Liberty on the Park (Liberty Village) | Approved | 15 st | ??? m | Downtown

[current]

This article is from the Condo Guide Magazine:

CanAlfa launches much-anticipated Liberty on the Park

http://www.newhomesandcondos.ca/content/4/20070903/A1_9827.jpg

The CanAlfa Group, developer of the innovative, master-planned community, Liberty Village, located south of King Street West and west of Strachan Avenue, is launching its third tower this September, the much-anticipated Liberty on the Park.

“As with other phases, our overriding goal with Liberty on the Park is to create an exciting addition to a vital new neighbourhood just minutes from downtown where residents can live, work and play,” says Walter Jensen, CanAlfa principal. “That means offering buyers homes that are showplaces, not just high-rise suites, but wonderfully rewarding living spaces.”

The 15-storey residence offers 201 units overlooking the Village’s central park, and is just one of three large parks that are part of the entire neighbourhood.

An intimate, boutique building, Liberty on the Park offers a complete range of options for buyers starting with studios, and culminating in superb penthouses with generous balconies and/or large terraces.

For example, there are 494-sq.-ft. studios staring at $208,900; 544-sq.-ft. one-bedroom suites from $216,900; 901-sq.-ft., two-bedroom units from $368,900; popular 865-sq.-ft. two storey lofts from $337,900 and magnificent 1,275-sq.-ft. penthouses from $570,000.

“These are all exceptionally well thought out, superbly designed and finished suites,” says Jensen. “They offer high ceilings, granite counter tops, breakfast bars, Energy Star stainless steel appliances, a choice of sisal carpeting or laminate flooring, glass-encased separate showers and luxurious marble countertops on bathroom vanities.”

As a firm believer in preserving the environment, CanAlfa will also install ENERGY STAR-rated stainless steel appliances in all suites.

Liberty on the Park has also included some of the most sought-after lifestyle amenities for their residents, including a fully equipped fitness room and an outdoor terrace complete with barbecue areas and panoramic views of the park. For time with friends, there is a party room and residents’ lounge as well.

“One of the major advantages of life in Liberty Village is the unbeatable location,” Jensen says.

Liberty Village is by almost any measure an outstanding achievement – the perfect village within a city. The 45-acre site, running south and west from the corner of King Street West and Strachan Avenue, offers high-, mid- and low-rise residential units, commercial space, some live/work units, retail space including a new shopping centre with a 24-hour Dominion store, bank, pet store, video store, restaurants and cafes.

There are parks and greenspaces galore. One of the wonders of Liberty Village is that it is perhaps 15 minutes by streetcar from King and Yonge Streets, says Jensen. Residents in Liberty Village can walk to Lake Ontario and stroll or cycle along the Martin Goodman Trail, amble up to King Street West and enjoy the theatre, clubs and restaurants or in a few minutes’ walk take in the various year- round activities at the CNE grounds or Direct Energy Centre.

Eventually, the Village will be home to 3,500 families. Some have already moved in, establishing their own neighbourhood and community groups, creating a strong sense of place and time.

CanAlfa’s first phase was the creation of affordable townhomes. It built 476 on the north side of Liberty at Strachan where neighbourhood residents are currently living. These original townhomes have proven to be a wise investment. Townhomes that sold for $99,000 four years ago now command between $150,000 and $160,000 on the resale market.

The company followed with Liberty Towers, which is currently under construction followed by the second tower, Bliss, both joined by a four-storey podium. Now, Liberty on the Park offers purchasers a smaller, boutique-style building adjacent to the Central Park. Liberty Village will eventually be home to a dozen high-rise condominiums situated at various parts of the site.

“Liberty Village represents one of the most appealing true neighbourhoods in downtown Toronto to live, work and play,” says Jensen.

The Liberty presentation centre is located at 80 Lynn William St., just west of Strachan Avenue and south of King St., off East Liberty Street, near the 24 hour Dominion. The Presentation Centre is open Monday to Friday from noon to 7 p.m., and weekends and holidays from noon to 5 p.m. For more information please call 416-537-0047 or visit www.liveinliberty.com

http://www.newhomesandcondos.ca/modules/magazine/article.asp?AID=5559&MID=4&IDATE=9/3/2007&CMID=4&CIDATE=9/3/2007

[humanscale]

How will the village be "home to 3,500 families" when most of the units are less than 550 sq feet? Are they calling a couple with a house cat a family these days?

