Just steps northwest of Toronto’s bustling Yonge and Dundas intersection, Lifetime Developments’ new addition to the Downtown Core is rising fast on Edward Street. Construction started on Panda Condominiums in mid-2018, and the Turner Fleischer Architects-designed tower has been progressing above grade since the beginning of 2020, now standing well over halfway towards its final height of 30 storeys as black and white exterior cladding is now beginning to suggest the project’s playful moniker.

Since rising above grade at the start of the year, Panda has surpassed a series of construction milestones including completion of the building’s three-storey podium in June, and the first panels of cladding installed in September. We last checked in on construction in October, when the smaller tower floor-plates were quickly rising and exterior finishing work was picking up. At that time, Panda stood ten storeys tall, at roughly one-third of its final 107.6-metre height.

About two months later, another eight levels have been formed. Now 18 storeys tall, the final dozen residential floors should continue to rise at a good rate. The final level, a mechanical penthouse with special forms required, will take a little longer, like the complicated podium and concourse forming when Panda was near ground level.

The rise of the tower floors has revealed the massing’s conjoined volumes, articulated by a vertical strip indented into the tower face. In October when we last reported, charcoal-toned brick cladding was being applied to the podium levels. Over the weeks since, while window wall cladding has been sealing off the lower tower floors, accent finishes are defining each of the building’s two tower volumes differently, the painting of balcony slab undersides black or white to match the eastern of western portions, while a white grid around the window wall and along the balcony edges further defines the lighter western volume.

Due for completion in 2021, Panda is set to bring 555 condominium units to the Yonge and Dundas area, anchored to Edward Street by a mixed-use podium containing 1,100 m² of commercial retail space on the ground floor, and another 2,750 m² on the second floor, and over 2,750 m² of office space on the third floor. The below-grade concourse level—which features a roughed-in connection for a possible future PATH connection and/or second Dundas subway station exit—will include an additional 1,860 m² of commercial retail space.

Urban Toronto

Dear Friends,

We hope that your family and loved ones continue to be safe and healthy. Each day we are watching the situation unfold, and adapting together to evolving regulations and changes influencing our new unprecedented way of living. We are confident that we will get through this.

We wanted to take a quick moment to provide you with an update on how Lifetime Developments is addressing COVID-19. The safety of our employees, trade partners and customers continues to be of the utmost importance. While Lifetime is still operational and very much active, we are taking every precaution necessary to ensure a safe environment for our stakeholders. While our head office team is working remotely, everyone has access to proper technology and tools to guarantee that our projects are moving forward, and that you have the same level of access to support that you have grown accustom to. This practice extends to our sales offices as well to ensure that our Purchasers still remain in contact with us for any questions that you may have.

As many of you may know, Doug Ford, on behalf of the Government of Ontario, deemed above-ground construction an essential service, which means that work on Whitehaus, Panda and Liberty Market Tower continues. To ensure the safety of the individuals working on each project, we are taking every step possible to safeguard our sites and teams, including ensuring the availability to PPE for site attendees, daily cleaning with active sanitization of the entire site, bi-weekly inspections with health and safety inspectors and COVID training to all site attendees. Our offices are all on reduced staff and intermittent hours, to strengthen social distance rules.

We are all in this together. This is a very serious virus, but if we all do our part, we can stop the spread, flatten the curve and return to normalcy as quickly as possible. We are here for you, and are only a phone call or e-mail away. On behalf of everyone at Lifetime Developments, we want to thank you for your understanding as we work together to adapt to our new way of life. We hope you continue to stay safe and practice your handwashing and social distancing.

With great positivity,
The Team at Lifetime Developments

Construction has officially begun for a new high-rise development just northwest of Yonge and Dundas in Downtown Toronto. Shoring rigs have arrived at the site of Lifetime Developments’ Panda Condominiums, marking the start of work for the 30-storey Turner Fleischer Architects-designed condominium tower, set to add over 550 new homes to the area.

Looking north across site of Panda Condos, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Nealy four years after the demolition of The World’s Biggest Bookstore cleared the site for redevelopment, the start of shoring work is finally kicking off construction. Recent photos show a drilling rig in action along the north side of the site, as well as steel I-beams that will be used to form the below-grade earth retention system that will hold back surrounding soil during excavation.

Looking southeast across site of Panda Condos, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Shoring will be followed by excavation, which will dig down to a depth of four storeys below grade before forming can begin on foundations and the lowest (P4) parking level. As recently as March, the first residential occupancies are tentatively scheduled for May 2021.

