A walk on the wild side
Condo owners take a hike and investigate the beauty just beyond the back door
Agroup of condo purchasers took a walk on the wild side on a recent sunny Saturday morning.
With guide Miles Hearn of the Toronto Field Naturalists, they trekked along the Humber River Trail and through James Gardens and Lambton Woods, learning about the indigenous flora and fauna.
Hearn, who has an uncanny sense of hearing, tuned the group’s attention to the songs of red-winged blackbirds, northern orioles, warbling vireos and American toads; he identified plants such as rare wild ginger, trout lilies and skunk cabbage, and pointed out photo ops of blooming trilliums and marsh marigolds.
The walk was arranged by the developers of the Perspective Condominiums to acquaint future residents with the natural beauty that exists just steps from the site, at Eglinton Ave. W. and Scarlett Rd.
“The park is going to be a feature people discover. Once they get in there, they will say, ‘wow.’ It’s a hidden gem,” says Ian Pianosi, owner of Pianosi Development Corp.
Bill and Gail Bowen, who live nearby in Islington Village and have purchased a two-bedroom suite, joined the walk and were impressed to learn it’s one of the largest natural habitats in Toronto.
“I had no idea James Park is so lovely,” says Gail.
Perspective will include two glass towers with rounded corners designed by Turner Fleischer Architects Inc., joined together by a podium. Many of the views from the suites will be of the parklands adjacent to the condo.
At the request of local residents and council, Pianosi included shops at ground level, which will include a grocery store, pharmacy, hair salon and other suppliers of life’s little necessities.
The first 19-storey tower, with 199 units, is about 60 per cent sold and Pianosi has been pleasantly surprised by the response.
“It was received better than I thought it would be. I knew the site was good and so was the location, but the empty-nester market is a tough one to attract and they take their time. But people were excited about it and we’re also getting young people in their 20s and 30s who lived in the area, moved out and are coming back.”
Pianosi says the Etobicoke location offers a more laidback lifestyle than downtown Toronto.
“A lot of people enjoy the city but don’t want to be caught downtown all the time. They like to get in and out, and from here you can be downtown in 15 or 20 minutes. If you want a quiet Sunday afternoon, there are bike paths, tennis courts and walking trails right next door,” he says.
While the trend has been to smaller condo units, Pianosi says the empty-nester buyers have indicated they want larger units and those will be included in the second 12storey tower, which hasn’t launched yet.
“We spent an inordinate amount of time on the floor plans and (interior designer) Bryon Patton sat in on all design meetings. Bryon made things not just marketable but liveable, which is especially critical in smaller units.
“We have included things such as laundry sinks in larger units. This is not an investor market, it’s a user market,” says Pianosi.
The outdoor sixth-floor rooftop garden has been positioned to overlook the park and will have a water feature, barbecues, cabanas and lawn chairs.
Recognizing that Perspective residents will be an active group, each suite comes with a locker/bicycle storage.
“I anticipate once people move in here, you’ll see things like biking clubs or hiking clubs forming,” says Pianosi. The Bowens purchased a twobedroom suite at Perpsective even though their 1,100-square-foot bungalow is a suitable retirement home. They are avid cyclists.
“We were thinking about moving and were quite taken by the suite styles,” said Bill Bowen.
“These are excellent plans and they did a good job at recognizing how people live. And the amenities are super.”