a beacon of elevated living for the city. From its sculpted, curvy exterior to its exquisitely crafted interiors, Park Place offers elevated modern design and quiet luxury. A high level of quality in materials and craftsmanship married with artistic flair, creates the ultimate living experience.

Park Place attracts and draws people into its large, open promenade that encourages walking to the retail outlets at ground level and other areas of the SmartVMC along landscaped paths.

Acclaimed architects Hariri Pontarini have designed the two towers and their podium base to be eye-catching and different from the norm for condos, sculpting each tower by using distinctive “fins” that create a stepped silhouette.

The two elegant towers of Park Place will be steps from the future 9-acre central park designed by the internationally renowned landscape architects at Claude Cormier + Associés, featuring a sunken lawn, children’s play area and dog park.

Park Place Condominiums will include one, two and three-bedroom suites, ranging from approximately 470 to 1,100 square feet and will feature smart capabilities including touch-free entry and smart thermostats, accessible through dedicated app integration. Suites are designed for the busy lifestyle and growing family needs featuring multiple-use spaces, efficient layouts, plenty of natural light, and functional balconies.

Park Place Condominiums, Vaughan’s New Luxury Condominiums

Designed by award-winning architectural firm Hariri Pontarini
Two Towers: 48 and 56 storeys, housing 1,100 suites
Overlooking SmartVMC’s 9-acre central park
Integrated building amenities including retail, co-working space, fitness, yoga and wellness facilities located directly in the building.
Steps from the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (TTC) Subway

SmartLiving gives Canadians access to city living without compromise. They do not simply build homes; SmartLiving apartments, condos, towns, and seniors’ residences are designed around public squares and parks, within pedestrian-focused, transit-connected master-planned communities. Backed by over 30 years of experience, SmartLiving leverages an in-house team of land development experts to drive all residential initiatives across SmartCentres’ communities coast-to-coast.

Park Place Condominiums is launching this Spring 2022. Do not miss this opportunity to live in the vibrant Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Visit theparkplacecondos.ca and learn more about Park Place Condominiums!

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February 7, 2022

Park Place Bringing Refined Living to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre

Source: UrbanToronto

One of the fastest-growing neighbourhoods in Canada is about to grow a little more as SmartLiving introduces Park Place, the next phase of SmartVMC, SmartCentres REIT’s 100+ acre master-planned city centre in Vaughan’s new downtown hub. Located on the northeast corner of Highway 7 and Commerce Street and immediately adjacent to SmartVMC’s central 9-acre park, the two-tower proposal is set to expand the area’s emerging skyline, rising to heights of 48 and 56 storeys. These mixed-use towers build on SmartVMC’s transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly development, adding to the vibrant community growing in Vaughan’s burgeoning downtown.


Park Place looking east, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

The two towers are designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and will contain more than 1,100 residential units, with over 10,000 ft² of retail space at the base. The south tower rises 56 storeys with the north tower reaching 48 storeys, both of which sit atop a connected 3-storey podium. Given their location adjacent to the park and the Highway 7 corridor, the towers will offer uninterrupted views across the entire GTA. The proposal includes generous sidewalks and public realm around the building, including a north-south pedestrian mews along the east edge of the site connecting Highway 7 to New Park Place.

The proposed development fronts directly onto the middle section of the 9-acre central park at the heart of the SmartVMC master plan. The park is designed by renowned landscape architects Claude Cormier + Associés, and the central heart of the park will contain a sunken lawn, a kids’ play area, and a dog park, essentially becoming a big backyard for residents. The first phase of the park will begin construction later this year.


View of Park Place from within the central park looking southeast, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

The buildings feature a signature curving design from Hariri Pontarini Architects, with the podium swerving inward to embrace a courtyard on the west. “The project conveys a contemporary expression that is distinguished and notable on the newly created Vaughan skyline,” states Michael Attard, Associate Partner at Hariri Pontarini, “a simple, graceful residential tower lightly resting on an iconic three-storey retail and amenity base. It is informed by the constraints of its context and celebrates the relationship of program and structure, tracing its form to a natural conclusion.”

Attard describes how the massing of the towers was sculpted and integrated seamlessly with the public realm: “We carved away the massing next to Commerce Street to create a retail plaza which links into the new park. The towers were oriented with an offset to preserve views and maximize access to light. The podium is seen as an extension of the plaza and activated by outdoor amenities which terrace upwards away from the plaza. The base and corners of the tower are defined by a warm terracotta screen which links through the development like a ribbon.”


