Monthly Archives: August 2011

Plug pulled on proposal to build 25-storey condo tower on heritage sites at Church & Gloucester

580 - 596 Church Street Toronto

August 22 2011: Heritage properties on the west side of Church Street between Dundonald and Gloucester Streets. The property owner has withdrawn plans to demolish some of the buildings and construct a condo tower in their place.

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Glass ‘shoebox’ shelved: Dozens of residents in the downtown Church & Wellesley neighbourhood breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier this month when a property owner formally withdrew its application to build a 25-storey condo tower on the site of several heritage properties along the west side of Church Street, between Dundonald and Gloucester Streets. The decision not to proceed with the development means, for the near future at least, that five charming brick buildings will not be either completely or partially demolished to make way for the tall glass and steel structure that had been proposed.

The heritage buildings had been threatened by a condo development plan filed with the City on April 9 2010. Property owner Church 18 Holdings Inc. wanted to build a 25-storey glass point tower with a podium ranging in size from 3 to 7 storeys. The project would have required the complete demolition of two listed heritage buildings and a 3-storey brick house built in 1909, along with partial demolition of two additional century-old buildings (also listed heritage properties) from which only the facades would have been retained.

Under Church 18’s proposal, the complex would have contained a total of 193 units, of which 158 would have been condos — in 1- and 2-bedroom configurations — and 35 would have been replacement rental apartments.  Condominium facilities and retail space would have occupied the ground level of the new building, while rental apartments would have been situated on floors 2 to 6.  Four townhouses and 10 “live-work” units would have been included in the podium.  Indoor and outdoor amenity spaces would have been provided on the top (7th) level of the podium, while condominiums would have occupied floors 8 to 25.

The development would have had a profound impact on half a dozen buildings constructed between 1873 and 1911, and would have drastically changed the look of an entire block in the area popularly known as Toronto’s Gay Village. Only one of the buildings would have remained largely intact: 580-582 Church Street, a 3-storey, Second Empire-style semi-detached house constructed in 1878 and added to the City’s Inventory of Heritage Properties in 1979. A popular restaurant location for years, the building presently is home to Fuzion Resto-Lounge and Sugo Trattoria, both of which have attractive outdoor dining terraces fronting on Church Street.  The rest of the buildings on the block would not have been as fortunate.

584 Church Street, a 3-storey detached house known as the Catherine Collard House, was built in 1909. In recent decades, it has been used for residential and commercial purposes, and is currently the home of Club 584 Salon and Spa. The building would have been demolished entirely to be replaced by the main entrance to the condominium tower.

592 Church Street is a 3-storey semi-detached building constructed in 1873. Known as the Wallace Millichamp House, it has been a walk-up rental apartment building for decades, and was listed on the City’s Inventory of Heritage Properties in 2009. Only the front facade of the building would have been incorporated into the condo complex; the rest would have been destroyed.

596 Church Street is a 3-storey walk-up apartment building constructed in Edwardian Classical style in 1911 at the southwest corner of Church and Gloucester Streets. Part of the Gloucester Mansions, it was listed as a heritage property in 2009. Immediately to its west is 69 – 71 Gloucester Street, which was constructed in 1875 as a second part of the Wallace Millichamp House (the two buildings actually are connected).  It, too, contains rental apartment units. These buildings would have been completely demolished to make way for the condo tower and its podium.

67 Gloucester Street, another part of Gloucester Mansions, is a 3.5-storey walk-up rental apartment building constructed in 1911 and added to the City’s Inventory of Heritage Properties in 2009. Only its front bay and facade would have been retained as part of the condo complex; the rest of the building would have been demolished.

The condo plan drew swift and strong disapproval from the neighbourhood, not only since it proposed the demolition and partial destruction of several beloved heritage buildings, but also because it proposed to demolish nearly three dozen affordable rental apartments, and replace them (with presumably more expensive rental accommodation) in the new building. Indeed, the proposal galvanized area residents into organizing opposition to the development, and was a key catalyst for the creation of the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association (CWNA) last year. More than 150 people attended a community consultation meeting that the City held last December to obtain feedback about Church 18’s proposal, and reaction was overwhelmingly negative and critical. Many in the audience applauded and cheered in agreement when one man derided the proposed condo tower as an “ugly glass shoebox.”

City planners didn’t like many aspects of the plan, either. One drew cheers and applause when he told the December meeting that he would be opposing the development because of serious concerns about its proposed height and density, among other reasons. [A May 25 2010 preliminary report by the city planning department described the Church 18 proposal — and the issues it raised — in extensive detail.]

The condo proposal took an unexpected twist that delighted neighbourhood residents during this past winter when, as I reported in my March 14 2011 post,  the developer asked the City planning department for a six-month “hold” on its development application. Then, in mid-July, residents were further buoyed when Toronto City Council voted to declare its intention to designate the six historic buildings under the Ontario Heritage Act. [An April 17 2009 planning department report explained why the properties were recommended for inclusion on the city’s inventory of heritage properties, while a separate document elaborated on the historic significance of the Willace Millichamp House at 592 Church Street.]

