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Photo Updates of River City Phase 1

Mark Savel — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:00:35 +0000

During last weeks “peak and enter” at the newly completed Don River Park… I stopped by the River City development to take a few photos of phase one under construction!

The 7 storey River St. building is well underway and already taking shape.

The two storey townhomes line the base of the building along River St.

Here’s a close up of the King St. building… eventually the two will be connected by a bridge!

Interlocking stone was used in the construction of sidewalks and roads for the area!

Looking for more updates from River City? Waterfront Toronto recently relocated one of its web cameras to capture the construction progress of the development! The web camera, which was previously used to capture the construction of Sherbourne Common north, is now on the rooftop of Edge Loft condominiums at 625 Queen Street East. Still images of the site are taken every 15 minutes and can be viewed on Waterfront Toronto’s construction webcam page and on the River City page.

Images are archived and once the project is complete, a two minute time lapse video is created that showcases the transformation of the project from start to finish.

Demolition Begins at the Riverside Townhomes

Mark Savel — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:49:51 +0000

It’s been a little more than a year since the Riverside Townhomes launched on Broadview at Queen St. East! Last week I passed by the site to find demolition well underway. Check out some photos of the site below:

A few units are still available! If you’d like to purchase at the Riverside Townhomes, please contact be below:

Photos of Underpass Park at River City

Mark Savel — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:00:49 +0000

This past weekend, my curiosity got the better of me as wandered around the River City neighbourhood …and in particular, Underpass Park!

I was killing some time in between appointments and trying to find away to snap some pictures of the Don River Park from atop the Adelaide E Bridge. Sadly, I didn’t have much luck as Cole Haans aren’t the most practical shoes for fence jumping or bridge scaling. Although… I was successful in finding a nice little place to park for free (something that’s getting harder and harder in Toronto). With my car tucked away, I had juuust enough time to snap a few photos of the changes under the bridge!

Construction started about 6 months ago on the dreary and dark space under the bridge. Once complete, Underpass Park will be the most extensive park to ever be built under an overpass in Canada. Already concrete has been poured, plants have been planted and jungle sets for the kids installed!

I was happy to see that some of the street art that was on the support coloumns of the bridge are still on site… in fact, I think it would be really cool if all of the columns were wrapped in colourful imagery. Anything is better than boring concrete in my opinion!

In the few months that they’ve been working on it, it’s looking pretty close to the initial renderings (from WaterfrontToronto)! I’ll definitely be going back and taking more pics as progress continues on the park.

This is defintily one of the most exciting parts of town right now and located right next to the park is River City which just recently launched it’s second phase! I have access to prices and floorplans…if you’d like more information, please fill out the form below, I’d be happy to help:

Here’s to hoping all of 2011 is like January

Mark Savel — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:01:20 +0000

The lack of posts on the blog is directly related to the increase in activity, but not to worry… I’m back, busy, and ready to blog!

By the first week of January appointments on my listings started to really spike and the emails started pouring in from people interested in buying and selling. I had taken a client of mine into a loft conversion that we’d been eying for some time. A few hours after the listing went live, I booked us an appointment with the hopes of being the first ones in… 3 others had already previewed the place before us. My client loved the space so much that within an hour of viewing the unit we had an offer printed and ready to present. Luckily for the both of us we moved fast. The next day another 7 appointments were booked. Because I was able to secure the unit for my client the night before we narrowly avoided participating in multiple offers… others weren’t as fortunate.

I’ve seen several new condo listings in the downtown core with the ever famous “Offers if any, reviewed on the xx of January”. For those not in the biz, this is one of the many signs that it’s a sellers market and that there are more buyers than there are sellers! When this happens, the negotiating power isn’t heavily the purchasers side BUT I still think it’s worth while to look. I’m not a fan of paying several thousand dollars more than what a unit is worth, and I’d never suggest a client do that either… but if that dream layout and your desired building does become available, I say go for it just be aware of what comparables have sold for. If your fair priced offer isn’t accepted don’t loose faith…another one is always out there! Sellers, instead of waiting for the spring market I’d suggest prepping you’re unit for sale a lot sooner. It’s only a matter of time before others get word of the increase demand and start listing their places.

On the preconstruciton side of things, 2011 is promising several great launches through out the City. Projects gearing up for future phased launches and those looking to move last years inventory have started offering a variety of incentives. Throughout the week I’ll be spotlighting a few with great perks!