The base of Park Place, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

Sustainability also informed the design of the towers. “The towers are wrapped in bands of white fritted glass which quiet the division of envelope to balcony and provide locations for us to introduce solid walls to improve our window-to-wall ratio,” explains Attard. “Incorporating concepts of passive sustainable design, the project strikes a balance between responsive solar strategies, cohesive skin design, and the needs and comforts of the occupants who desire maximum access to view and light.”

At ground level, a generous retail plaza and expansive public realm integrate the development with its surroundings, with a trellis tracing the edge of the site to create an intimate gathering space. “We’ve softened the threshold from street to building by incorporating a public plaza that is visually connected to the central park and bordered by an elevated sun-shading trellis,” Attard states. ”Stairs with integrated benches mitigate the grade change along Commerce Street.” Attard adds that, “The building form and program helped to shape the public space, encourage connectivity, and provide opportunities for neighbourhood interaction.”


Retail plaza along Commerce Street, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

Condo units in the building are available in a variety of sizes, ranging from 470 to more than 1,100 square feet, and from one to three bedrooms. SmartLiving describes the development as offering their highest level of refined living in SmartVMC to date. Amenities are located on the second and third floors of the podium and include a fitness area with yoga and wellness spaces; a cycle lab; a lounge and games room; and a large outdoor terrace, complete with an outdoor cooking area. It is also being designed as a smart building, with Wi-Fi available in all common areas, and features such as touch-free entry, smart thermostats, and app integration.

Park Place joins a growing collection of high-rise developments in SmartVMC, where several other SmartLiving residential projects are planned, completed, or under construction, including five Transit City Condo towers; Artwalk Condos; and The Millway purpose-built rental tower. SmartVMC’s skyline also features the award-winning Class A KPMG Tower and the PwC-YMCA Tower, which is home to a brand new YMCA, slated to open very soon. These buildings are all centred around immediate access to public transit, with the TTC’s Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station and SmartVMC regional bus terminal at the heart of the community, and the VIVA/BRT line on Highway 7 along its perimeter. Park Place benefits from its location directly adjacent to the Commerce Street stop on the BRT line and is a short walk from the subway station.


SmartVMC master plan with Park Place highlighted in orange, image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT.

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October 5, 2021

SmartCentres Unveils ArtWalk Condos at SmartVMC in Vaughan

Source: UrbanToronto

It doesn’t seem all that long since the centre of Vaughan was just big box stores amid acres of parking… but then the subway arrived with the opening of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station, and the area has been on a tear ever since. SmartCentres REIT, who own 100 acres adjacent to the station, took the opportunity of the new direct accessibility to Downtown Toronto to make best use of the land through a master plan they developed, gradually bringing a new 20M ft² City Centre to Vaughan surrounding a 9-acre central park.

Looking through the proposed Central Park at SmartVMC, designed by Claude Cormier + Associes for SmartCentres REIT

The plan, developed with Diamond Schmitt Architects and Claude Cormier + Associés, has quickly brought quite a bit of new development to the area that’s just a minute’s drive from Highways 400 and 7. “With five sold out world-class residential towers, and two leased out award-winning office towers, SmartVMC is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada,” Mitchell Goldhar, Executive Chairman and CEO of SmartCentres REIT told us. “This emerging city centre has unparalleled transit connectivity, including a TTC Subway Station and York Regional Bus Terminal on site.”

The first three Transit City towers behind the Smart VMC Bus Terminal, and PwC Building with Library to the left, image by Edward Skira

While current construction immediately to the east is adding more residential buildings, the next parcel of land to be developed has now been revealed; just to the west of Transit City will be the mixed-use ArtWalk District. Launched this past summer with a series of “accessible, experiential art and culture activations,” the ArtWalk District was kicked off with 30,000 ft² of murals painted by acclaimed local and international artists including Ricardo Cavolo, birdO, Ben Johnston, and Jeremy Shantz. Currently, the murals provide a colourful backdrop for ArtWalk’s food truck market, and for a series of free drive-in movies that run every Thursday and Saturday evening.

Mural by renowned Barcelona-based artist Ricardo Cavolo at ArtWalk, image courtesy of SmartCentres

New developments will transform the art district with a four-phase block of new, mixed-use developments from SmartLiving, SmartCentres’ wholly owned in-house residential development brand. The first of these is ArtWalk Condos Phase 1. Goldhar continued “ArtWalk Condos represent our next phase of new residential buildings within SmartVMC; a pedestrian and public art-oriented neighbourhood within a vibrant new city centre. ArtWalk Condos is located at the nexus of a brand-new YMCA and public library, a series of striking public art installations, and a spectacular 9-acre central park that will serve as the heartbeat of the whole community.”

