XO2 Condos from Lifetime Developments – where the future has arrived for healthy living and family-oriented amenities

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The last census revealed that more than 1.9 million Canadians were living in condos. This 2016 data reveals that the ratio of Canadians, living in condominiums increased by 1.2 per cent from the last census five years prior. As we await the results of the 2021 census, we can only speculate that we’ll yet again see another rise in the percentage of Canadians who are living in condos.

So, what does this mean for the future of housing, especially in the country’s largest city of Toronto? Further, what does that indicate about our housing market, and what does that mean for the future of living?

Ahead of the curve

Lifetime Developments has been strategizing around these very questions, especially over the last few years, as a result of the pandemic’s impacts on the Canadian housing market. Toronto’s first condo launch for 2022 was XO2 Condos by Lifetime and project partners Pinedale Properties, located at the corner of King and Dufferin – the sister building to the firms’ XO Condos launched in 2019. The team developed the amenity programming for XO2 through a new lens that many are calling the future of family living in the city.

Is Toronto’s housing market poised to become the next New York? Data from 2019 revealed just a mere 32 per cent of New York City’s residents were owners, with 24 per cent of New Yorkers living in apartments and/or condos. As young couples and families face increasing challenges to enter the housing market, many are calling condo living the next, natural progression for family living in the city. Lifetime, in many ways, was ahead of the curve, noticing this trend and catering its amenity programming towards the next big demographic entering the housing market – millennials.

“We’re very proud of the amenity programming at XO2, especially the ways in which we’ve catered to two very large, impactful trends we’ve noticed throughout the pandemic,” says Lifetime Principal Brian Brown.

“More and more families, or young couples planning to grow their family in the near future, aren’t ruling out condo living, and we as developers have a responsibility to deliver projects that cater to our demographic of buyers and renters. At XO2, we’ve designed spaces like a children’s den, complete with a creative centre and an outdoor playground, as well as a rooftop bocce ball court and urban parkette.”

XO2, once complete in 2024, will feature 410 suites spread across 19 storeys located at 1182 King St. W. Committed to building interconnected communities in thriving neighbourhoods, Lifetime Developments once again has brought together best-in-class industry partners for XO2 Condos, including Turner Fleischer Architects, interior designers Tomas Pearce, and landscape architects Strybos Barron King.

Emphasis on healthy living

XO2 boasts more than 18,000 sq. ft. of both indoor and outdoor amenity space, including a 3,50-sq.-ft. state-of-the-art fitness studio designed and outfitted in partnership with connected fitness experts, Freemotion Fitness, a KO-XO Boxing Studio, a residents lounge complete with chef’s kitchen, dining area, private seating alcoves and a pool table, outdoor dining and lounge area complete with fireplaces and barbecue stations, rooftop bocce ball court and urban parkette, the Think Tank – Lifetime’s co-working facility complete with high-speed WIFI, private workstations, a private meeting room and communal-style seating, The Game Zone – retro arcade games, ping pong table and TV Lounge, a dedicated golf simulation room located off of the games room, and The Children’s Den facility.

The second key aspect Brown refers to when reimagining Lifetime’s amenity program is what he describes as “the increased emphasis on what healthy living really means.” He shares, “I think we can all agree on the fact that this pandemic has surfaced a collective, shared understanding that our health really is everything. Amenity programming goes beyond ensuring there’s a lounge and a fitness room in our buildings – every building offers this, so we work to ensure we’re offering best-in-class facilities and features that people will benefit from and actually want to use.”

Lifetime Developments is the sole developer in the city to form two strategic partnerships last year with both Freemotion Fitness and Clear Inc. to further reinforce its focus on healthy buildings. XO2 will be the second Lifetime project to benefit from these partnerships with the 3,500-sq.-ft. Freemotion Fitness Lab. “Our partnership with Freemotion Fitness really elevates our fitness facilities and allows us to offer superior cardio and strength training equipment,” says Brown.

iFIT technology

“Freemotion’s iFIT technology has had a major impact on this evolving industry and we are proud to be aligned with a leader in this field.” iFit is a content-driven interactive program that uses auto-adjusting technology to deliver an immersive and interactive experience including changes to incline, decline, speed and resistance, making for an incredibly unique workout experience.

XO2 Condos will also be the second Lifetime development to incorporate air and water filtration systems in partnership with Clear Inc. Clear’s trail-blazing air filtration system recently received regulatory approval from The Israeli Ministry of Health, passing initial testing at its facilities in California and achieving 99.99 per cent effectiveness in eliminating viruses in enclosed spaces.

“Our partners put it best – healthy indoor air and water is a right, not a privilege. We want to elevate the meaning of healthy living starting with the basics, and we know this is the type of feature that purchasers and investors are looking for as we continue to feel our way through this new era of living,” says Brown.

XO2 Condos will offer studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, in addition to a small collection of two-storey Live/Work townhomes. Adding to the vibrancy along King Street, XO2 will also feature more than 15,000 sq. ft. of new retail and commercial space in addition to commercial parking. Limited inventory is still available at XO2 Condos.

For further information visit xo2condos.com.