[“Listing” and “designation” carry different legal weight when demolition or redevelopment is proposed for heritage properties. According to an explanation on the heritage preservation page of the City of Toronto website: “Listing” a property on the Inventory of Heritage Properties allows Heritage Preservation Services to review development and building applications affecting those properties. It also requires the owner to give the City 60 days notice of his or her intention to demolish the property. “Designation” confers a legal status on a property by a specific city by-law under the Ontario Heritage Act and gives City Council the legal authority to refuse an application that will adversely affect the property’s heritage attributes. Designation may fall under one of two categories under the Ontario Heritage Act: Part IV (individual property designation) or Part V (Heritage Conservation District designation). “]

Just 12 days ago, lawyers for Church 18 advised the City that the development applications were being withdrawn. Area residents and members of the Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association were thrilled to learn that the city had closed its files for the application, and even happier to see the project proposal signs being removed from the property several days later. However, their relief that the project isn’t proceeding has been tempered by the realization that the property owner can bring another redevelopment plan forward at any time. Unless and until that happens, the buildings will continue to grace Church and Gloucester Streets with their history, charm and character.

Below are recent photos of the Church and Gloucester Street heritage buildings.

 

580 and 582 Church Street

 580 Church Street, left, is home to Fuzion Resto-Lounge, while #582, right, is the location of Sugo Trattoria. Both restaurants have outdoor terraces.

 

584 Church Street

584 Church Street, center, is the former Catherine Collard House, built in 1909. It would have been destroyed and replaced by the condo tower entrance.

 

584 and 592 Church Street Toronto

584 Church Street, left, currently is home to Club 584 Salon and Spa, while 592 Church Street, right, has been a rental apartment building for decades

 

592 Church Street Toronto

 The Wallace Millichamp House at 592 Church Street was built in 1873. Only its  facade would have been retained if the condo plan had proceeeded.

 

Gloucester Mansions 596 Church Street Toronto

 The Gloucester Mansions apartment building at 596 Church Street was built in 1911. It would have been destroyed to make way for a condo tower

 

71 and 69 Gloucester Street Toronto

 71 Gloucester Street, left, is part of the Gloucester Mansion apartment building on the SW corner of Church Street. Number 69 Gloucester, right, is connected to the Wallace Millichamp House at 592 Church Street. Both would have been demolished if the 25-storey condo tower project had proceeded.

 

Gloucester Mansions at 67 Gloucester Street Toronto

 Only the facade of the Gloucester Mansions apartment building at 67 Gloucester Street would have been retained in the condo development plan that was withdrawn by the property owner two weeks ago

 

580 Church Street condo development proposal sign

 One of the condo development proposal signs that had been posted on the property for the past year. The signs were removed August 23.

 

 

Trump’s ‘quarter onion’ spire base rises

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 30 2011: Trump Tower Toronto construction progress

 

Top of the Trump: The frame for the Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto’s signature spire is fast taking shape atop the building’s northwest corner. The structure’s distinctive “quarter onion” design has been taking form over the past week and is visible throughout the downtown area. Below is an artistic rendering from the Trump Toronto website, showing how the top of the tower will appear when complete, followed by several photos I shot from my balcony showing construction progress during the past nine days.

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

From the Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto website, this artistic rendering depicts the distinctive quarter-onion shaped rooftop structure that will be topped by a slender sky-piercing spire

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 21 2011

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 23 2011

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 26 2011

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 26 2011

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 28 2011

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 28 2011

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 29 2011

 

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 30 2011

 

Condo tower in the works for site of heritage office building on Dundonald St. near Yonge & Wellesley

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

August 19 2011: This office building at 17 Dundonald Street was built in 1956. Included on the City’s inventory of heritage properties, it is considered culturally significant as an early example of the Modern style of architecture.

 

Tall “cube” coming? A developer is planning a condo highrise for 17 Dundonald Street in the Yonge & Wellesley area — but the tower’s projected floor count apparently is up in the air.

People living on and near Dundonald Street say various sources — including their city councillor — have told them a new development is in the works for the property, currently the site of a 2.5-storey office building situated just a stone’s throw from the Wellesley subway station. Constructed in 1956 as the Commercial Travellers’ Association of Canada Building, the low-rise office structure was designed by the Toronto architecture firm Weir Cripps and Associates.

The building is included on the city’s inventory of heritage properties; in fact, on June 8 2010, Toronto City Council adopted an “Intention to Designate” for the property. In an April 21 2010 background report presented to city councillors and the Toronto Preservation Board, city planners stated that 17 Dundonald had “cultural heritage value” worthy of designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.  “As a small-scaled office building, the Commercial Travellers’ Association of Canada Building (1956) is an early and representative example of the Modern style with design merit that through its scale supports and maintains the prevailing character of Dundonald Street as the location of low-rise buildings,” the report explained.

The report, along with a notice of intention to designate published on the City’s website, said some of 17 Dundonald’s heritage attributes include: its “scale, form and massing”; “the near-square plan under a flat roof”; “the cladding, employing concrete, turquoise-hued glazed brick, travertine, aluminium and glass”; the organization of the building’s north facade into four bays; and the placement of the building itself, with a “small landscaped forecourt” separating it from the street. (The report provides extensive interesting information about the history and design of the building; it’s well worth a read.)

