April 2023 – CentreCourt

Published by Matias Bessai

Advancing their reputation for anticipating the next community primed for intensification, developer CentreCourt is establishing a presence in the emerging heart of Downtown Etobicoke with a new high-rise development dubbed Kipling Station Condos. Designed by B+H Architects, the proposal contemplates the construction of a 50-storey tower located directly adjacent to the Kipling Transit Hub. The transit-oriented development will deliver a total of 552 new units to the Etobicoke community, and is expected to launch on May 8th.

Located at 5251 Dundas Street West, the site benefits from a unique concentration of transit options converging at the Kipling Transit Hub. Expanded in mid-2021, the transit hub transforms the existing Kipling TTC and GO stations into the major regional transit node it was meant to be, adding GO Transit and Mi-Way buses to the and GO trains and TTC buses and subway trains that have met here for decades. Among the host of transit services offered at the hub, riders can enjoy 30 minute connections to Union Station and Downtown Toronto, and 15 minute service to Pearson Airport.

Additionally, the Kipling Transit Hub is slated to be the eastern terminus for a new east-west express bus service, the Dundas Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Scheduled to begin construction in 2025, the project will see the creation of a 48-kilometre transit corridor that connects Etobicoke directly to the western GTA, serving Mississauga, Oakville, and Burlington before terminating in Hamilton, with more than 20 kilometres of clear sailing on dedicated bus lanes that separate the BRT service from commuter traffic.

Also located within the immediate vicinity of CentreCourt’s development is the planned Etobicoke Civic Centre, a mixed-use project from CreateTO that promises to bring a new anchor to Etobicoke’s Downtown. Offering extensive municipal office and cultural uses, the complex is slated to deliver over 700,000ft² of total floorspace, and will also include a new community centre component featuring fitness studios, aquatic facilities, and outdoor gathering spaces making up about 10% of that total.

Zooming out to the wider area, shopping destinations like Sherway Gardens and Cloverdale Mall are a short transit trip away, as are a number of education and employment opportunities including Humber College and U of T Mississauga Campus. Recognizing the local features that add value to the site was a big part of CentreCourt’s decision to invest in the area, and reflects the company’s drive to be involved in the process of establishing new urban hubs in emerging communities.

Digging into some of the details of the project’s design, the building breaks down into two volumes, a four-storey podium topped by a 46-storey tower. The massing of the tower remains mostly unchanged for the majority of its height, but features an interesting shift in its middle third that adds some visual interest. Beginning at the 15th floor, the tower’s floorplate rotates slightly, breaking up the continuous condition of the elevations; after another 12 floors, the floorplate is restored to its original position, and continues unchanged for the remainder of the tower’s vertical climb.

Also of interest in the massing is the chamfered corner, which helps to emphasize the shift in the floorplate, and is expressed further in the podium as well. Meanwhile, the building’s dark material palette is accented with flashes of gold that appear in the soffits as well as in narrow vertical fins on the tower elevations.

Moving on to the programming of the building, the proposal details a total of 22,000ft² of total amenity area, split evenly between indoor and outdoor spaces designed by Figure3 and Land Art Design Landscape Architects Inc respectively. Indoor offerings will include lifestyle spaces like a fitness centre, hosting lounge, and party rooms, as well as a number of work spaces like private boardrooms, zoom/social media rooms, and co-working spaces. Outdoor spaces are highlighted by a lounge with cabanas and daybeds, a barbecue and dining area, a fire pit lounge, a garden, and even a dog run area.

For all the amenities included within the project itself and the surrounding community, affordability is a pillar of CentreCourt’s development approach, and is a key aspect of their mission to urbanize Downtown Etobicoke. According to the developers, the project is expected to hit the market with an accessible entry point in the 400’s, a price point which is made possible by a number of factors. At the base of all their projects, CentreCourt strives to acquire land at attractive price points, keeping upfront costs down by not overpaying for development sites. The company also prides itself on the ability to adhere to a stringent construction budget and timeline, minimizing additional costs in the development process.

With a project launch just around the corner, Kipling Station Condos will soon enter the market, kickstarting CentreCourt’s long-term vision for Downtown Etobicoke.

Published by Steve McLean

Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (CAPREIT) has proposed a phased seven-tower redevelopment of its Tangreen Court property near Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue West in Toronto.

The 5.9-acre property immediately west of Centerpoint Mall was acquired by CAPREIT (CAR-UN-T) in 2012 and is home to two purpose-built rental apartments at 5 and 15 Tangreen Ct. that were constructed in 1969.

