East United has broken ground (kind of) and is 100% sold out!
By Lucas on Nov 24, 2015
About a year and a half ago, Andiel Homes, Berkshire Axis, and SigNature Communities acquired an east end site on Berkeley Street, just north of King Street in Toronto. The project was branded as East United, and they’ve been making headlines ever since.
As expected, the developers did something unique to celebrate the official groundbreaking of East United; they contracted a local artist and chalk master to create a giant construction hole on the ground. Purchasers, team members, locals, and Deputy Mayor, Pam McConnell, were in attendance to commemorate the milestone.
“East United has been a true collaboration of vision from the very beginning,” announced Leslie Marlowe, president of Berkshire Axis. “Everyone has rallied around this project, from the City, to our consultants, our designers, and our marketing team. Their passion and enthusiasm for East United has not gone unnoticed.”
“Not only does today mark the official groundbreaking for East United, I am truly honoured and excited to say that we’re sold out, so that’s a true testament to everybody here,” Marlowe continued. “This really goes to show what we’ve been saying all along, that the east side of Toronto is the best side and that’s where we are today. Above all, it really has a community feel and it’s a neighbourhood that you can call home.”
East United made it’s first sale in mid-May, fast forward through nearly 300 sales, and here we are with a completely sold out condo that will surely stand as a landmark residence in the east end.
We had a chance to chat with Barbara Lawlor, president of Baker Real Estate, about why East United made such waves in Toronto’s condo market. “The location is on the up and people are recognizing that the value in real estate - in condominiums - is on the east side of Toronto,” Lawlor explained.
“They (the developers) assembled a great team, that’s for sure,” Lawlor added. “Between the ad company and the interior designer, they just assembled a fantastic team. The designs are really cool and people really like that. It’s cool and hip on the east side, it resonates differently and I think they struck the right cord.”
By no means was East United priced low, so it wasn’t the price point that attracted buyers. While Baker did see some first-time homebuyers purchasing, Lawlor said that overall the project had a broad appeal from all types of buyers.
“The finishes are fabulous and we had an upgraded appliance package,” Lawlor mentioned. “People really responded well to the design elements, to the architectural elements, and to the amenities. There’s a rooftop panorama deck that is to die for. There’s an outdoor cinema up there, and there are fire pits and a barbecue area; it’s just a wonderful, social rooftop deck.”
So what did Andiel, Berkshire Axis, and SigNature Communities do to win over condo buyers from across the Greater Toronto Area? Firstly, they listened to what the locals had to say. This site is actually within the original 10 blocks that constituted the original part of Toronto, so heritage preservation and respecting the community were key to the development of this condo.
“This is a very good example of that city building together...” McConnell said. “I want you to know that the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association and the Corktown Residents Association came together to talk about this project because the thing that they have which is different is they live in the neighbourhood, they walk in the neighbourhood, they know the neighbourhood.”
Deputy Mayor Pam McConnell
“These developers worked with the community and the City, and as a result, we have a United east that is just remarkable,” McConnell continued. “And I think that when you look around the east and you begin to see how we are integrated into all of this, you understand why this is called East United.”
From start to finish, East United stood out in its own way. At the VIP launch back in May 2015, they served up thai food, tacos, custom t-shirts, and they even offered an outdoor yoga lesson. Then they launched an East vs. West Instagram competition, and the prize was a private concert with Toronto-based band Young Empires. The private concert was held just a couple days before the public opening of East United.
Clearly, the developers and entire team at East United played their cards right and we can’t wait to watch this amazing tower rise in the east end of our city!
