Posts Tagged ‘West Donlands’

One of the most exciting things about being in the business of selling the City is watching how it changes over the years. In 2008 I started focusing on the West Don Land (or River City) part of town.  At the time it was no more than a contaminated brown field with a bunch of old industrial buildings.  With the announcement of Toronto hosting the Pan Am games in 2015… plans quickly got underway to improve the look of the area.

A new school, daycares, and condos are just a few of the things planned for the area… but before any of this could happen, the City had to deal with a potential flood hazard at the base of the redevelopment. Reshaping the floodplain would not only protect the West Don Lands but also a 99 hectare (245 acre) area, including Toronto’s financial district, from sinking underwater!

The solution they came up with was both practical and useful for the area residents and the overall look of the area! Approximately 400,000 cubic metres of fill is being used to construct the Don River Park.   According to WaterFrontToronto’s website: “The centrepiece of the West Don Lands, Don River Park will be a 7.3 hectare (18 acre) active, vibrant and inviting park that will not only serve the local community, but residents from throughout Toronto and visitors from far and wide. Construction of the park, which will occupy the south eastern portion of the neighbourhood and will run along the Don River from King Street to the rail corridor in the south, started in September 2010. When completed, the beautiful green space will invite people to the Don River and offer inspiring experiences along the river’s edge as well as spectacular views of downtown and Lake Ontario.”

I’ve visited the site several times since 2009 and been blown away by it’s progress each time! Shortly before the park opened, I took a self guided tour of the almost completed park!  Check out the photos below:

In my last post, I took a step back and looked at the West Don Lands Park and the value it provided River City.  In this one, I’m taking a step forward and looking at “green” initiatives offered at the development.

River City will be the first residential development going for a Gold LEED Certification in Toronto! LEED ranks building design, construction, and operational practices that provide high quality and high performance advantages to increase occupant health, comfort, productivity while reducing environmental impacts.  The exact details of green initiatives at River City have not been officially released but according to their website, the 4 main goals are:

1. Reduce as much as possible to what it take to build and then live in River City
2. Create healthy living environments
3. Reduce as much as possible what we actually throw back into the community
4. Offset any remaining impacts so River City is carbon neutral overall Read the rest of this entry »

Pop quiz readers! What’s the number ONE rule in real estate? Thaaat’s riiight! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

No matter what type of real estate you’re buying, you should always be familiar with the lay of the land. Last week I blogged about River City Condo’s, but for this one I wanted to take a step back and look at some of the others features in the area that make River City such an advantageous opportunity! Read the rest of this entry »

The long awaited launch of River City Condos is finally here. I’ve been following this one closely over the past year…and for good reason!

The River City development won’t be your typical condos…it’ll be a collection of 5 different buildings built with LEED GOLD STANDARDS! (The first in Toronto). In the past, The West Donlands have been an eyesore of industrial buildings and barren land. River City is the first step to revitalizing Toronto’s waterfront and transforming it into a community that will soon be home to over 900 loft style condominiums and family friendly town homes. I’ve been by the River City site several times, and there is nothing but mounds of dirt. That’s what makes this development so special. It’s not just a developer coming in and throwing up a bunch of buildings, instead it’s a planned community in partnership with Waterfront Toronto! The plans call for the introduction of cafes, boutiques and restaurants along tree lined streets creating over one-million square feet of employment space. The buildings themselves will be built with a goal to make it the most environmentally progressive residential development in Toronto today!

Montreal based Saucier + Perrotte Architects will be working with Toronto based ZAS architects to bring a bold new look to the former industrial Brownfield. Add an 18 acre urban oasis park to the mix, and you get all the right ingredients for an attractive investment AND a sustainable neighbourhood to live in. Read the rest of this entry »