By Nick Ainis – Founder & CEO of Fusioncorp Developments Inc.

This is a synopsis of the first of 10 Chapters, each to appear in Construction Links Network, beginning November 2023. BUILDING TORONTO’S SKYLINE is available through Amazon in print, Kindle, and audible editions.

Did you know that the very beginnings of the condominium concept in Toronto began in the 18th Century? Boarding houses and barracks led the way for communal living, with the first purpose-built apartment building created in 1899. What these structures had in common was the combination of both shared and private spaces for residents. After that, apartment hotels offered the opportunity to book in and check out at any time without a contract. Usually, these were furnished apartments. Later, we had full-fledged apartment buildings where residents could cook, clean and do laundry.

Photo Credit – City of Toronto Records/Archives

Authorized in 1899, Saint George Mansions was Toronto’s first apartment building designed with multiple occupants in mind. It was located at 1 Harbord Street, across from the future site of the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library. It took five years to construct and housed 34 apartments that appealed largely to affluent middle-aged couples. When it was completed in 1904, there was a lack of low-rise residences for the sudden influx of immigrants. Developers embraced the idea of apartment blocks. The second complex in Toronto, the Alexandra, was built with 72 suites, again catering to the middle class and reminiscent of apartment hotels in New York City.

After the 1907 population boom, the number of apartment buildings increased, but were smaller and more functional than ornate. By 1912, the wisdom of apartment buildings was debated, as some thought they promoted immorality. By-Laws banned the construction of apartment buildings in certain residential areas and limited their sizes. Toronto’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Charles Hastings, worried about conditions such as overcrowding and poor ventilation. Debate led to prejudice against both apartment landlords and tenants.

The first high-rise apartment buildings in Toronto were built after the Second World War. The 1970s and 1980s saw the advent of the city’s first condominiums.

The author of Building Toronto’s Skyline: Toronto Condominiums Through the Decades, Nick Ainis is Founder & CEO of Fusioncorp Developments Inc., a boutique construction management and general contracting company specializing in multi-unit residential condominiums. He’s an experienced and highly respected construction professional with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Architectural Science and Project Management from Ryerson University. With over 20 years of experience, he leads a team who has a strong track record of delivering high-quality construction projects on time and within budget. His expertise is in managing high-rise residential projects, having developed a reputation as one of the industry’s finest project managers. As Fusioncorp’s CEO, he is involved in all aspects of each project from pre-construction through to construction and project closeout.

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