As Toronto continues to grow into the 4th largest city in North America, the rising price of real estate in the city centre is making buying there prohibitively expensive for middle-income earners. This has prompted us to bring our projects to areas that are sometimes overlooked. The inner suburb neighbourhood of Cliffside is one such place, and VHL Developments has a perfect site here for a new mid-rise condominium building on Kingston Road which they are calling Haven On The Bluffs.

The 10 levels, 250-unit condominium will rise just to the south-east of the convergence of Danforth Avenue and Kingston Road.

The Scarborough Go Station has free parking and is only a 2 minute drive away.  The train ride to Union Station is only 15 minutes.

Haven On The Bluffs will replace the existing 2-storey commercial building at 2229 Kingston Road, which is currently being used by VHL as the project’s sales centre.

With units starting just under $160,000, Haven On The Bluffs prices put the building in range of a much wider demographic than the average condominium development in this city… and while price is a determining factor for most purchasers, choosing the right neighbourhood is equally important.

As the name implies, the Cliffside neighbourhood stretches south to Toronto's postcard-worthy Scarborough Bluffs. Bisected by the popular retail strip of Kingston Road, many restaurants including neighbourhood haunt Vi Pei Bistro, offer the neighbourhood a surprisingly vibrant food scene. Besides Italian, this one stretch offers Thai, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Fish and Chips, Jamaican, and two Irish Pubs!

With 6 public schools within a 5 kilometre radius as well as a wide selection of parks and trails, Cliffside fits the bill for family-friendliness. Just a short walk to the east of the Haven On The Bluffs site is Bluffers Park and its huge marina. The scenic park provides locals with an aquatic playground perfect for boaters, bird watchers, anglers and families who just want to spend a day by the water or admiring the bluffs, while smaller parks at the top of the bluffs have fantastic views over Lake Ontario.

We love to call Toronto a city of neighbourhoods, but we sure pay a lot more attention to lower land prices by bringing remarkably affordable residential units to the market, at the same time catalyzing change in the neighbourhood by passing the value on to condominium purchasers, this is VHL Developments' specialty. We did it at Markham and Sheppard, a luxury complex we named Markham Place, now we are doing it at Birchmount and Lawrence, and soon at Cliffside Village in Scarborough.

Here on Kingston Road we will replace an aging motel and a showroom with an 11-storey, two-towered, terraced condominium complex called Haven on the Bluffs. Designed to make the most of the views from its site near Scarborough's famous lakeside bluffs, the development offers suites with 9 foot ceilings that will forever catch the sunrise over Lake Ontario.

Suites here are designed to take advantage of the setting, with larger than normal balconies, terraces facing the water, or garden suites with private outdoor green space. Inside, marble back splashes and kitchen counters set the tone: luxurious finishes aren't just for downtown. Airy suites are all roomier than you'll find downtown too.

Amenities in the building also make the best of the setting, with a large comfortably appointed landscaped terrace between the two towers with a great view of the lake, and barbecues ready to cook dinner on. Guest suites, a party room, and a fitness centre are all there when you need them.

Beyond the building, Cliffside Village presents lots of retailers and restaurants within walking distance. It's also near Bluffers Park and the Beaches area, both great weekend afternoon destinations. A bus outside the door will take you either place, or beyond to the subway and across the city. Driving from here is easy too, with a parking space included in the price of every suite. Bike storage space is another feature you won't go without either.

VHL is able to do all of this for a good price because they are building in a neighbourhood that isn't on the radar yet. Haven on the Bluffs represents a chance for purchasers to be in 'on the ground floor' before other developers arrive nearby to drive prices up. Here you get to be an urbanizing pioneer, and to reap the benefits in coming years.

General Counsel for VHL Developments, Marc Freedman, says when they heard the land was available, they were attracted to the project because of the beauty of the Bluffs and the nice residential pockets that surround the Kingston Road strip.

Although located on Kingston Road, the primary entrance to the condo will be on East Haven Drive, one block to the south. VHL developments will be required by the City to build a road that connects the two streets.

Freedman says the project was submitted to the City of Toronto’s Design Review Panel to ensure the development is architecturally pleasing and interesting as well as compatible with the neighbourhood.

“Because of the unique design of the building we have a lot of different styles of units, because it’s not a cookie cutter building with cookie cutter floors,” says Freedman. “A lot of the units have terraces. Some that don’t have terraces have balconies.  And many of the units after a certain height will have views of the lake.”

Revitalization long overdue

There is hope that “Haven On the Bluffs” will kickstart efforts to revitalize Kingston Road between Danforth Avenue and Chine Drive that have been underway for many years.  Although surrounded by lovely housing, many feel the character of the strip brings the neighbourhood down.

This is partially due to the fact that before the 401 was built, Kingston Road was the primary highway to points east of Toronto and has been burdened by legacy uses such as gas stations and motels that were too often accompanied by low-end retail.

Study and community consultation

Revitalization efforts included a study by the City of Toronto that was completed in 2009 that involved extensive consultation with Cliffside residents, businesses and community groups.

The condo project is the first noticeable sign that change is actually afoot.

Although the flurry of condo construction in Toronto is not welcomed by everyone, Ray Chan, Special Assistant to Ward 36 Councillor Gary Crawford, says they’ve heard no opposition to the ”Haven on the Bluffs” project.

“This is a welcome addition to the community and all the residents who contacted our office have been positive and welcome this proposed development to the community,” says Chan.

For additional information including building facts and renderings, please visit the website Haven on the Bluffs.

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