Regent Park was an infamous name in Toronto for decades. These days, the community is recognized internationally as an urban design model that mixes different income and housing levels, integrates nationalities and ethnicities, and blends private and public spaces.

The 1950s-built, locked-grid street plan isolated the residential neighbourhood, fostering crime levels that created an inner-city ghetto. Then, development firm The Daniels Corporation and Toronto Community Housing Corp. partnered to revitalize the 69 acres on the east side of downtown, and change began in 2005. One of the biggest changes has been the construction of tens of thousands of square feet of public spaces that now integrate buildings, people and streets.

“The entry plaza over here is used for a Farmers’ Market every Wednesday in the summer,” says Heela Omarkhail, Daniels’ manager of community partnerships, about the location across Dundas St. E. from the big park. On a recent sunny morning, the six-acre park was filled with kids attending summer camps and playing soccer on the field.

“And it’s not your typical farmer’s market, where all the produce was brought in from farms outside of Toronto. We have many local vendors that grow produce locally — some in community gardens and some in rooftops gardens,” says Omarkhail.

Meanwhile, the Regent Park Aquatic Centre draws swimmers from across the GTA. “You have people coming all the way from Scarborough, Markham, travelling quite a distance. Can you imagine living just around the corner?” says Dominic Tompa, Daniels highrise sales manager, referring to their latest project: DuEast Condominiums, at Dundas and Sumach Sts.

DuEast is an upcoming 29-storey building with 318 units starting at the high $200,000s and ranging from 390-square-foot studios to 1,217-square-foot, three-bedroom suites. It’s the latest in the masterplanned community’s new housing offerings.

Tompa and Omarkhail recently led a walk-through of the neighbourhood, to showcase the public amenities available to residents and prospective residents of the upcoming new condo building.

In the same city block as the Aquatic Centre is the six-acre park, with a massive open field and large playground.

Two blocks to the southeast is Regent Park Athletic Grounds — built with funding from MLSE Foundation — featuring a convertible soccer/cricket field, basketball court, updated ice rink and running track. The cricket pitch and the running track arose from community consultations, and reflect the diverse cultures of the area. “The basketball court and soccer field were part of the plan from the start — but community members really rallied for a running track,” says Omarkhail. “Now we even have some rugby groups making use of this soccer field. So it’s quite multi-purpose.”

Meanwhile the Daniels Spectrum cultural hub adds arts and culture programming to the mix. The building houses organizations such as the Native Earth Performing Arts theatre company, COBA Collective of Black Artists and Regent Park School of Music, among others. Performances are regularly staged at the Aki Studio theatre on the main floor. The third floor of the building is home to Centre of Social Innovation, a co-working space with a mandate to inspire progress and change. A free film festival screens in November, among a host of activities that create a masterpiece of busy, colourful notices and posters at Spectrum.

“There really is so much to do in this neighbourhood. You don’t have to go very far at all. You also have a pharmacy, a grocery store, a bank — all within walking distance,” says Tompa of the community that formerly had no retail shops. “You are steps away from the streetcar, so it’s great for people looking for a car-free lifestyle,” he adds.

As well as the public amenities at Regent Park, the private amenities at DuEast Condos will include a lobby concierge, a gym, a kids’ zone with an active room including kiddie corners, play structures and a library/reading nook.

“We also recognize that many people are working from home these days, so we also have co-working spaces for people who want to schedule meetings with their clients,” says Tompa.

Additionally, for the resident green thumbs, there will be gardening plots on the third-floor outdoor terrace. Located on the south end of the terrace to maximize sun exposure, the large planting beds are meant for growing vegetables and herbs in the spring and summer months. Daniels will also engage gardening experts to help grow the gardening community.

DuEast Condos joins the 5,115 housing units built throughout the neighbourhood. The mixed-income residences include market condos, community housing, seniors housing and purpose-built rental buildings.

“Regent Park has quickly become one of the most sought-after residential destinations in Toronto,” says Omarkhail. “(All the neighbourhood amenities) are designed with the community in mind, and full of unique activities and experiences.”

DuEast Condominiums

Builder: The Daniels Corporation

Architect: Core Architects

Design: Mason Studio

Location: Dundas and Sumach Sts.

Size: 29 storeys, 316 units

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Amenities: 24-hour concierge, indoor and outdoor lounges, fitness centre, kids’ zone, urban gardening area, co-working space with coffee bar, street-level retail, “Living Lane” at the rear with landscape features, bike parking and bistro string lighting.

Price: From high $200,000s

On sale this fall.

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