Type: Mixed-use residential development
Developer: Dream Asset Management; Kilmer Group; Tricon Residential
Owner: Dream Asset Management; Kilmer Group; Tricon Residential
Architects: COBE; architectsAlliance; CCxA; Design Agency
Site Size: 2.58 acres (1.04 ha)
Date Opened: August 15, 2023
Date Completed: March 1, 2024
Building Area: 638,583 square feet (59,326 sq m)
Open Space: 74,255 square feet (6,898.5 sq m)
Parking Spaces: 185
Infrastructure Ontario’s Provincial Affordable Housing Lands Program aims to create a mix of market-rate housing and permanent, sustainable, affordable housing on surplus land in greater Toronto. For its first effort, the agency chose Dream Asset Management, Kilmer Group, and Tricon Residential to develop a mixed-use community with 2,500 apartments on a 12-acre (4.9 ha) former brownfield industrial site. The first phase, Maple House, randomly mixes 770 market-rate and affordable units throughout, drawing on research showing that exposure to diverse socioeconomic networks can help improve the economic status of lower-income residents.
The public-private partnership involved three levels of government. The federal government’s Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation offered a Rental Construction Financing Initiative loan at a deeply subsidized rate. The province provided the land through a long-term ground lease. The city of Toronto issued development charge and property tax waivers on affordable units through its Open Door program.
One 26-story and two 16-story residential towers rest on a podium designed to recall the former tank houses of the nearby Distillery District, where historic distillery buildings have been converted into a residential/commercial neighborhood. The towers themselves represent a contemporary interpretation of the nearby waterfront’s industrial silos. A brick promenade extends the Distillery District’s Tank House Lane east to Maple House. Parking and services are tucked underground to keep the ground level pedestrian-friendly. The Distillery Loop streetcar puts public transit close at hand. Maple House also includes two-story townhouses and commercial space.
Nearly half of the first phase’s apartments have two, three, or four bedrooms apiece, making affordable housing accessible to families. All residents have the same access to amenities such as coworking spaces, a music recording studio, a gym, an outdoor pool with views of the skyline, play areas for children, and a dog spa. Outdoor spaces include plazas, promenades, elevated outdoor courtyards, and community garden plots.
To build a sense of community, the owners have teamed with Toronto Life magazine, the Evergreen Brick Works cultural center, and other local partners to provide residents with access to a variety of events, programs, and classes. An elementary school is under construction next door, and Canary Landing’s second phase, Cherry House, will have a community hub that offers programming for all ages.
Energy-efficient design features include a low window-to-wall ratio, self-shading facades, and high-performance, double-glazed windows with thermal breaks that significantly reduce heating and cooling demands. Advanced mechanical systems incorporate magnetic-bearing centrifugal chillers, solar wall technology, and in-suite ventilation units with heat recovery. In-suite energy metering encourages residents to use less electricity. The green roof helps manage stormwater runoff while providing insulation and mitigating urban heat island effects.
Canary Landing - Maple House – 2024 ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Winner
