At Empire, we’re committed to creating communities with intentional spaces that empower our residents to thrive. Empire Phoenix, our condominium in South Etobicoke, is no exception. Located along Lake Ontario’s tranquil waters and backed onto Grand Avenue Park, Phoenix’s location was an intentional choice because of its uniqueness — a middle ground between the suburbs and downtown.

Prior to designing the building’s amenities, our team knew we needed to deliver spaces that would complement the area and residents’ routines. It’s not just about offering a pool, spa or workout room, it’s about crafting an environment where residents can connect, relax and live their best lives. What was the result? A whole new approach to condominium living. Let’s explore the building’s curated amenities, their captivating elements, and the innovative design solutions that set them apart.

1. Seamlessly Integrating Spaces For Dynamic Experiences

The amenities at Empire Phoenix were tailored to complement how residents live, and are versatile and adaptable in nature. Amenities merge with one another in an effortless manner, creating seamless transitions from room to room. Whether you’re hosting an intimate get-together, indulging in a tranquil self-care session, or breaking a sweat in the fitness area, the flow between spaces remains uninterrupted, catering to a spectrum of needs. From the residence’s relaxed lounge and interactive game room to its elegant private dining area and inviting rooftop terrace, Empire Phoenix’s amenities create an atmosphere full of comfort and connection.

2. Designing For Connection and Celebration

With larger living spaces and an appreciation for gathering in mind, Empire Phoenix’s amenities were designed for celebration and connection. Equipped with thoughtful additions like wine fridges, full-sized appliances, and adaptable seating, these spaces encourage residents to extend the feeling of home to loved ones, embrace the spirit of togetherness, share stories, and create lasting memories.

3. The Artistry of Elegance and Harmony

The aesthetics of Empire Phoenix’s amenities align with the residence’s overarching design ethos, resulting in spaces that resonate on both a visual and emotional level. Evoking warmth through wooden hues, industrial subtleties, and hand-selected accents, these elements harmonize into an enchanting composition.

Clever design additions, such as integrated booth arrangements and discreet pocket doors, facilitate seamless expansion of rooms to accommodate larger gatherings, all without the need for cumbersome rearrangements. Emerald green accents grace various spaces, binding together the amenities’ furnishings, artwork, and accessories.

4. Innovations and Thoughtful Solutions

The challenges of creating amenities that are both functional and aesthetic were met with thoughtful solutions. Canadian design team Figure3 designed each space to mirror the comforts of home while facilitating meaningful interactions. From a self-care oasis featuring a rain shower, relaxation zone with a fireplace, and sauna, to a well-equipped gym with a juice and snack bar for post-workout refreshments, the residence caters to all aspects of residents’ lives.

With a connection between the indoor lounge and the outdoor terrace, residents can shift between the indoors to spending moments al fresco with ease. Phoenix’s amenities are social spaces, but also serve as gateways to holistic living. Weaving together function and design, each space empowers residents to create connections, indulge in self-care, and embrace an active life.

Interested in some of our other high-rise developments in Ontario? Check out our exclusive penthouses at Empire Maverick in Toronto. Plus, hear what these friends had to say about co-buying a condo.

When the Mr. Christie Bakery announced that it would close its plant in 2013 after 60 years of producing family-favourite goods in the Park Lawn and Lake Shore area, there was question of what would become of the factory. In the interim years, the plant has since been demolished and the focus has shifted to the proposed mixed-use district being spearheaded by real estate developer First Capital Realty. And while Mr. Christie’s may have made good cookies, First Capital Realty’s proposed preliminary plans for the area, which were announced in October 2019, promise to transform the site into a major hot spot in the GTA.

So what does this mean for Empire Phoenix, Eau du Soleil and Beyond the Sea residents? The outstanding proposal for the former Mr. Christie’s Bakery site means that residents of these high-rises will be down the street from one of the city’s most community-defining transformations. With countless restaurants, unique shopping experiences, new offices and modes of transportation to come, the upcoming project is sure to meet First Capital Realty’s goal of creating a place where community needs have been considered, and life on Humber Bay Shores has been thoughtfully reimagined.

