Long-time readers of REVITALIZATION might remember that we’ve featured various brownfield redevelopment, ecological restoration and adaptive reuse stories from the Don River Valley of Toronto, Ontario, Canada over the years. The Don Valley is being thoroughly—though incrementally—revitalized by repurposing, renewing and reconnecting (the ubiquitous 3Re Strategy documented in the 2020 book, RECONOMICS) its previously-developed properties.
Now, another step in that revitalization was reported on May 18, 2021, when Montreal-based developer Broccolini claimed to be setting a new precedent for high-rise buildings along the Don River with LeftBank, a 34-story high-rise condominium launching in June of 2021.
The timing of the launch is aligned perfectly with the upcoming eight-month renovation-related closure of the Don Valley River Trail which will see significant upgrades.
LeftBank is Broccolini’s second project in the River District. River & Fifth was launched in spring 2019 and is currently under construction near River and Dundas Street East. Together both projects exemplify a new vision for the emerging River District in Toronto’s Downtown East and create a new architectural edge for future recreation activities on the Don River and Trail.
“The River District in Toronto’s Downtown East stood out to us right away as the perfect urban location to lay our roots in the GTA. It fit our vision for the kind of community we wanted to create that had both urban necessities and easy access to outdoor recreation,“ says Phil Brennen, VP of Real Estate Development at Broccolini.
“While you are minutes from the hustle and bustle of downtown’s financial district, there is this serene natural beauty and calmness you get from being adjacent to the surrounding ravine, trails, and water. We are fortunate to have two projects that back on the Don, giving us the opportunity create a complete community in one neighbourhood block, and make a strong visual impact to the east end skyline,” he added.
Once completed, LeftBank will appear to be rising up from the Don, standing at 34-stories with 388 residential units. As Broccolini’s second project in the River District, LeftBank prioritizes building new community infrastructure for the neighborhood with widened, tree-lined streets, boutique retail spaces designed to host cafes, mom-and-pop shops, and other convenient services.
Through a new pedestrian walkway that links the community to Bayview Avenue, residents will be able to seamlessly connect to the Don Valley River Trail and navigate to spectacular neighboring green spaces like Riverdale Park East and West, Corktown Common, and the spectacular Evergreen Brick Works.
LeftBank’s amenity program spans more than 15,000 indoor-and-outdoor sq.ft, and will provide future residents with what they need for optimal downtown living. Highlights include a gorgeous outdoor terrace with views of the east waterfront, a co-working space, kid’s room, a speak easy, fully equipped fitness studio with a separate yoga studio, meditation room, and juice bar, a gaming lounge, tool annex, and a pet spa.
A smart home system, Home by Broccolini will further support a convenient and connected life for residents, with the ability to use an app to lock doors, access amenity spaces, allow visitors entry, detect leaks, and more. Interior suites are designed with both nature-inspired wellness and city-living in mind. Ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, finishes include wood tones, color-blocking and ceramic backsplashes, culminating in retro-Italian inspired kitchen designs.
All images courtesy of Broccolini.