The development Picnic
Builder/developer North Drive
Size 668 to 1,250 square feet
Price $475,000 to $1-million
Sales centre 2126 Bloor St. W., east of Runnymede Road. Open Monday to Friday by appointment; weekends from noon to 5 p.m.
Contact Phone 416-670-3699 or visit picnichighpark.com
Local development firm North Drive essentially sold all of its two-bedroom suites at the launch last year of its second west-end instalment, The High Park.
So to make amends with disappointed buyers, two-bedroom plans made up nearly 80 per cent of the 68 suites put on the market late last year at Picnic, a smaller sister tower down the street at 2114 Bloor St. W., at Kennedy Park Road. Demand has flooded in and more than 80 per cent of the suites are now sold.
“It’s a boutique building nestled on the northwestern edge of High Park, largely comprised of two-bedroom suites and every unit in the building has a five-piece en suite,” North Drive partner Jordan Morassutti says.
“They also largely have his and her closets and every unit has outdoor space.”
But more importantly, like previous infill projects nearby – including The High Park under construction and 4 The Kingsway breaking ground this year – this contemporary, eight-storey mid-rise will benefit from a Bloor Street address close to shops, cafés and bistros, as well as the city’s prized 400-acre park with off-leash dog areas, zoo, sports facilities, pond and playgrounds.
“There’s a tremendous amount of pent-up demand for truly boutique buildings geared towards the end user in mature, desirable neighbourhoods like High Park,” Mr. Morassutti says.
“Not only does it have High Park across Bloor Street, but there’s a parkette to the northwest of the site. So, the lobby has been designed so that there’s dual entry from both Bloor Street and the parkette, so residents will be able to walk through that park to connect directly to Runnymede station.”
The urban setting will also be highly visible from glass-lined balconies and expansive windows in the private suites and recreational facilities, including fitness and party rooms and a rooftop deck.
“Unlike most mid-rises that front onto the avenue and back onto a lane, our property has a street that wraps around the corner and on the other side of the street you have really charming Victorian and Edwardian homes,” Mr. Morassutti says.
“So it provides, on the south side of the property, views of the park, lake and skyline, and then to the north, you have the parkette and single-family residential.”
While Quadrangle Architects designed The High Park’s façade, the local firm will oversee Picnic’s brick-and-concrete exterior and custom-inspired interior appointments, such as walk-in closets, detailed millwork, integrated kitchen appliances, closed and open upper cabinetry.
“Both have similar designs in that both started with traditional cladding materials integrated into the building façade in a modern and playful way,” Mr. Morassutti states.
Occupancy will begin summer 2018 with monthly fees about 54 cents a square foot. Parking spots are priced at $40,000 each.