Looking southwest to ArtWalk Condos Phase 1 at Smart VMC, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SmartCentres REIT

Designed by renowned Hariri Pontarini Architects, the first phase of ArtWalk is just to the west of the library, an arrangement of four buildings that will rise around an integrated courtyard. HPA is leading both the architecture and interiors for this phase, bringing varying building and suite sizes to accommodate a diverse range of people and lifestyles. The design is detailed and welcoming, featuring natural materials and colour palettes, “purposefully creating variation between all the buildings while crafting a striking skyline.”

Looking southwest to ArtWalk Condos Phase 1 at Smart VMC, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SmartCentres REIT

The tallest of the four buildings is a 38-storey residential tower at the east end of the courtyard and fronting Buttermill Avenue. It will be joined by a 3-storey podium to an 18-storey residential building on the north side of the courtyard. To the south will be a 6-storey residential building, low enough to allow sunlight to flood the courtyard. At the southeast corner of the site, at the corner of Apple Mill and Buttermill will be a 4-storey mixed-use building. The base of the 6-storey building will feature a co-working space and café which spills into and animates the courtyard. Coverage of the site is 4.63 times, with a total gross floor area of 51,124m², in a mix of 50,281m² of residential space and 590m² of retail. The three buildings count a total of 627 residential units. A single-level underground garage provides 220 parking spaces to serve residents, employees, and visitors, while parking for 383 bicycles is also included.

Courtyard at ArtWalk Condos Phase 1 at Smart VMC, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SmartCentres REIT

Residents of all three buildings will enjoy access to a full roster of amenities in the development, arranged around the courtyard to foster activity and interactions between residents, creating an urban neighbourhood feeling and build a sense of community. Amenities will include multiple lushly landscaped terraces with gardens that variously boast an outdoor dining space with barbecues, intimate lounge seating with firepits, and even an outdoor movie area. Families will benefit from an indoor/outdoor children’s play area, while those working from home will have use of an expansive 2,500 ft² co-working centre facing the courtyard. The double-height co-working space is designed with neutral tones to provide a calming, focus-supporting environment, and a community café will be at hand. A spiral staircase, see below at the back, leads to a breakout area to chat with co-workers or friends.

Co-working space at ArtWalk Condos Phase 1 at Smart VMC, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects for SmartCentres REIT

ArtWalk will be future-ready when delivered, with WiFi will be offered in all common areas, and an app available for all residents to book amenities, control smart thermostats in suites, provide keyless entry, and more. According to Goldhar, the same holistic approach to master planning SmartVMC has been applied to ArtWalk, including “the active integration of art and culture, the pedestrian focus, and the thoughtful consideration of connectivity with the surrounding amenities.”

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August 4, 2020

Two High-Rise Residential Towers Coming to SmartCentres Thornhill

Source: UrbanToronto

SmartCentres Thornhill, a 20-acre commercial shopping centre at the northwest corner of Centre Street and Bathurst Street, will be redeveloped by SmartLiving on behalf of owners Metrontario and the Penguin Group of Companies. SmartLiving, the residential brand of SmartCentres REIT, is working with the City of Vaughan to establish a long-term vision for the lands at at 700 Centre Street in Thornhill.

SmartCentres Thornhill, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The property falls within an ‘Urban Area’ under the Region of York Official Plan. The site is also located within a ‘Primary Centre’ and along a ‘Regional Intensification Corridor’ as outlined in the City of Vaughan’s Official Plan. These three designations formally identify the property as an ideal location for mixed-use, high-rise development.

The project emerges in a booming development node supported by the recently-opened Disera-Promenade Station along Viva’s Highway 7 Rapidway, located directly in front of SmartCentres Thornhill.

Representing the first phase, Official Plan Amendment, Zoning Bylaw Amendment and Site Plan Control applications have been submitted to the City of Vaughan to permit two condominium towers of 27 and 29 storeys on a 1.3-acre area at the northwest corner of the site.

Context map, image via submission to the City of Vaughan

Meeting the ground with a three-storey podium containing ground-level retail space, a bridging element between the two towers rises from the rear of the podium, where indoor amenity spaces will be located. Renderings of the Sweeny &Co Architects-designed project depict outdoor amenity spaces on the rooftops of the three- and six-storey podium components.

A total of 510 parking stalls will be housed below-grade and within the podium, hiding all parking from the surrounding public realm. Vehicular access to the development will be through a private road animated with landscaping and street furniture.

