Tag: Residential

November 20, 2023

SmartCentres plans transit-oriented community at Caledonia Station

Source: UrbanToronto

The transformation that the Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT is bringing to Midtown Toronto is simply astounding. From its western terminus at Mount Dennis to its eastern terminus at Kennedy, tens of thousands of new residential units are planned along its route as part of a long list of master-planned communities, all of which are looking to transform the many under-utilized properties along Eglinton into complete transit-oriented neighbourhoods. One such property is SmartCentres’ Westside Mall, located at 2400 Eglinton West near Caledonia Road, where SmartCentres REIT, under its residential sub-brand SmartLiving, have big plans to establish a new transit-oriented community directly adjacent to the new Caledonia transit station.

The property is currently home to Westside Mall, a big box retail plaza housing several establishments including FreshCo and Canadian Tire. SmartCentres is planning to transform the existing retail plaza with a phased development that includes 8 new mixed-use residential towers ranging in height from 24 to 60 storeys and two new 8-storey residential mid-rises, along with a new public park proposed to be over one acre in size. In total, 4,045 residential units are planned, with a variety of local and large-format retail spread out across the podiums of the towers.

The master plan is designed by Turner Fleischer Architects and advances SmartCentres’ vision of evolving its properties from shopping centres to city centres. They are embarking on a significant redevelopment campaign for many of their properties across the country, with the aim of establishing complete communities adjacent to major transit nodes that align with provincial and municipal planning policies.

The defining feature of the 2400 Eglinton West community is its proximity to the new multi-modal Caledonia transit hub, conveniently located at the south end of their property, which provides a rare variety of transit options to travel downtown, crosstown, and uptown. The Caledonia station will be a part of TTC’s Line 5 along Eglinton, while a new Caledonia GO train station on the Barrie Line is also under construction next to it, with a direct pedestrian connection to Line 5. As well, the transit hub will serve several bus routes, including north-south routes that connect to the TTC’s Bloor Line 2 at Lansdowne and Keele stations.

Through it all, retail is still at the core of SmartCentres’ business and forms an integral component of the communities they build. In developing its vision and master plan for Westside Mall, SmartCentres is working closely with its current retail tenant partners to ensure that the majority of the shops and businesses can continue to serve the local community during and after the redevelopment. They have also confirmed that a grocery retail establishment is included as part of the master plan.

SmartCentres have been working closely with the City of Toronto, Metrolinx, and the local community to create a master plan that is beneficial to all. They have ensured that the new transit hub is integrated seamlessly into the plan and not just treated as an afterthought, with pedestrian routes and the new public park directly connecting to the stations. The master plan has a heavy focus on the pedestrian realm and connectivity, with a new street grid proposed which includes a pedestrian-only connection leading to the transit station. The park is situated near the centre of the site and fronts directly onto Eglinton, becoming the heart of the neighbourhood with the towers arranged around it. A total of 88,000 ft² of indoor amenities and 50,000 ft² of outdoor amenities are also planned.

SmartCentres are also working with the City to include community-oriented uses within the master plan. It is not defined yet exactly what these would be, but the latest rezoning submission shows a potential daycare within one of the towers. Collaboration in that regard is ongoing with the local community and City staff.

The master plan is still in the early design stages, but SmartCentres have already submitted a rezoning application for the first tower of the community, located in the southwest corner of the site. The Phase 1 tower is currently proposed at 35 storeys, with retail at ground level and just under 400 residential units. The tower will replace the small partially-vacant retail building at that location, and SmartCentres is currently working closely with the existing tenants to ensure continuity.

The exact number and mix of residential units across the master plan is still in flux, so it is unknown at this time how much rental will be included or how many bedrooms each unit will have. The size and location of the retail is also evolving as consultations continue, and many of these decisions may be adjusted based on future market conditions as each phase of the master plan is built out. Regardless, the focus of the master plan will always be liveability for its occupants and connectivity to transit. SmartCentres are continuing to transform their shopping centres into city centres, and Westside Mall offers a unique opportunity to establish a complete community directly adjacent to a major multi-modal transit hub.

