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By this time next year, owners will be moving into Canterbury Lanes, a new 48-unit development of three- and four-bedroom townhomes in the heart of King City. Developer Camcos Living acquired the site in February of this year as part of a bundle of properties from StateView that had gone into receivership. It’s a quick turnaround from purchase to occupancy, and the expedited timeline is a result of unusual circumstances: When Camcos bought the site, the townhomes were already partially constructed.
“We’ve gone to great lengths to revive the project in an efficient manner, without sacrificing quality,” says Camcos president and CEO James Circosta. The site came on the market last year when StateView, a now defunct Woodbridge-based developer made headlines for selling hundreds of homes without the proper approvals, sometimes on land they didn’t own. When lenders sued StateView for more than $200 million, several of their properties went into receivership and Camcos made a bid.
“We were really attracted to the prime location,” says Circosta. Canterbury Lanes will sit just north of the historic town centre at Keele Street and King Road. Shopping and restaurants are around the corner, and the King City GO Station is 10 minutes away by foot.
Circosta knows the area better than most: He went to elementary and high school in King City.
“Most of my childhood friends lived on this street, so it’s neat to get back to our roots and build in a community where we grew up,” he says, referring to himself and his brother, Michael, who is his founding partner.
Camcos acquired a total of three StateView projects, and immediately went to work redesigning the King City site. Rather than wasting the work and materials already invested in the partially built units, the brothers decided to keep the bones in place and incorporate an updated design into the existing structures.
“They were very, very traditional,” says Circosta of the original designs. “We’ve made quite a few modifications to bring these homes into today’s world, opting for cleaner lines and a less fussy exterior.”
The main exterior cladding is now a mix of brick and stone, and doors were reframed to fit eight-foot doors. Windows were removed and donated, and new windows are now colour coordinated to match the brickwork, along with architectural shingles and new accents on the dormers and gables.
“All these new elements are designed to blend into the natural heritage feel of King City, while at the same time maintaining a contemporary feel,” Circosta says.
All units have private outdoor space. There are walkout balconies and terraces off the bedroom or kitchen, and some units feature double-stacked rear decks off the dens.
Camcos has also made efforts to future-proof the homes. There are rough-ins for EV chargers in each unit, and homes are protected with NatureSeal, a waterproofing sealant that will extend the life of the building.
“These aren’t things you’re necessarily going to see, but they’re important,” says Circosta. “Climate change is going to affect the homes of the future, so they need to be resilient.”
Camcos has been designing and constructing the units with another important factor front-of-mind: time. Residents in the homes adjacent to the site have been living next to an abandoned construction site for close to a year.
“There was debris from the site blowing into nearby conservation areas and adjoining properties,” says Circosta.
Camcos cleaned up the site as soon as they acquired it and built an asphalt pathway alongside the property on the Keele side so that locals and kids walking to school could pass safely.
Canterbury Lanes will go on sale to the public on September 28, but before that happens, Camcos will offer the units to customers who previously had agreements in place with StateView.
“We’ve been getting calls from customers expressing interest in getting their units back,” says Circosta. “One challenge is the disparity in pricing between when they originally bought those units and now, considering the change in the housing market and what it will cost to bring those homes to completion. We’re trying to bridge that gap, but there will still be a disparity.”
With units ranging from 1,694 to 2,548 square feet, Circosta says they’re expecting Canterbury Lanes to draw a mix of empty nesters and new families looking to get into the market.
“We know from experience it’s a fabulous spot in a wonderful community,” says Circosta.
Towns starting at $1,287,990. For more information, https://camcos.ca/new-homes/king-city/canterbury-lanes.
Three things
Located in a 173-year-old inn, the award-winning Hogan’s Restaurant has been serving up classics like herb-crusted Ontario rack of lamb and grilled Atlantic salmon for more than a century and a half. 12998 Keele St.
Just north of King City, Pine Farms Orchard runs a pick-your-own apple operation, in addition to a full-service café, a store selling local honey, maple syrup and jam, and a bakeshop stocked with apple-laden treats. 2700 16th Sideroad
Site of the 2000 Canadian PGA Championship, the 71-par King’s Riding Golf Club was inspired by the King’s Course in Scotland and has expansive putting surfaces, rolling fairways and elevated T-shots with views of the surrounding hardwood forest. 14700 Bathurst St.
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