On the map: Marlow rental towers represent ‘real city-building’ at Bloor and Dufferin 

Marlow's trio of 19-, 22- and 32-storey towers is part of the master-planned Bloor Crossing community. Photo by Fitzrovia

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The Marlow purpose-built rental community is one of Toronto’s most closely watched redevelopment sites, and not only because of its high-profile location at Bloor and Dufferin.   

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For one thing, developer Fitzrovia’s trio of 19-, 22- and 32-storey towers stands on former Toronto District School Board property that was long part of the Dufferin Grove neighbourhood’s civic fabric. For another, Marlow is repurposing the historic Kent Public School, a Beaux-Arts building built in 1908. And last but certainly not least, the project is updating local rental housing stock — much of which predates 1980 — with 898 new units, nearly 60 percent of which offer two or three bedrooms. 

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As Marlow prepares for phased occupancy this summer, the master-planned Bloor Crossing community that surrounds it is taking shape. Made up of five residential towers spanning Marlow and Hazelview Properties’ two-tower Station House — the latter launched its leasing campaign in February — the broader community also includes an eight-storey affordable housing building to be conveyed to the City of Toronto, a City-owned community hub and daycare, a new bus-accessible public road, and a soccer pitch-sized public park on Croatia Street.  

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“This is real city-building,” says Fitzrovia founder and CEO Adrian Rocca. “It’s not just another project with small condos.” 

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Indeed, one of Marlow’s more notable features is the preponderance of multi-bedroom units that Rocca says are much larger than those typically seen in the condo market. “We’ve made a big call on young families and downsizers. It’s a segment of the market that’s been overlooked. Two- and three-bedroom units don’t typically sell well, but they actually lease much better.” 

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The site’s heritage elements, meanwhile, are “being restored and reintegrated into daily neighbourhood life,” Rocca says, noting that Fitzrovia is preserving the original Kent Public School and adapting it for new uses, including a community hub and child-care centre. “We’re respecting the past while building something that serves today’s families and residents.” 

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The child-care component is tied to Fitzrovia’s broader effort to serve households with children. Marlow residents have preferred access to Bloomsbury Academy, an in-house daycare and early childhood education centre offering Montessori-inspired programming for children aged 18 months to six years. “If you’re going to attract young families, you have to figure out an onsite school solution,” Rocca says. “We wanted to be part of that solution and not just wait on partnering up with the public sector.” 

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Marlow’s amenities include an indoor basketball court, a sports lounge with multi-sport simulators, wellness centre with sauna and cold plunge, pet spas, rooftop and indoor pools, outdoor terraces, lounges, entertainment kitchens, karaoke rooms, screening rooms and co-working spaces. Photo by Fitzrovia

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That approach extends to design, operations and programming. Rocca says Fitzrovia tries to tailor buildings to specific renter groups rather than creating a uniform product. “We don’t want to be a generic offering and try to be everything to everyone. Because of the size and scale of this master plan, we have the ability to target certain buildings to certain segments of the market and then create a whole amenity program around that.” 

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Marlow’s amenities are indeed extensive: A commercial-grade gym and yoga studio, an indoor basketball court, a sports lounge with multi-sport simulators, wellness centre with sauna and cold plunge, pet spas, rooftop and indoor pools, outdoor terraces, lounges, entertainment kitchens, karaoke rooms, screening rooms and co-working spaces. Residents also receive in-suite Rogers WiFi and Cleveland Clinic Canada memberships that provide access to 24/7 virtual healthcare services.