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October 18, 2023

SmartCentres’ ArtWalk breaks ground in growing SmartVMC community

Source: UrbanToronto

SmartLiving held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, September 29 for ArtWalk Condos, marking a pivotal moment for the SmartVMC community in the Greater Toronto Area’s Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC). This event celebrated the start of a new residential project while highlighting the ongoing development of a dynamic, connected community within SmartVMC.

ArtWalk Condos, the 2.2-acre project planned and developed by SmartCentres REIT‘s residential arm, SmartLiving, is a key development in the expanding SmartVMC community. The development will comprise four distinct buildings, ranging from 4 to 40 storeys, with a total of 569 units, designed by the acclaimed Hariri Pontarini Architects. Each building is crafted to offer an engaging ground-floor experience with a shared courtyard designed to foster activity and interaction among residents.

Situated at 101 Edgeley Boulevard, ArtWalk Condos will be adjacent to the VMC subway entrance. With direct access to TTC Line 1, residents will enjoy seamless connectivity to various city locales.

With Union Station approximately 40 minutes away via the subway, ArtWalk Condos offers integration into Downtown Toronto’s transit network. Additionally, the nearby VIVA Station on Hwy 7 provides RapidBus connections to Markham, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, and Brampton, while the development’s proximity to the SmartVMC Bus Terminal further enhances its connectivity across Vaughan.

The development is a significant phase in the SmartVMC, a 100-acre master-planned city centre by SmartCentres in the VMC. ArtWalk Condos represents the 9th and 10th high-rise buildings to be constructed on the expansive site, with six residential buildings and two commercial buildings now completed.

The site is within walking distance of major employers, including KPMG and PwC, as well as community offerings, such as the YMCA, a Vaughan public library branch, and daycare facilities.

The development will also be adjacent to a 9-acre central park by CCxA — well known for local projects such as Love Park — providing residents with expansive green spaces featuring a dog park, trails, and sunken lawn for community events. The first phase of the park, consisting of 2.74 acres, is anticipated to start construction in 2024.

With over 30,000ft² of retail space completed and available for lease, the area has attracted a variety of tenants, including coffee shops like Balzac’s Coffee and major banks such as TD, BMO, RBC, and Scotiabank.

SmartLiving, backed by over 30 years of development experience across Canada, is at the helm of ArtWalk Condos. The condos are designed with a focus on sustainability, while also incorporating health-focused features and secure touch-free access to minimize health risks. The entire 12-acre development will be serviced from a centralized District Energy Plant (DEP), allowing for lower utility fees for residents and enabling future upgrades down the road.

ArtWalk Condos will integrate a suite of smart building features designed to enhance the living experience for its residents. These include Wi-Fi connections in all common areas, and smart thermostats installed in each unit. Keyless door entry systems will offer secure and hassle-free access to units, and a dedicated building app will allow residents to book amenities and common areas effortlessly.

The development also promises a range of amenities designed to foster community interaction, from co-working spaces and outdoor terraces to children’s play areas and barbecue areas.

ArtWalk Condos has a targeted completion of Summer 2027. For more information, you can visit their official site.

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November 20, 2023

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May 10, 2023

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January 17, 2023

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

Source: The Star

As a renter, you deserve better. That’s why you shouldn’t make compromises when it comes to the location, the amenities, the distance to transit, or perhaps even having to deal with an unreliable landlord.

You really can have it all. That is, if you rent at The Millway.

Located at the bustling Vaughan Metropolitan Centre at Highway 7 and Highway 400, The Millway is apartment living refined. It’s completely designed for the modern renter, offering residents an urban lifestyle without compromise — spacious suites, premium finishes, thoughtfully designed amenities, and just steps away from ample greenspace, TTC subway access, shopping and restaurants.

The designer suites at The Millway feature stainless steel appliances, in-suite laundry, a waterfall island, full slab backsplash, quartz countertops, and designer finishes while the building offers state-of-the-art security and around the clock concierge, which means you’ll receive professional, reliable, and immediate service whenever you need it.

