Drake is getting closer and closer to going home – to a spectacular custom-built mansion in his beloved hometown.
Fans have been following the construction progress via Instagram since 2016, when Drake and architect Ferris Rafauli starting sharing photos and videos.
The latest updates, posted earlier this month, suggest that exterior work is complete and work on what Rafauli described in 2016 as 45,000 square-feet “of luxury” is coming along nicely.
As previously reported here, Drake’s new home is located at 21 Park Lane Circle in Toronto’s tony Bridle Path neighbourhood, where Prince once lived with his Canadian wife Manuela Testolini.
Drake’s new bachelor pad is across the street from the home of singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, and backs onto the mansion featured in 2004’s Mean Girls.
FLASHBACK: Drake Shares Photos Of His New Toronto Home
Drake, who owns a home in sunny California, has kept a condo in Toronto’s Ritz-Carlton while waiting for the mansion to be ready. (He sold his previous Toronto condo in 2013 for $3.75 million.)
How much Drake is spending to build the palatial estate has not been made public.
While we wait for our official invitation to the house-warming party, here is a timeline of Casa Drake (or Drizzy Manor):
September 30, 2015 – The two-acre piece of land at 21 Park Lane Circle is purchased from entrepreneur Kuidou Wu for $6.7 million by “3287650,” a Nova Scotia-registered company headed by Drake’s manager Adel Nur. A single-level home designed by James Albert Murray in the ‘60s sits on the property. Ferris Rafauli, who designed the rapper’s private lounge at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, is hired to design a luxurious home for Drake.
May 26, 2016 – At a public meeting, the City of Toronto approves plans for construction of the mansion after Drake’s reps agreed to some revisions – the building will be a little less tall, with a smaller second-floor terrace and a more narrow driveway.
July 6, 2016 – The City of Toronto launches an investigation after complaints that trees had been cut down on the property before permits were issued. Applications had been filed to remove one city-owned tree and 34 other trees on the property. Rafauli's company denies any wrongdoing.
July 26, 2016 – Rafauli shares a photo on Instagram of himself sitting atop an excavator. “Let’s get started,” reads the caption.
August 4, 2016 – The designer shares a photo of dump trucks lined-up on the street waiting to be filled, as well as a video of the excavation underway.
September 10, 2016 – “This is how we build an official NBA indoor basketball court,” reads a caption on a photo showing crews shoring and excavating.
September 16, 2016 – Rafauli shares a photo of himself standing in front of a cement wall on the property. “Scales of luxury,” reads the caption.
October 12, 2016 – Rafauli shares on Instagram a photo of the foundation of the mansion being poured. A video showing more of the concrete base is posted two days later.
October 14, 2016 – Drake and Rafauli pose together at the construction site for a photo shared by the designer on Instagram.
February 9, 2017 – A video, posted by Rafauli, shows the framing of the mansion starting to take shape.
February 17, 2017 – Drake himself shares a photo on Instagram that shows his future home’s wood framing almost complete. He captions it: “Manifested this one from time.” The next day, Rafauli posts the same photo.
March 18, 2017 – Rafauli posts a video showing construction of the mansion.
April 11, 2017 – A photo of Rafauli standing in what will be Drake’s NBA-size basketball court appears on Instagram.
May 11, 2017 – Instagram photos show Rafauli and Drake visiting the property. By now, the roof is on and windows are in.
September 22, 2017 – Drake posts a photo of he and Rafauli at the latter’s new home. “My turn now,” the rapper wrote.
January 16, 2018 – Drake posts a series of photos showing him on a visit to the still-under-construction mansion. In one, cables sticking out of the walls form the number “6.” Drake captions it: “Even the cables know what’s good.”
June 15, 2018 – Rafauli shares a video showing crews hoisting a gold frame above what will be Drake’s indoor basketball court. It is captioned: “24 karats.”
June 29, 2018 – Rafauli posts drone video (set to Drake’s “God’s Plan”) showing progress on the exterior of the mansion.
August 27, 2018 – Another video on Rafauli’s Instagram provides more glimpses at the making of Drake’s home.
September 14, 2018 – “Science in motion” is the caption on a video showing crews hard at work on the interior features of the mansion.
September 16, 2018 – Drake uses Instagram Stories to share images from inside his almost-finished home.
Drake shows progress of his Toronto home via his IG story. pic.twitter.com/p9MGyeNKGb
— Word On Road (@WordOnRd) September 17, 2018
— Word On Road (@WordOnRd) September 17, 2018
So, what do we know about Drake’s home?
- Guests will enter the grand foyer with powder rooms on either side.
- There’s a music room (of course) and a theatre.
- It has a 44’ x 94’ basketball court in the basement. If Drake gets sore from shooting hoops, he can chill out in the massage room and spa.
- There’s an indoor pool and hot tub (it gets cold in winter!)
- There are separate rooms to keep champagne and wine chilled.
- Drake’s jersey collection has its own room, and there’s a room for displaying awards.
- The rapper’s security staff have their own quarters.
- The master bedroom has its own bathroom with a steam shower as well as two dressing rooms and two private terraces.
- The mansion includes a “snack room.” Whatever that is.