Today I am excited to announce that we (Slate) have retained Studio Gang Architects to design a new mixed-use residential tower at Yonge + St. Clair in midtown Toronto.
Alex Bozikovic was first to break the news in the Globe and Mail, but you can now also read about it at UrbanToronto.ca, in ArchDaily, and likely some other places.
Here is something I said to Alex that we feel strongly about:
“We’re considering the whole community,” Donnelly says. “By thinking of city-building rather than individual tower buildings, it opens up new possibilities.”
This is particularly true because of Slate’s broader position at Yonge + St Clair.
And here is something that Stefan Novakovic wrote over at UrbanToronto.ca that we were happy to read – thank you:
With no renderings, no precise indication of height, scale, or programming, and no hint at the building’s aesthetic—yet—it’s already a lock to be one of Toronto’s most anticipated upcoming developments. That’s because Studio Gang is no ordinary firm.
I’ve also pasted the full press release at the bottom of this post.
One thing you may notice is that we’ll be hosting a public consultation later this spring. This will be before we submit anything to the city. It’s part of our research and information gathering phase, and it will be used to inform the ultimate design.
I’ve been admiring Studio Gang’s work from afar for well over a decade. So it’s personally very exciting to be starting work with them on an actual project. We are thrilled about this announcement and I hope that many of you are as well.
Image: Folsom Bay Tower, San Francisco
—————————————————————
Slate Asset Management commissions acclaimed architecture practice’s first building in Canada
March 10, 2017 (Toronto)—Slate Asset Management announces it has selected internationally celebrated architecture practice Studio Gang to design a mixed-used tower at the south-west corner of Yonge and Delisle. The announcement is the latest in a series of high-profile commissions by Slate, including an eight-story mural by international street artist Phlegm. The project will be Studio Gang’s first building in Canada, and is part of Slate’s overall effort to reimagine Yonge + St. Clair through the use of public art, world-class design, vibrant streetscapes and open spaces.
“Yonge + St. Clair is on its way back. Having occasion to bring Studio Gang’s first project in Toronto to the neighbourhood signals to the rest of the city that we would like to create something special here,” says Brandon Donnelly, Vice President of Development at Slate Asset Management.
The announcement comes just as Studio Gang Founding Principal, Jeanne Gang, is set to receive a 2017 Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in May. The Honorary Fellowship is the latest in a series of accolades for Gang including a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship and the Architectural Review’s 2016 Architect of the Year.
“As our practice’s relationship with Canada grows, we’re excited to explore Toronto and to understand the unique DNA of the Yonge + St. Clair neighbourhood,” says Jeanne Gang. “We hope to design a building that will strengthen relationships within the neighbourhood and the city.”
Based in Chicago and New York, Studio Gang is widely recognized for elevating the urban environment while building connections between people and their environments. This ethos is visible throughout Studio Gang’s diverse portfolio, which includes Aqua Tower in Chicago, Folsom Tower in San Francisco, and 40 Tenth Avenue along the Highline in New York—each of which emphasizes connections between people, the city, and nature.
With a practice rooted in research, engagement, sustainability and the innovative use of materials, Studio Gang will work with Slate to host a public consultation later this spring to gather community input prior to a design submission to the city. The final building will be primarily rental, with retail space at grade, in keeping with Slate’s long-term vision for the area. And while the design for the building is not finalized, Donnelly says a couple of decisions have already been made.
“It’s not going to be a typical all-glass tower,” says Donnelly, citing a need to introduce material variety into Toronto’s ever-booming skyline. “We want to push boundaries in terms of sustainability and building efficiency, which means we are thinking carefully about the building envelope and its materials.”
The decision to commission Studio Gang was made after an exhaustive selection process emphasizing design methodology, site context, and Slate’s aspirations for world-class architecture and a fresh vision. Yonge + St. Clair is a transit-rich node with a subway and dedicated streetcar tracks. At the same time, the dense urban realm is a short walk from some of the city’s most beloved neighbourhoods and a ravine system, offering direct access to quiet green space. This juxtaposition of natural and built environments will serve as an inspiration for the project.
