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You've got to love Mayor David Miller when he tries to whip up hysteria. Last week City Council deferred the mayor's attempt to make the City of Toronto even more of a cash-sucking machine with proposals to double up the land-transfer tax and add a vehicle-registration fee for good measure. Twenty-four hours later, Mr. Miller lashed out with a threat to close the Sheppard subway line.

Mr. Miller has since climbed down from the hysteria tree, but he fooled no one. (Rule No. 1 of politics: don't threaten to take drastic steps unless you're ready and willing to do it.)

The much-maligned Sheppard Line was an easy target. It started off as a controversial subway extension championed by North York mayor Mel Lastman, who would also be Mr. Miller's predecessor as mayor of Toronto. When it opened in 2002, it served a mostly low-density, low-rise swath of communities just north of Highway 401 and ridership numbers were disappointing. But five years after opening, the five-stop spur off the Yonge Street line is actually beginning to resemble a viable transit line.

After some dramatic zoning changes allowing for high-rise residential development and some equally dramatic land assembly, the Sheppard corridor has shaped up to be a popular location with condo builders and condo dwellers — and the subway is a major reason.

"The Sheppard corridor will boom this year, and we'll finally be making sense out of the investment in that subway line," said veteran building industry consultant Barry Lyon back in January.

There are currently 13,000 condominium suites, including townhouses, either recently completed or in pre-construction sales along the subway line. Many of these are due to fill up the southwest corner of Leslie and Sheppard Avenues, the 20-tower Concord Park Place complex by West Coast developer Concord Adex. Up to 5,000 suites will be built on the 42-acre site, as well as an eight-acre park. Sales launched last week, with the first phase being christened Discovery.

The initial renderings of Park Place suggests that, in design, the complex will lean heavily on the same kind of imposing glass facades that define Concord's other major Toronto project — CityPlace on the downtown rail lands at Spadina and Front.

Just a little further east of Sheppard, the Aria Residences development by Fernbrook Homes, Cityzen Development Group and Menkes Developments has also proven to be a big hit with buyers.

The first 300 suites launched in Phase 1 in April have sold out, and Phase 2 came on the market earlier than planned with 255 suites this month. Prices range from $200,000 to $495,000 for between 570 and 1,335 square feet of suite space in the second phase, a single building with an eight and 16-storey tower on opposite wings.

The Aria Residences are designed to resemble a Mediterranean retreat, with ornate architectural features relying on columns and arched windows.

A lot of these developments are being built on surplus industrial land. Nearly all of them are aiming to include a good number of environmental and energy-conscious enhancements. And about half the suites currently available would qualify as affordable for single-parent families and first-time home-buyers.

Certainly these are all qualities that Mr. Miller is quick to embrace, and they're being implemented in neighbourhoods formerly known for their reliance on automobiles to get around.