On Site, The Hill, Upper Forest Hill Village, Toronto.BSaR Group of Companies
THE HILL, UPPER FOREST HILL VILLAGE, TORONTO
BUILDER/DEVELOPER BSäR Group of Companies
SIZE 500 to 1,800 square feet
PRICE From less than $300,000 to $1.5-million
CONTACT Phone (416) 546-6409 or visit www.thehillcondos.ca
The BSäR Group of Companies says it is focused on building boutique residences in well-established communities for buyers who plan to live on site rather than rent them out.
Taking that approach can often be a lengthy, uphill journey, but BSäR partner Tyler Hershberg says the company's patience and perseverance will pay off at its current infill project in Upper Forest Hill Village.
"There's nothing there in terms of condominiums, and the reason for that is that it's been very difficult to acquire parcels of land large enough to suit condominium development," says Mr. Hershberg, whose team spent years negotiating a deal for a city parking lot and restaurant at Chiltern Hill Road and Eglinton Avenue West.
"We came up with enough land for us to put up the first major development the area has seen in 50 years and up, so it wasn't a question of demand from a residential standpoint, but literally lack of land supply."
The nine-storey mid-rise, called The Hills, comes to market this month. The building will have just 94 suites, with models ranging from 500-square-foot studios to 1,800-square-foot penthouses.
"Our target demographic is … people who grew up in the area, who are first-time home buyers and can't afford detached," says Mr. Hershberg, who says low-rise houses in the neighbourhood start at $1-million.
"In the case of the move-down buyers … the large house doesn't make sense for them practically or financially, but they'd like to stay in the area."
Many of the larger two-bedroom models will also have access to expansive terraces that cascade down the south side of the building.
"We recognize the fact people that are looking to live here enjoy their backyards in the area, so we want to provide that experience in the condos we're building," Mr. Hershberg says. "If you look at the views you end up with, which are really spectacular looking south in particular, you look down on the Cedarvale ravine."
Some suites will be especially large – such as a penthouse with a 2,000-square-foot terrace – but each will be at least three metres deep, "which is large by anybody's standards," adds Mr. Hershberg.
As much as the project's name alludes to the building's sloped silhouette, it also refers to its premium address so close to shops, services and restaurants along Eglinton Avenue, as well as an LRT stop at Bathurst Street to be completed just a year after residents move into the Hill in 2014.
"We love the fact it's on Allen Road, so it's easy to get north and south, and we love that Eglinton station exists," says Hershberg. "But now that there's literally, 10 seconds outside your door, at Bathurst and Eglinton, an LRT stop, it really makes this one of the most accessible spots in the city."
To encourage more pedestrian traffic, new retail spaces will be situated at the base of this building, which will also have a private gym, dining room, multi-purpose space, and an upper terrace with a barbecue area.
Mike Niven Interior Design Inc. will oversee interior appointments, such as suites with nine-foot ceilings, laminate floors and kitchens with stainless steel appliances, custom European-style cabinetry and stone counters and islands.
Monthly fees will be less than 55 cents per square feet. Parking will cost $35,000.