“There is a hill that crests at Yonge + St. Clair, which means the build site acts as both a pedestal and a view terminus from way uptown,” says Donnelly, detailing another unique advantage of both the site and the neighbourhood. “The challenge will be to develop a building worthy of being showcased, but we feel confident that we have the right team in place to do just that.”
Over the last four years, Slate has purchased ten properties in the area, including all four corners of the intersection at Yonge and St. Clair. The Studio Gang commission will be the first ground-up tower in the area by Slate, marking a unique collaboration that combines global experience and high design with a serious investment in the neighbourhood. The area’s transformation kicked-off last summer with the introduction of the eight-story mural by Phlegm.
Gang is being honoured at the RAIC/OAA Festival of Architecture in Ottawa, May 24–27. She will be named an Honorary Fellow of the College of Fellows of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and will deliver the keynote address at the festival.
-30-
For more information and images please contact kg&a
Vakis Boutsalis
Vakis@kga-inc.com
416-537-0954
About Slate Asset Management L.P.
Slate Asset Management L.P. is a leading real estate investment platform with approximately $4.0 billion in assets under management. Slate is a value-oriented manager and a significant sponsor of all of its private and publicly-traded investment vehicles, which are tailored to the unique goals and objectives of its investors. The firm’s careful and selective investment approach creates long-term value with an emphasis on capital preservation and outsized returns. Slate is supported by exceptional people, flexible capital and a proven ability to originate and execute on a wide range of compelling investment opportunities. Visit slateam.com to learn more.
About Studio Gang
Founded by MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang is an architecture and urbanism practice based in Chicago and New York. Known for creating innovative buildings that enhance the public space around them, Studio Gang has completed award-winning projects such as the Aqua Tower and Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The Studio is currently designing towers in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and Amsterdam. In addition, Studio Gang is currently engaged in cultural and educational projects across the Americas, from the new United States Embassy in Brazil to the expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and a consolidated campus for the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. In 2016, Studio Gang was recognized as Firm of the Year at the Architizer A+ Awards and Jeanne Gang was named Architect of the Year by the Architectural Review. Visit www.studiogang.com to learn more.
A number of you have asked if I’m moving to New York. I can see why that was inferred from some of my posts, but that was actually not my intention. I am not moving to New York. (Sorry New York friends. I’ll visit soon.)
Toronto is home base. I hope it’s clear how much I love this city. Sure, I’m a big fan of New York and Miami and Vancouver and Berlin and Tokyo and Jackson (to name some of the places I have on my phone’s weather app), but I made a deliberate choice to station myself here.
Because unlike some of the other industries I write about on this blog, city building is hyper local. What I do involves the built environment. And that doesn’t generally happen via a laptop on a beach in Bali (at least not for extended periods of time).
It happens by being on the ground, interfacing with local communities, meeting face-to-face with the city, and poring over drawings with smart people who know far more about their respective disciplines than I ever will. It is a collaborative and local effort. It’s about getting into the details.
And so to be successful in this business, I think it helps to find a home and take long bets. I’m not saying that I will never work on projects in other cities (I have and I would), but I am saying that I’m not moving to New York right now and that home remains Toronto.
Today I am excited to announce that we (Slate) have retained Studio Gang Architects to design a new mixed-use residential tower at Yonge + St. Clair in midtown Toronto.
Alex Bozikovic was first to break the news in the Globe and Mail, but you can now also read about it at UrbanToronto.ca, in ArchDaily, and likely some other places.
Here is something I said to Alex that we feel strongly about:
“We’re considering the whole community,” Donnelly says. “By thinking of city-building rather than individual tower buildings, it opens up new possibilities.”
This is particularly true because of Slate’s broader position at Yonge + St Clair.
And here is something that Stefan Novakovic wrote over at UrbanToronto.ca that we were happy to read – thank you:
With no renderings, no precise indication of height, scale, or programming, and no hint at the building’s aesthetic—yet—it’s already a lock to be one of Toronto’s most anticipated upcoming developments. That’s because Studio Gang is no ordinary firm.
I’ve also pasted the full press release at the bottom of this post.
