Condos planned on the site of city's first IGA store

By Elvira Cordileone
REAL ESTATE REPORTER

As neighborhood pals during the 1960's Anthony Maida and Michael Bartello had no thought of real estate during the dog days of summer when they kicked a ball around on Edenvale Cres. in Toronto's west end.

But last fall a big deal took place when Maida bought a city block along Dundas St. W. from his old friend, practically in their old neighborhood.

And, Today Maida starts selling condos on the site 123 of them, in a planned seven-story building called Glenlake. The property between Glenlake Ave. and Abbott Ave. North of Bloor St., Had been in Bartello's family since the early 1940's.

Maida, president of the Georgian Group, a residential industrial development and property management company he runs the company with his brothers frank and gene. Bartello makes his living operating his own real estate business.

"I had many offers for the property," said Bartello. "But I was waiting for the right time to sell, and I didn't want to sell it to just anybody. The Maidas and I kept in touch over the years and when they heard I wanted to sell it we realized it was a good fit."

Bartello said his father first bought the piece of land on the corner of Dundas St. and Glenlake in 1942, when he opened the first open-air fruit market in Toronto. The market had a simple tent to shield it from the elements and a solitary tree with mounds of dirt behind it.

In 1951, his father Angelo, now deceased, signed on as Toronto's first IGA dealer and by the early 1960's, he had built the structure that sits on the site to this day. Over the years the family bought land surrounding the store(eventually acquiring the entire block), knocked down most of the houses and used the spaces for parking.

The planned residential building is named after Glenlake Ave. and the Glenlake IGA, which was closed in the late 1970's and stood vacant until it was leased for use as a mosque for 10 years.

When the Georgian Group presented its plan to redevelop the site, local residents were "horrified" to learn that a mid-rise building, at 1 1/2 times the allowed density was replacing the low-rise project they had been expecting, said Carolyn Reimer, a member of the Dundas West Residents' Association. She said they were also worried about the small number of underground parking spaces proposed--about 70.

Maida said they came to an agreement about the parking and redesigned the building noting the result is a better building and happier neighbor. As for the density, Maida said the company's studies indicated townhouses were not economically feasible.

Indeed, Somei Quan, the city planner for the area said the site is underutilized. Add to the fact that's it's near the Subway and she said you have a prime location for intensification.

The only issue that still rankles the neighbor is that the city will not allow a driveway off Dundas because of traffic concerns. Instead, the new building must use an existing laneway, but Reimer is happy Georgian as agreed to widen the lane and build a sidewalk, since many residents use it to get to the subway.

As for Bartello, he's not totally abandoning the property that meant so much to his family--he plans to buy a couple of suites in the new building for his young adult children.

Units are 520 to 1,085 square feet. Prices are $139,900 to $330,00. For more information, call 416-760-0099 or log on to www.georgiancorp.com