New condos and office towers are (still) popping up all over
The second in our series on the post-pandemic downtown rebound
The Sciency Centre
1Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus: The philanthropic super-couple Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz donated $100 million to U of T for this futuristic, 650,000-square-foot campus. Tenants include two tech hubs: the famous Vector Institute and an AI-focused think tank.
The Tallest Tower
2The One: Yonge Street’s stratospheric condo tower, already set to be the tallest in Canada at 85 storeys, recently upped its height by nine more floors. Along with a spa, spinning studio, infinity pool and rooftop garden, the complex will also house the Andaz Hotel, an artfully moody new hangout ready-made for the roaring 2020s.
The Timber-clad Complex
3T3 Bayside: This edifice on the East Bayfront is one of several office towers reasserting downtown’s business bona fides. The building gets high marks for sustainability (it’s made with Quebec-sourced spruce and pine) and ambience (the brick-and-beam aesthetic mimics vintage warehouse lofts).
The Mixed-use Mecca
4212 King West: At 79 storeys, this development at King and Simcoe is Toronto’s largest proposal since the beginning of the pandemic. It will include a mix of office, retail and residential space, with a direct connection to the Path, plus a mammoth atrium that will double as an event space, and heritage buildings incorporated into the façade.
The Starchitect Creation
5The Gehry Project: Frank Gehry’s long-promised skyscrapers on King West’s theatre row will resemble a pair of glittering, geometric Jenga towers—the tallest of Gehry’s career. They’ll contain a mix of private space (some 2,000 condos) and public (new space for OCAD University, shops and, possibly, a hotel).
The Post-Covid Oasis
6Portland Commons: This new office tower at Front and Portland was designed with Covid safety in mind: it features touchless everything, a lobby designed to minimize congestion, UV light treatments and turbo-charged HVAC systems. The entire building is meant to be airy and porous, with courtyards, green roofs and terraces galore.
The Heritage Destination
7The United Building: The Gilded Age Maclean-Hunter building forms the base of this new residential development, but up top, everything is ultra-modern. Expect cushy amenities like a golf simulator, yoga deck, video gaming lounge and—because Torontonians are nothing if not pet-crazy—an indoor dog run and pet spa.
The Eco-friendly Enclave
8Flatiron Building: This new Yonge and Church condo, designed by Diamond Schmitt, puts a 21st-century twist on the flatiron aesthetic. Every aspect is designed for sustainability: there’s an e-bike fleet available for residents, an on-site cycle shop and zero parking. WFHers, meanwhile, will appreciate the on-site Zoom rooms.
The Waterfront Work Hub
9300 Queens Quay East: A new addition to the eastern waterfront’s office boom, this one features a mix of private offices and open-concept layouts for hot-desking. The design includes more than 14,000 square feet of green space, plus a private shuttle to Union Station for residents.
The Vertical Forest
10Designers Walk: Yorkville’s new development will feature 350 trees wrapped around the exterior of the building, controlled by a digitized irrigation system. Inside are approximately 100 roomy units, including the city’s largest garden-terraced penthouse, landscaped with pools and mature trees.
The Mega-development
11The Well: This project, near Front and Spadina, is one of Canada’s largest mixed-use developments, with some three million square feet of residential, retail and office space (Shopify is its star tenant). Among the many bells and whistles: access to the artisanal Wellington Market, open-air retail, co-working spaces and, if it flies, the new Rail Deck Park.
More on the downtown rebound
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