You’ll also enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have security of tenure — meaning the legal right to continue living in your suite — as The Millway is owned and operated by SmartLiving, an industry leader backed by 30 years of experience.

The Millway’s exclusive offerings include a café-style lobby, coworking space, a 5th floor indoor/outdoor lounge, guest rooms, BBQ areas, a 36th floor sky lounge, plus residents have access to Super Amenities including an outdoor infinity pool, meeting rooms, K2 Ultimate Training Centre with cardio and weight training area, squash court, and an indoor running track.

Outside, there’s a one-acre, tree-lined park right at the foot of the building with walking paths, a children’s play area and dog park, an especially important detail for dog parents, as The Millway is pet-friendly.

Because The Millway is located in the heart of the new SmartVMC, residents can also enjoy all of the perks of this 100-acre master-planned community, including a 9-acre central park that features curved paths throughout, and a grand sunken lawn that can be used for community sports and large gatherings. It’s an epicentre for commerce, culture, recreation, open spaces, and urban living. Everything you need is right within your reach — banks, coffee shops, restaurants, day care centres, shopping, an outdoor LED wall, and public spaces that host Movies Under the Stars, the Vaughan International Music Festival, concerts, yoga classes, markets and more.

Best of all, it’s super connected — SmartVMC’s transit hub will take you everywhere in the Greater Toronto Area. The Millway is just steps away from the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre TTC subway station, connecting residents to TTC Line 1, putting York University, Union Station and Yorkdale Shopping Centre only minutes away. The VMC Viva Station is just steps away on Highway 7, providing rapid connection to Markham, Richmond Hill, Newmarket and Brampton, and a bus terminal directly across the street from The Millway within SmartVMC serves YRT, GO and Züm.

Be one of the first to live in this unique community and experience life at The Millway. Register now to tour at TheMillway.ca.

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December 9, 2022

SmartLiving’s The Millway is a brand new rental building in Vaughan’s new city centre

Source: BlogTO

Every Canadian has likely hopped off at a SmartCentres location near them at some point, the recognizable penguin statues beckoning them to come get all of their shopping done at their favourite retailers in one convenient place.

But, what some may not know is that after 30 years in business, SmartCentres has moved into the residential sphere with its SmartLiving arm.

Located in Vaughan’s new downtown core, the SmartVMC master planned community surrounds a major transit hub. Building on the success of five sold-out condo towers, The Millway offers a new type of rental living at SmartVMC. Residents can quickly connect to the TTC, York Rapid Transit, GO Transit, Züm, and VIVA.

Whether you believe you’ll be renting forever or simply don’t feel like traditional home ownership is the be-all-end-all, you can still live the life you want in SmartLiving’s The Millway, which elevates the conventional apartment building.

This elevated rental building is uniquely located within a giant, 100-acre master-planned community, to be completed with brand new parks and trails; office spaces; retail stores; a variety of transit options; arts and culture activations and events; and, of course, a variety of residential options including condos, townhomes and rental suites.

Located at the bustling Vaughan Metropolitan Centre at Highway 7 and Jane Street, The Millway is a quick ride up the University subway line, close to the downtown core but without the downtown prices.

Being close to, but out of T.O.’s city centre and its traffic, living at The Millway also grants residents an easier trip to Markham, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, Brampton and other GTA cities by bus or car.

And besides, who needs to travel when you have every amenity you need right at your front door?

SmartVMC has amenities you’re familiar with from downtown living — a Balzac’s Coffee, PenguinPickUp, a BUCA (opening soon), outdoor patios, dog park, YMCA, a public library and more — but The Millway also has some amenities you won’t find in the city, like co-working spaces, an indoor running track, infinity pool, 36th-floor sky lounge and the largest LED art wall in Canada.

There’s also a 1-acre park at the foot of The Millway, designed by renowned landscape architect Claude Cormier.