At present, 17 Dundonald is surrounded by residential properties, including the Terrace Court townhouses and low-rise condominium complex on its east side, the 24-storey Continental Tower apartment building on its west flank, and 22 Condominiums, a tower rising 23-storeys to its immediate south at 22 Wellesley Street East.

Area residents say Ward 27 City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam has told meetings of neighbourhood condo owners that a developer has been discussing redevelopment proposals for 17 Dundonald with city planners. Their intention, apparently, is to construct a highrise condo building in a Cubist style intended to emulate the Modernist architecture of the office building it will replace. But I’ve heard conflicting information about just how tall the building might be: 18, 19, 25 and 30 storeys are the floor counts people have mentioned. Word on the street is that a tower taller than the nearby 22 Condominiums and Continental Tower (23 and 24 storeys, respectively) doesn’t sit well with city planners, who feel too much height would be out of character for Dundonald Street. So far there has been no word on the identity of either the proposed building’s developer or the architectural firm designing it.

Below are some recent photos of 17 Dundonald and its neighbours.

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

 July 8 2011: Looking west along Dundonald Street toward the office building at # 17. The Terrace Court condo townhomes (left) sit to the east, while the 24-storey Continental Tower, built in 1971, rises to the west.

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

July 8 2011: The north and east sides of the building

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17 Dundonald Street Toronto

July 8 2011: The building’s cladding includes concrete, glass, travertine, aluminium and glazed brick with a distinctive turquoise hue

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

 July 8 2011: Two of 17 Dundonald’s neighbours include Terrace Court, an 8-storey condo and townhouse complex at 19-29 Dundonald Street (left), and the 22 Condominiums tower behind it on Wellesley Street


17 Dundonald Street Toronto

July 8 2011: The building was designed by Weir Cripps & Associates Architects


17 Dundonald Street  Toronto

July 8 2011: Looking towards 17 Dundonald from the northwest, outside the Continental Tower apartment building at 15 Dundonald Street. 

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

July 13 2011: A walkway between the two fences at the west side of the building links Dundonald Street to Wellesley Street and the Wellesley subway station

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

July 13 2011: The north facade and recessed front entrance to 17 Dundonald

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

July 13 2011: A city planning report says the placement of the main entrance in a recessed and glazed bay, with a protective angled canopy, is one of the building’s important heritage attributes

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17 Dundonald Street Toronto

July 13 2011: The driveway separates the office building from its Terrace Court condo and townhouse neighbours at 19 – 29 Dundonald Street

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

August 19 2011: The main entrance is set in one of four bays on the north facade

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

August 19 2011: The angled canopy above the double aluminum front doors

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

August 19 2011: The west wall of 17 Dundonald and the north side of 22  Condominiums, viewed from the pedestrian walkway linking Dundonald and Wellesley Streets alongside the Wellesley subway station

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17 Dundonald Street Toronto

August 19 2011: The west wall of 17 Dundonald Street catches some evening sun and reflects the Continental Tower apartment building next door

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

August 19 2011: There are five bays along the building’s west elevation

 

17 Dundonald Street Toronto

August 19 2011: The south wall has turquoise-hued brick at its southwest corner. Next door is the brown brick wall of the 8-storey Terrace Court condo.

 

22 Wellesley Street East Toronto

August 19 2011: 22 Condominiums rises to the south at 22 Wellesley Street East

 

22 Wellesley Street East condo tower Toronto

August 19 2011: 22 Condominiums was built by Lanterra Developments in 2007

 

22 Wellesley Street East Toronto

August 19 2011: Peter Clewes of architectsAlliance designed 22 Condominiums

 

22 Wellesley Street East Toronto

August 19 2011: Balconies at the northwest corner of 22 Condominiums

 

 

Construction starts on $130M Ripley’s Aquarium

Artistic rendering of Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

This artistic illustration shows how the new Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada will appear when viewed from the east on Bremner Boulevard …

 

Ripley's Aquarium construction in Toronto

… while this photo from August 17 2011 shows hoarding around the aquarium site below the CN Tower, where construction has commenced

 

New tourist attraction: Construction of the new Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada officially kicked off yesterday when government and corporate officials gathered at the Bremner Boulevard building site beneath the CN Tower to announce details of the $130 million project.

Scheduled to open in 2013 with 135,000 square feet of space, a capacity of 1.5 million gallons, and 13,500 sea creatures, the facility — Toronto’s newest tourist attraction in years — will be one of the largest aquariums in North America.

Designed by Toronto’s B+ H Architects, the 3-storey facility will feature a 750,000-gallon shark lagoon which visitors will be able to observe through an acrylic tunnel with a 315-foot moving walkway.  The aquarium will also have a tropical reef, exhibits for Great Lakes, Atlantic and Pacific habitats, a Marine and Freshwater Education Centre with classroom space, a restaurant and a gift shop.

Construction actually commenced several weeks ago when crews began clearing the site, a large grass- and tree-covered knoll situated between the CN Tower to the west and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre‘s south building to the east.

