Ontario Construction News staff writer
Gairloch Developments, in partnership with Harlo Capital, has started construction on Leaside Common, across from the newly built Leaside LRT station in Toronto.
Leaside Common residential units, retail space and an “ambient green laneway” to the neighbourhood.
Construction is being managed by Bluescape.
Bill Gairdner, founder and president of Gairloch said he is “thrilled to be breaking ground on our largest project to-date, and our second project in Leaside after 1414 Bayview.”
“We launched Leaside Common less than a year ago with a vision for thoughtful design and an embrace for the exciting changes coming to the neighbourhood … Along with the Crosstown LRT, this building will further establish the Bayview and Eglinton intersection with a thoughtful modern masonry midrise building.”
The nine-storey mid-rise complex was designed by BDP Quadrangle, with a sculpted façade accented with contemporary vertical windows, terraces and integrated planters.
Leaside Common will have a multi-purpose party room, communal work lounge and refined fitness space on the main floor and a green laneway at the back that the designer says “sets a new precedent for the city.”
“Filled with lush plants and trees, it acts as a natural buffer to neighbouring uses while welcoming a charming pedestrian alternative,” said Heather Rolleston, principal and design director at BDP Quadrangle. “It creates a rather contemporary interpretation of a backyard. We were inspired by the laneways in Montreal to create this blueprint for indoor-outdoor living in urban environments.”
Construction will be completed in 2025.