It’s very likely that you’ve read more than your fair share of 2013 in review lists by now, so we hope you can handle a few more before you’re done with the year for good.
It was a lively year across the GTA, with a few high profile condos hitting the market in the downtown core and even more projects making headlines in suburban areas like Burlington.
Below you’ll find our rundown of the GTA’s hottest new developments in 2013, as well as a look ahead to see what should be on your radar for 2014:
Minto Longbranch The new Minto project on Lake Shore Boulevard West in Long Branch drew a large crowd to its VIP launch in October and momentum showed no signs of slowing in the final quarter of 2013. Minto has focused on the development’s location as an up-and-coming neighbourhood as a major selling point and sales figures so far are proving they were right on the money.
Link Condos + Towns 2012 was a banner year for ADI Development as their Burlington condo project The Mod’rn consistently ranked as one of the most popular developments on BuzzBuzzHome throughout the year. Clearly the developer was looking to repeat the feat in 2013 and hit the mark again with Link Condos + Towns at Dundas Street and Sutton Drive in Burlington. They brought in the big guns to get the job done, adding RAW Design on architecture and partnering with Fortress Real Developments on the development side.
Towns of Don Mills One could make the case that the launch for the Towns of Don Mills was the most anticipated of the year. A unique design, a sought after location in North York and a great mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom units made this urban townhouse project by Winfield Residential a clear winner in 2013.
Tridel‘s SQ was a latecomer in 2013, but that only makes its inclusion in this list more impressive. Within a month of its units hitting the market, SQ was already 50 per cent sold. The project gets huge points for its downtown location while the design work by Teeple Architects is top notch.
ParkCity Condominiums The second Burlington project to appear on this list, ParkCity Condominiums was a staple of the trending projects bar on the BuzzBuzzHome homepage for easily half the year. How did Tobyn Park Homes inspire such a massive positive reaction from buyers? We’re guessing it was a blend of solid incentives and interiors by tastemaking design firm UNION31.
DUKE This new condo project made headlines in 2013 for its unwavering commitment to positively contributing to the Junction neighbourhood it will call home. Throughout 2013, TAS, the developer behind DUKE, sponsored community events to help forge strong ties to the neighbourhood and even went as far as building a gingerbread scale model of the development for the Santa in The Junction event last month. If only all developers were this devoted to the communities they’re building in.
HighPark Condominiums It shouldn’t come as a surprise that The Daniels Corporation‘s condo project situated across the street from Toronto’s immensely popular High Park is making an appearance on this list. With the beautiful park and convenient public transit located only steps away, HighPark Condominiums proved irresistible to Toronto condo buyers in 2013.
Smart House Billed as Toronto’s first micro-condo project, Smart House made waves in fall 2013 as Urban Capital Group and Malibu Investments promised to bring affordable suites to the heart of the city. Condos range from 289 and 778 square feet and prices start from $249,900. The project hasn’t hit the market yet, but when we considered the impact Smart House has had on the Toronto new development landscape, omitting it from the 2013 list would not have felt right.
383 Sorauren This boutique condo development in Roncesvalles first made headlines when it was announced that the famed architectsAlliance would be on architecture duty. Gairloch and Centrestone Urban Developments followed that up with a series of tantalizing incentives and carefully crafted community events. We hear that the developer has some special events planned for 2014, so stay tuned for that.
The Nest Condos The Rockport Group assembled a design dream team to help them put together a seriously compelling project in Hillcrest Village. RAW Design is handling the architecture while II BY IV has been tasked with designing the interiors. So far we’ve really been liking what we’ve been seeing and The Rockport Group’s 55 plus years of experience lead us to believe the developer can deliver on the high expectations they’ve built up for this project.
That wraps up our 2013 year in review! Now, onto a few of the Toronto projects we’re really looking forward to seeing more of in 2014:
Leslieville is hot right now and Streetcar Developments is taking full advantage of the neighbourhood’s reputation as the hippest in Toronto’s east end. The Taylor will be a great companion to Streetcar’s other development in the neighbourhood, The Carlaw.
Ten93 Queen West Moving into the uber-hot west end area of West Queen West, Pemberton Group’s new community has already stirred up some hype with its impressive collection of interior renderings and a clear commitment to the artsy, DIY characters of the neighbourhood.
Core Condos CentreCourt Developments revealed a pair of renderings for Core Condos right before the holidays and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. We’re predicting a very big year for Core and can’t wait to get our hands on a fresh collection of renderings.
YC Condos You might recognize Canderel as the developer behind Toronto’s tallest condo tower, Aura at College Park. The developer will remain a major force in the Toronto new development scene in 2014 with the launch of YC Condos at Yonge and College.
Garrison Point Outfitted with an inventive marketing campaign and a great team of developers (Cityzen, Diamondcorp and Fernbrook Homes) putting it all together, Garrison Point caused a stir in 2013 that’s sure to pay significant dividends when the project launches in 2014. The lobby rendering alone is worth your undivided attention, so imagine what Garrison Point will look like when it’s complete.
River City Phase 3 Urban Capital wowed us in late 2013 with the big reveal of the first renderings of River City Phase 3. Saucier + Perrotte Architects have knocked it out of the park again with the design.
Stay tuned for more news on all of these projects set to launch in 2014!
