Marlin Spring Advances 49-Storey Etobicoke Condo Project

Marlin Spring Developments recently filed a Site Plan Control application for an Etobicoke development site it acquired in July 2024. The Site Plan follows a Zoning By-Law Amendment application submitted in November 2024 that calls for a 49-storey condo tower with over 500 new housing units.

The developer, a subsidiary of one of Canada’s largest privately-owned real estate firms, Baz Group of Companies, heads the giant's residential real estate development and construction arm.

"This acquisition aligns with our vision of creating accessible, vibrant communities in amenity rich locations," Vice-President of Acquisitions for Marlin Spring John Josephson said in a press release after the acquisition. "We look forward to enriching the neighbourhood and with a long history of development in Etobicoke, this acquisition presents a further opportunity for Marlin Spring to continue to contribute to the growth of this community.”

Located at 5280 Dundas Street West, the 13,594-sq.-ft site is directly adjacent to Kipling GO Station and southwest of Dundas Street West and Kipling Avenue. Once completed, the project would replace a sushi restaurant and provide 541 new condo units to the central Etobicoke neighbourhood.

At 49 storeys, the tower would be at home amongst the high-rise apartment and office buildings that surround the Islington and Kipling subway stations, which is representative of an intensification that began in the 1960s and ramped up in the '80s in response to the extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway to Islington Avenue.

Situated in the Kipling Mobility Hub, future residents would enjoy convenient access to higher-order transit and the wide range of amenities located within Etobicoke Centre.

Envisioned for the well-positioned development is a 45-storey tower element atop a four-storey podium. At grade would be a residential lobby containing a concierge and pet wash alongside a 1,942-sq.-ft indoor amenity space.

In a unique twist, the top floor of the podium has been designed as a single-storey "reveal" in the form of an amenity floor. Indoor amenity areas are proposed to span 16,124 sq. ft across the first four floors, ending in a 1,927-sq.-ft amenity space on the reveal level that connects to a 7,394-sq.-ft 360-degree outdoor terrace that encircles the indoor amenity space.

In the tower above you would find the residential condo units, which have been divided into 23 studio units, 385 one-bedrooms, 89 two-bedrooms, and 44 three-bedrooms. In total, residents would have access to 47 parking spaces across three levels of underground parking, eight are proposed for residential visitors. As well, 610 bicycle parking spaces are proposed, including 502 long-term spaces and 108 short-term.

The building itself is being designed by Toronto-based Jahan Mehr Architects and the design includes "dark cladding with strong vertical elements" in the base portion of the building, with "ample glazing" at grade, according to Marlin Spring's planning rationale. "Light cladding in the form of narrow vertical elements in between the glazing" would characterize the tower element.

Marlin Spring's proposed development has the potential to deliver much-needed housing to a currently under-utilized plot of land in one of Etobicoke's most bustling, well-connected neighbourhoods. If approved, the chic development is sure to enrich the community and continue Marlin Spring's long-standing reputation as a trusted developer.