What’s the plan for the area?

First Capital Realty purchased the former Mr. Christie Bakery site in 2016, and has spent the past three years developing an ambitious plan for what the Humber Bay Shores area will become. In the summer of 2019, the City of Toronto reached a settlement with the group to convert the site into a Regeneration Area, which is an area of the city that presents an opportunity to attract investment, encourage new construction and bring new life to the neighbourhood, according to the City of Toronto. This settlement allowed First Capital Realty to begin the planning process for the area’s conversion that would include mixed use of retail, residential and employment buildings.

The proposed preliminary plans, which were announced in October 2019, will include:

Proposed area plan:

○ One million square feet of new retail, restaurants, offices and commercial opportunities
○ Six million square feet of residential housing options (approximately 7,500 condo and rental units)
○ A new GO station (Park Lawn) and proposed new TTC streetcar loop
○ Improved road, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure
○ A Market Hall and covered retail Galleria
○ 15 new buildings (both mid-rise and high-rise)
○ Three new public squares

For Empire homeowners in Etobicoke, this project will positively impact the value of your property. Increased retail and business opportunities and an extended streetcar loop means that the area will continue to grow and thrive, which will, in turn, cause the value of your home to rise. The project is expected to add another 3,500 work opportunities to the area.

The creation of a new GO station stop at Park Lawn and an extended TTC streetcar line are two of the most significant items proposed for the site. First Capital Realty has been in talks with the City of Toronto and Metrolinx about a potential transit hub for the area, and preliminary concepts have been introduced by the group’s transportation consultants. For Empire homeowners that rely on public transit or commute into work, the proposed train station and streetcar loop will offer greater accessibility to and from the city; the streetcar loop would bring vehicles up Lake Shore Boulevard and through the site’s three new squares and the Park Lawn GO station before heading back to Lake Shore. According to Urban Toronto, it’s likely that the existing 501 streetcars, which currently turn at the Humber Loop, would now continue on to encompass the site. A stop for the 66B Prince Edward bus is also proposed for the new Park Lawn GO station.

The increased modes of public transit will help alleviate vehicular traffic, as will new bicycle lanes and roads, including a relief road that extends from Park Lawn and the Gardiner eastbound off-ramp.

What comes next?

The renderings that First Capital Realty released are detailed and enterprising, however, plans for the area are still in the preliminary stages. First Capital Realty has cited that there are still a number of development steps set to take place over the next 3-5 years, including a community feedback session planned for November 2019.

Images courtesy of First Capital Realty via Toronto Realty Boutique.

Throwing a party in a small space can seem intimidating, but a more modest footprint shouldn’t dash your entertaining dreams. If hosting a New Year’s Eve party in your condo is on your holiday to-do list this year, read on for tips and ideas for throwing a New Year’s Eve party that’ll have your guests counting down to your next big bash.

For more holiday hosting ideas, including tips and tricks on how to host the perfect get together depending on the size of your party, click here.

To help millennials and soon-to-be homebuyers on the path of becoming adults, we launched a four-part event series, #EmpireAdulting to show you how to adult in style through food, networking, financing and more. This month’s event, second in the series, was all about nurturing the mind, body and soul as we hosted The Wellness Pop-Up Market at the Empire Phoenix Presentation Centre.

Furry friends enjoyed the Market just as much as their owners, as every dog was greeted with a treat and a nice belly rub.

The beautiful aromas of lavender and eucalyptus filled the air by Crown Flora Studio and Equilibrio Gems enchanted us with their healing stones.

Saponetti taught us the benefits of environmentally friendly soaps, and Well Calm gave guests an energy boost with a 10-minute massage.

Revitasize gave out delicious energy balls and their famous cold pressed-juices made for cleansing the body.