One thing you may notice is that we’ll be hosting a public consultation later this spring. This will be before we submit anything to the city. It’s part of our research and information gathering phase, and it will be used to inform the ultimate design.
I’ve been admiring Studio Gang’s work from afar for well over a decade. So it’s personally very exciting to be starting work with them on an actual project. We are thrilled about this announcement and I hope that many of you are as well.
Image: Folsom Bay Tower, San Francisco
—————————————————————
Slate Asset Management commissions acclaimed architecture practice’s first building in Canada
March 10, 2017 (Toronto)—Slate Asset Management announces it has selected internationally celebrated architecture practice Studio Gang to design a mixed-used tower at the south-west corner of Yonge and Delisle. The announcement is the latest in a series of high-profile commissions by Slate, including an eight-story mural by international street artist Phlegm. The project will be Studio Gang’s first building in Canada, and is part of Slate’s overall effort to reimagine Yonge + St. Clair through the use of public art, world-class design, vibrant streetscapes and open spaces.
“Yonge + St. Clair is on its way back. Having occasion to bring Studio Gang’s first project in Toronto to the neighbourhood signals to the rest of the city that we would like to create something special here,” says Brandon Donnelly, Vice President of Development at Slate Asset Management.
The announcement comes just as Studio Gang Founding Principal, Jeanne Gang, is set to receive a 2017 Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in May. The Honorary Fellowship is the latest in a series of accolades for Gang including a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship and the Architectural Review’s 2016 Architect of the Year.
“As our practice’s relationship with Canada grows, we’re excited to explore Toronto and to understand the unique DNA of the Yonge + St. Clair neighbourhood,” says Jeanne Gang. “We hope to design a building that will strengthen relationships within the neighbourhood and the city.”
Based in Chicago and New York, Studio Gang is widely recognized for elevating the urban environment while building connections between people and their environments. This ethos is visible throughout Studio Gang’s diverse portfolio, which includes Aqua Tower in Chicago, Folsom Tower in San Francisco, and 40 Tenth Avenue along the Highline in New York—each of which emphasizes connections between people, the city, and nature.
With a practice rooted in research, engagement, sustainability and the innovative use of materials, Studio Gang will work with Slate to host a public consultation later this spring to gather community input prior to a design submission to the city. The final building will be primarily rental, with retail space at grade, in keeping with Slate’s long-term vision for the area. And while the design for the building is not finalized, Donnelly says a couple of decisions have already been made.
“It’s not going to be a typical all-glass tower,” says Donnelly, citing a need to introduce material variety into Toronto’s ever-booming skyline. “We want to push boundaries in terms of sustainability and building efficiency, which means we are thinking carefully about the building envelope and its materials.”
The decision to commission Studio Gang was made after an exhaustive selection process emphasizing design methodology, site context, and Slate’s aspirations for world-class architecture and a fresh vision. Yonge + St. Clair is a transit-rich node with a subway and dedicated streetcar tracks. At the same time, the dense urban realm is a short walk from some of the city’s most beloved neighbourhoods and a ravine system, offering direct access to quiet green space. This juxtaposition of natural and built environments will serve as an inspiration for the project.
“There is a hill that crests at Yonge + St. Clair, which means the build site acts as both a pedestal and a view terminus from way uptown,” says Donnelly, detailing another unique advantage of both the site and the neighbourhood. “The challenge will be to develop a building worthy of being showcased, but we feel confident that we have the right team in place to do just that.”
Over the last four years, Slate has purchased ten properties in the area, including all four corners of the intersection at Yonge and St. Clair. The Studio Gang commission will be the first ground-up tower in the area by Slate, marking a unique collaboration that combines global experience and high design with a serious investment in the neighbourhood. The area’s transformation kicked-off last summer with the introduction of the eight-story mural by Phlegm.
Gang is being honoured at the RAIC/OAA Festival of Architecture in Ottawa, May 24–27. She will be named an Honorary Fellow of the College of Fellows of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and will deliver the keynote address at the festival.
-30-
For more information and images please contact kg&a
Vakis Boutsalis
Vakis@kga-inc.com
416-537-0954
About Slate Asset Management L.P.
