ICE Condominiums
| ICE Condominiums II | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Location | 14 York Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°38′31.2″N 79°22′53.8″W / 43.642000°N 79.381611°W |
| Completed | 2015 |
| Height | |
| Height | 234.2 metres (768 ft) |
| Top floor | 212.5 metres (697 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 67 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | architects—Alliance |
| Developer | Lanterra Developments, Cadillac Fairview |
| ICE Condominiums I | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Location | 12 York Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°38′29.9″N 79°22′55.3″W / 43.641639°N 79.382028°W |
| Completed | 2014 |
| Height | |
| Height | 202.3 metres (664 ft) |
| Top floor | 178.9 metres (587 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 57 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | architects—Alliance |
| Developer | Lanterra Developments, Cadillac Fairview |
ICE Condominiums is a high-rise residential complex in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The development consists of two condominiums completed in 2014 and 2015. With 67 stories above ground and a height of 234.2 m (768 ft), the buildings are the 10th tallest in Toronto.[1]
The building is home to numerous short-term rentals and units available on Airbnb, which was given exclusive hosting rights.[2] The condominiums have been described as a "ghost hotel".[3][4][5]
History
[edit]Construction of the building was proposed in 2007, with construction beginning in 2011 and completing in 2015.[1]
In 2019, CBC News reported that the ICE Condos ranked number one among Toronto addresses with complaints about short-term rentals, with 311 in total.[6]
In 2023, Airbnb was exclusively given rights for short-term rentals at the complex.[2][7] Rajat Sharma, ICE board director and himself an Airbnb "superhost" who owns multiple units in the condo, was accused by the Condominium Authority Tribunal of harassing the building management's and "intruding into the operations of [the condominium] in a disruptive way."[4]
Safety issues
[edit]On May 7, 2015, there was a fire at the second tower; no injuries were ultimately reported.[8]
The condominiums have faced criticism from residents over garbage disposal and elevator safety concerns. A resident's TikTok video in 2021 depicting the building's elevator issues, including an outage that left only one elevator available for 29 floors in a 4 month period, received over 300,000 likes.[9] In response, the complex's management disputed the claims made in the video, stating "With respect to a TikTok video and comments circulating, ICE Condominiums disagrees with many of the comments made".[10]
Shooting incidents
[edit]Since the condominiums opened, shootings at the complex have received media attention, with critics linking the prevalence of shootings to the number of short-term residencies.[11]
In 2018, a man was shot in the chest on the 16th floor of ICE I and found with life-threatening injuries before being ultimately taken to a hospital.[12] In 2020, stray bullets in October 2020 shot through the walls at ICE Condominiums.[13] Five people were ultimately arrested in connection to the shooting.[14]
In March 2025, a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed at the building and a suspect was charged with second-degree murder.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "ÏCE Condominiums at York Centre 2 - The Skyscraper Center". Skyscraper Center. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ a b Nakhavoly, Melissa (March 9, 2023). "Toronto condo owners 'outraged' over new Airbnb partnership". CityNews. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ Murphy, Aisling (2023-10-07). "Airbnb watchdog flags hundreds of Toronto condos as 'ghost hotels'". CTVNews. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ a b Peterson, Becky (2025-05-01). "Toronto's sketchiest condo complex put on blast for reputation in new lawsuit". blogTO. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Cecco, Leyland (2020-10-15). "Flying bullets put spotlight on Toronto's short-term rental 'ghost hotels'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Brockbank, Nicole; Merali, Farrah (2019-05-02). "311 complaints about short-term rentals have skyrocketed in Toronto". CBC. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Kassam, Zakiya (March 13, 2023). "Infamous ICE Condos Enters Into Exclusive Partnership With Airbnb". Storeys. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ "No injuries reported at 2-alarm fire at downtown Toronto condo". CBC News. May 7, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ O'Brien, Abby (2021-09-02). "Toronto woman posts video she says exposes living conditions in well-known downtown condo building". CTVNews. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Houghton, Brooke (2021-09-03). "Toronto's ICE Condos Replies To Viral TikTok That Shows Hectic Living Conditions (VIDEO) - Narcity". Narcity. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Subramaniam, Vanmala (2020-12-02). "'I regret buying a unit in this building': How the rise of Airbnb turned twin Toronto condo towers into a battleground". The Logic. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
The greater, and longer-term impediment, in Sharma's opinion, was the stream of negative publicity that these particular buildings […] kept receiving, the most high profile of which were two shooting incidents, two years apart, which media reports linked to short-term-rental units, or STRs.
- ^ Reporter, Emerald Bensadoun Staff (2018-12-14). "Man shot in chest at downtown Toronto condo, police say". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Cecco, Leyland (2020-10-15). "Flying bullets put spotlight on Toronto's short-term rental 'ghost hotels'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ "5 arrested after shots fired between condo units in Toronto, gun recovered". CBC. 2020-10-13. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
- ^ Rodrigues, Gabby (March 24, 2025). "'They were known to each other': Teen shot, killed inside downtown Toronto condo". Global News. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ "Police ID 16-year-old shot and killed in downtown Toronto Airbnb rental". CBC News. March 24, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.