New in Toronto real estate: The Kip District condos

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The Kip District condos are a sprawling five tower project set to touch down at Dundas and Kipling in a few years. With units starting in the low $200,000s, it's easy to understand the impetus behind the planning a master community here. At about a five minute walk to Kipling Station, prospective condo owners with limited resources can enter the market without having to leave Toronto.

It might not be downtown, but the proximity to transit is excellent. And while five towers might sound reminiscent of the apartment blocks designs of the 1970s or the identity-crippled CityPlace neighbourhood, plans to create a public square at the heart of the development might help to foster a sense of community. The immediate area isn't exactly teeming with amenities but New Toronto is a short hop southwest and eventually the retail and restaurants will follow all this residential growth.

Address: 5365 Dundas St. W.
Storeys: 28
Units: 1,300 total
Unit types: 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom + den, and 2 bedrooms
Price: Starting low $200,000s
Developer: Concert Properties
Architect: Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects
Landscape architect: The MBTW Group / Watchorn Architect
Amenities: LEED gold standard, guest suites, theatre room, BBQ area, fitness centre, party room with kitchen, dog wash area.

THE VERDICT

Based on the current renderings, these buildings will be pretty standard architecturally: by no means ugly, but considerably short of stunning. It's hard to complain, though, given both the starting price and the LEED standards to which these towers will be built. It's a little disappointing not to see some larger units in a development that will ultimately be so big (they range from 500 to 900 square feet), but it's not as if the area is starved for housing.

We've yet to get a look at what the project will look like as a whole, but based on what's planned for the first tower, this is a promising development. Living here and commuting downtown would be a cinch, but prospective buyers will have to wait a while before the neighbourhood amenities catch up with the condos themselves.