Upon completion, residents will have access to a selection of amenities on the fourth floor of the podium, set to include a lounge and party room, a meeting and study area, and a movie screening room. The project will also introduce plenty of retail and commercial space. 1,860 m² of commercial retail space will be housed in the below-grade concourse level, as well as 1,100 m² on the ground floor, and 2,750 m² on the second floor. The third floor will house over 2,750 m² of office space.

Urban Toronto

Toronto is a fascinating city, and there really is something interesting to discover down every block.

North, south, east, or west…this city will surprise and amaze you with its eclectic history and distinctive nods to the future.

But to properly explore Toronto, you have to know where to start.

With its impressive Bike Score and Transit and Walk Scores of 100, Lifetime’s Panda Condominium is perfectly located. Situated right in the cultural heart of Toronto and steps from Yonge and Dundas Square, Panda’s proximity to the PATH and some of the city’s finest bike and walking routes make it the right first step on any journey to discover Toronto.

A twenty-minute trek north up Yonge Street to Bloor is a blur of international cuisine, karaoke lounges and bars, and great theatre including The Buddies In Bad Times and the CAA Theatre. As an added bonus, your walk leaves you at the foot of Toronto’s fashionable Yorkville district.

Head south down Yonge and you’ll enjoy some of the city’s best shopping at The Eaton Centre, which is home to Nordstorm, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Hudson’s Bay to name a few. And the proximity to great performance venues continues, with the Ed Mirvish Theatre and the Elgin’s Broadway productions, and Massey Hall bringing the finest in concert programming. At Queen Street, head west for a peek at the iconic City Hall and Old City Hall buildings.

Hop on your bike for a quick trip east along Shuter. Head north up River for a scenic bike ride by the Don River and, if time allows, make your way back west along the Rosedale Valley Road. It offers some of the prettiest vistas in the city.

Once you’ve pounded the pavement in every direction, head underground to the PATH. With the entrance right across the street from Panda in the Bay Atrium, you’re minutes away from one of the most incredible underground pedestrian walkways in the world. The PATH connects downtown Toronto from below, with over 30 kilometres of restaurants, shopping and distinctive entertainment.

A collective, meditative calm will descend upon Toronto’s culture and entertainment hub this summer, when the Yoga In The Square series launches at Yonge and Dundas Square.

This is the first year for the weekly outdoor yoga program, and it is a part of a diverse list of events scheduled for Y and D Square over the coming months.

With more and more Torontonians frequenting yoga studios everyday, the opportunity to take your practice outside at Yoga In The Square is an appealing one. And to get to do so on the city’s most vibrant and welcoming public space is sure to inspire.

Lululemon is providing yoga mats at no charge, and the iconic Canadian company will also be enlisting the ambassadors, or instructors, for each week’s session. The instructors all hail from Toronto, but teach in a variety of styles from around the world.

The twelve sessions will be held on Mondays from 12PM until 1PM, starting on June 18th and running up until Labour Day. The sessions are free of charge, and everyone is welcome, irrespective of his or her age and ability. In fact, the organizers believe that Yoga In The Square is a great opportunity for yoga beginners to learn the basics, and seasoned practitioners to deepen their connection to the core principles of yoga.

This commitment to community spirit and wellness is one we take to heart at Panda, and it’s reflected in our choices of building location and design. Panda puts residents steps away from the cultural and lifestyle offerings of Yonge and Dundas Square. And we are proud to offer amenities that also service the mind and body, like our state of the art yoga and gym studio.

For more information on Yoga In The Square or any of the wonderful events upcoming at Yonge and Dundas Square, visit: https://www.ydsquare.ca/home-stories/yds-programming.html

There is never a dull moment at Yonge-Dundas Square. And come summer there’s no better place to celebrate the city – and the weather- than in Toronto’s unofficial grand plaza.

Opened in 2002 and evolving ever since, the Yonge-Dundas Square has become the place for Torontonians to come together.

Whether we’re marking civic celebrations, Olympic wins, new album releases from the city’s best indie-bands, or exhibitions of world class art, the Square brings us together as individuals, but celebrates our sense of community.

Vibrant and dynamic year-round, the Square truly comes to life in the summer months.

While we are still patiently awaiting the announcement of this summer’s event schedule, past years have seen the Square celebrate music, movies, cuisine and comedy.  