Street-oriented retail spaces and the residential lobby will activate all sides of the project to promote a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere, further enhanced by glazed expanses and tall floor-to-ceiling heights.

SmartCentres Thornhill, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

Each of the two towers boast distinct facades that continue the architectural language established by the podium. Projecting balconies combine with horizontal and vertical elements and a mix of glazing, masonry, spandrel, concrete, and metal panels to form a diverse tower expression.

Partnering with Cityzen, Metrontario is developing the lot immediately to the west, where a pair of condominium towers are under construction. To the south, the 1986-built Promenade Shopping Centre is one of multiple suburban-style malls undergoing an urban transformation. The Promenade multi-phased, mixed-use redevelopment will produce over 1,000 residential units, office space, and a hotel across a number of high-rise towers.

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July 21, 2020

Crane Comes Down at Transit City Condos in Vaughan

Source: UrbanToronto

It’s been a few weeks since the topping off of the first of the three towers in phase one of the Transit City development at SmartVMC, a nascent master-planned community now growing around the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway terminal just north of Toronto. Being developed by SmartCentres in partnership with CentreCourt Developments, the trio of 55-storey condominium towers designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects has now surpassed another construction milestone.

Looking north to Transit City, image by Forum contributor Jasonzed

While the first crane was removed from the topped-off Tower 1 in May, the operation has now been repeated for Tower 2, with that crane’s disassembly having been carried out this month. The five-day process was undertaken by construction crews from Multiplex using a derrick with a lifting capacity of 35 tonnes.

Crane removal for T2 at Transit City, image courtesy of Multiplex

With the total weight of the tower crane roughly 90 tonnes—including its counterweights—it had to be disassembled and lowered in sections to keep the derrick’s loads under its limit.

Crane removal for T2 at Transit City, image courtesy of Multiplex

The derrick was chosen over methods such as bringing in a mobile hydraulic crane and extending it from street level, due to the tower’s sheer height and because of restrictions related to the project’s location less than seven kilometres from Downsview Airport. Air rights continued to play a factor in how the crane was demobilized, as the derrick encroached upon the Downsview flightpath. Multiplex managed the derrick’s logistics, working in close consultation and daily liaison with airport management to ensure the operation was carried out safely: once a day’s operations were completed, the derrick was brought down to the tower’s roofline, before being jacked back into its operational posture the following day.

Crane removal for T2 at Transit City, image courtesy of Multiplex

With two cranes down now, one remains active forming the final building in the first phase. Now just a few levels shy of its final height, the east tower will also have its crane removed in the near future.

As work continues inside the first three towers, construction has begun on the next phase of buildings at Transit City. Two cranes are now active on the underground levels of TC4 and TC5. In phase two, 45 and 50-storey CentreCourt and SmartCentres condominium towers are being constructed along with a 35-storey purpose-built SmartLiving rental building. The image below, captured in early July, shows the phase two site following the first crane’s installation, just prior to the second crane being raised.

Construction for next phases of Transit City, image by Forum contributor DarkSideDenizen

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July 13, 2020

SmartCentres Alliston Exemplifies How SmartLiving Adapts to Local Needs

Source: UrbanToronto

SmartCentres REIT is maximizing the value of 3,500 acres of land through an ambitious development program that will see over half of their 166 country-wide properties undergo intensification. Branching out into residential development under their SmartLiving brand, the company’s evolution is manifested in the under-construction Transit City development, and further demonstrated in recently announced projects in other Ontario municipalities like Pickering and Barrie. In the Town of New Tecumseth north of Toronto, SmartCentres REIT’s project at Highway 89 and County Road 10 in Alliston will replicate the mixed-use nature of Transit City, but adapt it to the local context.

SmartCentres Alliston exterior, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The 36-acre property at 30 Dunham Drive is located approximately three kilometres east of the Alliston main street. Like many SmartCentre properties, the site is currently anchored by a Walmart Supercentre, with Dollarama and Tim Horton’s serving as other major tenants. SmartCentres Alliston has been in operation for 10 years.

SmartCentres Alliston exterior, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

In 2019, the Town of New Tecumseth completed its Official Plan review and expanded the land use permissions on the property to include residential uses. A long-term vision for the site was established when SmartCentres submitted a Zoning Bylaw Amendment application in February, 2020 to create a mixed-use community to support the growth of Alliston. The masterplan proposes to enhance the site’s existing retail program with commercial uses positioned along Highway 89. At full build out, approximately 350 residential suites would be built under the plan.

