Posts Tagged ‘etobicoke’

I’ve got a quick little update for those as excited as I am for the Hive Lofts to be built! According to Symmetry Developments: Building permits are in, and they’re awaiting partial permits for shoring/foundation/demolition/excavation. Aiming for a late Jan, early Feb construction start!

Sales are at 80% and thanks to a unit combination, the building will be more boutique than ever… with only 18 suites! There are only 4 units left, ranging in price from only $258,900- $317,900. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most impressive renderings of 2011 is now a few steps closer to becoming a reality! The Hive Lofts launched with great interest earlier in the year and has just reached a milestone by passing the 75% threshold for sales.

The sales centre is now closed and with future sales taking place by appointment only. They’re currently working on approvals for variances and site plan. Based on how quick that goes,  excavation should start towards the end of the year!

Currently there’s 5 units remaining, they range in size from 545 sq. ft.to 678 sq. ft… but with a little creative tweaking you can easily combine two units into one large space! Below are the floorplans and potential combinations:

On it’s own, unit 201 is a 1 bedroom  545 sq.ft + 72 sq.ft balcony priced at $255,900.  Also available is the unit directly above, it has the same square footage and balcony but is priced at $259,900 because it’s higher up.  The two can be combined together to form a 2 storey lofts of 1090 sq.ft. The price of this set up would be $499,900. Read the rest of this entry »

Last month I shared photos from inside The Hive Lofts Sales Centre…today I’ve revisited with a video!  Since my last visit, 60% of the building has sold.  If you’re interested in previewing one of the final 8 units available, give me a call or email if … I’d love to help!

Move over Blair Which Project…The Hive Lofts (by Symmetry Developments) is quickly becoming one of the most talked about projects this year with almost zero marketing! Aside from a facebook fanpage here, and the odd tweet there, the developer has stayed away from the typical marketing campaigns we usually see.  Instead, they’ve focused their time (and money) on creating a very practical and well throughout place to live.

The initial renderings caught the attention of many in the online Real Estate community. For weeks it was those few pics that had everyone “buzzing” with interest… For this post I wanted to look deeper into the inter-workings of The Hive and show aside that hasn’t yet been seen; the features and finishes!

At only 5 levels and 20 units The Hive automatically separates itself from others in the City.  There’s no fancy amenities…well actually there’s none at all, and that isn’t a bad thing!  The lack of amenities means residents won’t have to pay for common spaces they may never use.  Instead the architecture and layouts are the biggest draw to the project (as more projects should be). All the floorplans are very square in shape leaving no wasted space!  The majority of units have large terraces or balconies AND a natural gas hook up for a BBQ…and on the topic of cooking, the kitchen features a large gas range. The dishwasher is integrated with the cabinetry and adds a touch of elegance to the kitchen while giving it a minimalistic look.

To memory, it’s probably the only condo I’ve seen offering a walk-in closest for a one bedroom layout, typically this luxury is only available for larger suites.  The units on the first two floors have 9 foot exposed concrete ceilings with the 4th.5th and 6th level having 10!  The bathrooms feature a full width mirror and a rain style shower head as a standard finish! Purchasers can choose from two very generous “standard choices” or pay to upgrade to an even higher quality.  Click on the thumbnails below to get an exclusive look inside the sales centre!

The Hive will feature an interesting way of parking your car!  Residents won’t have to worry about winding down several levels to get to their car.  Instead a stacker system will be used.  Owners simply pull into their designated spot on the main level, exit the vehicle and the stacker system takes care of the rest.  As parking in Toronto is quickly becomes more of a premium, I anticipate more condos going this route!

It’s exciting to see this level of architecture coming to the City and I look forward to covering the latest at The Hive.  Feel free to call or email if you’d like more info… I’d love to help!

Symmetry Developments is putting the “ahhh” back in amazing with their latest loft project, The Hive. Rising 6 storeys on the corner of Lady Bank Rd and The Queensway in Etobicoke, The Hives design offers a much needed cure for the glass box blues!

It’s undoubtedly one of the boldest designs I’ve seen in a long time, yet still fit’s in well with the area.  The glass facade on the front of the structure borrows it’s style from many other towers in the City and helps keep the look on the safe side, while the zinc cladding on the west of the building helps to distinguish it from becoming another boring box.  I especially like how the rear facade slants up instead of being square. I feel as if it’s a respectful touch to the residents along Lady Bank Rd and much more exciting than a flat wall. The staggered positioning of the window slits along the cladding continue the safe/edgy theme that The Hive gives off.  The Hive was conceived by the hand of Teeple Architects, a company that is no stranger to award winning design…take for example their most recent victory at the PUG Awards!

The Hive will feature only 20 suites with sizes ranging from 523 sf to 1070 sf and a retail component at grade.  That’s approximately four on each floor with ceiling heights ranging from 9 to 10 feet! Interiors will be designed by DK Interiors who some may recognize by their work in various Louis Vuitton retail stores.  Below is a sneak peek into what the lofts will look like:

If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m a big fan of Symmetry Developments.  Not only does their passion for design and quality reflect in their work…it’s also expressed online.  Symmetry is no stranger to twitter or the forums as they’ve already taken to both to interact with members. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the weekend I had the chance to check out a cooool loft conversion in the Bloor and Islington area of Etobicoke! Located a few minutes away from the Islington subway station at 2 Fieldway, the newly converted loft was once home to Bell Canada offices. For the past few years, they’ve been working to transform the building into what it is today!

Last week the building finally registered with the City, meaning residents can now sell their units on the open market (ie. MLS). I previewed several units, and EVERY one was totally different. Some had polished concrete floors giving it the industrial look, while others had beautiful thick-plank hardwood floors for a more modern feel! There is roughly 205 units spread out over 12 floors with 10′ ceiling heights for most suites and 15′10″ for the 2 story lofts.

With conversion lofts, residents should often give consideration to noise levels as most of the time builders can only work with what they currently have. At Network Lofts the builders had 10 inch to 18 inch floor slabs for exceptional low noise transition (as per their website). Though I can’t verify the slab sizes myself, I can say that the units were all very quite during our visit! (a big plus)

The lobby was very impressive, with its spacious entrance surrounded by wood paneled walls and big stone accents…pictured below!

We didn’t get to see all of its amenities but original plans called for: His and hers steam rooms in exercise area, guest suite, fully outfitted fitness room with two treadmills, two elliptical exercisers, various free weights and a rooftop terrace for use by all residents for enjoying warm weather and great views that Network Lofts has to offer!

As with most newly completed builds, new listings are coming out daily! If you’re interested in living and being part of the ”network” give me a call or send me an email…I’d love to help!

Sellers, units have appreciated quite a bit since its first launch; contact me if you’d like to know what yours is worth!