Queensway mid-rise set to shrink its unit count 

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After launching as Nordic-inspired Kul Condos, the 12-storey now called Maxium at 875 The Queensway is undergoing more significant changes than its renaming. 

The unit count has been reduced from 177 to 152, with studios now accounting for just nine 458-square-foot units, and one-bedrooms for 59 units of up to 697 square feet. Two-bedrooms, meanwhile, have been increased to 69 units — more than half are more than 800 square feet — with three-bedrooms topping out at 1,156 square feet. 

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“We’re prioritizing spacious, functional layouts over squeezing in as many units as possible,” explains Christopher Wein, chief operating officer of Maxium’s Burlington-based developer, Equiton. “The tiny condos that have been dominating the market the last several years really cater to speculative investors, and that has contributed to the crash happening today. There comes a point where things are getting so tight that you don’t have room for furniture, you don’t have room for clothes, you don’t have room to cook a proper meal. So we went back to the drawing board and really considered the wants and needs of people who live in the condo units they buy.”  

Through market research and feedback from previous Equiton buyers, kitchens were deemed a priority. To that end, Maxium’s studios and one-bedrooms include 10-foot kitchens; 12-foot kitchens in the two-beds; and 14-foot kitchens in the three-bedroom units. All come equipped with Bosch appliances, custom cabinetry from Scavolini with extended-height upper cabinets, and quartz countertops and backsplashes. 

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The building’s amenities were also revamped.  “For years, condo amenities were inspired by luxury hotels — spas, fancy party rooms and so on — but they didn’t actually serve the people living in the building,” Wein says. “We wanted to change that.” 

One of the most innovative additions is the children’s play area, housed in a glass-enclosed space adjacent to an adult lounge. The design allows parents working from home to keep an eye on their kids without being in the same room. For older children and teens, there’s a dedicated games room equipped with video games and foosball.   

A redesigned gym, meanwhile, includes private workout booths. “In the age of social media, a lot of people don’t want to be filmed or feel self-conscious while working out,” Wein explains.  

The lobby, meanwhile, is designed as a welcoming space rather than just a pass-through, featuring a two-way indoor-outdoor fireplace. Other thoughtful additions include an upgraded parcel delivery area and a pet spa.   

The decision to build larger, higher-quality units might seem counterintuitive in a time when affordability is a major concern. But for Equiton, it’s a calculated bet that the market is shifting. “Over the last five years, the trend was small, small and smaller,” Wein says. “We thought, let’s be bold and let’s be first.”   

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The recent 25-basis-point reduction in the Bank of Canada’s lending rate has also helped spur buyer interest. “The market isn’t going to roar back overnight, but we think we’ve got the right product, in the right neighborhood, with the right finishes, and at the right price to see strong action,” Wein notes.   

Rather than catering to investors, Maxium has been designed with four key buyer demographics in mind: longtime residents of the area looking to downsize without leaving their community, young professionals and families seeking homes that offer space to expand, investors favouring long-term returns over short-term speculation, and what Wein calls “condo-by-choice residents,” who prefer the convenience of condo living, like Wein himself. “I love the walkability, the urban lifestyle and the fact that I don’t have to worry about shoveling or mowing a lawn.” 

Starting at $390,000. For more information, visit 875thequeensway.com or the presentation centre at 872 The Queensway. 

Three things 

Elijah’s Automatic Flame Broiled, created by The Burger’s Priest founder Shant Mardirosian, turns freshly ground meat into burgers, alongside charred chicken sandwiches and Beast fries topped with grilled onion, cheddar and house sauce. 821 The Queensway  

Queensway Park spans 3.1 hectares and features two illuminated baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a children’s playground and an outdoor ice rink with a winding skating trail. 8 Avon Park Dr. 

Recent retail arrivals at Sherway Gardens, the 18th largest shopping mall in Canada, include casual wear purveyor Uniqlo, fragrance vendor Diptyque, and an outpost of the Garage casual clothing brand. 25 The West Mall 

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