It plays host annually to Indie Fridays, a series of outdoor music concerts from July to September, with additional concerts available throughout the summer. Check out www.ydsquare.ca/indie-fridays.html for updates on the weekly free concerts, scheduled for this summer.

Also, back by popular demand is the North By Northeast (NXNE) Festival. NXNE is an annual music and arts festival celebrating its 24th year – returning to Yonge Street where fans believe it belongs. This year’s Festival also features the addition of some comedy shows, with details about the hits and ha’s to be found at www.nxne.com
  
But maybe you’re more into sights than sounds? So why not take in a flick or two- al fresco- with one of the film screenings showing in the square.
 
Beyond movies and music, the Square plays host through the summer to vendors, exhibitions and festivals that ensure the neighbourhood is always alive and entertaining.
 
For more information on what the Yonge-Dundas Square has in store for you in the coming months, visit www.ydsquare.ca

Toronto is a city in which its citizens are always trying to make connections.

In the 416, its all about connectivity.

People to people, business to business, and recently, with the redesign of the iconic Skywalk Bridge connecting the CF Toronto Eaton Centre with the Hudson’s Bay/ Saks store, Toronto is connecting building to building.

Originally constructed in 1977, and reopened this past November, the bridge (which sits just a block south of Panda) has become one of Toronto’s most Instagram-worthy spots.

Classified as a “pedestrian bridge”, the span which floats approximately one storey above Queen Street West, is meant to easily move shoppers exploring the neighbourhood’s iconic retail centres from one point to another, offers more than just a utilitarian experience.

As anyone who has walked it knows, the bridge offers an experience unto itself, making the journey even more special than the destination. 
 
Meant to facilitate commerce, the bridge is art. And it makes the already incredibly vibrant area that much more attractive.

This metal and glass structure will give you an aesthetically pleasing perspective you won’t be able to find anywhere else in Toronto. A glass tube allows you to check out what’s buzzing at Yonge and Queen, from a unique lens. The people. The shops. The food. The cars … All while elevated in a spiral of brilliant artistry. And that’s just the daytime view.

At night, the energy of the Eaton Centre neighbourhood- the lights of the traffic, the illuminated store fronts, the shiny faces of Toronto’s most fashionable pedestrians- combine to create a glowing vision, that must be experienced to be understood.
 
Whether you’re looking to update your summer wardrobe or shop for furniture to complete your new condo, take the bridge and explore your surroundings, Enter the bridge. Look ahead. And remember that just a bit of tunnel vision can offer a new and bigger perspective on the city we call home.

Photo courtesy of BlogTO

When it comes to the location of Panda Condominiums, “it’s really at the heart of everything,” says Brian Brown, principal with Lifetime Developments. His team sought out the project’s downtown Yonge Street and Dundas Street location — the site of the former World’s Biggest Bookstore — for just that reason, loving its easy access to everything from transit to shopping, and from event spaces to the financial core. “It’s the first site that we’ve done that actually achieved a 100 Walk Score and a 100 Transit Score,” he says. That’s been an appealing prospect for buyers across demographics, whether they be young students, investors, or moveup purchasers wanting an easier commute to work. “It’s a very prime location in the downtown core,” Brown says. “So it caters to different types of groups.”

50 Steps Panda residents won’t have to worry about walking far in the cold. “If you walk directly across the street you have access to Atrium on Bay, which is a great office building but also has access to the TTC and to the PATH connection as well,” Brown says. Get to the Dundas subway station or walk farther downtown — all while staying warm.

200 Steps “There are a number of buyers we’ve been dealing with that have been buying for the purposes of their children that are going to be going to Ryerson,” Brown says. As well as being a selling point, Panda’s proximity to the university has helped drive the amenity spaces, which will include study rooms and an outdoor sports court. “We needed to think about what was attractive to them and what was useful to them, and what they would appreciate having in their own building,” Brown says.

250 Steps The Eaton Centre may be one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, but it also promises to be pretty handy. Shop for the perfect outfit, or eat at restaurants like JOEY or Trattoria Mercatto. If you choose to leave the mall, there’s also shopping along Yonge Street, as well as the Cineplex Cinemas Yonge- Dundas, Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre, and Massey Hall — all a quick walk away. Or you can take in an event at Yonge-Dundas Square. “I would say that’s the most prominent and most important square the city has, and it’s a lively and active space that’s always being used for different purposes,” Brown says.