[Taller, Better]

^^ How many offspring validate a family? I would consider a couple to be a family, personally..... cat or no cat.. pussy or no pussy.

[Wrk_InProgress]

^^ How many offspring validate a family? I would consider a couple to be a family, personally..... cat or no cat.. pussy or no pussy.

I hate cats. Can't say the same about ...

[Taller, Better]

I break out in hives!! :D

[humanscale]

^^ How many offspring validate a family? I would consider a couple to be a family, personally..... cat or no cat.. pussy or no pussy.

fair enough. please don't infer motives to my comment. I whole heartedly feel that any couple, gay or strait, can be wonderful parents, and should be encouraged to have children if they want them, whether by birth, adoption, or other means. However, the advertising here is misleading if they are referring to couples w/o children as families because that is not the definition that the general public would use for a family. I don't agree with Adam Vaughn on much of what he has said recently, but it is true that few of the new condo units being built will be appealing to couples with children, or young people who want to start families soon. KGB may argue that families in NYC have become accustomed to smaller spaces and made the best of it. I'm not sure that same applies to Toronto. the preponderance of 1 and 1+den condos stems from the economics of those units. Condo developers make much more money selling 550 sq foot units to single people or couples because those buyers are purchasing places for themselves and not having to worry about space for dependents (children, parents, etc.). The economics of family housing, requiring two or more bedrooms, one or more dependents, must be priced considerably lower because the dependency ratio of those households is much higher (the ratio of the number of non-earners to earners).

[Taller, Better]

^^ Yeah, I knew what you were meaning. I was just joshin' you a bit.

[current]

Condo Guide magazine article:

Condominium developments are transforming neighbourhoods

Although many peoples’ eyes glaze over at the mention of “Statistics Canada,” the findings of the latest 2006 Census have been very interesting reading, particularly as it relates to Toronto’s booming condominium market. Simply put, Toronto’s population is growing, ageing and diversifying in ways that it never has before, and in favour of condominium apartment living more so than ever before. This explains in large part why new high-rise condominium sales in the GTA exceeded new low-rise (single-detached, semi-detached, townhomes) sales for the first time ever in 2007 by capturing 52 per cent market share, according to RealNet Canada.

All of these new condominium developments have also been playing a key role in transforming and revitalizing several neighbourhoods throughout Toronto, making the city an even better and more exciting place in which to live. Having grown up in Toronto, I remember the days when King and Strachan was an abandoned industrial wasteland; when the Molson Brewery at Lakeshore and Bathurst was still in operation; when the St. Lawrence Market was surrounded by parking lots; when Yonge Street north of Hwy. 401 was lined with non-descript strip malls and parking lots; when Square One shopping centre in Mississauga was ‘just a square’ and surrounded by farmland; and when the rail lands around the CN Tower were still working rail yards.

Today however, these areas of the city are almost unrecognizable as the construction of new condominiums has introduced thousands of new full-time residents to these communities – new residents who need everyday services and conveniences; who become regulars at local cafés and restaurants; who become engaged in the local arts scene; who support cultural activities that enrich their communities; who bring new energy and life to their communities 24/7.

Downtown West is young, single, well-educated and affluent

Our analysis of the 2006 Census data shows that one of the fastest growing areas of the city in recent years has been the “Downtown West” neighbourhood, which generally includes the area south of Queen Street between Yonge Street and Dovercourt Road (statistically defined as Census Tracts 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14).

According to the 2006 Census, there are nearly 28,000 residents living in the Downtown West area – a 63.2 per cent increase from the 2001 Census when there were 17,000 residents living in this area. Interestingly, the overwhelming majority (70 per cent) of new Downtown West residents are young professionals – 51 per cent of new residents are 25 to 34 years old, and 19 per cent are 35 to 44 years old. It is also interesting to note that Downtown West experienced a small “baby-boom” of sorts as the number of children under 14 years increased by 15 per cent from 2001 to 2006, compared to the City of Toronto which showed a 5.6 per cent net decrease.

The 2006 Census also shows that the majority of Downtown West residents over 25 years old are single (37 per cent), followed by those legally married (32 per cent) or in common law (16 per cent) relationships. From 2001 to 2006, nearly 4,200 new residents who moved to the Downtown West neighbourhood said that they were single. Among the married and common-law families, 75 per cent reported that they do not have children living at home, and 62 per cent of families with children had only one child living at home.

