*As published on Yonge Street Media

Vine Avenue might be called part of the North Junction, that bit between Dundas Street West and the railway line that gives the neighbourhood its name.

It's overlooked, for the most part, though many of the houses are just as attractive as those in the desirable south. Except for those middle three: two semi-detached houses and an old Victorian that had been nice at one point, but had long ago fallen into a desuetude it was not likely to rise from.

"I certainly thought about working with the Victorian," says lawyer, developer and former Junction resident Tony Azevedo, who bought all three and is now in the process of replacing them with five new townhouses. "But it was fire-damaged, and it just wasn't practical. It was in pretty bad shape. The brick veneer was cracked, the mortar was compromised, it wasn't realistic."

Operating under the name of Daz Developments, Azevedo, with architect Paul Da Cunha, have come up with a modern design for the new structure. "It's my first really cool development," Azevedo says, mentioning he's done a few other more traditional ones around town. He's also in the process of developing 1245 Dundas Street West with a design by RAW.

Demolition of the old houses took place in July, and Azevedo hopes the new places, which are up for sale now—about 1,600 square feet each, ranging in price from about $595,000 to around $630,000—will be ready to occupy by February.