Suites at Panda Condominiums range from 458 to 1,035 square feet and from $530,900 to $1,249,900. The sales office is at 3080 Yonge St., Suite 3056, Toronto, and open Monday to Thursday from noon to 6 p. m. and weekends from noon to 5 p.m. Call 416-927-8980 or visit pandacondos.com.

Source: National-Post-February

It’s kind of romantic, in a way. A street meets an avenue and, behold, an intersection is born.

Crossroads create new neighbourhoods around them, ones that become instant references throughout the city. And if you live, work or play there, it becomes part of your identity — whether your area is Yonge and Eg, or Queen and Carlaw, or St. Clair and Bathurst. Developers pick these corners and build around them, market them and, hopefully, a colourful community flourishes.

Toronto’s building boom has produced countless evolving intersections in every corner of the city. You could cover five intersections on Yonge alone. But here’s an assortment that explores some marquee corners, and some unsung spaces that are finally seeing some attention.

Yonge and Bloor

The One at Yonge and Bloor will be Canada’s tallest inhabitable structure. Here, take a sit at this breakfast bar and enjoy the view. (Rendering courtesy of Mizrahi)

The intersection that needs no introduction.

The transit hub is the perfect marriage of two equals: the most prominent streets of downtown Toronto. As the unofficial entrance to the “Mink Mile” and its upscale shops, Yonge and Bloor pins down a stretch of Toronto once included in a Forbes roundup of the “World’s most expensive streets.” Ten years ago, the Bloor Street Transformation Project launched its streetscape rejuvenation from Church Street to Avenue Road, delivering a polished promenade where the well-heeled stroll.

It’s the perfect backdrop for a bold new build. Construction of The One just launched this past October at 1 Bloor West — an audacious 85-storey structure that will become the country’s tallest inhabitable building, and the second-tallest man-made structure after the CN Tower.

Its design — by British firm Foster + Partners, with local partners Core Architects and Mizrahi Developments — features eight levels of shops and restaurants. The residences will be above, accessible via sky lobby. It may be the tallest, but it won’t be the loneliest. The One joins nearby tower One Bloor (1 Bloor East) on the southeast corner, standing at 75 storeys.

“Situated at the border of downtown and the fashionable Yorkville neighbourhood,” Foster + Partners says in a statement, “The One will bridge the two zones, inspired by its context, the neighbourhood quality of Yorkville, the commercial boulevard of Bloor Street and the local heritage character of Yonge Street.”

Mere mortals may not dare to dream of living here, but it’s another jewel in neighbourhood’s crown. Foster + Partners senior partner Giles Robinson calls it “the final piece” at Yonge and Bloor.

King and Spadina

An oasis at King and Spadina, in the heart of downtown. Relax for a moment by the pool at Fashion House. (Rendering courtesy of Fashion House)

King Street has been taking the lion’s share of headlines lately. From the controversial streetcar pilot project to the well-documented boom of high-rise and arts scene developments along the western strip, it seems everyone is talking about it.

But King West wasn’t born yesterday. It’s been reaching this rolling boil over the decades: the rise of Liberty Village in the 2000s; the mixed-use rezoning of the 1990s, considered radical at the time, by then-mayor Barbara Hall; and even the precedents set by 1970s mayor David Crombie, who fought to bring residential density to the core and laid early foundations for urban renewal.

King and Spadina, dubbed “Toronto’s hottest intersection,” by The Globe and Mail this past summer, is showing a stunning hubbub of development, within a few minutes’ walk of this corner. According to The Globe’s calculations, at least 99 developments have been built, approved or pitched since the mid-2000s. This amounts to one-quarter of the total for the entire city.

Core Architects has its fingerprints on numerous projects in the area, a neighbourhood it says “has been compared to New York’s SoHo.” Asked which of its work best fits the energy and excitement on the street, Core highlights the Fashion House project.

Just west of the intersection, a bit closer to Portland Street, Fashion House “reads as a collection of buildings that create an interesting streetscape, and contribute to the urban fabric of the city block,” says Charles Gane, the principal in charge of the project.

Lipstick-red curtains in the podium building serve as “a playful nod” to the area’s heritage, Gane says, when it was known as the Garment District. It’s also a bold statement for its current rep as the centre of the Fashion District.

Considering the flurry of intensification, Gane explains how Fashion House’s design also takes a step back: the building is pushed further back to allow for wider sidewalks and the towers above are set back and staggered away from the street, reducing “the visual impact of the building massing on the neighbourhood.”

