Charity Begins at Home
It’s all about the Karma: Developers give back
October 31, 2011
Ryan Starr
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Condo developers tend to boast that their projects will give something back to the communities in which they’re being built. With Karma Condos, though, this is truly the case.
As part of the marketing campaign for Karma, a 52-storey, 508-unit glass tower to be built at 21 Grenville Street — just west of Yonge Street and a block north of College Street — Lifetime Developments and CentreCourt Developments will be donating $5 to local charities for each person who registers on the project’s website.
The money raised will go to support one of three charities of the registrant’s choosing: Wellspring, a network of community-based cancer support centres; Sketch, an organization that provides opportunities for homeless or at-risk youth to engage in the arts; and Ronald McDonald House Toronto. (Go to www.karmacondos.com to register.)
Funds for Ronald McDonald House — a refuge for critically ill children and their families here from out of town to receive specialized treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children and Mount Sinai Hospital — will go toward the adoption of a private room at a new 96-room facility that’s just being completed at 240 McCaul St., the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world.
“I think this is a terrific example of a developer looking for ways to resonate with their target audience while benefitting somebody else at the same time. So it’s really a win-win all around,” says Jane Marco, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Toronto. “It’s a different kind of approach,” she adds. “We’ve had philanthropic support from developers before, but never in this sort of fashion.”
At the downtown Toronto Wellspring Centre, funds from the Karma registrations will help purchase specialized rehabilitation equipment. And Sketch will use the Karma money to furnish a studio for theatre arts, martial arts, dance and meditation.
“We thought (the registration fundraiser) would be a unique way to engage registrants,” says Andrew Hoffman, president of CentreCourt Developments. “It allows them to choose a local charity that we’re passionate about, and it encourages even greater support for those charities over time through awareness and exposure to them.”
Designed by architectsAlliance, Karma Condos will have units ranging from 277-square-foot studios to 819-square-foot two-bedroom plus den suites. Prices start at $189,900 and go to the mid-$500,000s. Penthouses will be as large as 1,200 square feet and priced in the $600,000 range. The sales centre opens to the public in mid-November.
Interiors are by Cecconi Simone and highlights include nine-foot, smooth-finished ceilings; engineered wood flooring in the entryways, corridors, kitchens, living/dining areas and bedrooms; balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows with north- and south-facing views.
Kitchens at Karma come with a choice of natural stone or quartz countertop, with glass backsplashes and a stainless steel appliance package, including an Energy Star electric cooktop, 24-inch stainless steel oven, stainless steel microwave, and a refrigerator that’s blended in with the cabinetry.
Cecconi Simone “is wonderful at creating great, functional spaces in confined areas,” Hoffman says. “Their kitchen design is tremendous.”
Bathrooms will have cabinetry that’s custom-designed by Cecconi Simone and will feature natural stone or quartz countertops with under-mount sinks, five-foot soaker tubs and glass-walled shower stalls.
In terms of amenities, Karma will have a fitness centre with weight room and his-and-hers steam rooms. There will be a party room with a bar, projection screen and fireplace, and a private dining room.
The condo’s “Players Club” will have a poker table, billiards table and table tennis. There will also be a screening room and a “Station K” gaming room. Karma will have an open-air outdoor terrace, with lounge, canopy seating and barbecues.
The building is to have 24-hour, 7-day-a-week concierge service, security-coded access fobs and concierge-monitored underground parking.
There will be 4,000 square feet of retail space located at the base of Karma Condos, part of which will be incorporated into a preserved heritage home that sits on the site. “Architecturally it’s combining the historical old with the modern glass base and glass towers sitting above,” Hoffman says. “So it integrates well into the development.”
Karma is being aimed at young professionals, University of Toronto or Ryerson University teachers and students, and hospital employees who work at nearby facilities along University Ave.
Registrations for Karma have been strong early on, Hoffman notes, with almost $8,000 in charity funds raised so far. “And we expect to see those numbers grow.”
The number of registrations is “well ahead” of the normal trend for downtown condo projects, he says. “Normally we see fewer people register and more people show up at the sales centre or deal with things through direct communication, rather than registering and waiting for the developer to follow up.”
Hoffman figures the level of interest has a great deal to do with the appeal of the Karma charity campaign, “and my hope is that it’s going to grow and hopefully go viral as more people talk about it.”
“I think (the developers) are trying to inspire people to look further and to benefit the greater society’s good,” says Marco. “And that’s a very positive message and one we’re very happy to be part of.”
The developers aren’t just focusing on potential buyers in their campaign to help local charities, mind you. “We’re going to be engaging our entire team both at CentreCourt and Lifetime — our brokers and consultants — to get involved,” Hoffman says.
They themselves will be spending time working with the charities, he notes, including a scheduled evening in November where they’ll take part in Ronald McDonald House’s Home for Dinner program, providing a meal for resident families. “We want everyone on the Karma team to feel good about giving back to the community.”
And he’s not just saying that.
Good Karma
Location: 21 Grenville St. (near Yonge and College Sts.)
Developers: CentreCourt Developments, Lifetime Developments
Architect: architectsAlliance
Interior design: Cecconi Simone Inc.
Size: 52 storeys
Units: 508, 277-sq.-ft. studios to 819-sq.-ft. two-bedroom-plus-den. Penthouses: 1,200 square feet.
Prices: From $189,900 to mid-$500,000s. Penthouses priced in the $600,000 range.
On sale: November; register at www.karmacondos.com.
Information: For information, call 416-551-2744 or e-mail info@karmacondos.com