The aquarium has been in planning and discussion stages for quite some time, but a summer construction start appeared imminent when city news media reported last winter that various levels of government were negotiating financial incentives in a bid to land the Ripley’s project for certain.  The City of Toronto is providing 12 years’ worth of property tax incentives (an estimated $8- to $12 million) under its Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) program, while the Ontario government is kicking in more than $11 million towards the construction costs. Canada Lands Company, the federal Crown corporation that owns the land on which the aquarium is being built, is also a partner in the project.  According to its president & CEO Mark Laroche, Canada Lands will spend “more than $10 million to redevelop the John Street corridor with new signage and other improvements that will increase and improve the flow of pedestrian traffic from Front Street to the site,” improving the entryway to the aquarium, CN Tower and Rogers Centre.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is a division of Ripley Entertainment Inc., which already operates two other aquariums — one in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the other in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Ripley Entertainment is owned by the Jim Pattison Group, Canada’s third-largest privately-held company. Extensive information about the Toronto project is available on the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada website.

Below are several artistic renderings and illustrations that the aquarium released to the media in connection with the official building launch ceremony, along with several photos I shot yesterday of construction activity at the site. Additional photos of the project site can be viewed in my February 23 2011 post, my first report on the Ripley’s Aquarium.

 

Ripley's Aquarium Shark Lagoon

 An artistic illustration of the 315-foot observation tunnel in the aquarium’s 750,000 gallon shark lagoon

 

Ripley's Aquarium main lobby

Artistic rendering of the Toronto aquarium’s main lobby

 

Ripley's Aquarium Tropical Reef

Artistic illustration of the aquarium’s tropical reef. In total, the facility will feature more than 13,500 marine creatures from 450 species

 

plaza view of Ripley's Aquarium

Artistic rendering of how the Ripley’s Aquarium will appear when viewed from the entrance plaza off Bremner Boulevard near the CN Tower …

 

Ripley's Aquarium construction in Toronto

… and a view from yesterday of construction trailers and hoarding on the site of what will become the entrance plaza depicted above

 

Ripley's Aquarium Toronto promotional hoarding

Promotional posters adorn the security fence around the construction site

 

Ripley's Aquarium Toronto construction site

Aquarium construction site viewed from the entrance plaza to the CN Tower

 

Drilling and excavating equipment on the aquarium site

Excavation machines and foundation building equipment in action on the site

 

Drilling machines on the aquarium construction site

Two red and black machines drilling near the Convention Centre south building

 

Ripley's Aquarium construction entrance

The construction entrance on Bremner Boulevard. The beige building to the immediate north of the work site is the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

 

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada artistic illustration

… and here’s an artistic illustration of Ripley’s Aquarium viewed from a similar perspective from Bremner Boulevard

 

Sales starting soon for 9-storey, 38-suite luxury condo development at Davenport & Hazelton

133 Hazelton Residences Toronto

This building illustration appears on promotional signage at the corner site of the proposed 133 Hazelton Residences luxury condo project

 

133 Hazelton Residences Toronto

Another promotional sign for 133 Hazelton Residences

 

Launch date approaching: A former high-end office interior design showroom on Davenport Road is being transformed into a sales centre for a high-end luxury condominium development proposed for the Yorkville neighbourhood.

Mizrahi Khalili Developments of Toronto has planned a 9-storey, 38-suite luxury condominium building for the southeast corner of Davenport Road and Hazelton Avenue, the former Yorkville location of plan b office (now situated at 380 King Street East). The 1-storey plan b building at 195 Davenport Road is currently under renovation for a September reincarnation as a condo showroom, while security fencing around the property is draped with signs advertising the exclusive 133 Hazelton Residences project.

According to the developer’s May 16 2011 rezoning application, 133 Hazelton will offer 130 square meters of ground-level retail space with 38 condominium residences on the floors above. The building will rise 31.5 meters (not including the mechanical penthouse), and will have an underground garage with 79 parking spots. Residences will be priced from $1 million to more than $7 million. The building is a design of Page + Steele IBI Group Architects, with interiors by Gluckstein Design.

With its September sales debut, 133 Hazelton will be the second posh condo project launched this year on Hazelton Avenue , a quiet leafy street lined with expensive brick mansions, townhouses, apartments, galleries and shops.  Earlier this year, Alterra Group and Zinc Developments opened a sales centre for 36 Hazelton, a 7-storey, 18-suite boutique condo being built on the site of the historic St Basil’s Catholic School. That project was designed by Quadrangle Architects Limited, with interiors by Chapman Design Group Ltd.  36 Hazelton made international headlines in June when the project’s publicity firm announced that Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg had just purchased the 4,600-square-foot penthouse for $12 million. Will 133 Hazelton have similar star-drawing success? Stay tuned.

In the meantime, below are recent photos of the 133 Hazelton project site, along with some pics of the 36 Hazelton property. Additional information and photos of 36 Hazelton are available in my March 26 2011 post.

