By Staff
October 16, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
Burlington residents might have strong views on how their city should be grown – but there is a developer who is taking his message directly to the market and telling a very compelling story.
Marketers can use what is described as sponsored content – material written by the advertiser and placed in prestigious publications.
ADI Development paid to have the following run in the Globe and Mail on Thursday.
Architects rendering of the structure proposed for the corner of Lakeshore and Martha in downtown Burlington. Developer says the location is 30 minutes from downtown Toronto.
Adi Development Group brought modern and innovative condominium concepts to Burlington, but the local company wants to make bigger waves by the city’s historic downtown district and waterfront.
This month, preview events will reveal plans for a sleek glass tower with 170 high-end suites with starting prices less than $300,000.
“Downtown is a very expensive place to live. There’s been other projects in the area that recently launched with [prices at] $800 to $1,000 per square foot, but we’re not anywhere near that,” chief executive officer Tariq Adi says.
“[Plus] we’re offering a better package – from our amenities to the types of finishes we’re putting out – but we’re coming in at a phenomenal price for someone to get into the downtown for an average price of $300,000 to $400,000.”
Demand for new infill projects such as this one – 30 minutes west of Toronto on a vacant parking lot at 374 Martha St., at Lakeshore Road – intensifies among professionals acquiring their first home to locals downsizing from multimillion-dollar estates.
“Even the condo product currently down there is very outdated, but very expensive, at the same time, so it’s very prohibitive to own,” Mr. Adi says. “I was on MLS looking downtown condos recently and I couldn’t find anything under $780,000, because there’s no availability … or if it was being sold, it was very expensive.”
The neighbourhood’s allure stems from its mix of natural and man-made attractions.
“We’re lucky in Burlington now to have a gorgeous waterfront that is absolutely open to the public realm with Spencer Smith Park – one of the largest parks in the city – right along the water with beautiful trails and walkways, Burlington beach, tons of stores, shops and restaurants,” Mr. Adi says.
“It’s very walkabout and we’ve got a bike lane in place … a bus terminal maybe 200 metres away from the site.”
Residents can also feel as if they’ve escaped to a resort with on-site lounges, bar, yoga deck, outdoor pool and terraces, including one with flexible walls to a sixth-floor clubhouse.
“We’ve got Cecconi Simone doing the designs on the interiors, so it’s very beautiful and very Miami- and water-inspired,” Mr. Adi says. “We want to create amenity spaces people will actually use and love to have in their building.”
ADI Development sales office on Brant Street in a building owned by the Region with affordable housing units.
This project’s contribution to the street will not only be double-height retail space in the five-storey podium, but also a modern design Raw formulated with one side encased by a curtain wall and the other with balconies zigzagging upward and protruding outward.
“I didn’t realize how boring high-rise buildings were until I started designing a high-rise building,” Mr. Adi says.
“So we went with a reflect glass that will take advantage of the blue water and skies, so it feels clean and reflective, almost creating a mirror effect and blends into the skyline.”
Inside, the façade’s transparency will allow for floor-to-ceiling windows in the one- to two-bedrooms-plus-den suites. “We’re about 700 to 800 square feet on average, so they’re very spacious and every unit almost has an indoor/outdoor space,” says Mr. Adi, citing a recessed balcony encased in glazing as an example.
A model suite will showcase standard finishes, including custom European kitchens with islands and designer cabinetry.
“We have beautiful barn doors for bedroom doors and we have ceilings up to 11 ½ feet in some suites, which is absolutely gorgeous and luxurious, especially taking advantage of the views on the water,” Mr. Adi says. “No one else is doing anything like that around here.”
Depending on unit sizes, monthly fees will vary from 44 to 62 cents a square foot with most averaging 55 cents.
Occupancy is expected for 2018.
Not a mention that the project was not approved by city council; not a word about the size of the lot the building is going to be built on, not a word about the ongoing struggle the city has had with this developer.
