Stacked townhomes offer urban bliss
35 Wabash promises a community feel on the site of a former sock factory in Roncesvalles
For anyone who has ever fantasized about having drinks on a private rooftop terrace, but doesn’t have the budget of Donald Trump, 35 Wabash, a new Toronto multistorey townhome community, might offer the perfect solution.
Located on the site of an old sock factory near Sorauren Park in Roncesvalles, the planned townhomes are being developed and built by Zinc Developments, a Toronto company that specializes in distinctive, design-oriented, residential and commercial opportunities.
“We try to create something memorable and special that will enhance people’s living experience,” said Kenneth Zuckerman, Zinc’s president.
“Wabash represents a growing, changing community where there’s an opportunity to look toward the future with a type of housing that’s in short supply in the city,” he adds.
The community, comprising 50 twostorey, stacked townhomes and eight flats, is being designed by Raw Design, a Toronto architecture and design firm known for its work with mid-rise developments.
“Half of the townhomes have a patio at grade and the other half get spectacular rooftop patios,” said Roland Rom Colthoff, the principal at Raw. “They have significant outdoor space (20 feet by 20 feet each), so the owners can garden here and barbecue, just like their neighbours who live in semi-detached homes.”
Both Zuckerman and Colthoff emphasized that the townhomes are equally suitable for couples who are planning families or empty nesters who still want some outdoor space. They range in size from 650 square feet to 1,550 square feet and offer one to three bedrooms.
“These are actual homes with good-sized rooms that are generous in proportion,” Colthoff said.
The community has underground parking and a small common area — given the emphasis on private space — with an elevator that opens only on the first and third floors. The elevator lets residents out into
“We try to create something memorable and special that will enhance people’s living experience.” KENNETH ZUCKERMAN ZINC PRESIDENT
a corridor that leads to the entrances to each of their stacked units. Bedrooms are located on the building’s second and fourth floors and are not accessible from the outside.
The interiors of the townhomes, designed by the Design Agency, seek “to elevate the modern-day condominium living experience into a home-loft-style design that stays true to the nature of the old warehouse neighbourhood of Wabash and Sorauren,” said Anwar Mekhayech, the firm’s founding partner and principal.
“The two-storey units were inspired by industrial charm, taking note of the histo- ry of Roncesvalles and introducing the contemporary sensibility of modern living.”
Since the complex has the connecting corridor, stairwells were unnecessary, allowing for more interior space. It is set back from the street, but designed to fit in with the character of the neighbourhood and the industrial history of the site.
“We designed the building to have a simple and repetitive series of columns and beams rendered in brick,” Colthoff said.
“The language of the building includes its industrial heritage. There are also punched-out windows like you’d see in any of the warehouses nearby.”
Mekhayech and his team have chosen three colour palettes for the homes, inspired by an old warehouse factory. They are intentionally subdued in colour, drawing the eye to the design, fixtures and details instead.
The kitchens have Italian porcelain countertops and backsplashes; the bathrooms are finished with porcelain floor and wall tiles, and the countertops are Italian porcelain.
The interior open-concept layouts at 35 Wabash are designed to maximize light, spatial layout and storage, with thought given to how a family would use the space.
“We analyzed opportunities to introduce storage, both open and closed,” Mekhayech said. “Whether it was maximizing the space for front-hall closets and entry ways, utilizing storage under the stairs, introducing built-ins for laundry rooms and full pull-out drawers under bathroom vanities, every element of open-concept living was considered.”
Victor Zaw, a Torontonian in his mid-40s who works in the high-tech industry, has been eagerly awaiting the availability of floor plans for the townhomes. He, his wife and 1-year-old son currently live in the King West area of downtown Toronto, but with a growing family, their condominium “won’t be sustainable over time,” Zaw said. “We love the neighbourhood and the park, but we need to get on with things.”
Zaw is friends with Zuckerman and when he heard about 35 Wabash, he was immediately interested.
“Since we have a relationship, there is a level of trust,” Zaw said. “And I’ve seen some of the work he has done over the years. He has a reputation for building quality products and is very into the
“There’s a certain amount of innovation in the idea of stacked townhomes. It looks like a pretty efficient way to live.” VICTOR ZAW POTENTIAL BUYER
downtown community, so I’d be looking at this development no matter what.”
The design concept intrigues Zaw, as does the Roncesvalles neighbourhood.
“There’s a certain amount of innovation in the idea of stacked townhomes,” he said. “It looks like a pretty efficient way to live. They’re not huge, which we like, and you’d probably get to know a number of people in the community, which is also appealing. We also like the option of having a patio or rooftop terrace, and there’s indoor parking and storage space, so from a lifestyle perspective it makes sense.
“All the big-picture things seem suitable, but it will depend on the other details, such as the pricing model and financing model.”
The townhomes will be priced from $600,000 to $1.1 million, Zuckerman said. In addition, owners will pay a monthly maintenance fee of approximately 30 cents per square foot. For a 1,000-squarefoot property, that amounts to $300 each month or $3,600 annually.