The intensification of the site would provide:

3,325 new residential units;
close to 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities;
a 20,000-square-foot-plus public park;
a 9,200-square-foot retail component fronting Steeles;
underground parking for 617 motorized vehicles;
2,497 bicycle storage spaces;
a children’s play area; and
landscaped spaces designed by Land Art Design Landscape Architects Inc. and pedestrian paths.

This would be developed over 10 to 15 years.

Julian Schonfeldt became CAPREIT’s chief investment officer last summer, joining the trust after serving as managing director of RBC Capital Markets Real Estate Group.

One of his priorities has been to comb through the portfolio to find where land values can be maximized and housing can be added because it’s in desperately short supply in the Greater Toronto Area.

“We identified a number of sites, but we thought that this site in particular was very attractive so we moved quickly on getting a development application in place,” Schonfeldt told RENX.

“Given the amount of land that we own there, and the planned subway extension, we thought that this one was the site that should move to the top of the priority list.”

CentreCourt is development manager

CentreCourt Developments is being paid a fee as the development manager for the IBI Group-designed project and will team up with CAPREIT through the entitlement process.

The real estate investment trust will maintain the flexibility to move forward as it wishes after that.

“CentreCourt was selected based on its deep expertise across the entire development cycle and its track record of delivering successful projects that enhance communities across the GTA,” Schonfeldt said.

“CentreCourt will be working jointly with CAPREIT on the municipal approvals process and CAPREIT is going to continue operating the existing buildings on the site.”

The proposal is in the early stages of seeking a go-ahead for official plan and zoning bylaw amendments as well as site plan approval.

The development will offer both rental and condominium units, with the majority currently proposed to be condos.

Schonfeldt said the final determination on the rental and condo mix, as well as for the unit mix and size range, will be based on market demand.

There are plans, however, for 30 townhouse-style units and for three-bedroom units to comprise about 10 per cent of the total.

The 18-storey, 214-unit apartment at 15 Tangreen would be retained, while the 18-storey apartment at 5 Tangreen would be demolished and 214 replacement units for existing tenants would be incorporated into one of the new buildings on the site.

Development to be done in four phases

Four phases are planned for the ambitious project. The first would include 55- and 40-storey towers atop eight-storey podiums as well as a large portion of an east-west public road.

Phase 2 would include two 25-storey towers sharing a six-storey podium, one of which would house relocated tenants from 5 Tangreen before it’s demolished.

“The proposal purposely contemplates a phased approach to minimize disruption to the residents at both 5 and 15 Tangreen,” Schonfeldt said.

“We feel pretty excited to be offering eligible tenants at 5 Tangreen new housing stock in the master-planned development with very limited disruption to their day-to-day.

“They don’t need to move off-site during the construction period or prior to completion of the rental replacement units. When Phase 2 is complete, our hope is that the residents will be able to move one time into another unit on-site.

“To the best of our knowledge, that’s unprecedented to be done at any meaningful scale. The typical scenario is that these folks are moved off-site and it’s disruptive to their lives.

“They have to potentially change schools for their children and they end up having to do two moves. While that may end up being economically favourable for developers, we’re an apartment provider first and development is more of an ancillary business.

“We really wanted to have the treatment of our residents be at the forefront of our decision and that’s what we did here. We feel very proud about that.”

Additional market rental units are being contemplated for the tower with the replacement units.

The third phase would include: the demolition of 5 Tangreen; the construction of 55-, 45- and 35-storey towers on eight-storey podiums; and the conveyance of the park to the City of Toronto.

The final phase would see the east-west road completed and connected to a road on the eastern border and the Centerpoint Mall site.

Many other proposed developments in area

The Newtonbrook West area should see plenty of new multiresidential construction in addition to CAPREIT’s proposal, in large part due to Metrolinx‘s plan to extend the Toronto Transit Commission’s Line 1 subway northward and include a new station at Yonge and Steeles.

Morguard-owned Revenue Properties Company Ltd.’s planned mixed-use redevelopment of the 1960s-built, 594,655-square-foot, enclosed Centerpoint Mall would see the construction of 22 new buildings with 8,325 residential units and a large public park.

Osmington Gerofsky Development Corporation has proposed a 50-storey mixed-use tower at 6355 Yonge St., a site currently occupied by a Starbucks restaurant and surface parking.

There are also redevelopment proposals for low-density properties immediately north of Steeles in Vaughan and Markham.

Schonfeldt compared this area to what’s already taking place farther south at Yonge and Eglinton Avenue, with the forthcoming arrival of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

“There’s a lot of development activity along Steeles in anticipation of the planned subway station there, which we think will unlock some pretty material benefits to our residents in the community,” Schonfeldt said.

