Despite a grim Toronto condo market with a sales slump rivaling the early 1990s, Pouyan Safapour, President of Devron Developments, sees renewed hope in the soon-to-be-launched property at 1 Marlborough Avenue. The boutique-sized project, developed in partnership with Dorsay Development Corp., will rise just 13 stories and contain 58 units ranging from 1,800 to 8,000 square feet.
End-User Focus
"There's a need and an opportunity for developers to appeal to end users," Safapour says. "Though over 80 percent of the condo market was designed to cater to investment buyers, 1 Marlborough is built to appeal to those who imagine this place as home." He notes that Toronto's decades-long investment-driven marketplace led to a homogenous aesthetic of glass towers and functional but typical interiors. Now, with the end-user in mind, Safapour envisions a condo building akin to Parisian apartments, distinct in both craftsmanship and structural artistry.
"Coming from a background where my father built custom homes in the GTA, we understand that the end-user prefers bigger units with high quality finishes," he adds. "Not a small unit in a glass tower of 400 units."
Heritage Preservation
The building is constructed atop a heritage building that once housed the Canadian showroom for Pierce-Arrow, an American luxury car company, and later served as a CBC studio that produced the children's classic "Mr. Dressup." "1 Marlborough will honor the century-old heritage of the existing building," explains Ian MacLeod, Vice President of Dorsay Development Corp. "This building is a landmark moment in our 25 years of working in Toronto."
The exterior features double-height stone arches, gargoyles, and ornate stonework, restored to its former glory through architectural heritage preservation by ERA Architects. "When we think of Rosedale, we think of timeless facades, wrought iron details, mature tree canopies, and an architectural continuity refined over generations," says Gianpiero Pugliese, Principal at Audax Architecture, overseeing the residences. The building will be clad in hand-laid brick and precast stone.
Unique Amenities and Design
Safapour says his company acquired the building in late 2019. "We've had it for a number of years, waiting for the right opportunity," he says. "It's a unique building, infused with history, and straddles two affluent neighborhoods – Summerhill and Rosedale." Five elevators ensure residents will not wait long to get home. "You've heard those stories of condo buildings with two elevators and hundreds of units," laughs Safapour. "But here, virtually all residents are delivered directly to their suites via the elevators. The doors open and you are there."
The engineering includes sound insulation in all directions, leak detection, and automatic shut-off systems. "We've gotten rid of some of the classic discomforts of condo life – whether that's hearing your neighbors or poor air quality," Safapour says. "High quality windows keep sound out but also provide consistency of heating and cooling. There's also a lot of engineering within the walls to prevent sound traveling between units."
Another unique facet is air circulation. Rather than traditional condos that pull fresh air from the mechanical penthouse down through a central core, 1 Marlborough allows fresh air to come directly from outside for each individual unit. "We also provide humidifiers in each unit – as condos are known to be quite dry," he says. "These are the small considerations you appreciate as an end user – it's not a detail you might consider as an investor."
Ample stepped-back terraces provide each unit with plenty of outdoor space, while interiors feature large kitchens with adjacent pantry rooms, prominent islands with seating, and lots of room for large gatherings. "This might just be the antithesis of condo living – it's meant for the long-term vision of home," says Safapour.