If you’re looking to live Downtown, I’d love to help!

Construction Update at 2 Gladstone

Mark Savel — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:00:13 +0000

One of the first preconstruction projects I started promoting on SavelBlogs was 2 Gladstone by Streetcar Developments. Sales started back in October of 2009 and to this day, I’m still getting emails from interested purchasers on it. It was one of the few projects to launch in 09 and with only 54 units, it didn’t take long for them to sell. Fast forward to 2011 and 2 Gladstone is back on the blog!

In early 2010 they demolished the existing buildings and by early spring the had dug a hole large enough to pour the foundation. From there it’s been nothing but up as they’ve already surpassed ground level and have started on the second floor! Estimated move-in is scheduled for October 2011 and with only 7 more floors to go, they might just build this one on time!

It’s hard to get a good indication on what the first level looks like as most of it is covered up, but once cladding starts I’ll be back to take some more photos… In the mean time, click on the thumbnails below to see the progress thus far.

While out on Queen West I spotted a few other sites “ripe for development” which is great news if you missed your chance to buy at 2 Gladstone. If Queen West is calling you…call me (or send me and email) and I’ll help you call it home!

(try saying that 5 times fast)

707 Lofts on Dovercourt

Mark Savel — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:02:49 +0000

Looking for a loft? In a boutique style building? In a transitioning area…I may have just the right thing for you – 707 Lofts by Enrox is looking like the next “soft loft” to launch in Toronto!

The development has been in the works for a few years now, but had yet to finalize due to approvals from the city. Initially the lofts were going to be 8 stories tall. After several meetings with area residents, the project was scaled back to 5.

I was lucky enough get some “insider info” on the areas developments thanks to my grandparents living half a block away. On a recent visit to their house, I discovered that the construction wall has gone up over the existing properties. Check out the photos below. Click on the thumbnails for a larger image!

Not much is known above and beyond these pictures. The developers website is up but doesn’t have any info on finishes or prices. I do like the initial rendering and how it fits with the area with the red brick and glass. Units fronting on Dovercourt should get a lot of natural light through the over-sized windows.

The site is located half a block south of Bloor on the West side, next to The Church Lofts. Send me an email or give me a call if you’d like to be notified when 707 Lofts launch!

1648 Bathurst For Sale – New Listing

Mark Savel — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:58:01 +0000

You haven’t truly sold Real Estate until you’ve sold a co-op!

Co-op’s are a form of ownership wildly popular in New York yet not that common in Toronto. They’re typically cheaper to purchase when compared to a condo unit. The price of co-op units makes them ideal for a first time purchasers. The term “co-op” is commonly associated with government supported housing, yet many have no relation and are run entirely by the residents and property manager.

The unique location of my listing is on the border of two sought after communities. The building is located on 1648 Bathurst and has Forest Hill to the East and Cedarville to the West! The shops and restaurants of”Upper Village” are minutes away on Eglinton. Loblaw’s and the St. Clair subway station can be found to the South.

The building has a ton of character with a welcoming Tudor style exterior. Typical units in the area are reflective of its time and are rarely updated. I helped my client purchase in the co-op a while back and was amazed when I saw how she transformed the place! Here is what it looked like before the renovations:

From your first visit, you’ll notice that this isn’t you’re typical co-op! The owner has extensively updated the look and feel of her place while still respecting the character and charm originally built into the unit. The walls have been recently painted to give the area a warm feel. The kitchen went through a massive overhaul with the old finishes removed and a much more modern style applied. The dull white cabinets, the laminate countertops and the basic appliances have been replaced with granite counterops, mahogany coloured cabinets, glass blacksplash and stainless steel appliances. And now, the after photos:

The living area which was once painted in 2 clashing hues of yellow has been transformed with a floral wallpaper and warm coloured complimentary wall! My client has preserved the character of the imitation fireplace by giving it a fresh coat of paint. I particularly love the inlay around the base of the fireplace…that level of work is rarely seen these days. Oh, and did I mention the hardwood??? Yes I said hardwood NOT laminate! Try finding that in a newly built condo!

And check out the video!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Laundry is available in the lower level of the building and there is a parking space available for rent! The unit is placed on the main level, at the rear of the building which allows for quite conversations without the noise of traffic. The maintenance fees include property taxes, hydro, water and heat.

You can learn even more about the listing on my SavelSells website or feel free to contact me for a private showing!