The event programming could rival any downtown city centre, with things like movies under the stars, music festivals and concerts, and yoga in the park — all perfect opportunities to meet your new neighbours.

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November 20, 2023

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January 17, 2023

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March 21, 2022

SmartLiving bringing transit-oriented development to Stoney Creek

Source: UrbanToronto

Amid a flurry of development and transit investment happening across the GTHA, Hamilton is experiencing a renaissance of its own, and the future is looking up for the east end neighbourhood of Stoney Creek. Hot on the heels of two major pieces of infrastructure currently in the works for Stoney Creek, several high-density developments are proposed in the area, including Parkway Plaza, a multi-tower proposal from SmartLiving, SmartCentres REIT’s wholly owned residential brand. Located at 200 Centennial Parkway North on the southeast corner with Barton Street, the proposed multi-phased master plan will have four mixed-use towers and two mid-rise buildings containing a combined total of 1,150 residential units. SmartLiving is introducing the first phase of the development, which will see two towers of 15 and 20 storeys atop an integrated 6-storey podium with a total of 520 residential units built on the southwest side of the site.

The site is ideally located halfway between two future transit nodes, both roughly 800 metres away. To the south, the new Hamilton LRT will terminate at the Eastgate LRT station, providing easy access to downtown Hamilton and McMaster University. To the north, the upcoming Confederation GO station will provide a new rail link from Stoney Creek to downtown Toronto and beyond. Both of these transit projects are fuelling development along the Centennial Parkway corridor, and Parkway Plaza will be the first redevelopment proposal out of the gate.

The 13-acre property is currently home to an existing retail plaza, which includes Food Basics as the anchor tenant. The development proposal from SmartLiving will only see the southern 6 acres redeveloped, with no plans to touch the existing retail or surface parking on the northern half of the site.

The Parkway Plaza development proposal features a significant amount of retail at grade, with a total of more than 14,000 ft² across the first and third phase buildings. True to SmartCentres’ roots and one of the guiding development principals, retail is essential for building a mixed-use community and is at the core of the Parkway Plaza proposal.

The first phase proposes a total of 520 residential units in a variety of sizes ranging from approximately 450 ft² to 1,200 ft². The buildings are proposed to host a wide range of amenities, including a gym, party room, lounge, co-working space, and large outdoor terrace complete with barbecues, seating, and covered areas. The development is planning to have a mix of rental and/or condos based on market demand.

Designed by Burlington-based Chamberlain Architects, the buildings are crafted to fit within their surrounding context. The massing is organized to be sensitive to the low-rise residential neighbourhoods to the south and west, while the building heights are consistent with the mid-century slab apartment towers to the north and east. Two-storey townhouses will occupy the ground floors along the border with the adjacent low-rise housing to maintain an approachable residential character. The cladding is striated, with a heavier masonry material around the base, a lighter white panelized system in the middle portion, and glazing on the upper storeys, providing a material connection to the surrounding residential buildings while alleviating the massing on the upper levels.

Jon McGinn, Executive Vice President at Chamberlain Architects, spoke of the design process for Parkway Plaza: “On the design side, this has been an interesting exercise in balancing the existing infrastructure, context, and surrounding influences. We feel as a team with SmartCentres, we have come up with a timely design that relates well to the evolving community along with creating a staple project for the neighbourhood. With a mix of traditional materials and more modern massing, we believe this project will be a long-standing cornerstone in the community.”

At ground level, the development will feature a robust public realm in the form of significant POPS space throughout the development. The exact area and design of the POPS has not yet been finalized, but SmartCentres intends to provide generous planting and landscaped areas, walking paths, bike paths, and seating.

The project intends to leverage its proximity to transit, schools, and retail all within the immediate vicinity. SmartCentres strives to establish well designed, connected, pedestrian-friendly communities, and the Parkway Plaza site has all the right ingredients to make this happen.

The Parkway Plaza development is currently seeking rezoning approval at the City of Hamilton, and we will keep you updated as it moves through the planning process.