Great Gulf, Westdale Properties and Dream Unlimited Reveal the Latest Refinements for Toronto’s King Street West Project Designed by Frank Gehry

Ensemble of mixed-use buildings will instantly become a recognizable Toronto landmark
 

February 10, 2021 (Toronto, ON) – Great Gulf, Westdale Properties and Dream Unlimited showcased the refined designs of the Gehry Project at a community meeting organized by the City of Toronto on February 9th. World-renowned, Toronto-born architect, Frank Gehry and members of his team were on hand to reveal the latest refinements of the mixed use two-tower project at the cultural intersection of King Street West and Ed Mirvish Way. 

“This will be the most talked about mixed-use development in the history of Toronto and we’re thrilled to meet with the public to  share the design updates of an unprecedented architectural project,” says Mitchell Cohen, Chief Operating Officer, Westdale Properties. “This project represents a coming home for Frank Gehry to the city he loves and will be one of his most significant architectural achievements. He is the heart and soul of the project and it has been an honour working with him and his team. We’re excited to be progressing in our goal to execute Frank’s vision for the development  of such an important site in downtown Toronto.”

The latest refinements to the design maintain both the height and density that were approved in a 2017 zoning by-law amendment. Specifically, the latest changes adjust the organization of the towers on the site, enhance the podiums and optimize the floor plates of both towers to offer stunning views from each vantage point in the buildings.

The most recognizable refinement is the redesigned  exterior building envelope  which will make the project  an instant landmark. The Gehry-designed buildings will be clad in a variety of energy-efficient materials and feature a unique textured metal and glass façade. The design provides for ever-changing vistas of the buildings depending on one’s vantage point while continually providing a differing reflection of Toronto’s skyline. 

“With this project, I wanted to create an ensemble of buildings that were respectful to the city and referential to the Toronto that I once knew," says Frank Gehry. "I wanted the two towers to each have their own personality, but I also wanted them to talk to each other, creating a dynamic and changing addition to the skyline depending where you were viewing them from in the city. The detailing of the exterior is intended to give the buildings a human scale and hopefully reflect the light and colour from the city and the sky around it. In the end, this should be a building of Toronto that I hope will make the city proud." 

Upon completion, the west tower will be the tallest Gehry-designed building in the world. This true mixed-use development will include new space for OCAD University as well as commercial, retail and residential spaces. The changes to the podium incorporate the façade of the heritage Anderson Building which was built in 1915, while respecting the views of both the Royal Alexandra Theatre and the Princess of Wales Theatre, which bookend the project. 

A cultural corridor along Ed Mirvish Way will serve as a gateway to the site and a hub of public activity for the King Street West neighbourhood, the Entertainment District and beyond. The intersection will become Toronto’s centre for arts, culture and theatre.

“OCAD University is excited about the Gehry-designed project, which will offer our students and faculty enhanced learning and research spaces while providing opportunities to collaborate with the community on a wide variety of art, design and media initiatives,” says Ana Serrano, the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “We see tremendous opportunities for collaboration with Great Gulf, Westdale and Dream as this project becomes a reality. With its close proximity to both OCAD University and TIFF, and situated within Toronto’s Entertainment District, this project is poised to become a cultural hub within the city, offering opportunities to showcase the talent of the next generation of artists, designers and developers.”

Cohen says the latest design refinements reflect a collaborative, ongoing partnership with the City. “In many ways, the ownership group sees itself as the stewards of a project that is being developed on behalf of the City and the people of Toronto. There are multiple vested interests in this development and that is reflected in the successful outcomes thus far. Now more than ever, we remain committed to investing in downtown Toronto and delivering a project that the city and country can be proud of,” says Cohen.

The latest design updates include some variances that reflect the changes to the massing and design intent for the project. As a next step, these variances will be brought to the Committee of Adjustment for approval. A package was submitted to the City in December for review.

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About Great Gulf
Established in 1975, the Great Gulf Group of companies, including Great Gulf Homes, an international award-winning, low-rise and landmark high-rise residential developer providing over 80,000 families with places to call home; Ashton Woods Homes, the 3rd largest private builder and 18th largest in the U.S.; First Gulf, an innovative market leader in sustainable, accessible and transit-oriented commercial developments and large scale design-build industrial facilities; Tucker HiRise, a leading construction management company, specializing in the construction of high-density, mixed-use projects; H+ME Technology, a precision engineering panelization manufacturing facility; and Taboo Muskoka, one of Canada's top-ranked golf courses, is one of North America's premier real estate organizations. With major projects in Canada and the United States, the company's fully integrated activities span the entire real estate spectrum. www.greatgulf.com.

About Westdale Properties
For nearly 70 years, Westdale has been committed to creating a positive experience for the tens of thousands of North American’s who call our buildings home, work and shop at our properties, or spend quality time at our restaurants and hotels. With a core business consisting of over 50,000 residential suites in 3 Canadian provinces and 11 US states, Westdale’s portfolio includes over 4 million square feet of retail, office, industrial and heritage properties. Westdale is also actively involved in over 20 residential urban developments across the continent in cities such as Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary, Dallas, and Atlanta. Residential projects currently under construction in Toronto include Theory, NOBU Condominiums, Line 5 and Untitled. www.westdaleproperties.com and www.westdale.com.

About Dream Unlimited
Dream is a leading developer of exceptional office and residential assets in Toronto, owns stabilized income generating assets in both Canada and the U.S., and has an established and successful asset management business, inclusive of $8 billion of assets under management across three Toronto Stock Exchange listed trusts and numerous partnerships. We also develop land and residential assets in Western Canada for immediate sale. Dream expects to generate more recurring income in the future as its urban development properties are completed and held for the long term. Dream has a proven track record for being innovative and for our ability to source, structure and execute on compelling investment opportunities.  www.dream.ca.

About Gehry International
Gehry International, Inc is a full service architectural firm with extensive international experience in the design and construction of academic, museum, theater, performance, and commercial projects.

Founded in 1962 and located in Los Angeles, California, Gehry International currently has a staff of approximately 160 people. Every project undertaken by Gehry International is designed personally and directly by Frank Gehry. All of the broad resources of the firm and the extensive experience of the firm’s senior partners and staff are available to assist in the design effort and to carry this effort forward through technical development and construction administration.

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Press Contacts:
Madeline Zito, Senior Vice President Public Relations
Great Gulf
Madeline.zito@greatgulf.com
647-938-1851

Vakis Boutsalis, Vice President
kg&a
vakis@kga-inc.com 
416-578-1741