Monthly Archives: April 2011

City Scene: A BIXI mix-up

April 30 2011: Notwithstanding what the signage says, this new BIXI public bike rental station (sans bicycles) is actually at Jarvis & Isabella Streets

Big oops!: Things could get off to a confusing start four tourists and even many city residents when Toronto’s new BIXI public bike system launches on Tuesday. The sign on the bike rental station installed this week at the northeast corner of Jarvis and Isabella Streets is mislabelled as “Yonge St & Dundonald St,” which is actually four blocks away to the southwest. I didn’t have time to hike over to Yonge & Dundonald today to see if the station there is marked “Jarvis St & Isabella St” or something else, but can only presume that at least one other station has been installed in the wrong place. Hopefully they will get the station signs sorted out before Tuesday … as well as their website map that indicates rental station locations. Neither the Jarvis & Isabella nor the Yonge & Dundonald stations appear on the map, nor do any of the other dozen BIXI stations I saw while walking around downtown today.

Keeping tabs on … Ryerson Gallery & Research Centre

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April 30 2011: Ryerson Gallery and Research Centre exterior construction progress viewed from the northeast corner of Bond and Gould Streets

Colourful facade: It’s not scheduled to open until September 2012, but the Ryerson Gallery and Research Centre looks more and more complete each time I walk past — from the outside. Inside, it’s a much different story; at night, when lights are on and you can see through the huge windows, it’s obvious that substantial interior construction work remains to be done. The facility, which is part of Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts, will be “an international centre of excellence for the study, teaching, research and public exhibition of photography, new media and film,” the university website states. It also will be one of the most colourful buildings in downtown Toronto at night, thanks to a programmable multicoloured light show that emanates from thousands of LED lights behind the Centre’s translucent glass exterior. The Centre was designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects. According to the Ryerson University website, the Centre “will have more space for students to mingle, lounge, study and collaborate; improved faculty offices; renovated digital imaging facilities and dedicated production areas; greater accessibility, particularly with washrooms and elevators; and more natural light. Landscaping will fully integrate the building into the newly pedestrianized Gould Street.” Below are photos I’ve taken of the Ryerson Gallery and Research Centre between late February and today. Additional images of earlier construction progress can be viewed in my January 12 2011 post.

February 25 2011: Dusk provides an opportunity to see inside the Centre and view ongoing testing of the facade’s LED light show

February 25 2011: Another Gould Street view of the Centre’s north side

February 25 2011: The west side of the Centre viewed from the skating rink

February 25 2011: Thousands of programmable LED lights behind the building’s translucent glass exterior will illuminate the Centre at night

March 11 2011: Another test of the Centre’s facade light show; testing of the light system has been ongoing since early in the year

April 8 2011: Northwest view of the Centre from Bond Street

April 8 2011: St George’s Greek Orthodox Church reflects in the facade

April 30 2011: Ryerson Gallery and Research Centre viewed from Gould Street

April 30 2011: Ryerson University expects construction to be complete in time for the building to be occupied for the 2011-2012 academic year

April 30 2011: Ground level view of the Centre’s northeast corner

April 30 2011: A view of the building’s northeast facade along Bond Street

April 30 2011: The southeast end of the Centre on Bond Street

April 30 2011: Northwest view of the building from Bond Street

April 30 2011: The center section of the east facade is still under wraps

April 30 2011: The glass facade on the east (Bond Street) side of the Centre

April 30 2011: A view of the Centre from the corner of Gould & Victoria Streets

Work gets underway preparing Yonge-St Joseph site for construction of 45-storey FIVE condo tower

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FIVE Condos, depicted at dusk in this illustration provided courtesy of Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects, will become a landmark for the Yonge-Wellesley area.

April 22 2011: A St Joseph Street view of the FIVE Condos development site

April 27 2011: Soil testing and utility service locating activity on St Nicholas Street, the western flank of the FIVE Condos construction site

High FIVE: The block to the northwest of Yonge and Wellesley Streets is set to become downtown’s newest condo construction zone, as crews begin preparing the site for FIVE Condos at 5 St Joseph. For the past two weeks, contractors have been conducting soil tests on the project site perimeter, while on Tuesday workers began locating and marking utility service entry points to the property, including gas, sewer and power lines. Yesterday and again today, St Nicholas Street was closed to traffic between St Joseph Street and Phipps Street as crews conducted more preliminary work along the northwest flank of the FIVE Condos location and continued demolishing the interior of some of the buildings on site. That section of St Nicholas Street could remain closed to vehicles and foot traffic for up to four years — the time it’s expected to take to construct FIVE’s 45-storey tower, heritage lofts and street-level retail spaces.

I wish construction wasn’t going to take so long, because I’m anxious to see not just how the FIVE tower will appear on the city skyline, but also to see if I’m right in predicting that this significant mixed-use development project could kick-start a much-needed renewal of the worn and weary Yonge Street strip between Wellesley and Bloor Streets.

FIVE is an intriguing project that will transform a large L-shaped piece of property fronting on St Nicholas Street to the west, St Joseph Street to the north, and Yonge Street to the east. There are three heritage buildings on the site — the Rawlinson Cartage buildings at 610 and 612 Yonge Street, and the William Doherty building at 614 Yonge street — along with other historically noteworthy structures including Rawlinson warehouse buildings at 5 St Joseph and along the east side of St Nicholas Street.

