New retirement residence The Sumach by Chartwell breaks ground in Regent Park
By Lucas on Jun 08, 2016
Yesterday, we had the opportunity to attend the official groundbreaking of The Sumach by Chartwell, a new retirement rental residence in Regent Park that Chartwell is developing in partnership with The Daniels Corporation.
With more than 25,000 retirement units across the country, Chartwell is the largest player in the retirement housing industry. In Ontario alone, they have developed more than 8,800 units.
W. Brent Binions - President and CEO, Chartwell Retirement Residences
“This is our first large scale, urban type project for what I would call more of the active retired,” said W. Brent Binions - President and CEO, Chartwell Retirement Residences. “These are people who still want to take part heavily in their local community, want to be out and about, but maybe don’t want the maintenance impact of having their own home.”
“What makes it different - it’s a lighter model in terms of services and the amenities we’re offering,” Binions continued. “When they (Daniels) brought this site to us, I couldn’t believe how perfect it was...This is (for) people who are fully retired, semi-retired, maybe about to retire - all those options are for people who want this more independent type living.”
Some of the amenities at The Sumach include paramedical services, a games lounge, a conference room, a horticulture/art room, a dog washing room, a theatre, a gym, an outdoor rooftop patio with barbecue and dining areas, a library, and more. There are also 100 bike stalls and 82 underground parking spaces.
Residents will have a wide array of services of which they can opt into if it suits their lifestyle. For example, if you want a meal plan, you can pay for one; if you don’t, then you don’t need to pay for it. This is the kind of flexibility that The Sumach offers, giving residents the ability to live at varying degrees of independence.
Greg Spearn, President and CEO (Interim), Toronto Community Housing
“Toronto Community Housing, as many of you know, has about 60,000 units in the City of Toronto,” said Greg Spearn, President and CEO (Interim), Toronto Community Housing. “There are very few sites like Regent Park which is 69 acres in total and there are also very few partners out there that are like The Daniels Corporation. It is an excellent partnership we have in revitalizing Regent Park.”
“This year we will have about 10 buildings under construction at the same time,” Spearn added. “It really is truly city building. It is transforming a big chunk of the downtown into a real community, and by real community, I really mean a healthy mix that you see in many other neighbourhoods of Toronto across the city.”
A rental retirement residence that promotes independent living is a perfect fit for the multi-phase revitalization of Regent Park. Like a new condo, The Sumach will feature a cafe, bistro and pub, as well as 5,500 square feet of retail spaces, so the neighbourhood is going to benefit from the new building just as much as the residents.
W. Brent Binions - President and CEO, Chartwell Retirement Residences and Martin Blake - Vice President, Daniels
“We’ve been here now since 2006 working with Toronto Community Housing on the evolution (of Regent Park),” said Martin Blake - Vice President, Daniels. “For us, what’s amazing is to start off Phase 3 of Regent Park in this partnership that we have with Chartwell to introduce a building for active seniors, for people who are looking to be able to keep (sic) in the urban environment where they have grown up and lived, and be able to access such a changing dynamic space within the city of Toronto.”
“This is an amenity rich area. There has been an incredible investment into Regent Park for amenities that the city was absolutely dying for,” Blake added. “Over the last four years, we have introduced a brand new centralized six-acre park, which has on it an amazing aquatic centre connected directly across the street from an arts and cultural centre, Daniels Spectrum, along with all of the other things that are happening, like the investments that are going into the school system.”
The Sumach by Chartwell will rise 12 storeys and feature 332 units, ranging from studios to one- and two-bedrooms. There will also be a collection of townhomes.
We’ve been following the Regent Park story for a number of years now and the changes have been inspiring. Through strategic partnerships and smart planning, Daniels is shaping Regent Park into a well rounded, active, family-friendly community, and The Sumach is the latest piece of the puzzle!
