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Lifetime Developments positions its projects to tap into the desirability and charm of Toronto’s eclectic neighbourhoods, bringing reinvestment, renewal, and new neighbours. Identifying the unique characteristics of each locale. UrbanToronto recently spoke with Brian Brown, Principal at Lifetime, to delve deeper into how the company tailors residential and mixed-use developments to each area’s housing needs.
XO & XO2 Condos: Transforming King and Dufferin
At King and Dufferin Streets, just steps away from Liberty Village, Queen West, and Parkdale, Lifetime Developments is making an impact with XO and XO2, in partnership with Pinedale Properties.
The 14-storey XO Condos, (below) located at 1221 King Street West and designed by Core Architects and Turner Fleischer Architects, has 307 residential units atop ground-level retail. XO2, designed by Turner Fleischer Architects (above), is under construction, sitting kitty-corner to its sibling at 1182 King Street West, and set to stand 19 storeys with 410 units. “It’s a major intersection where we had the opportunity to have two different buildings on the corners,” Brown tells UrbanToronto, “and make a dramatic change in the way people experience that intersection.”
Nestled into the side of XO is the old Bank of Montreal, at the southwest corner of the intersection. It was purchased by Lifetime for use as a sales office and eventually retail, as part of the project’s heritage retention.
Connectivity is another key feature, with proximity to multiple TTC routes. Brown points out that living there means “knowing that I can get on the streetcar to get to the Financial District — by the time it reaches Spadina the streetcars are already full, but if you're getting on at Dufferin you're pretty much guaranteed a seat.”
Panda Markham: Suburban Luxury in the GTA’s North End
Situated between Highways 7 and 407 at Warden Avenue in burgeoning York Region, Brown expressed plenty of excitement about Lifetime’s latest project, Panda Markham. The Cedarland VIVA bus station offers a direct link to Unionville GO station.
This transit-oriented focus of Panda Markham is a key aspect of its appeal. As Brown notes, "It's becoming more of a downtown kind of node, all the way north." Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the project’s striking design and location have it poised to become a major development in one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities.
Midtown Urban Living at 36 Eglinton West
In the bustling heart of Midtown Toronto, Lifetime Developments' 36 Eglinton West, with a design by Wallman Architects, will stand 59 storeys and offer 614 units. The upcoming Eglinton Line 5 Crosstown LRT, will add to the connectivity offered by the existing Yonge Line 1 at Eglinton station. “It is one of Toronto's most connected areas, but add in the new layer of the LRT and it will make it even better connected than it's ever been,” Brown says.
The development is set to offer a mix of residential, retail, and office space, with a distinctive five-story podium that includes multi-level retail spaces and amenities, integrating into Midtown’s vibrant street life.
A Nod to Sustainability
In response to growing concerns for wellbeing and a push for sustainable living in all of these locales, Lifetime Developments has partnered with Clear, innovating within their residential and commercial projects to advance air and water purification systems. This has led to the installation of state-of-the-art air filtration technologies in the common areas of their buildings, a major boost in urban settings where air quality can be compromised.
"We've incorporated UV lighting at the source where water comes into our buildings to make sure that we are only flowing clean water through our buildings,” Brown shares, “so that the tap water that's coming out of our pipes is just as good as bottled water."
Shaping the Future of Toronto's Neighbourhoods
Looking to the future, Lifetime Developments continues to focus on projects that meet the immediate demands of each neighbourhood's real estate market while anticipating the future needs of its dwellers. As Brown concludes, "The more connected that you can show that your development is, the easier it is for people to make the decision to buy in that location."
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on these developments, but in the meantime, you can learn more about them from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