Nearby notable projects include King Blue, and rapidly evolving plans for 401-415 King West Condos (designed by Teeple Architects and Core Architects, for Tridel and Terracap) and a 489-539 King Street West community (designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, for Allied and Westbank). Just north of the corner: 101 Spadina. And just south: 57 Spadina. All of these will join current King and Spadina residences: The Hudson Condos, Charlie Condos and Victory Condos.

Yonge and Dundas

Panda Condominiums will be “the place to be” at Yonge and Dundas. (Rendering courtesy of Lifetime Developments)

It’s surreal, climbing up the subway stairs into the square at 10 p.m. on a Friday night — it’s not even dark.

Bathed in artificial light, our very own version of Times Square is crowded with out-of-towners milling about, faces lifted skyward, and undistracted locals marching past. Like moths to the flame, it seems as if all the teenagers in the world are here.

Developers are equally piqued about the area. Projects are either in planning or already landing, within a brisk five-minute walk of the iconic Dundas Square. The beneficiary seems to be mostly Jarvis Street.

Dundas Square Gardens (two towers, 50 and 19 storeys) dares you to join “downtown Toronto’s most exhilarating neighbourhood” with its site at Dundas and Jarvis. It joins other projects, such as Grid Condos (50 storeys) and Pace Condos (42 storeys). A pinch further east, in.DE Condos (21 storeys) boasts its proximity to Dundas Square “and all its sensory wonders.”

Panda Condos is the main outlier, with its proposed 30-storey tower situated just north of Yonge and Dundas and actually a bit closer. “From summer movies under the stars, to winter festivals that keep things fun even when temperatures drop,” Panda’s slick marketing package says, “this is the place to be.”

For such a tightly packed retail mecca, this cluster of condo development brings more than 200 storeys to the streets surrounding Yonge and Dundas, crowding the skyline with even more vertical towers of lights.

Wilson and Allen

Redevelopment is coming to Wilson and Allen, which will turn empty spaces into fully livable ones. (Rendering courtesy of UrbanToronto.ca)

When relatively established neighbourhoods get shiny new add-ons, it’s a bonus.

But when concrete car lots turn into communities, it’s the ultimate fulfillment of the urban dream. It increases density around transit, creating colourful and connected neighbourhoods. It also turns empty spaces into fully livable ones.

Just look at the Wilson Avenue and Allen Road area — more specifically, a little road named Tippett.

According to Urban Toronto, two developments have already landed on Tippett Road in the past decade, three more are coming, and one more proposed project was submitted at the end of last summer. Six developments? Not bad for a dead-end street that used to be a parking lot close to the Wilson subway station. And nearby project 470 Wilson makes a total of seven developments in the immediate area.

As for amenities — how about Wilson Subway Station, Yorkdale Shopping Centre and York University? Drivers can easily jump on highways 400 and 401, as well as Allen Road.

The Tippett Road Area Regeneration Study was a comprehensive review of the city’s use of “employment lands” — a designation that prohibits residential purposes in certain areas and stifles community development. It turns this untapped potential into mixed-use zoning, which is a familiar topic. (Urban designer Ken Greenberg just raised this issue with Toronto Storeys in December.)

For a tour around the newest additions to the rapidly densifying Wilson Subway Station area, check out Express Condos, The Rocket At Subway Condos, and Southside Condos.

Don Mills and Sheppard

Emerald City will eventually space nine condo towers and a series of townhomes. (Rendering courtesy of Emerald City Life)

This intersection is another no-brainer. Just like Wilson and Allen, Don Mills and Sheppard boasts the same irresistible mix for developers: subway, highways and retail. Not to mention the first-time homebuyer’s saviour — a nearby IKEA.

Transit lures the students and young workers, highways attract the car-dependent families from the suburbs, and Fairview Mall retail keeps it all alive. Parks, schools, a community centre and local hospital round out the details that downtown is sometimes missing.

Enter the master-planned communities of Emerald City and Fairview Park.

Elad Canada’s Emerald City urban community sits on roughly 35 acres and will eventually span nine condo towers and a series of townhomes, offering almost 3,000 units in total. The Parkway Forest Community Centre brings 50,000 square feet of fitness and programming facilities, including a green roof and garden, YMCA-run daycare, and an outdoor pool and pavilion.

Famed Canadian author and artist Douglas Coupland was commissioned for an art installation onsite. (You can see the charming, rainbow-coloured spires in a short video here.)