Slate Asset Management L.P. is a leading real estate investment platform with approximately $4.0 billion in assets under management. Slate is a value-oriented manager and a significant sponsor of all of its private and publicly-traded investment vehicles, which are tailored to the unique goals and objectives of its investors. The firm’s careful and selective investment approach creates long-term value with an emphasis on capital preservation and outsized returns. Slate is supported by exceptional people, flexible capital and a proven ability to originate and execute on a wide range of compelling investment opportunities. Visit slateam.com to learn more.
About Studio Gang
Founded by MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang, Studio Gang is an architecture and urbanism practice based in Chicago and New York. Known for creating innovative buildings that enhance the public space around them, Studio Gang has completed award-winning projects such as the Aqua Tower and Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The Studio is currently designing towers in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and Amsterdam. In addition, Studio Gang is currently engaged in cultural and educational projects across the Americas, from the new United States Embassy in Brazil to the expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and a consolidated campus for the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. In 2016, Studio Gang was recognized as Firm of the Year at the Architizer A+ Awards and Jeanne Gang was named Architect of the Year by the Architectural Review. Visit www.studiogang.com to learn more.
A number of you have asked if I’m moving to New York. I can see why that was inferred from some of my posts, but that was actually not my intention. I am not moving to New York. (Sorry New York friends. I’ll visit soon.)
Toronto is home base. I hope it’s clear how much I love this city. Sure, I’m a big fan of New York and Miami and Vancouver and Berlin and Tokyo and Jackson (to name some of the places I have on my phone’s weather app), but I made a deliberate choice to station myself here.
Because unlike some of the other industries I write about on this blog, city building is hyper local. What I do involves the built environment. And that doesn’t generally happen via a laptop on a beach in Bali (at least not for extended periods of time).
It happens by being on the ground, interfacing with local communities, meeting face-to-face with the city, and poring over drawings with smart people who know far more about their respective disciplines than I ever will. It is a collaborative and local effort. It’s about getting into the details.
And so to be successful in this business, I think it helps to find a home and take long bets. I’m not saying that I will never work on projects in other cities (I have and I would), but I am saying that I’m not moving to New York right now and that home remains Toronto.
On that note, here’s what I have to tell you. Later this year I’ll be joining Slate Asset Management as VP of Development.
A bit about Slate:
Slate is one of the most active acquirers, owners, and managers of real estate in Canada right now. Founded in 2005 by two brothers (Blair and Brady), Slate has over $3 billion of assets under management across over 16 million square feet and over 130 properties.
All of this is done through four main investment vehicles:
1) The first is Slate Advisors. It acts on behalf of and alongside private institutional investors — such as Greystone.
2) The second is Slate Office REIT (TSE:SOT.UN). It is a pure play Canadian office REIT focused on downtown and suburban properties all across the country.
3) The third is Slate Retail REIT (TSX:SRT.U). It is a pure play REIT entirely focused on grocery-anchored U.S. retail properties. (Remember how many times I’ve written on this blog about how grocery has one of the lowest online shopping penetrations?)
4) And the fourth: Slate is also starting a grocery-anchored retail platform in Germany. It is similar to #3, except that it’s in Germany.
Most recently, Slate has been in the news because of the position it has taken at Yonge + St Clair in midtown Toronto — a perfect example of “finding a home and taking long bets.” Slate, in partnership with Greystone, owns all 4 corners of the intersection and about 60% of the properties along the St. Clair corridor.
Here’s a diagram of those Slate buildings:
In case you didn’t put two and two together, the 8-storey mural I wrote about two weeks ago is going up (right now) on the side of a Slate building (1 St Clair Avenue West — shown above). The British street artist known as Phlegm is doing it.
Up until today, the focus of Slate has largely been on acquiring undervalued / overlooked real estate and creating value through re-leasing and overall repositioning. That will certainly continue. But given what I do, I am sure you can posit what’s also next.
I’m genuinely excited to be joining such a talented group of real estate professionals. As I mentioned last week, I wasn’t in the market for anything new. I was heads down working on cool projects. But life happens. And Slate quickly demonstrated to me that the incredible success they have seen to date is precisely because of how progressive, nimble, and entrepreneurial they are.