 

133 Hazelton Residences Toronto

133 Hazelton Residences development proposal sign

 

133 Hazelton Residences Toronto

133 Hazelton building illustration from the development proposal sign

 

133 Hazelton Residences Toronto

 133 Hazelton Residences condo development site plan

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

Google maps image of 195 Davenport Road when it was the showroom for plan b office, before the 133 Hazelton project was announced

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

July 13 2011: Promotional signage for 133 Hazelton Residences surrounds the condo site at 195 Davenport Road, just blocks from the new Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto (left rear).

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

July 13 2011: Another view of the 133 Hazelton Residences project site at the southeast corner of Davenport Road and Hazelton Avenue

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

July 17 2011: A view of the site from the north side of Davenport Road

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

July 13 2011: The former plan b office showroom is being converted into a sales centre for the new condo project

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking west along Davenport Road toward the condo site and office/retail buildings at the SW corner of Hazelton Avenue

 

Davenport Road near Hazelton Avenue Toronto

July 13 2011: Looking southeast along Davenport Road toward the 133 Hazelton Residences location

 

Hazelton Avenue view of the 133 Hazelton Residences site

July 13 2011: Hazelton Avenue view of the condo development site

 

133 Hazelton Residences condo development location

July 13 2011: Northeasterly view of the site from Hazelton Avenue

 

131 Hazelton Avenue Toronto

July 13 2011: 133 Hazelton’s immediate neighbour to the south, this brown brick office building at 131 Hazelton Avenue, used to be a cosmetic surgery institute

 

195 Davenport Road toronto

August 14 2011: Promotional signs for 133 Hazelton cover the security fencing around the development site

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

August 14 2011: Renovation work underway to transform the former showroom at 195 Davenport Road into the condo sales centre

 

195 Davenport Road Toronto

August 14 2011:  The developer anticipates a September launch for its new condo showroom, seen here from the west side of Hazelton Avenue

 

36 Hazelton Avenue Toronto

July 13 2011: The 36 Hazelton condo presentation centre on the project development site, the former St Basil’s Catholic School in Yorkville

 

36 Hazelton Avenue Toronto

July 13 2011: A 36 Hazelton building illustration on a billboard outside the presentation centre. Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg has purchased the 4,600-square-foot penthouse for $12 million.

 

36 Hazelton Avenue Toronto

July 13 2011: Billboard outside the 36 Hazelton development site

 

36 Hazelton Avenue Toronto

July 13 2011: Window and brickwork details on the former St Basil’s School building that will be incorporated into the condo development

 

36 Hazelton Avenue

July 13 2011  The northeast corner of the St Basil’s School building

 

36 Hazelton Avenue

April 23 2011: 36 Hazelton Avenue seen prior to the opening of the condominium presentation centre

 

Pedestrian hurt when glass falls on Bay Street from shattered balcony panel on Murano south tower

Murano condo wood balcony panel

August 15 2011: A wood panel indicates where glass broke and fell onto Bay Street from a balcony on the south Murano condo tower this morning

 

street closure sign at Bay & Grenville Streets

August 15 2011: Police closed the east traffic lane and sidewalk on Bay Street, as well as the intersection of Bay and Grenville Streets, after broken glass from a Murano condo balcony panel plunged to the ground and hit a passerby

 

traffic jam at Bay and Grenville Streets

August 15 2011: The driving restrictions cause traffic chaos on Bay Street below the Murano towers at 3 p.m. as police wait for crews to install scaffolding on the sidewalks. A pedestrian was injured by falling glass three hours earlier.

 

South tower’s turn: Local news media are reporting that a pedestrian suffered minor injuries this morning after she was struck by pieces of broken glass that fell from a balcony panel on the south Murano condo tower at the corner of Bay and Grenville Streets.

The woman was hurt shortly before noon when a glass panel shattered on an upper-floor balcony on the tower’s northwest corner, showering pieces of glass onto Bay Street. Although reports provide conflicting information about the nature of the woman’s injuries — with some stories saying she sustained injuries to her arm, and others describing a hand injury — all media accounts say the injury was minor and not life-threatening. Although it’s fortunate the woman wasn’t seriously hurt, the incident is bound to raise serious concerns about the safety of glass balcony panels not only because it marks the second time in three days that glass has shattered on a downtown condo tower, but because it’s at least the fourth tower to experience problems with panel breakage so far this summer.

On Saturday afternoon, a panel plunged off a 32nd-floor balcony at the recently-opened One Bedford condo tower in the Annex. According to an online Toronto Star report, police said “no-one was injured when the single, large pane of glass fell, bounced off the front-door overhang and smashed onto the ground” around 2.25 p.m. Police closed Bedford Road from Bloor Street to Prince Arthur Avenue for several hours while the incident was investigated. The broken panel was replaced with a temporary wood replacement (see photos below).

On August 2, a balcony panel on the Festival Tower condo highrise shattered and fell onto John Street. Nobody was hurt in that incident, but police closed John Street between King and Adelaide Streets as a precaution until Festival Tower’s developer, The Daniels Corporation, could get safety scaffolding installed on the sidewalk. Another panel had broken on Festival Tower only three weeks before that.