I must admit I felt dismayed when the FIVE project was publicly proposed three years ago, and not just because it meant my favourite gym would eventually be closed (I used to work out at a fitness club that occupied three floors of the Rawlinson building on St Joseph; it was a wonderful, incomparable space for a gym, and I was sorry to learn it was going to become loft condos). Word on the street at the time suggested that most of the heritage buildings between Yonge and St Nicholas would have to be razed to make way for a modern glass and steel tower. I dreaded the thought that the wonderful brick buildings might be demolished, since that would totally destroy the neighbourhood’s charm, ruin the look and feel of the narrow brick-paved St Nicholas laneway, and sadly eliminate some charming old buildings from the streetscape along Yonge. But I was hugely relieved once I saw that Hariri Pontarini Architects had sensitively designed the condo development around the heritage buildings, and wasn’t going to take away the things I love most about this particular area. Now I’m actually looking forward to the construction. I think that FIVE will not only breathe new life into a big block of historic buildings, but could also reinvigorate the surrounding neighbourhood, and perhaps even exert a positive influence on further thoughtful development along the Yonge Street strip.

With distinctive curving glass balconies, the 45-storey FIVE condo tower will establish a visual landmark and focal point for the Yonge & Wellesley area. The refurbished facades for the re-purposed historic buildings will become landmarks in their own right, preserving and enhancing the neighbourhood’s charm and character while demonstrating that development doesn’t always require the destruction of old buildings. FIVE could be a trailblazing project, showing the city and developers how to blend new residential highrises into older, low-rise buildings along a major commercial thoroughfare without spoiling the unique look and feel of the streetscape. My key hope is that the city will ultimately pedestrianize St Nicholas to complement the cafés and boutiques envisioned for FIVE’s street level; a European-style promenade with outdoor café seating would be a perfect enhancement to the neighbourhood. (5ive, a gay dance bar that formerly occupied the ground floor of 9 St Joseph,operated a café and bar on the tree-shaded boulevard in front of the building for a few summers in the early 2000s. It would be great to see the northwest streetcorner at the FIVE complex come alive with something like that once again.)

For the next several years, though, I’ll have to wait and watch while FIVE goes up. That should be equally interesting to follow. While crews dig a 19-meter-deep excavation on the construction site, the five-story facade of the Rawlinson building on St Joseph Street will have to be preserved and maintained. That means a steel support structure must be erected on the street to hold the wall in place. Although the five-storey west wall of the historical building on St Nicholas Street will be dismantled to allow for construction of the FIVE tower, it will be rebuilt. Since the developer needs construction staging areas, on-street parking spaces must be removed from the south side of St Joseph; meanwhile, the narrow (5.5-meter wide) stretch of St Nicholas between St Joseph and Phipps Street must be closed altogether for the duration of construction. The street closures and parking space removals could cost the developer $216,000 in fees payable to the city, full details of which are outlined in a March 30 2011 city report.

Below are recent photos I’ve taken of buildings on and around the FIVE development site, along with renderings provided courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects that suggest how the Yonge, St Joseph and St Nicholas streetscapes will appear once the heritage buildings and facades have been restored and rebuilt into the condo complex. Additional renderings, including images of the FIVE tower from four different perspectives, can be viewed on the St Joseph + Yonge project description page of the Hariri Pontarini website.

From a background file on the City of Toronto website, a Transportation Services diagram shows street closures required for the construction of FIVE Condos

The development proposal sign that was posted outside 5 St Joseph Street, seen here in December 2008. The original plan proposed a 49-storey tower, but a 45-floor tower will be built instead.

December 19 2008: The former Rawlinson Cartage building at 5 St Joseph Street

The FIVE Condos site at the southwest corner of Yonge and St Joseph Streets seen during a snowstorm on December 19 2008

March 1 2009: Neighbourhood opposition failed to stop the development

April 19 2010: A view of the southwest corner of Yonge and St Joseph Streets. A long advertising banner indicates the Yonge Street properties that are part of the FIVE Condos development site

April 19 2010: The FIVE Condos site on the south side of St Joseph Street just west of Yonge Street

April 19 2010: Banners advertising FIVE Condos on the facade of the former Rawlinson Cartage building at 5 St Joseph Street

April 19 2010: Street-level view of the former Rawlinson Cartage building

April 19 2010: Looking west on Dundonald Street toward the FIVE Condos site

December 4 2010: Looking south on St Nicholas Street at the west side of the FIVE Condos site. This brick facade will be dismantled and rebuilt.

December 4 2010: The west side of the FIVE Condos site viewed from the southwest corner of St Nicholas Street and Phipps Street

December 4 2010: The west side of the FIVE Condos site viewed from Phipps Street looking north along St Nicholas Street

December 4 2010: The west side of the FIVE Condos site, looking north along St Nicholas Street from the corner of Phipps Street. This part of the project site will be transformed into street-level retail space (see below).

This rendering, provided courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects, suggests how dramatically St Nicholas Street will be transformed with the addition of street-level retail space in the FIVE Condos development

December 4 2010: This passageway through one of the buildings on the FIVE Condos site leads from St Nicholas Street to a laneway behind Yonge Street

March 12 2011: A view of what’s at the east end of the passageway, looking toward the back of several buildings that front onto Yonge Street.

March 12 2011: Looking north from the laneway behind St Nicholas and Yonge Streets. The FIVE Condo tower will rise 45 floors from this location.

December 21 2010: Looking east on Phipps Street (behind the Sutton Place Hotel) toward the FIVE Condos development site

December 21 2010: A view from Phipps Street of one of the St Nicholas Street buildings on the FIVE Condos development site

December 21 2010: The Shred Central skate park at 19 St Nicholas Street was the city’s last indoor skateboard facility. It closed in January to make way for the FIVE Condos construction. The park’s closure, after 13 years of operations, made the news in the December 3 2010 issue of the Globe and Mail.

December 21 2010: St Nicholas Street view of the three-storey building at the south end of the FIVE Condos development site. The five-storey brick building at far right is not part of the FIVE project.

