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The Kingston & Co. development will be a 10-storey building with around 150 suites, ranging up in size to three-bedroom-plus-den units.Norm Li

KINGSTON&CO

LOCATION: Kingston Road Village

BUILDER/DEVELOPER TAS and Main & Main Developments Inc.

SIZE 407 to 1,439 square feet

PRICE From $250,000s to over $1-million

SALES CENTRE 1089 Kingston Rd., Unit #8, at Victoria Park Avenue. Open by appointment only.

CONTACT Phone 647-558-5500 or visit kingstonandco.ca

The developers behind a new low rise in the Upper Beaches say they've found that buyers' reluctance to embrace condo living stems from fear that they will have to forgo some of the things they see as central to home ownership.

So gardeners, car enthusiasts and handymen buying at Kingston & Co., will find a rooftop garden with vegetable plots, a car washing bay and a fully-equipped workshop, among other amenities and conveniences.

"For people looking to downsize, their concerns are the compromises they'd have to make, so we wanted to make an environment that was compromise-free but an enhancement in terms of minimizing their maintenance and hassle aspect of owning a home," says Mazyar Mortazavi, president and CEO of TAS, which is developing the infill project alongside Main & Main Developments Inc.

"We're introducing a workshop, tool room and car wash area – places you'd typically have in a garage or secondary space outside of the home."

Furthermore, the 10-storey building at 1100 Kingston Rd., just east of Victoria Park Avenue, will also provide services suited for these spaces where residents can entertain, exercise and engage in the trades.

"It's easy to put a label on a door and give people a pass … but we're going far beyond just labelling. The operational side is really important to us," says Mr. Mortazavi, who notes the tool room as an example.

"We're working with an organization that is going to put in a tool library and ... manage the tool catalogue so things are properly repaired. And we'll have workshops to teach people how to use the tools."

As another means to address the realities of condo living, there will be about 150 suites ranging up to three-bedroom-plus-den models and units can be combined into a larger one.

"Our average unit size in this building is around 900 square feet, which is unheard of in the current market," Mr. Mortazavi said.

There will be stylish entertaining areas with nine-foot ceilings, hardwood, stone and stainless steel finishes, but also laundry rooms and linen closets.

"The one thing we really focused on in the floor plans is all the spaces people don't think about when they're buying, like where do you put your vacuum, mop, bucket, iron and detergent?" Mr. Mortazavi said.

Single and double-width balconies with coloured panels facing south to the lake and deep terraces with harvest planters oriented to the north to the city will add practical, yet playful elements to the exterior of the modern mid-rise designed by award-winning firm Teeple Architects.

"Having this new project there – with new retail and increased density – will play a significant role in extending that quality and character that is unique to Kingston Road west of Victoria Park," explains Mr. Mortazavi, who wants to foster a sense of community – highlighted as "co" in the project's name – by arranging perks for residents at local businesses.

"The thing that attracted us to the neighbourhood is the fact you have a great combination of the urban vibe along Kingston Road Village, the proximity to the Beach and you've got great schools and public open spaces. So it provides that balance between the urban amenities, but also family amenities."

Occupancy in the sustainable green building will begin in 2017.

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