Heathview apartments ready

A Forest Hill development more than 14 years in the making will finally open in July.

The Heathview, a 29-storey, two-tower rental apartment complex at 310 and 320 Tweedsmuir Ave., is the culmination of a project that began in 2000, when the Ontario Municipal Board approved the demolition of two 12-storey concrete apartments on the site.

“They were at the end of their functional life,” says Brian Athey, vice-president of Morguard, which finished but did not start the development. “They were structurally sound but very, very dated.”

Morguard acquired the project from Gold List Property Services in 2008, shepherding its vision through the municipal approval process in 2009, demolishing the former buildings in 2010 and beginning construction on the new ones in 2011.

The first six months of construction were complicated by the location, which lies at the western edge of the Don River and required a deep foundation.

Local councillor Joe Mihevc says neighbours are “delighted” the buildings are finished.

Despite their height, the Chicago Gothic-style towers are designed to minimize shadows.

The first building’s residents will arrive in July. The second tower is to open in the fall.