December 21 2010: Street-level view of the west wall of the FIVE Condos site on St Nicholas Street, just below St Joseph Street

December 21 2010: Looking up at the St Nicholas Street facade

December 21 2010: Fire stairs on the St Nicholas Street facade of the Rawlinson Cartage building at 5 St Joseph Street

April 9 2011: The southwest corner of Yonge & St Joseph Streets

April 9 2011: Three of the Yonge Street properties included in the FIVE project

April 9 2011: More of the Yonge Street properties that are part of the FIVE project

This rendering, provided courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects, illustrates how the Yonge Street buildings and storefronts will be incorporated into the FIVE Condos project

April 19 2011: The Eleven Residences condominium building at 11 St Joseph Street was originally another historic Rawlinson Cartage building. When the building was redeveloped into a residential highrise in the early 2000s, its facade was dismantled and reassembled — as will be the case with the facades for the buildings where FIVE Condos will rise.

April 22 2011: A St Joseph Street view of the Five Condos site

April 22 2011: Southeasterly view of the 5 St Joseph Street building and the development site along the east side of St Nicholas Street

This rendering, provided courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects, offers a St Joseph Street view of the FIVE Condos development

April 22 2011: The entrance to the FIVE Condos presentation and sales centre at 5 St Joseph Street. The street level premises of this former Rawlinson Cartage building have been home to at least three gay bars: Katrina’s during the 1980s, Colby’s in the 1990s, and 5ive in the early 2000s.

April 22 2011: Buildings on the north side of St Joseph Street, directly across from the Five Condos site

Keeping tabs on … Delta Hotel & Bremner office tower construction at Southcore Financial Centre

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April 21 2011: Pile driving and shoring activity continues as crews prepare the Delta Toronto hotel and Bremner Tower office site for excavation.

Shore thing: The site for downtown Toronto’s next new hotel and office tower — part of the Southcore Financial Centre (SFC) at the northwest corner of Bremner Boulevard and Lower Simcoe Street — continues to be prepared for excavation. Drilling rigs have been working on the property since the beginning of this year, installing steel I-beams to shore up the north side of the site next to the railway tracks. Excavation for the 45-storey Delta Toronto hotel and the 30-storey Bremner Tower office building should commence within a few months. Meanwhile, the 26-storey PricewaterhouseCoopers office building — the first SFC tower to be built — is 86% leased, with occupancy expected to be begin this fall. Below is a rendering from the Southcore Financial Centre website, showing how all three towers will appear once completed, along with a series of photos I took of the construction site on Thursday.

From the SFC website, a south view of the hotel & office towers

April 21 2011: Bremner Boulevard north view of the construction site

April 21 2011: The site sits south of the railway tracks, and across Lower Simcoe Street from the Toronto Convention Centre (left)

April 21 2011: North view from Bremner Boulevard of the SFC site

April 21 2011: The west half of the site, along Lower Simcoe Street

April 21 2011: Northeast view of the construction zone from Bremner Blvd.

April 21 2011: North view of the construction area from Bremner Blvd.

April 21 2011: An excavator and a pile driver on the site

April 21 2011: A steel I-beam sunk into the ground to shore up the south perimeter of the two-tower building site

April 21 2011: One of the drilling rigs preparing the site for excavation

April 21 2011: Drilling rig parts next to a pile of steel I-beams

April 21 2011: East view of the Southcore Financial Centre construction site from the Simcoe Street steps to the Toronto Convention Centre

April 21 2011: A view of the row of steel I-beam foundation supports next to the railway tracks at the north end of the construction site

April 21 2011: The north half of the hotel and office tower site

April 21 2011: Pile driving machines near the SE corner of the site

April 21 2011: I-beams along the north side of the property

April 21 2011: A pile driving machine on the west side of the site

April 21 2011: An excavator digging at the northeast corner of the site

Pit stop: ÏCE & Infinity3 construction progress

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April 21 2011: Lower Simcoe Street view of bottom level construction progress at the Infinity3 and ÏCE condo tower construction sites

Lower floor poured: The giant pit between York Street and Lower Simcoe Street is starting to fill in, as construction of underground levels at the ÏCE Condos and Infinity3 Condo projects moves along. Five construction cranes are now working on the site — up from the three that I mentioned in my February 25 2011 post. Below are some photos I took of the construction progress on Thursday.

April 21 2011: Four of the five construction cranes working the site are visible in this east view of the Infinity3 and ÏCE condo building progress

April 21 2011: All five cranes — four white, one red — are visible in this view from Roundhouse Park above Lower Simcoe Street

April 21 2011: The vast excavation for the two condominium tower projects stretches from York Street at the east to Lower Simcoe Street at the west

April 21 2011: Freshly poured concrete floor near the site’s northwest corner

April 21 2011: Forms in place to pour the next underground floor for ÏCE Condos

April 21 2011: Building activity is currently concentrated on the center of the site

April 21 2011: A view of the curved southeast corner of the ÏCE Condos site

April 21 2011: Wall forms for ÏCE Condos underground levels

April 21 2011: Floor and wall forms for the ÏCE Condos underground levels

April 21 2011: Rebar and freshly poured concrete

April 21 2011: A construction worker smooths a freshly poured concrete floor

April 21 2011: Underground floors take shape in the middle of the site

April 21 2011: The Lower Simcoe Street entrance to the Infinity3 excavation

April 21 2011: A loo with an Infinity3 view

April 21 2011: Construction of the bottom underground level for Infinity3 approaches the west end of the site near Lower Simcoe Street

April 21 2011: The ramp from Lower Simcoe Street into the deep excavation for the Infinity3 condo development

April 21 2011: A view of the Infinity3 condo excavation from Grand Trunk Crescent

