Category: SmartLiving

SmartCentres plans transit-oriented community at Caledonia Station

SmartCentres’ ArtWalk breaks ground in growing SmartVMC community

Here’s why The Millway by SmartLiving is the most stylish new development in the GTA

Upgrade your lifestyle at The Millway by SmartLiving in the heart of the most connected Vaughan neighbourhood

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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 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 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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May 25, 2020

SmartCentres Intensifying Pickering Property With Two Residential Towers

Source: UrbanToronto

Owning approximately 3,500 acres of land at prime intersections in all provinces across the country, SmartCentres REIT is pursuing an aggressive expansion of its SmartLiving residential sub-brand, diversifying and optimizing its portfolio through redevelopment of its vast roster of properties. A $12.1 billion development program announced in 2019 is now underway, and will see 94 of the 165 SmartCentres’ properties undergo intensification. One of 256 individual development projects, SmartCentres Pickering will transform a 48-acre site at the intersection of Brock Road and Pickering Parkway, located just five minutes from Pickering GO Station.

Aerial overview of the 48-acre development site, phase 1 outlined in blue, image courtesy of SmartCentres

The property is bounded by Brock Road to the west, Pickering Parkway to the south, a mature single-family neighbourhood to the east, and a service road to the north. Featuring easy access to Highway 401 and the Durham Live entertainment district, the existing Pickering SmartCentre contains a number of high-profile tenants, including Walmart Supercentre, Lowe’s, Winners, LCBO and PetSmart.

Phase 1 will produce towers of 34 and 33 storeys, image courtesy of SmartCentres

The lands were identified in the South Pickering and Kingston Road Corridor Intensification Studies for high-density mixed-use development, aligning with the principles and long-term growth strategy established by SmartCentres. Recognizing the changing landscape of retail, the REIT is taking a leadership role in extracting value and maximizing the potential of its assets, while contributing towards the urbanization of several GTA municipalities, including Pickering.

Looking southeast at the first phase, image courtesy of SmartCentres

The first phase of the comprehensive multi-phase masterplan will see the northeast corner of Brock Road and Pickering Parkway—currently occupied by two standalone retail buildings separated by a surface parking lot—redeveloped into a two-tower residential project.

Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications have been recently submitted with the City of Pickering, seeking permissions to build 33 and 34-storey condominiums on the first six-acre lot, with heights of 106 and 109 metres.

Looking northeast from the corner of Brock Road and Pickering Parkway, image courtesy of SmartCentres

Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, the two towers will stand atop a multi-storey podium stretching the full length of the property. A total of 377 and 360 one-to-three-bedroom residences are proposed between the two buildings, with 14,500 ft² of retail space to be provided in the podium.

A total of 703 parking spaces have been proposed. An expansive amenities program will include a fitness centre, party room, guest suite, and an outdoor roof deck.

A multi-storey podium hosts retail space along Brock Road, image courtesy of SmartCentres

The remaining blocks within the 48-acre property will be developed in phases, allowing the bulk of the retail to continue operating as construction progresses. The lands to the immediate east, occupied by additional surface parking and three individual single-storey commercial buildings, comprise the remainder of Block 1.

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