On August 1, two panels shattered and fell from the north Murano condo tower at the corner of Bay and Grosvenor Streets. Those incidents occurred mere days after City of Toronto building inspectors ordered Murano’s developer, Lanterra Developments, to remove and replace all of the balcony panels and railings from the north tower. That tower has been plagued with balcony breakage; in fact, the city ordered Lanterra to undertake the balcony remediation program after two panels broke and fell from the north tower on July 21. Panels had previously fallen from that tower on several separate occasions during the past year. Lanterra, incidentally, was One Bedford’s developer.

Online reports about today’s south Murano tower incident can be viewed on cp24.com, cbc.ca, and on the Toronto Star website, where there is a photo showing shattered glass in the balcony frame before it was cleared out and replaced with a piece of wood. [Additional updated coverage is provided in an August 16  2011 online story in the Globe and Mail.]

I have published extensive information and photos from previous balcony glass breakage incidents in earlier blog reports, including posts on August 4 2011, July 28 2011, July 21 2011, June 21 2011, February 2 2011, and January 18 2011. Below are photos I have taken in the past several days at Festival Tower and One Bedford, along with more pics I took this afternoon following the latest Murano panel break.

 

Festival Tower condo highrise Toronto

August 12 2011: Looking up the east side of Festival Tower, from which a balcony panel fell to the ground on John Street on August 2

 

Festival Tower condo highrise Toronto

August 12 2011: The circle indicates the Festival Tower balcony from which a glass panel plunged and smashed into pieces on John Street on August 2

 

Festival Tower balcony panels

August 12 2011: The broken panel has been replaced with a new one which appears to be a slightly different shade than the originals on the tower

 

One Bedford Condos Toronto

July 13 2011: Looking up the west side of the One Bedford condo tower. On Saturday, a glass panel fell from a 32nd floor balcony on this side of the building.

 

One Bedford Condos Toronto

August 14 2011: A piece of wood is temporarily replacing the glass panel that broke and fell from this One Bedford balcony on Saturday

 

One Bedford condo tower Toronto

August 14 2011: A closer view of the One Bedford condo balcony from which a glass panel fell on the weekend. Fortunately, no-one was hurt.

 

Murano north condo tower Toronto

August 12 2011: The north side of the north Murano condo tower, from which all balcony glass panels, dividers and railings have been removed on order by the City of Toronto. The removal and replacement project will cost the condo building’s developer, Lanterra Developments, millions of dollars.

 

Murano north and south condo towers Toronto

August 12 2011: The north Murano tower, sans balcony panels and railings, and the south tower rising behind it on Grenville Street

 

Murano north condo tower Toronto

August 12 2011: Scaffolding protects the sidewalk outside the north Murano condo tower. For more than a week after the late July incidents, north tower residents had to enter their building through the south tower.

Murano condo towers Toronto

August 12 2011: Panels have been removed from about two thirds of the balconies on the south side of the Murano north tower

 

Murano condo towers Toronto

August 12 2011: Another view of the south side of the Murano north tower

 

Murano condos Toronto

August 12 2011: A closer look at the balconies from which glass has been removed on the north tower’s south face

 

Murano condo towers Toronto

August 15 2011: The two Murano condo towers, viewed this afternoon from the the SW corner of Bay and Grenville Streets. For the past two weeks, crews have been removing glass panels and railings from balconies on the north tower (left). Today, a panel fell off the south tower (right) for the first time.

 

Murano condo tower Toronto

August 15 2011: Glass shattered and fell this morning from a balcony (circled) on the upper northwest corner of the Murano south condo tower

 

Murano south condo tower Toronto

August 15 2011: A replacement wooden panel has temporarily been installed on the balcony from which the glass fell this morning

 

Murano condo south tower Toronto

August 15 2011: Another view of the replacement wooden panel

 

Murano south condo tower Toronto

August 15 2011: A closer look at the balcony panel from which the broken glass fell

 

Police outside Murano north condo tower Toronto

August 15 2011: Police enforce sidewalk and street lane closures on Bay Street below the north Murano condo tower.

 

Toronto police car at Bay & Grenville Streets

August 15 2011: A Toronto police cruiser blocks vehicles from turning off Bay Street onto Grenville Street

 

police at Bay & Grenville Streets Toronto

August 15 2011: Police enforce traffic restrictions at the intersection of Bay & Grenville Streets below the Murano south condo tower

 

Bay Street sidewalk outside the Murano condos

August 15 2011: The Bay and Grenville Street sidewalks below the Murano condo towers have been closed to pedestrians

 

sidewalk closure sign on Bay Street

August 15 2011: The sidewalk closure sign at the corner of Bay & Grenville Streets

 

sidewalk closure at Bay and Grenville Streets

 August 15 2011: A Toronto police officer enforces the sidewalk closure at the southeast corner of Bay and Grenville Streets

 

sidewalk closure at Bay and Grenville Streets

August 15 2011: The east lane of Bay Street was closed to vehicles, as was the section of Grenville Street below the Murano south condo tower

 

sidewalk closure at Bay and Grenville Streets

August 15 2011: Police said the road and sidewalk closures could continue until scaffolding is  installed below the Murano south tower

 

street closure sign on Grenville Street

August 15 2011: Grenville Street is closed to vehicular traffic between St Vincent Lane and Bay Street, but the south sidewalk is open to pedestrians

 

Balcony glass removal from Murano north condo tower

August 15 2011: A crew continues to remove glass panels and railings from the south side of the north Murano tower

 

 

Burano climbs into the 40 floors+ condo tower club

Burano condo tower Toronto

August 12 2011: Burano Condos, seen from the SE corner of Bay and College.  The tower has climbed to 40 floors atop its 2-storey heritage building base.