April 21 2011: A view of the Infinity3 construction zone

April 21 2011: Another Grand Trunk Crescent view of the Infinity3 condo site

April 21 2011: Lower floor construction progress near the western third of the site

April 21 2011: Lower floor construction progress in the middle of the excavation

April 21 2011: A red and yellow crane works the east side of the ÏCE Condos site

City Scene: Toronto Hydro handwell replacements reduce risk of shock for pedestrians & pets

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April 21 2011: Orange cones mark handwell replacement work on St Thomas Street, above, and along St Nicholas Street to the south (below)

Shocking but true: During the last decade, it’s been almost impossible to walk more than a few blocks in downtown Toronto without having to pass under scaffolding and alongside hoarding on sidewalks adjacent to building construction sites. And for most of the past three years, Yorkville-area pedestrians and shoppers have had to wind their way around construction activity as the Bloor Street Transformation Project gave the Mink Mile a major makeover. This year, there’s a new hazard for downtown walkers: crews cutting up sections of sidewalks to replace hydroelectric handwells in the pavement. Handwells are the metal plates that mark access points for underground electrical service to streetlights, traffic lights, signs and other utilities. Under certain conditions, these lids can become energized, transmitting shocks to pedestrians and animals that come in contact with them. In 2008 and 2009, at least two dogs died when they stepped on handwells and got electrocuted, while several people also received shocks, a February 2 2009 Toronto Star story reported. Last year, Toronto Hydro launched a handwell remediation program to replace the metal lids with non-conductive polymer concrete access panels. More than 15,000 handwells across the city are being inspected and replaced. The program is in full swing at the moment, and it’s common to encounter orange traffic cones and asphalt patches along downtown sidewalks where the panels are being changed. As if that’s not enough, sections of streets and sidewalks through Toronto are being dug up as the City launches its annual summer infrastructure construction program. More than $130 million will be spent on maintenance and repairs to bridges, roads and sidewalks, along with sewer and watermain replacement. If you heading out for a walk, be sure to watch your step!

George Brown College waterfront campus construction starts commanding attention

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April 21 2011: The second level of the new George Brown College waterfront campus dominates the view south from Queen’s Quay Boulevard…

…compared to August 29 2010, when only the construction cranes were visible.

April 21 2011: West view of the construction site from Sherbourne Common

April 21 2011: Southwest view of the construction from the lakeside promenade in front of the Corus Quay office building next door

Second floor takes shape: Mid-February was the last time I walked around the construction site for the new George Brown College waterfront campus. As photos from my February 5 2011 post showed, construction activity at the time was still below grade, as crews continued to form floors and walls for the building’s underground levels. From the street and the adjacent Sherbourne Common park, only the two giant construction cranes, concrete pumping machines, and assorted heavy construction machines and trucks were obvious to onlookers.

The scene was completely different when I made a return visit to the construction site on Thursday afternoon. With construction up to the second floor, the Health Sciences building now has a strong visual presence, rising well above the hoarding along Queen’s Quay boulevard. And as construction climbs higher toward its full eight-storey height, the college building will continue to steal attention away from its next-door neighbour, Corus Quay.

Below is a series of photos showing construction progress on the waterfront campus back in mid-February and as of this week.

February 18 2011: A concrete pumping machine at the George Brown College waterfront campus construction site, viewed from Sherbourne Common

February 18 2011: North view of the George Brown College construction site from the lakeside walkway between Sherbourne Common and Sugar Beach

February 18 2011: Northwest view of the construction site from the walkway between the campus and the west side of Sherbourne Common

February 18 2011: Northeast view of the George Brown College waterfront campus construction from the lakeside walkway at Corus Quay

February 18 2011: East view of the construction site shows the college building’s underground levels approaching street grade

April 21 2011: Queen’s Quay boulevard view of second-level construction activity on the north side of the campus building

April 21 2011: A view of the north side of the building through the construction entrance on Queen’s Quay

April 21 2011: A view of the center section of the building’s north side

April 21 2011: Campus construction viewed from the northwest on Queen’s Quay

April 21 2011: Second level construction underway at the northwest corner

April 21 2011: Construction on the northwest corner of the campus building

April 21 2011: The west side of the building viewed from the walkway between the campus and the Corus Quay offices next door

April 21 2011: Southwest view of the construction progress from the lakeside walkway that links Sugar Beach and Corus Quay with Sherbourne Common

April 21 2011: View toward the southeast corner of the building from the lakeside walkway near Sherbourne Common

April 21 2011: The southeast corner of the building, viewed from the walkway between the campus and Sherbourne Common

April 21 2011: Concrete delivery at the northeast corner of the building

April 21 2011: Second level construction at the northeast corner of the building

April 21 2011: Northeast view of the construction from Sherbourne Common

April 21 2011: Concrete truck at the northeast corner of the construction zone

April 21 2011: Sherbourne Common view of the college rising beside Corus Quay

April 21 2011: The east side of the building, viewed from Sherbourne Common

City Scene: The keys to X Condos

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April 22 2011: Lockboxes containing keys to units for sale at X Condos

Keys to your next condo: Looking to buy a condo in the Bloor-Jarvis area? You’ll have lots of options on Charles Street East, where at least 23 suites are currently up for resale at the X Condos tower alone. The photo above, taken at X Condos on Good Friday, shows real estate agent lockboxes containing keys to units listed for sale in the building.

The 44-storey condo tower is situated at 110 Charles Street East, on the northeast corner of Ted Rogers Way (aka Jarvis Street). The lowest-priced unit listed on the mls.ca website on Friday was $319,900 for a 545-square-foot 1-bedroom on the 17th floor. The most expensive listing was $918,000 for a 2-bedroom plus den with three bathrooms on the 40th floor. Most suites are priced in the $400,000’s.