Where are all these new residents living? The completion of nearly 7,000 new condominium apartments accommodated most of the population growth in Downtown West from 2001 to 2006, and currently, over 76 per cent of private dwellings are found in apartment buildings over five storeys in height. Over 70 per cent of new residents who moved to Downtown West during the inter-census period were also homeowners, which increased the rate of home ownership from 50 per cent in 2001 to 59 per cent in 2006 – higher than the home ownership rate for the City of Toronto at 55 per cent.

The latest census data also reports that Downtown West is a relatively affluent neighbourhood with a lower-than-average unemployment rate, around 4.4 per cent in 2006. Its residents are well educated – 61 per cent have a university degree (including 22 per cent with a post-graduate degree) and 15 per cent have a college degree; and many are working in higher-paying occupations such as: business, finance and administration (21 per cent), management (18 per cent), natural and applied sciences (12 per cent), and law, education and government (11 per cent). As such, over 26 per cent of households reported earning over $100,000 per annum in 2005 and the average annual household income was around $87,000.

Lastly, the benefits of Downtown West’s convenient location and good public transit infrastructure is reflected in the 2006 Census data on “mode of transportation to work” which reports that 30 per cent of residents take public transit, 29% per cent walk and four per cent bicycle to work daily. Compared to the 2001 Census, there were 1,900 more people taking public transit, 2,900 more people walking and 475 more people cycling to work, making Downtown West perhaps one of the healthier neighbourhoods in the city as well.

So if you’re looking for a dynamic, young and vibrant neighbourhood close to the financial core and all the amenities of the big city, then check out Downtown West. With over 40 new condominium developments currently on the market, there are still plenty of opportunities to move into one of Toronto’s hot new neighbourhoods.

Next month, we’ll take a look at the changes happening in Toronto’s Downtown East neighbourhood.

Jeanhy Shim is President of ThinkBUILD Consulting Inc., a real estate consulting firm specializing in residential product development that meets the needs of both consumers and developers. jshim@thinkbuildconsulting.com

http://www.newhomesandcondos.com/modules/magazine/article.asp?AID=6863&MID=4&IDATE=6/9/2008&CMID=4&CIDATE=6/23/2008

[catcher_of_cats]

The location of this project

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2970723680_be3bfde007_o.jpg

[bar1967]

I received this in an email from CanAlfa late yesterday....

For Immediate Release

Re: Towers at Liberty Village Inc.
Liberty Village, Building 1, The Upper West Side Proposed Condominium, Toronto
Liberty Village, Building 2, Bliss Proposed Condominium, Toronto

Further to our letter to you by registered mail dated October 23, 2008 wherein we requested an extension of the Economic Viability Date, we are now pleased to advise you that we have satisfied our Economic Viability requirements and no longer require the extensions requested.

The projects are proceeding.

You will be receiving a letter by registered mail which will serve as formal notice to you that we have waived the EV Condition, and your Agreement is now firm and binding.

We also take this time to thank you for your patience and co-operation throughout this process. Please set aside the evening of Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 to join us in a celebration – invitations will follow.

We will be proceeding expeditiously to construction completion and will keep you advised as construction progresses.


Yours very truly,
TOWERS AT LIBERTY VILLAGE INC.

Per:

Walter Jensen – Development Manager

[ggaleazz]

I received this in an email from CanAlfa late yesterday....

For Immediate Release

Re: Towers at Liberty Village Inc.
Liberty Village, Building 1, The Upper West Side Proposed Condominium, Toronto
Liberty Village, Building 2, Bliss Proposed Condominium, Toronto

Further to our letter to you by registered mail dated October 23, 2008 wherein we requested an extension of the Economic Viability Date, we are now pleased to advise you that we have satisfied our Economic Viability requirements and no longer require the extensions requested.

The projects are proceeding.

You will be receiving a letter by registered mail which will serve as formal notice to you that we have waived the EV Condition, and your Agreement is now firm and binding.

We also take this time to thank you for your patience and co-operation throughout this process. Please set aside the evening of Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 to join us in a celebration – invitations will follow.

We will be proceeding expeditiously to construction completion and will keep you advised as construction progresses.


Yours very truly,
TOWERS AT LIBERTY VILLAGE INC.

Per:

Walter Jensen – Development Manager

Did you buy/invest there?

[bar1967]

Yes, bought there.

[bar1967]

I spoke with the developer and apparently they are seeking a height increase to this building. 2-3 floors.