Published by Laura Hanrahan

Toronto’s Newtonbrook West neighbourhood may soon be in store for yet another transformative development as Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (CAPREIT) looks to build seven high-rise towers immediately west of Centerpoint Mall.

CAPREIT, one of Canada’s largest residential REITs, submitted an application to the City of Toronto late last month outlining plans to develop the towers as infill housing on the site of two of its existing rental buildings at 5 and 15 Tangreen Court. If approved, the development would bring 3,325 new residential units to the area.

To deliver the project, CAPREIT is partnering with CentreCourt Developments. Julian Schonfeldt, Chief Investment Officer for CAPREIT, tells STOREYS that CentreCourt was selected “based on their deep expertise across the entire development cycle, and their track record of delivering successful projects which enhance communities across the GTA.”

Construction of the towers, which range from 25 to 55 storeys in height, would require the rental building at 5 Tangreen to be demolished, with 214 replacement units going in the new development. The 18-storey rental at 15 Tangreen, on the other hand, would be retained and incorporated into the new development. Of the seven new towers, there would be two 55-storeys, one 45-storey, one 40-storey, one 35-storey, and two 25-storeys.

Toronto’s Newtonbrook West neighbourhood may soon be in store for yet another transformative development as Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (CAPREIT) looks to build seven high-rise towers immediately west of Centerpoint Mall.

CAPREIT, one of Canada’s largest residential REITs, submitted an application to the City of Toronto late last month outlining plans to develop the towers as infill housing on the site of two of its existing rental buildings at 5 and 15 Tangreen Court. If approved, the development would bring 3,325 new residential units to the area.

To deliver the project, CAPREIT is partnering with CentreCourt Developments. Julian Schonfeldt, Chief Investment Officer for CAPREIT, tells STOREYS that CentreCourt was selected “based on their deep expertise across the entire development cycle, and their track record of delivering successful projects which enhance communities across the GTA.”

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2879.874974117317!2d-79.4253336!3d43.7962073!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x882b2cfff60be821%3A0xbdd62413fc57da85!2s5%20Tangreen%20Ct%2C%20North%20York%2C%20ON%20M2M%203Z1!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1681236912078!5m2!1sen!2sca

Construction of the towers, which range from 25 to 55 storeys in height, would require the rental building at 5 Tangreen to be demolished, with 214 replacement units going in the new development. The 18-storey rental at 15 Tangreen, on the other hand, would be retained and incorporated into the new development. Of the seven new towers, there would be two 55-storeys, one 45-storey, one 40-storey, one 35-storey, and two 25-storeys.

The towers were designed as “point towers” — a compact, slender building form — which planning documents say will “ensure adequate access to sky view, light, and privacy.” All sit atop eight-storey podiums, except for the 25-storey towers, which will share a six-storey podium.

“We are proud and excited about the design,” Schonfeldt said. “It tackles a number of important priorities that incorporates considerations for rental and condo development, while bringing much needed density and amenities to the larger community.”

Newtonbrook West is no stranger to transformative development proposals as of late. In fact, CAPREIT and CentreCourt’s development is one of several proposed for the immediately surrounding Yonge and Steels area over the past year or two. Just last month, Osmington Gerofsky Development Corporation proposed a 50-storey mixed-use tower on the neighbouring 6355 Yonge Street. But the most notable project is undoubtedly the proposed 22-building redevelopment of Centerpoint Mall that would add 8,325 residential units and a large public park.

“These Tangreen properties, they’re really at the heart of an area that we think is witnessing a pretty incredible transformation,” Schonfeldt said. “We’re an apartment business first, not a developer per se, but we own an incredible site that could be so much more for the community. As a proud Canadian business that is deeply invested in providing housing, it was somewhere between an opportunity and a responsibility to A. treat our residents with as much care as possible and then B. add to the housing stock that is so desperately needed across the city.”

The towers, totalling 230,078 sq. m with 852 sq. m of that being used for retail space, would be arranged with the taller buildings located on the northern side of the site, and heights gradually decreasing to the south. A new east-west public street would divide the development site in two, with a new 1,910-sq.-m public park going on the southwest corner. The park, planning documents say, is still in a conceptual design stage, but current ideas include a mix of open and planted green areas with pathways and seating, as well as various recreational spaces.

A 238-sq.-m children’s play area would go between towers F (45 storeys) and G (35 storeys), with the rest of the property featuring tree-lined public boulevards, landscaped “rooms,” entrance plazas, and common amenity spaces.