If you’re not interested in X Condos, but want to live in the same neighbourhood, there’s still plenty of choice: Couture Condos is under construction right next door, while X2 Condos is starting construction right across the street.

City Scenes: Digging itself into a deep hole

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February 8 2011: A Caterpillar 321C excavator digs at the top of a tall pile of earth in the southeast corner of the Couture Condos excavation site on Ted Rogers Way in the Bloor/Jarvis neighbourhood.

February 8 2011: Foundation construction for the 44-storey condo tower proceeds on the northern two-thirds of the project site while excavation continues on the southern section, next to the X Condos tower.

February 16 2011: The huge mound of earth doesn’t seem to be getting any smaller

March 16 2011: The pile of earth in the southeast corner has shrunk considerably, and foundation construction has commenced at the southwest corner of the site.

March 16 2011: The Cat excavator sits at the P4 level of the Couture site — the lowest parking level for the highrise condo building.

March 24 2011: The Cat excavator gets a helping hand from above the day after a late March snowfall.

April 2 2011: The excavation is nearly complete in the southeast corner as P4 foundation construction approaches the Cat excavator.

April 22 2011: With the excavation finished in the southeast corner, construction of the rest of the P4 level foundation proceeds quickly.

Sherbourne Common north park nears completion

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April 21 2011: One of the water fountain features in the new Sherbourne Common north park area, which is nearing completion on Lower Sherbourne Street

April 21 2011: Looking east from Lower Sherbourne Street at the nearly-completed north park section of Sherbourne Common

Nearly finished: Construction of the north section of the new Sherbourne Common park is in its final stages, and the new recreational facility could be fully open to the public in only a few weeks’ time. Below are some photos I took of the park on Friday; there’s also a link to an online photo album containing dozens more photos of both the north and south sections of Sherbourne Common, as well as the nearby Canada’s Sugar Beach.

April 21 2011: Lower Sherbourne Street view of the park

April 21 2011: One of the whimsical installations in the park

April 21 2011: Eastward view of the center section of Sherbourne Common North

April 21 2011: Another installation at Sherbourne Common

April 21 2011: View of Sherbourne Common park from Queen’s Quay Blvd

April 21 2011: Construction crew working at Sherbourne Common North

April 21 2011: Crew working to finish Sherbourne Common North

April 21 2011: The water fountains at Sherbourne Common North

April 21 2011: One of the water fountains at Sherbourne Common North

April 21 2011: A water channel on the south Sherbourne Common

Pit stop: First underground floor taking shape for The Residences of Pier 27 waterfront condos

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April 21 2011: View toward the southeast corner of the enormous excavation for phase one of The Residences of Pier 27 waterfront condos

April 21 2011: Floors and walls take shape along the east side of the site

April 21 2011: The Pier 27 foundation is four levels deep

April 21 2011: A closer view of progress in the center of the construction site

April 21 2011: Two construction cranes are operating on the site at present; this one is situated near the southeast corner of the excavation

April 21 2011: A closer view of the southeast corner of the excavation

Big basement: The excavation for Phase One of The Residences of Pier 27 is finished and the bottom underground level for the eastern half of the waterfront condo complex is quickly taking shape. Meanwhile, the excavation on the west side of the site (Phase Two) is roughly two-thirds complete and proceeding on schedule, according to an April 8 entry in a blog published by the condo developer, Cityzen Developments.

Below are two illustrations, from the project website, that suggest how The Residences of Pier 27 buildings — designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architects Alliance — will look once completed. Also below are several more photos I shot of construction activity at the massive Pier 27 building site yesterday afternoon. Earlier construction photos can be viewed in my February 18 2011 post about The Residences of Pier 27 condo project.

From The Residences of Pier 27 project website, this illustration suggests how the condo development will appear on the Toronto waterfront.

Also from the project website, this illustration suggests how the condo complex will appear when viewed from Toronto harbour at dusk.

April 21 2011: Foundation construction at the north end of the excavation

April 21 2011: A glimpse through the fence at the NE corner of the site

April 21 2011: Building activity at the southeast corner of the excavation

April 21 2011: Surveying the construction activity four levels below grade

April 21 2011: A crane in the east (Phase 1) excavation, and an excavating machine at the west end (Phase 2) of the Pier 27 condo construction site

April 21 2011: Piles of rebar at street level high above the east (Phase 1) side of the Pier 27 construction site

April 21 2011: South view of one of the cranes and foundation construction progress on the east side of the Pier 27 site

April 21 2011 Looking southeast at the enormous excavation. Digging is finished for Phase 1 and is about 60% finished for Phase 2

April 21 2011: Building activity in Pier 27’s southeast corner

April 21 2011: The long retaining wall along the south perimeter of the property

April 21 2011: Lower-level foundation forms in the southeast corner

April 21 2011: Construction workers and support columns four levels below grade

April 21 2011: Support columns in the southeast corner of the Pier 27 excavation

April 21 2011: Construction activity in the center of the building site

April 21 2011: An excavator above the west (Phase 2) excavation

April 21 2011: East view of the Pier 27 construction site

April 21 2011: Southeast view of the Phase 1 excavation

April 21 2011: Construction progress in the southeast corner

April 21 2011: One of the two construction cranes working on the project

Public urged to pressure politicians to create park on Wellesley St. site of stalled apartment project

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April 19 2011: A southwest view of hoarding around 11 Wellesley St. W., between Yonge & Bay Streets. Behind are the Murano condo towers (left), the Opera Place condos (center) and The Bay Club apartments (right), all on Bay St.