The developer doesn’t have to tell the full story nor do the numerous real estate agents who are now actively selling units.
ADI has completed one project in Burlington, a very attractive four story building on Guelph Line north of the QEW – it has yet to sell out and the Gazette has not yet managed to tour that project with the developer – despite repeated requests.
The only cloud I see over this city, Peter Rusin, is carbon monoxide. I used to be able to take a pleasant stroll along the Lakeshore. Now there are two hours in the morning and afternoon when there are so many vehicles stuck in the traffic that it is very unpleasant.
So all of you in favor to this development, where are you going to put the extra 200 vehicles twice a day? I wouldn’t wish them on your side street.
The city certainly needs to implement better traffic plans. Bus lanes and bike lanes will be key. Arteries to GO stations must be forged for morning traffic.
Perhaps traffic advisors could get help from bigger cities to organize. The answer is certainly not to just not build. Burlington must move forward. Freezing in time is no longer a solution. Our hospitals and other services will need key workers (especially in light of our senior heavy population ) for whom whole houses with big back yards are not feasible or practical.
Development initiatives such as this project need to be encouraged, but, also properly managed with accountability and not simply for political gain at great expense to the taxpayer. The ward councillor and mayor are costing this city millions just on this file alone. We need somebody with competent ability to deal effectively with developers like this ADI group; we could be so much further ahead politically and financially as a city. The reaction to this situation is putting a cloud of embarrassment over this city, particularly in the downtown ward.
I can’t disagree with your thoughts on this however, I fail to see how this would be use for political gain.
Perhaps you could explain.
Maybe the ward 2 councillor who ran on a platform of “save our waterfront” can provide an answer for you.
Affordable housing does not always mean affordable condos. More affordable apartments are needed. But not ones that block the water view or public access to the water!
If you want to see more affordable apartment rentals the city’s mentality of an arbitrary 8 floor cap has to go. When you get non architects and non planners weighing in just for control sake we have a problem.
For sure the train has long left the station…and that’s not all bad!
This will be the dominant skyline building in Burlington’s downtown Ward 2.
I think it is only appropriate that it be officially renamed the “Meed Ward Legacy Building”
The train has left the station it seems.
Where does it say this is sponsored content? I don’t see that. Seems to me like an article in the home and life section. This is a legitimate article about beautiful architecture on a national level. We should be proud.
I agree with Christina. This is nothing but great for the city. And what ADI has done to 375 brant already made the downtown more attractive. Can’t wait to see this building come to life. It’s sad we a councilor that has absolutely no business or economic sense. Many people in her ward would like to see her gone. Including myself.
Come on people!
Finally! Maybe we can finally see an end to our stagnant downtown. Without developers nothing would refresh. We need them for our cities to grow. Extending the approval process just drags things out and the cost gets picked up ultimately by the buyers.
I hope they pace the way for more to come.
This is a great project and we are lucky to have this being proposed in our downtown. It’s obviously getting recognition on a national level.
Yes, you get recognition at a national level if you’re prepared to pay to get it. They apparently are.
Paid for by ADI
This “sponsored content” does provide a small bit of insight as to where the city may be in the process.
The initial proposal was for a 28 story building with 226 units.
This latest marketing states a sleek glass tower with 170 suits.
A reduction of 56 suites, to me, indicates the units will be much larger or a few floors have been chopped from the original 28. (perhaps down to 22) This reduction would also lower the parking requirements and may even eliminate a floor of above ground parking.
Both of these changes would bring us closer to a negotiated deal and ADI moving foreword with it’s marketing.
“So we went with a reflect glass that will take advantage of the blue water and skies, so it feels clean and reflective, almost creating a mirror effect and blends into the skyline”
Well that aught to knock off a few hundred birds….as per downtown Toronto high-rise buildings read an article awhile back that hundreds of birds are picked up off the streets because they fly into the glass that reflects open sky…..Way to go ADI.
Got to love the Orwellian term “intensification” in place of the real term, overcrowding.