Humber Valley
Condo puts spacious suites in perspective
September 30, 2011
Ryan Starr
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Rose Devoe likes living in Etobicoke but she’s tired of dealing with the headaches that come with owning a house.
“I have a career and I get home late at night and I don’t want to bother with the yard work and keeping up the maintenance of a house, which is very expensive,” says Devoe, who works as the director of administration at a downtown Toronto law firm.
So the roomy suite she just purchased at Perspective Condos — a two-tower, 199-unit project by Pianosi Development Corp. at Scarlett Rd. and Eglinton Ave. W. — should be a pleasant alternative.
Devoe won’t have to downsize much; the home she shares with her husband is a 1,200-square-foot bungalow. Her new condo will be 985 square feet, with a 245-square-foot terrace and 50-square-foot balcony.
Plus, she’ll have access to an array of condo-style amenities and won’t have to concern herself with maintenance. “It just far more convenient for me,” she says.
Devoe is not alone. Developer Ian Pianosi says his team was initially concerned they’d have a tough time moving the bigger suites at Perspective — about half the units are more than 800 square feet. But the project ended up getting a “great response” from local move-down buyers like Devoe.
“It’s basically people from the area who are looking at those larger units,” Pianosi says. “They’re moving out of their homes and they need a place to put the furniture that they have, rather than having to adapt to a smaller space.”
Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects Inc., Perspective will have two buildings — one 19 storeys, the other 12 — connected by a five-storey podium.
Residences at Perspective range from 600-square-foot one-bedroom units to 1,200-square-foot two-bedroom-plus-den suites. Prices start in the mid-$200,000s and go to just north of $500,000.
Bryon Patton and Associates designed the interiors. Highlights include nine-foot ceilings (10 feet in the upper floor suites) and laminate flooring throughout. Each suite will have a balcony and some will have a terrace.
Kitchens come equipped with stainless steel appliances, granite or quartz countertops, and a pantry for extra storage. There will be a breakfast bar, double stainless steel sink and ceramic tile backsplash.
Bathrooms will have porcelain tile on the floors and ceramic tile for the bathtub and shower enclosures, as well as soaker tubs and marble countertops with under-mount oval basins. Depending on the plan, some condos will have laundry rooms with a stand-alone laundry tub.
Perspective will have 15,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. No tenants have been secured yet, but Pianosi says plans call for a condo-sized grocery store (such as Sobeys or Longos) and a pharmacy, a return tenant that was located in the strip plaza that’s been demolished to make way for the condo.
A sixth-floor amenity area will include barbecues, seating areas and cabanas, and a fireplace lounge. The condo will have an indoor swimming pool, exercise room, golf simulator room, theatre room, media room and billiards room. There will be a guest suite, as well.
Perspective enjoys a pleasant setting, Pianosi notes. It’s overlooking Scarlett Mills Park, the Humber River and James Gardens. “There’s an extensive bike route system around and a walking trail system that connects right down to the waterfront,” he says.
Other area amenities include a public golf course, Scarlett Woods, and several private ones, including Weston Golf and Country Club.
Unfortunately the first phase of the planned Eglinton Crosstown LRT will terminate one stop short of Scarlett Rd., at Weston Rd. But phase two will include Scarlett and carry on to Pearson International Airport. (Until then, residents can take transit down to the Runnymede TTC station at Bloor St.)
Perspective’s first tower is currently on sale and was 30 per cent sold as of mid-September. Occupancy is slated for spring 2014.
The market for the project is primarily older, move-down buyers like Devoe who want the size and comfort of a home but the convenience that comes with condo life.
“A lot of people in the area who are 55 and over are selling their homes because they don’t want to look after the maintenance,” says Pianosi.
“People are looking for space they can actually live in, rather than just invest in.”
Ryan Starr is freelance journalist based in Toronto. You can contact him at ryanlstarr@gmail.com.