April 9 2011: A northwest view of 11 Wellesley Street West from the corner of Breadalbane St and St Luke Lane. A half-dozen highrise apartment and condo towers, and the Sutton Place Hotel (center), overlook the site.

Potential parkland: Could a big piece of prime downtown real estate become a public park instead of the apartment complex that a developer had planned to build on the site? Apparently so — if enough people can convince city and provincial politicians to make it happen.

The land in question has a municipal address of 11 Wellesley Street West, and occupies the eastern half of the city block bounded by Wellesley to the north, St. Luke Lane to the east, Breadalbane Street to the south, and Bay street to the west. Over the past two decades, it has earned notoriety as a site where ambitious development plans fail to materialize.

Back in the late 1980s, the provincial government donated the entire block of land for construction of a new ballet/opera house. Various levels of government pledged tens of millions of dollars toward the project, and construction of a spectacular building designed by architect Moshe Safdie was supposed to start early in 1991. However, with Ontario in the throes of a recession and facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit, the province’s newly-elected NDP government withdrew its $65 million cash pledge. In turn, the federal government and Metro Toronto cancelled their pledges for $88 million and $20 million, respectively, and the project was cancelled.

A skateboard park occupied the site for a few years until a developer acquired the western half of the property and built the Allegro at Opera Place condo tower and The Bay Club rental apartment building along Bay Street. The developer, Morguard, planned to build two more apartment buildings, 9 and 10 storeys tall, on the 11 Wellesley West site, along with a recreational amenities facility for the use of residents in all of the buildings (including two more Opera Place condo towers previously constructed one block south on Bay Street, between Breadalbane and Grosvenor Streets). However, shovels never got in the ground for the final phase of construction, and the property has sat vacant behind hoarding ever since — an eyesore that annoys hundreds of residents in the condos and apartments overlooking the site, not to mention passersby on Wellesley and Breadalbane.

I have long wondered why Morguard wanted to build only low-rise apartments on a location ideal for highrise development — to me, tall condo towers would suit the space better, and might even be substantially more profitable. I have also wondered why it has been taking so long for the final phase of Opera Place construction to commence. Last month, a city planning department official told a community meeting I attended that the site has sat empty for years because the developer and the Ontario Government have been embroiled in litigation over the property. No further details were provided about the nature of the dispute, but the planner said the parties are close to signing a settlement under which the province could re-acquire the land. If that does happen, the province apparently has indicated that it would be willing to give the property to the city for use as a community park — if that’s what people want.

Now, at least one neighbourhood group is encouraging residents to write to their city councillor and their MPP to say they want 11 Wellesley West turned into parkland. A page on the Bay Cloverhill Community Association website urges residents to contact City Councillor Kristyn Wong-tam and MPP Glen Murray to show their support for the creation of a new park. Will it happen? Perhaps, if enough Toronto residents put pressure on the local politicians.Personally, I favour turning the site into public green space; even though I didn’t skateboard, I still remember enjoying the wide open space along Wellesley before the skateboard park was closed off. The empty land and the unsightly hoarding have been a blight on the neighbourhood ever since, and it’s high time something creative is done to enhance the property and surrounding streetscapes. At the same time, I’m skeptical that we’ll see a new park on Wellesley anytime soon. Empty land in downtown Toronto rarely gets repurposed as parkland; inevitably, it attracts the attention of developers, and winds up sprouting condo towers instead of trees. Moreover, this particular piece of land seems to have been jinxed since the opera house plan fell apart. I hope I’m wrong. I’d really love to see trees along Wellesley.

The 11 Wellesley Street West site appears as an empty white space in the center of this aerial image from Google Maps. The Sutton Place hotel is at top left, while the downtown YMCA is near the bottom right.

September 28 2008: Breadalbane Street view of weeds and rubble on the 11 Wellesley Street West site

September 28 2008: Northeast view from Breadalbane Street

December 5 2008: East view from outside the Sutton Place Hotel

December 5 2008: East view from Breadalbane Street

April 17 2009: Northeast view from Breadalbane Street. The Casa condo tower is seen under construction on Charles Street to the north.

March 11 2010: North view from Breadalbane Street

March 11 2010: Breadalbane Street view of 11 Wellesley Street West. From time to time, someone rips out weeds and clears rubbish from the site.

March 11 2010: Although there are dumpsters and construction trailers on the property, I’ve never seen anyone on it.

March 16 2011: Southwest view of 11 Wellesley Street West from the corner of Wellesley and St Nicholas Streets. The property is virtually surrounded by highrise condo and apartment buildings.

March 27 2011: Looking north at the big empty lot. At left is the Sutton Place Hotel; at center is the Century Plaza condo tower at 24 Wellesley St. W.

March 27 2011: A view toward the northeast corner of the lot

March 27 2011: The property is less than half a block from Yonge Street and just a short walk from the Wellesley subway station.

April 1 2011: South view of 11 Wellesley Street West from St Nicholas Street

April 9 2011: Now that it’s spring, weeds will once again flourish on the lot

April 9 2011: This north view will change in a few years during construction of the 45-storey Five Condos, which will rise behind the brown building at upper left.

April 9 2011: Residents of the condo and apartment towers have looked down on this eyesore for more than a decade

April 9 2011: West view of hoarding along Breadalbane Street

April 9 2011: North view of the hoarding along St Luke Lane

April 9 2011: Breadalbane Street view of the towers to the north and west

April 9 2011: South view of the hoarding along St Luke Lane

April 9 2011: Looking west along Wellesley from the corner of St Luke Lane

April 17 2011: More rubbish, rubble and weeds await a spring cleanup

Condo highrise expected for former gas station and donut shop site at Wellesley-Sherbourne corner

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Area residents expect that a condo highrise will be proposed for the southwest corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne Streets, seen here on November 11 2010.

