Aoyuan Property Group, a pioneer of mixed-use community developments in China and a proponent of healthy living, is redeveloping the 8.6 acre Newtonbrook Plaza site at Yonge and Finch in Toronto.
Founded in 1996, Aoyuan was the first developer in China to integrate residential real estate with sport and recreation amenities. Their first sports-themed development, named Olympic Garden or Aoyuan, was based on the idea that exercise and being healthy started at home.
Aoyuan has expanded to six different business arms ranging from e-commerce to hospitality. Innovative projects include a mobile app that integrates e-commerce with property management and a large-scale chocolate theme park.
“Aoyuan brings a unique approach to the way we think about the built environment and real estate. Building healthy lifestyle communities was part of their DNA from the beginning,” says Vince Santino, senior vice-president of development (Eastern Canada), Aoyuan Property Holdings (Canada) Ltd. “Aoyuan knows real estate is not only about giving people a two or three-bedroom unit. They have a corporate intelligence about the way people live which gets baked into their master-plans.”
This will be Aoyuan’s largest master-planned community in Canada. Plans include five residential towers, 180,000 square feet of office and retail, a daycare and community centre. The new community will be 100 metres from the Yonge and Finch subway and Finch Go Station. A portion of the lands, which is currently a parking lot, will be transformed into a new park and playground. Aoyuan has also embraced the City’s desire to encourage larger suites for families of all shapes and sizes.
“Aoyuan takes into consideration exactly how purchasers will be affected by every decision they make,” says Josie Arcella, senior sales and marketing manager (Eastern Canada), Aoyuan Property Holdings. “Can they move around freely in their bedroom, can they fit a Queen bed? Is a walk-in closet most functional? Aoyuan’s designs are not based solely on global trends, but on the functionality of the entire community and what buyers really need.”
Aoyuan’s current land bank totals more than 200 million square feet and 100 major residential and commercial properties in over 30 cities across China, Australia and Canada.