SmartCentres Alliston interior, concept image courtesy of SmartCentres REIT

The first phase, for which a Site Plan application was submitted in May, 2020, introduces a three-storey, 42-unit rental building to the property. Built under the SmartLiving residential brand and designed by Stantec, the wood-frame building is modest in scale, adapting to the local built form. Up to 10 buildings could be built across the whole property in further phases.

Floor plans are larger than those typically found in more urban municipalities, with a mix of one- and two-bedroom units ranging in size from 566 to 875 ft².

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June 15, 2020

13-Storey Retirement Residence Proposed on Wilson Near Bathurst

Source: UrbanToronto

An application submitted to the City of Toronto this month seeks rezoning to permit a 13-storey retirement residence at 381 Wilson Avenue, just west of Bathurst Street in the Clanton Park neighbourhood. Plans for the site, adjacent to a Highway 401 off-ramp, and vacant since 2004, come from developer SmartCentres REIT for a Global Architect Inc.-designed building that would house retirement units and provide 75 to 100 healthcare related jobs.

Looking southeast over site of proposal, image via submission to City of Toronto

The 21,630.7 m²/232,831 ft² U-shaped building is planned entirely with residential uses, set to contain 278 retirement units in a mix of 66 studios, 157 one-bedroom and one-bedroom+dens, and 55 two-bedroom plans. Units include 34 designed for memory care, 34 assisted living units, 147 independent supportive living units, and 63 seniors apartments.

Aerial view looking northeast over 381 Wilson Avenue, image via submission to City of Toronto

A two-level underground garage would provide 153 parking spaces, 140 for residents and 13 for visitors. 40 bicycle parking spaces are also proposed, including 20 short-term visitor spaces at grade, as well as 20 long-term spaces for residents to be housed on the P1 level. Access to the garage would be provided via an internal roadway and ramp at the south end of the site.

North elevation, 381 Wilson Avenue, image via submission to City of Toronto

The project is situated a few blocks east of a growing development node surrounding Wilson subway station, where several buildings have already been completed and many more mid-rise and lower high-rise projects are in various stages of planning and construction. While the 381 Wilson site is located over 450 metres east of the easternmost of these developments, proximity to these projects and the Bathurst and Wilson intersection to the east are being cited as justifications for the proposed density in a planning report prepared by MHBC Planning.

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June 8, 2020

Two Towers Top Out at Transit City Complex in Vaughan

Source: UrbanToronto

The cluster of towers in the nascent Vaughan Metropolitan Centre skyline includes a new focal point, with milestones recently reached in construction of the Transit City complex in SmartCentres’ SmartVMC, a 100-acre master-planned community around the area’s eponymous subway terminal. The first phases of Transit City—being developed by SmartCentres in partnership with CentreCourt—include a trio of 55-storey condominium towers designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, two of which have recently topped out.

Facing east to Transit City, image by Forum contributor DarkSideDenizen

The complex’s north and south towers have reached their final heights of 176.17 metres, with the former’s crane recently removed and the latter’s soon to follow. Cladding installation has reached the north tower’s pinnacle, with just six rows of the tower’s balcony dividers remaining before the aesthetic is complete. Four levels of exterior finishes remain to be installed on the south tower.

Facing northeast to Transit City, image by Forum contributor DarkSideDenizen

To the east, the third tower now stands roughly 45 storeys tall, set to match the 55-storey height of its siblings in the coming months. As forming progresses up top, cladding installation now encloses over 30 floors of the tower.

Facing north to Transit City, image by Forum contributor DarkSideDenizen

All three towers at Transit City have overtaken the nearby twin towers of the Expo City community’s Nord East and West and their shared heights of 140 metres which briefly held the crown as Vaughan’s tallest buildings, having themselves only taken the crown recently after overtaking the Expo City community’s first two towers as that city’s tallest. Transit City’s crown is also likely to be short lived, as CG Tower, an even taller building is in the works at Expo City—the two communities developing a back and forth race for Vaughan’s tallest. Another tallest for Vaughan could come at 7028 Yonge Street at Steeles, on Vaughan’s border with Toronto, if it’s approved.

As work moves into the later stages for the initial three towers, three more buildings are on the way as part of the community’s next phase. Early construction activity is priming the site of TC4 and TC5, a pair of 45- and 50-storey CentreCourt and SmartCentres condominium towers, which are being constructed along with a 35-storey purpose-built SmartLiving rental building. Views of the site captured at the end of April, below, show a hive of activity in the middle ground below, with the completed shoring phase paving way for excavation and tieback installation, and two of the initial towers in the background.

Late April view of excavation for next phases of Transit City, image by Forum contributor DarkSideDenizen

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