March 22 2011: The 159 Wellesley Street East site viewed from Sherbourne Street. At left rear is the rental apartment building at 155 Wellesley St. E.; at right rear is the green and white 40-storey Verve condo tower.

August 29 2010: The boarded up gas bar and donut shop at 159 Wellesley Street East, viewed from the north side of Wellesley Street

April 19 2011: Demolition of the former Bakers Dozen donut shop

Corner condo? A condo highrise project is apparently in the works for an oddly-shaped parcel of land formerly occupied by a gas station and donut shop at the southwest corner of Sherbourne and Wellesley Streets.The site, at 159 Wellesley Street East, had been occupied for well over a decade by a Beaver Gas Bar and a Baker’s Dozen donut shop. After the two businesses ceased operations when their leases expired early last summer, the site was fenced off and “for sale” signs were posted on the property. The signs came down a few months ago, and word on the street was that the land recently sold for more than $2 million. Today, a small work crew was busy demolishing the donut shop.

I do know that a developer has discussed potential plans for the site with City planning staff; however, no formal development proposals have been filed yet. Nevertheless, area residents fully expect that the developer will apply sometime this year for rezoning approval to build a condo tower. This northeast downtown neighbourhood, already home to numerous apartment and condo towers built between the 1960s and mid 1980s, has been a hotbed for residential construction in recent years. Two major condo highrise complexes, Verve and 500 Sherbourne, as well as a lowrise loft condo, Steam Plant Lofts, have opened across the street from 159 Wellesley on the site of the former Wellesley and Princess Margaret hospitals. Just one block to the east, the Star of Downtown midrise condo tower and townhouse complex opened two years ago, while residents recently started moving into the new James Cooper Mansion condo complex four blocks north, at Sherbourne and Linden Streets. Five more residential towers have been proposed for the area, including a rental tower one block north on Sherbourne, and four condo skyscrapers for a North St James Town location between Sherbourne and Parliament Streets, at Bloor Street.

I live nearby, and would welcome a condo on the Wellesley-Sherbourne corner — especially if the developer were to propose building a stunning, unique design that takes full advantage of the property’s unusual shape (the north side of the lot follows the curve on Sherbourne Street). It would further enhance a popular residential area which has already improved considerably with the addition of the other new condo towers and townhouses I mentioned above. I definitely won’t miss the donut shop and its sleazy clientele, and I’m glad I no longer have to dodge the taxi cabs and other vehicles that used to barrel across the sidewalk as drivers rushed to and from the gas pumps. Heck, if I had a dollar for every time I was nearly struck or sideswiped by a car while I walked past the Beaver Gas Bar, I could probably make a down payment on a condo in the building that might go up there.

Below are recent photos of the 159 Wellesley site, as well as other buildings in the immediate vicinity.

March 22 2011: Former gas bar and donut shop viewed from the northwest corner of Sherbourne and Wellesley Streets

March 22 2011: The Bakers Dozen donut shop at 159 Wellesley St. E.

March 22 2011: The former gas bar viewed from the north side of Wellesley St.

March 22 2011: An apartment building at 477 Sherbourne Street

March 22 2011: The Rosar-Morrison funeral home at 467 Sherbourne, directly across the street from the former gas bar and donut shop

March 22 2011: The St James Town community centre and library on the northeast corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne Streets. At rear are several of the apartment towers of the St James Town neighbourhood including 200 Wellesley St. E., scene of a spectacular highrise fire last September.

March 22 2011: Looking north on Sherbourne Street from Wellesley Street

March 22 2011: Northwest view from Sherbourne Street toward the 159 Wellesley Street East potential condo site. At left is the Verve condo tower; at right is the 500 Sherbourne condo tower.

March 22 2011: The Wellesley Central Place long-term care facility on the northwest corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne Streets.

March 22 2011: Sherbourne Street view of 159 Wellesley Street East

March 22 2011: View from Sherbourne Street toward the corner site

March 22 2011: The building immediately south of the 159 Wellesley site

March 22 2011: Commercial businesses and the Our Lady of Lourdes elementary school at 444 Sherbourne Street, just south of Wellesley.

April 19 2011: Demolition of the former Bakers Dozen Donuts building

Community meeting tonight will review plan for 46-storey Pace Condos tower at Dundas & Jarvis

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Great Gulf Homes is proposing a 46-storey condo tower for this site at the SW corner of Dundas and Jarvis Streets, seen here on March 22 2011.

Public feedback: A community consultation meeting this evening will give city residents the opportunity to voice their views about a Toronto developer’s proposal to build a 46-storey condo tower at the southwest corner of Dundas and Jarvis Streets. The meeting about Pace Condos, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Metropolitan United Church, was recommended in a March 22 2011 preliminary report by the city’s Planning Division.

Great Gulf Homes is proposing a 46-storey mixed-use building for the corner site, which includes municipal addresses at 200 Jarvis Street and 155 – 163 Dundas Street East. The tower would have five underground levels and a 10-storey podium, and would contain 417 residential units in studio, 1-bedroom, 1-bedroom + den, 2-bedroom and 2-bedroom + den configurations. Prices start at $209,990.

An article on the Great Gulf website claims that Pace Condos “offers unbeatable downtown Toronto value in new condo living,” and raves that its prime location — which is just a “leisurely pace” from leading downtown attractions and key city transit services — will be ideal for people seeking “a new urban lifestyle.” The article further boasts that the condo building itself will be “a paragon of architectural brilliance. This shimmering, sleek and streamlined glass tower designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects Inc. will artfully rise from a podium comprised of dark charcoal-coloured bricks. Pace will embody urban elegance at its best — and will define a new generation of urban elegance. Landscaping by Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg will frame the building in startling greenery and colour.”

