Minto Midtown - Quantum North Edit Building

Identification

Approximate Address - 2195 Yonge Street [map]

City - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Region - Greater Golden Horseshoe

Complex - Minto Midtown

Complex Buildings - Quantum South

Nearby Buildings - Canadian Tire Building / Canada Square, 2221 Yonge Street, 2161 Yonge Street, Minto Communities, 40 Soudan Avenue, 40 Holly Street, 30 Holly Street, Canada Square, Holly Towers, Yonge Eglinton Centre II

Technical

Type - Skyscraper

Designation - Condominium

Status - Construction

Height - 160m525feet

Floors - 54

Units - 538 suites

Companies

Architect - SOM Architects

Developer - MintoUrban Communities Inc.

Building Record History

2008-03-23

Reference Material

Contributors: Mark Simpson, Rod Taylor

• "Minto MidTown". Accessed 1 Mar 08.

• Hume, Christopher. (2007, 20 October). "NIMBYs get a good neighbour". Toronto Star.

  THE QUANTUM: In accordance with prevailing fashions, the Quantum consists of a pair of tall, thin towers that sit atop a podium building.

  The latter, which in this case is five storeys tall and beautifully clad in stone, creates a streetscape that never existed along this stretch of Yonge.

  This means a new sense of urbanity and a strengthened connection between the east side of Yonge at Eglinton and Yonge farther south. Finally, it seems this part of Toronto's main street is a coherent unit. By contrast, the aging Canadian Tire headquarters building across the road reads like a black hole, a dead zone that cannot be brought back to life without starting over from scratch.

  Already a bank has moved into the ground floor and it's clear that the completion of the north tower and the plaza between the two towers will transform the area.

  Also interesting is the treatment of the top of the tower, which actually lives up to the idea of a crown. Constructed of steel and glass, Quantum brings new elegance and sophistication to its surroundings.

  Christopher Hume Grade:B+

  ---

• Harness, Allison. (2006, 11 February). "Uptown Toronto boasts plenty of activity". Toronto Star.

  QUANTUM2 THE NORTH TOWER AT MINTOMIDTOWN: On the east side of Yonge St., just south of Eglinton Ave. Builder: MintoMidtown Inc. A 54-storey, 538-unit glass tower. Prices: from $205,800 for 641 sq. ft. to more than $400,000 for 1,090 sq. ft. Fees: 39 cents per sq. ft., plus hydro. Amenities: indoor lap pool, steam room, sauna, fitness centre, screening room, party room, large 4th floor terrace, business centre, billiards room, 24-hour concierge and guest suite. Sales: 40 per cent sold. Status: construction to start this spring. Occupancy: fall 2008.

  ---

• Shulgan, Christopher. (2005, 3 December). "Oh Danny Boy, Yonge and Eglinton is calling". Globe and Mail.

  The building in question: the Minto Midtown, an 858-unit, two-tower condo set to be built near the intersection of Yonge and Eglinton, where a Dublin real-estate firm reserved 100 units for Irish buyers -- enough to fill several floors.

  Unfortunately, no. The real-estate firm, Hamilton Osborne King, specializes in marketing offshore properties to Irish investors. Thanks to a decision by the country's government in the late nineties to encourage high-tech investment, the Emerald Isle's economy has enjoyed a post-millennial boom, leaving some of its citizens with lots of spare income to invest. Real-estate prices in Dublin and other Irish cities have been increasing fast, but they've peaked lately, according to Helen Faley, an offshore agent at Hamilton Osborne King.

  Ms. Faley's firm contacted the building's developer, Minto Urban Communities Inc., in August, Minto executive Chris Sherriff-Scott says. Minto ultimately agreed to set aside a block of 100 units in the 54-storey north building's upper half for the Irish investors -- at least until its own inventory runs out.

  ---