Ontario Construction News staff writer
Phase one of SmartCentres Artwalk development in Vaughan includes three residential buildings located near transit, urban amenities and a nine-acre central park and a nine-acre central park.
The ArtWalk district, which was unveiled earlier last summer with a collection of accessible, experiential art and culture activations, will grow to include an entire block of new, mixed-use developments, developed by SmartLiving, SmartCentres’ wholly owned in-house residential development brand.
Artwalk will be a part of the 100-acre master-planned city centre.
Bordered by Portage Parkway to the north and Apple Mill Road to the south, it will be developed in four phases. The first kicks off with 38-storey and 18-storey towers on top of a shared podium, alongside a separate six-storey mixed-use residence with retail at grade.
“With five sold out world-class residential towers, and two leased out award-winning office towers, SmartVMC is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada,” said Mitchell Goldhar, executive chairman and CEO of SmartCentres REIT. “This emerging city centre has unparalleled transit connectivity, including a TTC Subway Station and York Regional Bus Terminal on site.
“ArtWalk Condos represent our next phase of new residential buildings within SmartVMC; a pedestrian and public art-oriented neighbourhood within a vibrant new city centre.”
Hariri Pontarini Architects was retained to lead both the architecture and interiors. Their plan calls for a variety of heights, floorplates, and suite sizes to accommodate the range of future residents. The architecture utilizes a range of natural materials and colour palettes, purposefully creating variation between all the buildings while crafting a striking skyline.
The development will include several outdoor terraces with gardens, an outdoor movie area, intimate lounge seating with firepits, as well as an outdoor dining space, an indoor/outdoor childrens’ play area and a 2,500 sq. ft. co-working space facing the courtyard.
The shared courtyard is framed by common areas and amenities to encourage activity along the ground floor and build a sense of community.