What the article doesn’t describe is the gritty neighbourhood; as I mentioned in a March 22 2011 post, the Pace Condos location is on the edge of one of the poorest residential areas in the city, if not the entire country. Within mere minutes’ walking distance are dozens of hostels, homeless shelters, subsidized housing apartments, soup kitchens and social service agencies for the poor. From my experience, it has been difficult to walk past the Dundas/Jarvis intersection, or along nearby streets, without encountering numerous panhandlers, street people, and a slew of sketchy people openly selling and doing drugs or drinking alcohol. Despite the neighbourhood’s seedy character, the condo tower proposal has generated tremendous local interest — from excited potential buyers, from citizens who think Pace could kickstart wider urban renewal in the immediate area, and from nearby residents who are alarmed by the height and size of the building that could soon become their new neighbour.

Given wide interest in Pace Condos, tonight’s meeting could attract a large turnout and spark colourful discussion, both positive and negative. I’m keen to hear if the Pace Condos proposal generates reactions similar to those expressed at other public meetings I have attended recently. A community consultation for a massive condo project planned for the St James Town area drew overwhelmingly negative feedback from the audience, while a Jarvis Street resident read an emotional and strongly-worded three-minute speech blasting the Pace Condo proposal at another public meeting about proposed guidelines for tall buildings in the downtown area. Unfortunately, I can’t attend the meeting, but I will continue to track further developments.

Contractors digging deep foundation for 49-storey Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower

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March 29 2011: Excavation machines and equipment inside the deep pit at the Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower construction site

From the Tridel website, an artistic illustration of a southeast night view of the Three Hundred Front Street West condo building

Deep dig: An already huge hole in the ground is getting even bigger at the northwest corner of Front and John Streets, where Toronto developer Tridel is building its latest luxury condominium tower on the site of a former parking lot. Designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects, the L-shaped Three Hundred Front Street West will actually be two buildings in one. A 49-storey tower offering a variety of 1- and 2-bedroom condo suites plus spacious penthouse residences will rise from the west side of the property, while a connected 15-storey loft building will stand to the north. A grand two-storey lobby entrance will overlook a large landscaped garden gracing the southeast corner of Front & John.

Design-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will bring a bit of Big Apple appeal to downtown Toronto. “I was inspired by the classic skyscrapers of the modern era to create a structure that is timeless and elegant,” Wallman explains in a video presentation on the Tridel website. Three Hundred Front Street West, he adds, will be “a unique and elegant addition” to the neighbourhood, complementing the new Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel and condo tower one block to the east, as well as the new Festival Tower and TIFF Bell Lightbox buildings two blocks north at John and King. Interior designer Alex Chapman of Chapman Design Group says Wallman has conceived a “Manhattan-style” tower that is “totally reminiscent of many of the famous complexes” in New York City. Unfortunately, I haven’t been to Manhattan yet, so I can’t draw any comparisons myself. But I do think that, with its soaring height and its striking silver and charcoal grey glass exterior, Three Hundred Front Street West will become a landmark commanding attention both in its immediate area and on the city skyline. The neighbourhood is dominated by office and condo towers with similar green glass exteriors, so Three Hundred Front Street West’s unique silver and grey tower accents should provide a refreshing visual break from the rest as well as an attractive addition to the skyline.

Amenities-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will be a contemporary condo offering the look and feel of an exclusive, upscale boutique hotel. The airy two-storey lobby off Front Street will be “a sophisticated urban arrival space” with a lounge atmosphere, Chapman says, while a 13,500-square-foot recreational center on the 15th floor will feature a “professional-level” exercise area. The rooftop of the loft wing will look like a chic “urban resort” with its infinity pool, sundecks, Roman fountain and barbecue. Interior recreational amenities will include a party room with south views, a private dining room with a catering-size kitchen and its own “cocktail balcony,” a poker room, billiards room and lounge. I’m jealous; with the exception of a ground-level swimming pool, all of the amenity areas in the downtown condo where I live are windowless basement spaces with all the sophistication of a recreation room from a 1970s-era suburban house.

Overall, I think Three Hundred Front Street West will significantly enhance the streetscape in one of the city’s most popular tourist areas, particularly since it will block many sightlines of the Windsor hydroelectric station on Wellington Street. And with plans in the works for John Street to get a major makeover in the next several years, Three Hundred Front Street West’s main entrance park will become a classy southern gateway to the Entertainment District’s main north-south street. The only downside to the development, that I can see, is the block full of ugly power transformers on its north flank. But since Wallman’s design means all of the loft suites face south, their residents will still enjoy good views and won’t get stuck overlooking electrical equipment.

Below are photos I’ve taken of recent construction activity at Three Hundred Front Street West, along with several artistic illustrations provided by Tridel that suggest how the tower, its street-level exterior, and its landscaped park will appear. Additional artistic illustrations of the building exterior, lobby and amenities, as well as floor plans and brief video presentations by Rudy Wallman and Alex Chapman, are available on the Three Hundred Front Street West website.

November 28 2010: Signage on hoarding around the construction site

November 23 2010: North-facing view of the 300 Front West site

November 23 2010: A tall shoring machine at work on the condo excavation site

November 23 2010: Northeast view of the condo construction site. The building with the red window frames is the CBC broadcasting headquarters on the southeast corner of Front & John Streets.

November 23 2011: Northeast view across the 300 Front Street West condo site

January 14 2011: The ramp leading from Front Street into the excavation

January 14 2011: Some of the hydroelectrical equipment at the Windsor Station on the north side of the 300 Front Street West site. Thankfully, the condo will block views of the hydro station from most parts of Front and John Streets.