 

Bay Street beauty: The Burano condo tower has become the newest member of Toronto’s steadily growing club of buildings taller than 40 storeys. On Friday, I counted 40 full floors of concrete, glass and steel rising from Burano’s two-storey base, a reconstructed heritage building that once was home to the Addison on Bay auto dealership. That means construction crews have only 10 more floors to build before Burano tops off: eight additional condominium levels, plus a two-storey mechanical penthouse.

Burano has looked impressive for months as the trapezoid-shaped tower has gradually climbed higher on the downtown skyline. With its angled south wall accenting Bay Street’s bend to the west at Grenville Street, and the striking, sharp points at its northeast and southwest corners, the Burano tower attracts attention from all directions. Its base will make an equally dramatic architectural statement once its three-storey glass lobby is installed on Grosvenor Street.

A project by Lanterra Developments, Burano Condos was designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

Below are several photos showing Burano’s construction progress during the summer. Additional photos can be viewed in my four previous blog posts on the project: June 11 2011, March 29 2011, February 21 2011, and January 7 2011.

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 14 2011: This view from Grenville Street shows Burano, left, and the two Murano condo towers built by the same developer and architectural team.

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 14 2011: Grenville Street view of Burano’s southwest corner

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 14 2011: The tower’s south wall is comprised entirely of windows. There are balconies only on the east and west sides of the building.

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 14 2011: One of the Murano condo towers reflects in Burano’s south windows while a construction elevator climbs the west wall

 

Burano condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 14 2011: A view from the south of the Burano Condos tower rising above the upper level of its two-storey restored heritage building base

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 21 2011: The former Addison on Bay auto dealership building has been completely rebuilt on the Burano site

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 21 2011: Another view of the reconstructed Addison building

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 21 2011: This billboard on the Bay Street sidewalk hoarding illustrates the dramatic glass lobby planned for Grosvenor Street

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

June 28 2011: A concrete pumping machine at work atop the Burano condo tower

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 1 2011: Burano condo tower viewed from SE corner of Bay & College Streets

 

Burano condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 13 2011: The upper south side of the Burano condo tower

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011:  Condos on the tower’s north side

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: Looking up the tower’s  south and east sides

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: The upper south side of the tower

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: North side windows and west wall balconies

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: Wall and floor forms on the tower’s south side

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: Grosvenor Street view of the Murano condo towers, left, and the north side of the Burano tower

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: Looking up the tower’s east and north sides

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011:  The tower makes a strong point at its northeast corner

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: Balconies near the tower’s northeast corner

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: A peek inside some of the condos on the north side

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 15 2011: Windows on the north wall

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street

July 17 2011:  Burano viewed from College Street just west of University Avenue

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 22 2011: A view from my balcony of workers atop the Burano tower

 

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 24 2011: Looking up the south side of the tower

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 24 2011: Balconies on the west wall and windows on the south

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

 July 24 2011: The south side of the tower is a tall wall of windows

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 24 2011: Wellesley Street view of the Murano condos, left, and Burano

 

Burano condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 31 2011: My balcony view of the crane atop Burano at sunset

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

July 27 2011: Upper floors of the tower viewed from the west

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

August 2 2011:  My balcony view of a concrete pumper at work atop Burano

 

Burano condos on Bay Street Toronto

August 12 2011: Windows on the tower’s south side

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

August 12 2011: The Burano tower, left, its heritage building base, center, and the south Murano condo tower on the east side of Bay Street, right

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

August 12 2011: Looking up the tower’s west and south sides

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

August 12 2011: Looking up the tower’s west side

 

Burano Condos on Bay Street Toronto

August 12 2011: Looking up the tower’s east side

 

 

In Photos: Summer construction activity in north downtown and the Bloor-Yorkville area (Part 1)

77 Charles West condo Toronto

August 13 2011: Newly-installed glass curtain wall cladding on the 77 Charles West luxury condo building, seen (above and below) from St Thomas Street

 

77 Charles West condo Toronto

 

 

77 Charles West condos reaches 12 floors; cladding installation begins

 

Going green: Construction on the 77 Charles West luxury condo midrise could be topping off later this month, now that 12 of the building’s 13 floors have been built. Meanwhile, down at street level, the facade is beginning to reflect some of its nearby condo neighbours as its striking green-hued curtain wall cladding gradually gets installed.