On that note, I have “one more thing” to share today.
In parallel to all of this, and with the support of Slate, I am also starting a boutique city building company called Globizen. The name is derived from Global + Citizen.
The objective is to build a company that embodies everything I write about on this blog. I want it to be lifestyle and design-driven. I want it to leverage technology to improve the way that cities and the building industry operate. And I want it to function as a vertically integrated real state + design firm, focused on sustainable urban infill development. Think of it as city building by and for the responsible global citizen.
It’s still early days, but the thinking is that this new platform could compliment the larger Slate platform in some way. It’s too early to say how exactly, but everyone is open to having those discussions. And that’s what matters at this stage.
I am going to end with a quote. It’s by Partner and Co-Founder, Blair Welch:
“On all of our deals we have had people say ‘can’t’ to us. They say ‘Can’t be done, can’t do that, can’t raise money, etcetera.’ At Slate, we don’t do ‘can’t’ well.”
I like that a lot. So here’s to finding a home, taking long bets, and not saying can’t. Onward my friends.
On that note, here’s what I have to tell you. Later this year I’ll be joining Slate Asset Management as VP of Development.
A bit about Slate:
Slate is one of the most active acquirers, owners, and managers of real estate in Canada right now. Founded in 2005 by two brothers (Blair and Brady), Slate has over $3 billion of assets under management across over 16 million square feet and over 130 properties.
All of this is done through four main investment vehicles:
1) The first is Slate Advisors. It acts on behalf of and alongside private institutional investors — such as Greystone.
2) The second is Slate Office REIT (TSE:SOT.UN). It is a pure play Canadian office REIT focused on downtown and suburban properties all across the country.
3) The third is Slate Retail REIT (TSX:SRT.U). It is a pure play REIT entirely focused on grocery-anchored U.S. retail properties. (Remember how many times I’ve written on this blog about how grocery has one of the lowest online shopping penetrations?)
4) And the fourth: Slate is also starting a grocery-anchored retail platform in Germany. It is similar to #3, except that it’s in Germany.
Most recently, Slate has been in the news because of the position it has taken at Yonge + St Clair in midtown Toronto — a perfect example of “finding a home and taking long bets.” Slate, in partnership with Greystone, owns all 4 corners of the intersection and about 60% of the properties along the St. Clair corridor.
Here’s a diagram of those Slate buildings:
In case you didn’t put two and two together, the 8-storey mural I wrote about two weeks ago is going up (right now) on the side of a Slate building (1 St Clair Avenue West — shown above). The British street artist known as Phlegm is doing it.
Up until today, the focus of Slate has largely been on acquiring undervalued / overlooked real estate and creating value through re-leasing and overall repositioning. That will certainly continue. But given what I do, I am sure you can posit what’s also next.
I’m genuinely excited to be joining such a talented group of real estate professionals. As I mentioned last week, I wasn’t in the market for anything new. I was heads down working on cool projects. But life happens. And Slate quickly demonstrated to me that the incredible success they have seen to date is precisely because of how progressive, nimble, and entrepreneurial they are.
On that note, I have “one more thing” to share today.
In parallel to all of this, and with the support of Slate, I am also starting a boutique city building company called Globizen. The name is derived from Global + Citizen.
The objective is to build a company that embodies everything I write about on this blog. I want it to be lifestyle and design-driven. I want it to leverage technology to improve the way that cities and the building industry operate. And I want it to function as a vertically integrated real state + design firm, focused on sustainable urban infill development. Think of it as city building by and for the responsible global citizen.
It’s still early days, but the thinking is that this new platform could compliment the larger Slate platform in some way. It’s too early to say how exactly, but everyone is open to having those discussions. And that’s what matters at this stage.
I am going to end with a quote. It’s by Partner and Co-Founder, Blair Welch:
“On all of our deals we have had people say ‘can’t’ to us. They say ‘Can’t be done, can’t do that, can’t raise money, etcetera.’ At Slate, we don’t do ‘can’t’ well.”
I like that a lot. So here’s to finding a home, taking long bets, and not saying can’t. Onward my friends.
Share Dialog
Share Dialog
Share Dialog
Share Dialog