Historic influences influenced soft loft project
High Park Lofts takes its cue from the church that once graced the site
By Diane Tierney - Globe and Mail
The curtain has risen on High Park Lofts and it unveils its cast of character-rich design features. Harry Stinson, co-developer of the project says, “It has an interesting history. Par of the site was occupied by St. Jude’s Church, which was being rented by Mirvish Productions as a rehearsal hall for “The Lion King.” When the owner defaulted on the mortgage, the church was bought by Stinson and his partners.
“The original intention was to renovate the church into a small loft project of about 30 suites. We spent a lot of time planning the conversion job and it was a very complex building. We tried to preserve its architectural elements. However, we ended up with a magnificent product that was a little too magnificent. Preserving the elements was not going to be cheap.”
Fate intervened when the elderly owner of the adjacent property passed away. It has a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet on it and they were able to buy the site.
“This completed the block and allowed us to have three sides of the corner. It offered a huge strategic design difference to the project. When we reviewed the whole overall site with this addition, we decided to start from scratch and build a new building of 80 suites. But at least with the first exercise, we knew what we wanted to do and the design, price and features that would prove to be most popular,” say Stinson.
The new High Park Lofts building deliberately incorporates design elements such as an enormous interior atrium allowing suites to be flooded with light on both sides. This gives a cathedral-like ambiance to the building. It is 120 feet long and 60 feet high and has gracefully arched beams, and domed skylights of stained glass.
“This atrium will be a dramatic space designed to look like it’s been there for 100 years. It won’t be a hollow core cut through the middle of the building. The atrium runs north-south and at the south end there’s a very tall window. So when you’re outside you’ll be teased by the colour and plants and the life inside,” say Stinson.
It’s a vital building, not just a slab on the corner. High Park Lofts will be recognized by its grand, town hall-style tower, with its backlit, antiques clocks. On the upper levels there are two-storey, stepped-back townhouses with a garden in front,” he says. Massive brick buttresses, huge arched widows and stained glass accents also recall the original church to give the High Park Lofts building cathedral-like character.
Just as much effort and imagination has been applied to the High Park Lofts suites, most of which are unusual because of their split-level, through building layouts, with the living rooms facing the outside and bedrooms that overlook the interior atrium.
Standard finishes include flooring of solid hardwood (oak, maple or bamboo, not engineered veneers) and limestone, marble, slate or ceramic. The High Park Lofts suites have 11-foot ceilings, gas fireplaces, stainless steel appliances, built-in library shelving, built-in Murphy bed for guests, counters of granite, marble or man-made solid surfaces, a parking space and locker.
Condo fees will be about $350 per month, which include the heating and air-conditioning costs. The High Park Lofts has a geothermal system that utilizes natural subterranean heat, rooftop solar panels, and numerous energy conservation mechanisms to make the entire building virtually self-sufficient.
“This is rather timely considering all the energy deregulation. I think we’re going to get a big shock in a couple of years and if a building is able to stabilize its energy costs then that’s going to be a big deal,” he says.
At High Park Lofts‘ doorstep is Roncesvalles Village, a long-established residential neighbourhood with corner grocery markets, local shops, bakeries, coffee shops, banks, cinema and hardware stores. “Some people might confuse the area as being like Parkdale because they are not too sure about the west-end communities, but Roncesvalles Village is sort of like the Beaches before it got trendy,” say Stinson.
High Park is down the street. Dundas West subway stop is two blacks north. Parkside Drive provides quick access to the Gardiner Expressway and a streetcar runs pasts the High Park Lofts front door directly to King and Bay.
“There aren’t many loft-type buildings in Toronto that are in areas that are civilized. That’s what’s proved to give this project a lot of appeal. The area is far more urban, not the stuffy neighbourhood we thought it might be. We feel part of an awakening of sorts for this area,” say Stinson.
Stinson admits to being obsessive about design and wanted a building that really stood out. “Builders can go the cost-route and squeeze every nickel out of a project so they can offer something for $149,900 and that’s certainly a fool-proof method. Or, builders can try to make the design outstanding even though it will be more expensive.”
This is a turnkey, deluxe product. “You don’t go into Mercedes dealership and get charged for the radio. This is the same approach. It’s a little more expensive per square food, on a perception basis, but that’s because everything is included. People might pay $250 per square foot elsewhere but then they have to buy a parking space and install better flooring, or upgrade features. We just set the high standard up front because we want to known as such.”
Architecturally, the High Park Lofts building is going to stand out. “It’s something people will refer to with pride,” says Stinson.
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