Like much of Toronto’s core, the Liberty Village, King West and Queen West areas are growing at a pace that’s hard to keep track of. The following is our look at the development and construction that is either already happening in the community or likely to proceed in Liberty Village sometime in the coming year.
Dovercourt-Sudbury
For anyone who has spent time walking along Sudbury Street from King to Dovercourt will recognize the long lineup of exquisitely built townhouses, leading towards a lot filled with ongoing construction. At Dovercourt-Sudbury, with an expected completion date of 2020, an SMV Architects-designed building will stand known as ‘The Plant’. Adding 78 new residential units to the region, this ten-storey mid-rise building is also set to come with two ground floors of retail space said to accommodate small, local businesses.
99 Sudbury may see some big changes
99 Sudbury has long been a popular events venue, gym, and a strong piece of the film and arts community in this part of the city (remember when it was an after-hours club??). Its current warehouse is scheduled for demolition with a proposal put forth to build a hotel-condo combination tower. The City and the developer have come to an agreement on eighteen storeys and 121 residential units. Throughout the past year, no further news has been heard on this proposal. Though the next year may bring more, what’s certain is that the current site is not going to remain in its current incarnation for the long-term. The new build is also expected to feature the extension of the West Toronto Railpath into Liberty Village.
King-Dufferin to add 701 new residential units
Just a little ways to the northwest corner of Liberty Village, a pair of controversial developments are set to be built, adding a total of 701 new residential units to the region. Despite much opposition from stakeholders in Parkdale and Liberty Village, the City approved of the rezoning application this past December. In the upcoming year, more news is expected to be heard on when site development is to begin at 1182 King Street West and 1221 King Street West respectively. For anyone who finds themselves in this part of the west end regularly, expect it to be a heck of a lot busier once these new units are up.
The King Street projects ongoing in Liberty Village
The Kings Club construction continues to proceed into 2018. When the First Capital component of the project is completed, it will immediately add 506 residential units to Liberty Village. There is already retail space reserved at grade, ensuring more business development in the area. These units will be spread across three connected towers, at 12 storeys, 14 storeys, and 18 storeys respectively. This development will also include extensions to existing pedestrian networks, and with a bridge edging over the tracks and leaning into the site that currently sits at 99 Sudbury. By year’s end, construction may in fact be completed on the three towers.
Hanna Avenue to see some new commercial space
The current five-storey factory building sitting at 40 Hanna Street is set to be re-developed into an office-retail combination space. Then, immediately across the street is set to be an eight-storey office building. The proposals for these sites have already been approved and construction is just beginning. Some retail and restaurants are already occupying some of these spaces, with much more set to come. As Liberty Village continues to see its revitalization swing into the next decade, these constructions are likely to help bring in more businesses and entrepreneurs to the area looking to expand.
Say bye to the parking lot at 80 Atlantic Avenue
A new five-storey office building has been approved for development at 80 Atlantic Avenue. The current parking lot that sits on the lot is set to see its final days as construction is likely to be completed by early 2019 at the very latest. Once this development is completed, it will mark the first commercial wooden frame building after the province re-wrote the Building Codes only a few short years ago.
7-15 Fraser Avenue and a proposal for more office space
There is currently an office proposal set to develop the site at 7-15 Fraser Avenue, turning the current industrial building into a new seven-storey space of primarily office and business units. The heritage structure to the south has been approved for preservation. Despite having been submitted two years ago, the site has seen little movement since then and some suspect it may not come to be. This is due to part of the proposal including an underground parking garage which would conduct with a public street set to be built along the Lakeshore rail corridor.
58 Atlantic Avenue also set to see more office and retail space
As if all of these buildings weren’t already bringing in enough office and retail space, the proposal for 58 Atlantic Avenue currently is set at 10 storeys high, all of different office and retail units. This is a somewhat scaled down version of the original proposal, set to be designed by Sweeny & Co Architects. As the proposal is set to get to the planning stages sometime in 2018, it will be interesting to note what the final version of the site looks like.
The Liberty Market Tower
The mixed-used Liberty Market Tower at 171 East Liberty Street will be one of the tallest buildings in the neighborhood, once completed. Rising to twenty-eight storeys and including 281 residential units, this is going to add a level of density that may challenge the rest of the area to keep up. Though it is still in its planning stages and may see further changes, currently additional retail units and office spaces are set to be allocated at grade level.
Condos, condos, and more condos
Liberty Village’s density is going to rise pretty significantly in the coming years as it sees huge condo development in and around the neighborhood. Among them, is the 27 storeys to be built at 49 East Liberty Street, the 25 storeys to be built at 39 East Liberty Street and the 32 storeys set immediately across the street. Also to add to that list are the two towers set to begin construction across Strachan Avenue to the east, standing at 34 storeys and 25 storeys respectively. Adding hundreds of residential units to the region, Liberty Village is set to see a massive expansion before the end of the decade!
