+ Concord Adex has a strong team in place to help it achieve new heights with Parade at Concord CityPlace. By Staci Davidson
“We are building the highest bridge residence in the world.”
> Jeff Wilkinson, project manager
Concord CityPlace is a 44-acre development in downtown Toronto that will have approximately
7,500 condominium units when completed.
Concord Adex – Parade at Concord CityPlace www.cityplace.ca/parade. Project cost: $300 million Location: Toronto
Scope: High-rise residential development
With its low levels of crime, clean environment, diverse population and high standard of living, Toronto is con- sidered to be one of the world’s most liv- able cities. These factors are encourag- ing more people to move there, meaning Toronto is likely to remain the largest city in Canada and one of the top finan- cial centers in the world for the long term. In fact, Toronto recovered from the global financial crisis earlier than most other markets, and has since seen a
69 percent increase in total new home sales, which was driven by a 142 percent increase in high-rise condominium sales, according to the Building Industry and Land Development Association.
With more than 2,000 structures reaching more than 300 feet in height, Toronto is second only to New York in terms of the number of high-rises within its limits. And, with much of the city’s manufacturing activity having moved to the suburbs, more high-rises are likely to continue to pop up and take their part within the cityscape. There is one resi- dential development, however, that has plans to stand out in the skyline, although its unique design is only one of the many amenities it plans to offer residents. This is Parade at Concord CityPlace.
Located just north of Lake Ontario, Concord CityPlace is taking the place of an old rail yard next to the CN Towerand he Metro Toronto onvention Centre. oncordCityPlaceis 44-acre develop- ent that will have pproximately 7,500 ondominium units hen completed, and e Parade project ill be the massive
development’s standout feature.
“Parade will become a prominent fea- ture for Concord CityPlace once com- pleted in 2013,” Project Manager Jeff Wilkinson stresses. “Its ideal location
with the park directly to the south and the pedestrian bridge directly to north will make it a central fixture in the new CityPlace community.”
Two One-of-a-Kind Residences Parade faces Concord CityPlace’s central park named Canoe Landing. The 8-acre park is complete and open for use, and the adjacent development blocks will be lined with town houses and live/work spaces for small businesses. Behind the Parade development, a long linear park runs east- west, eventually connecting Spadina to Bathurst. And while all of this green space will provide Parade’s residents with great views, it is Parade’s own architectural design that is expected to really shine.
The Parade project has a total of four towers that sit on top of a 10-storey podi- um. The two mid-rise towers are 18 and
21 storeys, and the two high-rise towers are 38 and 43 storeys. The project’s grand scale is impressive; however, it is the bridge between the two high-rise towers that will be unique.
The “Skybridge” is two storeys tall and will connect the towers on floors 33, 35 and
36 (Concord CityPlace does not have 4th floors). It will have two 3,500-square-foot residential suites, which will be the world’s highest residences on a bridge, Wilkinson says. Each suite will have half of the bridge, and they both will span three-floors with- in the tower. Each also will have access to their own private rooftop terrace on the bridge. The bridge’s bottom level will have a common amenity bar and lounge with a glass floor for all residents to use.
“Once Parade is complete it will be filled with many high-end amenities,” Wilkinson says. “The bridge, however, is its most prominent feature, and we’ve spent a lot of time working through the technical details of how to make this fea- ture become a reality.”