It’s not the only urban community development in the area — the seven-acre Fairview Park community includes three towers by FRAM Building Group, designed by Core Architects: Soul, Connect and Vivo Condos, nestled around a one-acre park, with a fourth proposed building to add an additional 23 storeys. Total condo units could reach roughly 1,000.

Source: Toronto Storeys

When news broke in 2013 that the World’s Biggest Bookstore was shuttering its doors, book lovers mourned the loss of a Toronto staple.

Memories shared on blogs and social media revealed its place in Toronto’s cultural landscape: Lovebirds told how they’d roamed the store’s aisles on first dates, tourists recounted gawking at its expansive 64,000 square feet and newcomers explained how they’d practised English there.

The bookstore was torn down in 2014, but its memory will remain when Lifetime Developments’ Panda Condominiums opens in 2021 with a curated library of Canadian literature included in the project’s amenities space.

The importance of the store to Torontonians caught the developers off guard, Brian Brown, Principal of Lifetime Developments, says. “It was interesting to see what kind of a role this building and this business had in many people’s lives in Toronto.” And his company’s commitment to honour the Bookstore is part of what he sees as a developer’s role in city building.

“It’s important to remember the past. In some cases, it’s preservation of buildings, in other cases it’s a recognition to what happened in the past on that site,” he says. “There’s always a fine balance between looking to the future and remembering the past.”

Panda Condos will rise above a 30-storey tower that will include 555 suites ranging from 356-square-foot studios to three-bedroom units over 1,400 square feet.

“There’s always a fine balance between looking to the future and remembering the past.” Brian Brown Principal of Lifetime Developments.

Retail shops are planned to enliven street level; parking for cars and bicycles will be built underground. As well as indoor amenity space, an outdoor lounge and bar area, and barbecue areas are included in the design.

The announcement of the bookstore’s closing came at a time when Toronto had been buzzing about the loss of prominent Toronto institutions Honest Ed’s and Sam the Record Man, both locations acquired for new developments and both stirring much discussion about what should be done with their iconography and memory.

Where the signage of those stores will be displayed at Ed Mirvish Theatre and Yonge-Dundas Square, respectively, the recognition of the World’s Biggest Bookstore at Panda Condominums will be in spirit. The library of Canadian literature is being curated by Type Books owners Jo Saul and Samara Walbohm — both have PhDs in Canadian literature.

Saul remembers, as a teen, wondering about the Bookstore’s famous name. “I thought, ‘What a great name! Is it really? Is this true?’ It was vast and it seemed endless. You could just lose yourself in that world.”

For Saul and Walbohm, the partnership with Lifetime has a greater meaning as independent bookstore owners in a city where few still remain in the face of big chains.

“To acknowledge the importance of an independent bookstore to civic culture is an important thing to do,” she says.

“I don’t want to think about the independent bookstore as a dying breed, because it’s a vibrant cultural hub in my estimation. That acknowledgment of (the World’s Biggest Bookstore) space as an important cultural building enterprise is really great.”

Buyer Vince Teti checks out the downtown neighbourhood where he’s bought a three-bedroom suite at Panda Condominiums. With him are builder Brian Brown of Lifetime Developments and Jo Saul of Type Books, who will curate a library for residents of the new condos coming to the site of the former World’s Biggest Bookstore.

At Type Books, Saul and Walbohm create custom libraries for architectural firms, interior designers and individual clients. This is their first for a condo developer, and Saul calls it their “baby,” a collection that’s especially close to home as Canadian literature experts.

Some of what Saul calls “the expected gang” may be included, such as The Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood and Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro. But more importantly, the Type Books owners feel they should “expand and interrogate” how CanLit is defined and consider authors such as Indigenous writer Eden Robinson, who was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize this year.

Along with the curated collection at Panda Condominiums — so named for its black and white design — amenities will also feature a games room, a lounge area with private study rooms, and a theatre that can be used for watching the Super Bowl as easily as a movie or a presentation.

The location near Yonge-Dundas Square was the main attraction for excavation and haulage expert Vince Teti, 41, who recently purchased a three-bedroom corner unit for just over $1.1 million. But the Type Books library and nearby Ryerson Univer- sity are a plus.

Teti’s wife, Amal, is a high school teacher, and the couple has three kids under age 4 who could be burgeoning readers by the time the family makes the move from Vaughan in 2021.

Teti hopes the library and nearby university will encourage their kids to learn.

“It exposes them to the culture and promotes education,” he says.

Though the World’s Biggest Bookstore is gone, its legacy is just beginning to take shape at Panda Condominiums.

Source: Toronto Star