Inside the towers, the majority of units will be condos, but the final mix, Schonfeldt says, will be based on future market demand. The rental replacement units will be located in tower D (25 storeys) and CAPREIT is currently considering additional market rental units in that building. Unit sizes, however, have been decided upon, with 2,371 one-bedrooms, 615 two-bedrooms, and 339 three-bedrooms planned.

Toronto’s Newtonbrook West neighbourhood may soon be in store for yet another transformative development as Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (CAPREIT) looks to build seven high-rise towers immediately west of Centerpoint Mall.

CAPREIT, one of Canada’s largest residential REITs, submitted an application to the City of Toronto late last month outlining plans to develop the towers as infill housing on the site of two of its existing rental buildings at 5 and 15 Tangreen Court. If approved, the development would bring 3,325 new residential units to the area.

To deliver the project, CAPREIT is partnering with CentreCourt Developments. Julian Schonfeldt, Chief Investment Officer for CAPREIT, tells STOREYS that CentreCourt was selected “based on their deep expertise across the entire development cycle, and their track record of delivering successful projects which enhance communities across the GTA.”

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2879.874974117317!2d-79.4253336!3d43.7962073!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x882b2cfff60be821%3A0xbdd62413fc57da85!2s5%20Tangreen%20Ct%2C%20North%20York%2C%20ON%20M2M%203Z1!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1681236912078!5m2!1sen!2sca

Construction of the towers, which range from 25 to 55 storeys in height, would require the rental building at 5 Tangreen to be demolished, with 214 replacement units going in the new development. The 18-storey rental at 15 Tangreen, on the other hand, would be retained and incorporated into the new development. Of the seven new towers, there would be two 55-storeys, one 45-storey, one 40-storey, one 35-storey, and two 25-storeys.

The towers were designed as “point towers” — a compact, slender building form — which planning documents say will “ensure adequate access to sky view, light, and privacy.” All sit atop eight-storey podiums, except for the 25-storey towers, which will share a six-storey podium.

“We are proud and excited about the design,” Schonfeldt said. “It tackles a number of important priorities that incorporates considerations for rental and condo development, while bringing much needed density and amenities to the larger community.”

Newtonbrook West is no stranger to transformative development proposals as of late. In fact, CAPREIT and CentreCourt’s development is one of several proposed for the immediately surrounding Yonge and Steels area over the past year or two. Just last month, Osmington Gerofsky Development Corporation proposed a 50-storey mixed-use tower on the neighbouring 6355 Yonge Street. But the most notable project is undoubtedly the proposed 22-building redevelopment of Centerpoint Mall that would add 8,325 residential units and a large public park.

“These Tangreen properties, they’re really at the heart of an area that we think is witnessing a pretty incredible transformation,” Schonfeldt said. “We’re an apartment business first, not a developer per se, but we own an incredible site that could be so much more for the community. As a proud Canadian business that is deeply invested in providing housing, it was somewhere between an opportunity and a responsibility to A. treat our residents with as much care as possible and then B. add to the housing stock that is so desperately needed across the city.”

The towers, totalling 230,078 sq. m with 852 sq. m of that being used for retail space, would be arranged with the taller buildings located on the northern side of the site, and heights gradually decreasing to the south. A new east-west public street would divide the development site in two, with a new 1,910-sq.-m public park going on the southwest corner. The park, planning documents say, is still in a conceptual design stage, but current ideas include a mix of open and planted green areas with pathways and seating, as well as various recreational spaces.

A 238-sq.-m children’s play area would go between towers F (45 storeys) and G (35 storeys), with the rest of the property featuring tree-lined public boulevards, landscaped “rooms,” entrance plazas, and common amenity spaces.

Inside the towers, the majority of units will be condos, but the final mix, Schonfeldt says, will be based on future market demand. The rental replacement units will be located in tower D (25 storeys) and CAPREIT is currently considering additional market rental units in that building. Unit sizes, however, have been decided upon, with 2,371 one-bedrooms, 615 two-bedrooms, and 339 three-bedrooms planned.

Development is expected to take place in four phases. The first phase would see the construction of a large portion of the east-west public road, as well as towers A (55 storeys) and B (40 storeys). In phase 2, towers C and D would be built, after which tenants would be relocated to the rental replacement units in tower D — a move that will keep tenants on the property and stop them from having to move into temporary accommodations during construction.

“That was by design, and a duty of care to our residents. We didn’t take the easy way, from a financial point of view, but just being a responsible provider of rental housing, it was one of the most important considerations,” Schonfeldt said. “Our residents and their families get to stay in the same schools, they get to stay in the same neighbourhood. I think it’s going to be well received and we hope we’re setting a good precedent in Toronto about how to do it in a responsible way that considers residents first.”