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LCH Developments has been building in Toronto since 2013. The company — started from the ground up by brothers Lukas and Michal Wywrot — began with custom homes but shifted focus after four years into multi-family, mid-rise buildings. Merge Condos, located where Danforth Avenue and Kingston Road come together in Scarborough, was their first major high-density project to be completed, and Cliffside Village, the neighbourhood where it now acts as a gateway, is where LCH is determined to continue to build both new homes to live in, and a reputation for themselves.
The Wywrots have grown their team by hiring people who, like themselves, aren't content to just slap up anything, and the company is constantly looking for fresh ways to create communities where people actually want to be, by looking for opportunities to innovate. In Cliffside Village, the Wywrots found a neighbourhood that was just starting to gentrify, but was undervalued, and where they could afford to create better buildings while pricing the suites competitively. Merge was the first example of their work there, bringing 190 condo suites, including two-storey work-live units to the ground level where those with a entrepreneurial spirit could find a place to establish themselves. At the same time, along with ground floor retail that characterizes this stretch of Kingston Road, Merge's live work units also help to activate the public realm around the building.
LCH Developments continued to look for more properties to grow their portfolio along Kingston Road, recognizing the street's potential for housing many more people in buildings that strengthen their neighbourhoods through the reinvestment, that renew the population base, and that are sensitively designed to interface well with their surroundings.
A second example of LCH's philosophy at work in Cliffside Village may be a surprising one; the company found that a recently completed condo in the neighbourhood — Haven On The Bluffs — had a less than inviting interface with the community itself, and its unloved, unleased commercial space facing Kingston Road was up for sale. LCH needed office and presentation space in the area, but didn't need all of what was available for just themselves. LCH bought all of Haven's available commercial space anyway, and set about not just remodelling its interiors, but rebuilding the ground floor exterior too, replacing EIFS walls marked by limited window openings, with more transparency to the street while framing it in the warmth of brick. While LCH's own offices do take up a good amount of the transformed commercial space, the reception desk is shared with Co-working and Flex Offices space where locals can — again — establish themselves in a conducive work environment.
At the west end of the transformed space, LCH is about to launch what they will — as of Friday — be selling across the road: Cliffside Condos. The 10-storey building, designed by RAW, will offer both retail at grade and live-work suites facing on Kingston Road, and 206 units found facing the side street and back garden, and on the second floor and higher.
Besides four live-work suites where entrepreneurs will present their services to the community, the landscaped Kingston Road frontage of Cliffside Condos will feature three more commercial spaces — retailers to either side of the central residential libby entrance — and at the east end, a double-height restaurant space that boasts a sheltered patio for al fresco dining, and above it, a mural on its ceiling that will wrap onto the east wall of the building, rising up to the sixth storey. Cliffside Village is known for its murals in fact, so LCH is asking neighbours what they'd like to see here, and a local artist will be hired to turn some of those community aspirations into something the locals will be proud of.
Potential purchasers of suites will find a selection of studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms, and three bedrooms, starting from the high $300,000s. Suites on the upper storeys at the rear of the building will offer generous terraces with views over the surroundings.
Residents will enjoy a variety of amenity spaces, some on the ground floor, such as a lobby with lounge space, 24/7 concierge services, a video chat inter-phone system, and smart parcel pickup. The ground floor will also boast the Innovation Hub, a co-working studio with a maker space and meeting rooms, including a creative studio for podcast recording.
A Fitness Centre will boast a yoga area, Olympic half rack, treadmill and elliptical machines, plus outdoor space with gymnastic bars.
High atop Cliffside Condos, facilities include the Lakeview Lounge with a full kitchen for hosting parties, a formal dining area, TV lounge area, a billiards table and air hockey, while outside the Cityview Terrace will boast vistas that extend from Cliffside Village's perch over the Scarborough Bluffs, to views across The Beaches and Leslieville and onto the towers of Downtown Toronto on the horizon that you can enjoy from cabanas or lounge chairs. There are barbecue facilities up here too.
Cliffside Condos is designed with pets in mind too, with a dog run on part of the roof, a pet relief area, a pet wash spa on the ground floor, and even an onsite vet clinic.
Cliffside Condos will have 120 resident parking spots on offer plus 155 bicycle parking spaces. For those commuting by transit, the site is served by TTC bus routes that connect with Danforth Line 2, while Scarborough GO station is a 15 minutes walk to the north, with Metrolinx currently upgrading the Lakeshore East line to bring 15 minute service to it.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, 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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| Related Companies: | LCH Developments, Quasar Consulting Group, RAW Design |
