A sprawling parking lot on the southwest corner of Islington Avenue and The Queensway will soon be transformed into a 545-unit, two-tower mixed-use condominium development. Verge Condos marks RioCan Living’s latest residential project in Toronto and will feature a 17- and 11-storey tower, over 30,000 square feet of retail space, a new public park and a new service road on the south side of the property.
The project’s central location places it within proximity to a wealth of local amenities including Cineplex Cinemas Queensway, Sobeys, Costco and Ikea. The area is also dotted with charming shops, cafes and restaurants from D Spot Dessert Cafe to Sushi Kaji Restaurant. And with convenient access to the Gardiner Expressway, downtown Toronto is less than 25 minutes away.
“With Verge, the RioCan Living team continues to deliver on the principles that inform each of our residential developments, including contextual design in connected locations, best in class communal amenities that cater to future residents, and easy access to major commuter routes,” said Kalliopi Karkas, Assistant Vice President at RioCan Living.
“Verge is nearly equal distance to downtown Toronto and downtown Mississauga, offering incredible access to two of Canada’s largest cities. It’s also a 15-minute drive to Pearson Airport and offers a range of amenity spaces that were informed by our extensive market research,” she added.
In an effort to optimize future amenity uses, RioCan Living leveraged its extensive portfolio data to tailor interior spaces and common areas to future residents. This research led to a focus on smart living, wellness and creative work-from-home spaces. In addition to home offices, meeting rooms and soundproof phone booths, Verge offers a fully-equipped, video-ready content studio with pull-down backdrops and green screens, as well as an audio-recording studio for podcasts and other presentations.
Additional onsite amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness centre, yoga/meditation studio, pet spa, party room and cocktail lounge. Among the outdoor amenities are an expansive terrace with barbecues, a chessboard, shuffleboard games and a lounge complete with south-facing views.
Interior spaces by international design studio DesignAgency draw inspiration from the firm’s experience in working with boutique hotels and notable restaurants like The St. Regis Toronto, Momofuku Toronto and The Dalmar Fort Lauderdale. A variety of materials, textures and patterns are combined with a modern colour palette throughout the amenities and suites.
“We wanted to acknowledge how important our homes have become over the last year by bringing unique moments and distinct character to each area of Verge,” said Anwar Mekhayech, Founding Partner, DesignAgency. “Wellness remains incredibly important in providing moments of respite, but we also need to support and design how our work-life habits are evolving.”
“The co-working space and content studio at Verge are a practical response to the increased importance of capturing video and audio and a reflection of new, hybrid work models. And they can easily double as a space for creating fun, social content or having fun with friends.”
Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects, Verge boasts contemporary architecture inspired by the eclectic nature of the neighbourhood, where residential and commercial activities merge. The buildings’ mass and architectural expression are organized as a series of stacked individual volumes with dynamic façades that animate and enliven their surroundings.
“With two separate buildings, our goal was to establish a rhythm and create a dialogue between the developments to add a striking visual dimension for residents and users to enjoy,” said Raza Mehdi, Associate at Turner Fleischer. “With a new park separating the two buildings and retail uses at grade, the focus was to inject an animated streetscape along this segment of The Queensway.”
The two-phased community is anticipated to launch this summer with prices starting in the $400,000s. Available suites range from 430 to 1,060 square feet. To learn more, register online at vergecondos.com.
For more information, please email info@vergecondos.com.
