On The Map
12-storey project The Davisville planned at Yonge and Manor
Five years and hundreds of completed homes later, the Rockport Group is on the verge of kicking off sales for The Davisville, its new mid-rise residence at Yonge Street and Manor Road in the project’s namesake neighbourhood.
Getting to this point hasn’t been quick or easy, says Rockport president and chief operating officer Daniel Winberg. After much back-and-forth with the city that saw the building rise from 11 to 12 storeys, lose about 3,000 square feet of total floor space and add articulated terraces to its west-facing side, The Davisville has finally settled on 86 suites spanning. Occupancy is slated for the fall of 2024.
“It’s easier to be patient when you’re invested in the neighbourhood,” says Winberg, who lived in the area for a number of years. Rockport first made its mark on Midtown in 2019 when it launched the 27-storey Montgomery Apartments six blocks north of The Davisville and unveiled the adjoining Montgomery Square, an elegant tennis-court-sized public space designed by Janet Rosenberg & Studio. Now, according to Winberg, “the community is buzzing over what Manor Square will look like,” referring to the public space slated for the northwest corner of Yonge and Manor.
After pandemic-induced delays, The Davisville’s sales centre is nearing completion across from the pre-construction site at 2100 Yonge. The centre will be fully equipped for virtual appointments. Still, Winberg says, “we’re old fashioned in the sense that we really prefer people to come and touch and feel things. So we’re really looking forward to being able to welcome people in person safely,” once in-person visits are allowed.
In some ways, he says, the pandemic delays have yielded valuable lessons that have been incorporated into The Davisville’s features. “What the markets learned from COVID is that people want more space. We have larger suites than most downtown condos, with ours being about 800 square feet on average.”
Several unit features, such as gas ranges in kitchens and quick-connect gas lines in expansive “urban
yard” balconies and terraces, were inspired by the need to make the most of leisure time at home. Others, like a co-working and business centre with individual work pods, were inspired by the shift toward working at home. A 1Valet/rogers Smart Community system, meanwhile, will cater to the surge in deliveries by providing parcel notifications and allowing residents to screen visitors and book amenities through the platform via their cellphones. An automated parking system with sliding pallets for parking and retrieval, and smart entry locks and thermostats in suites, round out the hightech parade that Winberg calls “next-level.”
Other features and amenities reflect the building’s boutique sensibility. An executive concierge will be on hand in the lobby, a dedicated delivery room will keep parcels secure, and a wet room will be available for washing dogs and bikes. A fireplace will warm and illuminate an event lounge, while a fitness studio, yoga space and bike storage will cater to active pursuits.
The 86 suites, seven of which are rentals, range from 487-square-foot one-bedrooms to two-plusdens topping 1,400 square feet. Living areas will have nine-foot ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and engineered hardwood flooring, with quartz countertops and backsplashes joining custom islands or banquettes in kitchens, and bathrooms featuring quartz countertops, undermount sinks, and fullwidth vanity mirrors.
Two key aspects of the project are unchanged since its inception in 2016. For one thing, it has retained RAW Design, the architectural firm that designed the Uovo Boutique Residences, an 11-storey project by 2114 Yonge Inc. and The Sher Corporation under construction immediately north of The Davisville. For another, it is preserving the two-storey building that has occupied The Davisville site since 1936. The work of Toronto architect Benjamin Brown, one of the first Jewish architects to sustain a successful practice in the city, the brick and limestone structure was batch-listed alongside 258 other properties in Midtown as a City of Toronto heritage site in 2017.
“We’re celebrating the heritage of Davisville Village and the Chaplin Estates,” Winberg says, adding that the angled entrances of street-level retailers will reflect the project’s Art Deco pedigree. “The goal is to bring people back to the golden age of Yonge Street.”
Who will be drawn to this mix of high technology and vintage glamour? “We’re going to get a lot of move-down buyers and empty nesters who want to stay in the area but don’t want to continue to upkeep their large homes,” Winberg says. “I also think young professionals will see a real sweet spot in our building. It’s becoming really hard to buy a home in Toronto, and we think The Davisville represents a great firsttime buying opportunity.”
Ultimately, however, “we don’t have a target demo,” he adds. “We target people that want to find a home, not just a place to live.”
Units starting at $689,900 for 487 square feet. For more information, visit www. thedavisville.com.