The Carlaw Lofts is one of the most ambitious projects built by Streetcar Developments to date!  The company is typically known for small initmate buildings with very few frills…The Carlaw is anything but!

For starters, the building will feature a 25,000 sq.ft. indoor/outdoor event space! The space will be a combination of both outdoor courtyard and indoor venue. The purpose of the space is for use by the area residents, business and groups as well as those in the community to promote culture, the arts and entertainment.  Given the buildings location in the “Studio District”, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a film fest use the location for screenings! The renderings below show the many different uses for the venue.  What I particularly like is how the space flows from inside and out.  It makes the space feel more inviting to those on the outside.

Streetcar is also known for their simple lobbies, typically consisting of a buzzer system of entry with no concierge.  Just like the “event venue”, with The Carlaw they’re going big!!!  The lobby will feature a 24/7 concierge to welcome guests and patrol the entrance.  The look and feel of the lobby is inspired by the spirit of a hotel lobby/social club setting (pictured at the top of the post).  The space will feature polished floors and columns with angled wood elements on the wall.

The building will feature 2 guest suites that friends and family of the residents can rent out for the weekend! Other amenities include an 11th floor indoor/outdoor lounge.  They’ll have a large screen TV on the inside and a sundeck with BBQ’s for the outside.

If you like what you see and are interested in calling The Carlaw home, fill out the form below for floorplans and prices:

The Carlaw sales centre opened it’s doors to a select group of Realtors for a preview of things to come!  I attended the event and took a tour of the two model units on display.

The first suite was a 744 sq.ft. 2 bedroom plus den layout.  It featured two washrooms, one off of the entrance and one in the master.  Also in the master was a large walk-in closet!

The kitchens cabinets had a high gloss finish and metal hardware on the doors.  Under the cabinets were valance lighting that went well with the granite countertop!

This particular unit also had a kitchen island (optional) that gave an added area to prep food.  The kitchen also featured an integrated refrigerator and dishwasher the blended in well with the rest of the cabinetry.

Also integrated into the kitchen prep area was a oven and microwave.  Purchasers will also get a front loading, energy efficient washer and dryer and an in-suite laundry closet.

The den was a generous size, and although not included, I liked the “street art” inspired wallpaper used to accent one of the walls.

The engineered hardwood carried through out in both the bedrooms!

The second model unit at the sales centre was a 646 sq.ft. one bedroom plus den!

The biggest difference (aside from size) between the two units was the kitchens.  For this loft, only the fridge and dishwasher was built in.  The stove was a stainless steel slide in instead of and integrated oven like the 2 bedroom unit featured.  I wasn’t crazy about the orange coloured cabinet doors used in the display, but the contrast may work for some (other finishes are available).

Here’s a look at what the in-suite laundry closet looks like.

And lastly is the large bedroom with engineered hardwood through out.

So there you have it…and inside look at The Carlaw sales centre without even stepping foot!  Now if you like what you see and are interested in calling The Carlaw home, fill out the form below and i’ll contact you with more information.

After the success of 2 and 8 Gladstone, Streetcar Developments is taking it back to where it all started… the east end! Located on the north-east corner of Dundas and Carlaw, Streetcar plans to build a 12-storey mid-rise condo with loft style suites.

The rendering above is the first glance we got to see of the Carlaw!  Streetcar has brought TACT Design back (they’re also the architects behind 2 and 8 Gladstone) for it’s design.  On first impression, I like the different cues the building has incorporated.  On the north and east wings of the building it looks like they’ll be using brick or some other form of cladding to break up the “all glass look” we so often see in high-rise buildings.  Jutting out to the corner of Carlaw and Dundas looks like two separate buildings fused together…and effect that gives the building a pronounced presence. Though not official (nor able to be seen in the rendering) I’ve read elsewhere that there will be a public courtyard in the centre of the building!

The Carlaw will offer over 300 lofts plus 21 townhomes, including studio, one, one plus den, two and two plus den bedroom lofts, ranging in size from 400 sq. ft. to over 1,000 sq. ft.  Prices will start from the low $200,000′s.

I’m expecting sales to start soon! If you’d like to be notified when they do and for early access, please fill out the form below:

ART condos, as I blogged about before the holidays, is looking like the first pre construction condo to launch in 2010. The more I research this one, the better it gets! We got a sneak peek at what’s to come as renderings for the project were posted on the BuzzBuzzHome Blog (you’ll want to add these guys to your RSS Reader as they always have a ton of great content about Toronto’s pre construction market). For your viewing pleasure, I’ve included the images below:

In keeping with the “ART” theme, it looks like the condo will include a gallery of some sort with the possibly of studio space. In the coming weeks I should have more details on all that ART will offer. A few readers have already emailed me with interest on this one, if you’d like to be added to that list, send me and email or give me call…I’d be more than happy help!

Art Condos, in the trendy Studio District is the first pre construction project I’m spotlighting in my look at 2010 condo releases! The Queen West strip has had a busy run the past few years, attracting the artistic and creative to such projects as Westside Gallery Lofts, The Bohemian Embassy and, 2 Gladstone. The area is a hotbed for artists and with this, it’s attracted quite the night life at places like The Gladstone, The Drake Hotel and The Social to name a few.

The newest addition to the area is Art Condos by Triangle West Developments. Tucked away from the lively Queen St., this project can be found midway down Dovercourt just before Sudbury St. In keeping with the heights of other buildings in the area, Art will be an 11 story boutique style building with under 150 units. What draws me to this one is having 3rd Uncle Design on board for the interior designs. You may not know recognize the name, but if you’ve ever been to The Drake Hotel, you’ve seen their work!

I was intrigued by the registration forms on their website. They have a section asking the public “which of the following amenities would you prefer in your condominium?” The choices range from standard, Party/Meeting rooms… to the less seen: Art Studio Space, Outdoor Movie Screen and even a Pet Spa! I really like this approach as it gives the consumer an opinion to what they’d like to see in a future place of residence. It’s definitely going to be interesting to see what comes of it!

The renderings of the red brick and glass combination were released this week! Units will range from 460 to 1700 sqf with prices starting in the low $200,000.  I anticipate Art to be one of the first new projects to launch in 2010. If you’d like to be kept in the loop on the Art Condo project, send me an email or give me a call…i’d love to help!