Beautiful hand made home decor by Yaba blew us away as Topaz dainty jewelry provided the perfect pop to the every day accessory.

Fancy Pufs, provided us with delicious organic and all-natural flavoured cotton candy.

Purchasing your first home is definitely one of life’s major milestones, but there’s a lot more to adulting than just paying a mortgage. To help millennials and soon-to-be homebuyers on the path of becoming adults, we’ve launched an exclusive event series to show you how to #adult in style through food, networking, financing and wellness. The first installment of Empire Adulting, Cooking for the ‘Gram, kicked off the series at the Empire Phoenix Presentation Centre in Etobicoke featuring foodie experts Philip and Mystique, also known as Chef Sous Chef.

In the third event of our #EmpireAdulting series, we helped guests get financially fit with mindful money teacher, Chantel Chapman and Fintech company @Mogomoney. At the Empire Phoenix presentation centre in South Etobicoke, aspiring adults were taught how to rule their finances with the basics on mortgages, planning your financial future and making tough budget choices to reach milestones and goals like owning your own home.

Chantel led the informative talk with an introduction to why we buy, putting all the millennials with shopping habits in the audience at ease as she explained that a lack of education around financial issues is normal. As she noted that truly understanding the reasons around why we buy is uncommon, but important, she highlighted how we can curb the habit by asking ourselves crucial questions before we make a purchase to ensure it’s useful, needed and in alignment with our goals.

Empire Phoenix in South Etobicoke’s Mystic Pointe neighbourhood is crafted out of the idea that owning a home doesn’t mean sacrificing your lifestyle. Condos starting from the mid 400’s are coming soon. Register today for more info and to hear about our next event in the Adulting series.

Purchasing your first home is definitely one of life’s major milestones, but there’s a lot more to adulting than just paying a mortgage. To help millennials and soon-to-be homebuyers on the path of becoming adults, we’ve launched our #EmpireAdulting event and video series this summer, to show you how to #adult in style and let aspiring adults know their not alone as they try and figure it all out.

Today, we take a look behind the scenes in this new backstage video put together by our talented partners to launch our new condos at Empire Phoenix.

Fun facts:

• The commercials were shot at the end of winter so the views were replaced with a summer setting.
• Charles, the original dog in one of the commercials, got sick on the shoot day so he was replaced by Romeo, the french bulldog you can see in the final video. Turns out he was a very talented addition to the cast.
• The actors playing the parents in the dinner scene are a couple in real life and they’ve been married for more than 15 years.
• At the casting, main actors were required to act out their best “proud” pose, which you’ll see at the end of each video. Most of them got their parts based on that performance.
• Carina, the actress in wearing the earphones and stopping to pet the puppy, originally attended the casting for Empire Maverick, another new Empire Communities condo.
• The whole shoot took 3 days, 1 per commercial.
• The same apartment was used for the 3 commercials, which was located in Empire Rain & Senses community in Oakville. Production designers had to stage and decorate them differently for each one.

Haven’t watched the original videos? Check them now.

Our fourth and final event in our #EmpireAdulting series was a huge hit, thanks to Chef Mat Sutherland and his team from Etobicoke’s Cheese Boutique who entertained and educated us with their love for wine and cheese. The Empire Phoenix Presentation Centre in Humber Bay Shores was set up like a comfy living room with velvet couches and chairs, perfect for mingling and wine and cheese tasting. Guests filled the room as Mat began his presentation, and his team served hors d’oeuvres straight from their new For the Love of Cheese, cookbook, accompanied by a variety of global wines that paired perfectly with the complexity of flavours and cheeses on hand.

In the next 25 years, the City of Toronto’s Lakeshore stretch is expected to add nearly 280,000 residents and 190,000 new jobs. In addition to the community amenities provided to residents by these new condos, public services are vital to the health of a community expecting significant growth. At the top of this list is access to reliable and timely transit.