I was surprised when I saw some of the first panels being put in place five days ago because the glass is turquoise green rather than blue, as renderings on the project website suggested it would be. Nevertheless, I like how it looks — and think it makes 77’s neighbours look good, too. Depending upon where I stood while looking at the new windows this morning, I saw sharp reflections of the One St Thomas Residences condo tower across the street, the Residences of the Windsor Arms at 22 St Thomas Street one block north, and other buildings in the Bloor-Yorkville area.

So far, the cladding encloses just three storeys around what will be the Charles Street entrance to the condominium homes (the 13 floors of luxury condos rise above Kintore College and Cultural Centre, a three-storey residence and educational facility for female Catholic students attending University of Toronto). I’m anxious to see how the cladding will look on the rest of the floors, especially on the curved south side of the building.

77 Charles West is a project of Aspen Ridge Homes, and was designed by Yann Weymouth of HOK.

Below are more photos of the new cladding and recent construction progress. Previous construction updates can be found in blog posts on July 5 2011, April 7 2011, and February 15 2011 —  my first report on the 77 Charles West project.

 

77 Charles West condos

August 6 2011: 77 Charles West condo construction viewed from St Thomas Street

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 6 2011: New promotional signage on the building’s north side

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 6 2011: Floors on the northwest corner of the building

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 6 2011: St Mary Street view of the building’s curved southwest corner

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

 August 8 2011: Crews install the first 3-storey section of glass cladding

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

 August 8 2011: Workers put the green-hued glass curtain wall panels in place

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 8 2011: A closer look at the cladding over the second and third storeys

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: New cladding viewed from Charles Street, looking west

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: Cladding above the entrance that faces north up St Thomas Street

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: The cladding reflects several nearby buildings including the Residences at the Windsor Arms, the One St Thomas Residences, 155 Cumberland Street condos, and The Colonnade apartment building on Bloor Street

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: Street-level view of the cladding’s neighbourhood reflection

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 16 2011: Reflection of the nearby Residences of the Windsor Arms

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: One of the construction entrances on Charles Street

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: A closer look at a corner section of the glass curtain wall

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: New cladding viewed from the west end of the building

 

77 Charles West condos Toronto

August 13 2011: Cladding reflects the One St Thomas Residences across the street

 

«»

 

Enormous excavation for U Condominiums keeps getting deeper & wider

 

U Condos Toronto

August 6 2011: Excavation progress along the Bay Street side of the U Condos site, where the 50-storey east tower will rise


Digging down:  Whenever I checked out excavation activity at the U Condominiums site back in the spring, it always seemed like the earth was moving at a snail’s pace. I thought it might take until the end of the year before the digging would reach anywhere near the 15-metre depth required for construction of the foundation for the project’s two condo towers, which will rise 45 and 50 storeys tall.  Excavation work appeared to be moving well along the east, south and west perimeters of the property, but a  vast amount of earth remained in the center and along the north perimeter.  Since June, however, the excavation has progressed at an amazing pace, and the big hole in the ground at Bay and St Mary Streets is now more than two levels deep across most of the property.

U Condos is a project by The Pemberton Group. Its two condo towers, along with 3-storey townhouses that will flank the north, east and south sides of the development, were designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

Below are photos showing summer excavation progress at the U Condos location.  Earlier construction photos can be viewed in my blog posts on May 7 2011, April 2 2011, March 18 2011, and February 4 2011 — my first report on the U Condos project.

 

U Condos Toronto

June 21 2011: Looking southeast toward Bay Street from the U Condos construction entrance off  St Mary Street

 

U Condos Toronto

 June 21 2011:  Looking towards the eastern side of the site along Bay Street

 

U Condos Toronto

June 21 2011: A construction supervisor watches excavation activity about 20 feet below. Bay Street is on the other side of the hoarding behind him.

 

U Condos Toronto

 June 21 2011: The southeastern corner where the 50-storey condo tower will rise

 

U Condos Toronto

June 21 2011: Excavation on the south side of the site next to St Basil’s Church

 

U Condos Toronto

July 3 2011: Excavation progress at the location for the east condo tower

 

U Condos Toronto

July 3 2011: Excavation equipment and machines near the ramp off Bay Street

 

U Condos Toronto

July 3 2011: An excavator on the south side of the site near St Basil’s Church. A row of 3-storey townhouses will be built along that edge of the U Condos property.

 

U Condos Toronto

July 3 2011: The southwest corner of the U Condos property near Brennan Hall on the University of Toronto campus

 

U Condos Toronto

July 24 2011: A substantially wider and deeper area has been excavated at the southwest corner in the past three weeks

 

U Condos Toronto

July 24 2011: An excavator sits roughly where the east tower will be constructed

 

U Condos Toronto

July 24 2011:  Another view of the excavator from the St Mary Street entrance

 

U Condos Toronto

July 24 2011: Looking toward the southeast corner of the property from a security fence along St Mary Street

 

U Condos Toronto

August 6 2011: Significant excavation progress on the eastern third of the site

 

U Condos Toronto

August 6 2011: Looking toward St Basil’s Church across the center of the site

 

U Condos Toronto

August 6 2011: The 45-storey west tower will be built at this location

 

 

«»

 

Foundation work begins on north section of the One Bloor site

 

One Bloor condo tower Toronto

August 6 2011: Foundation drilling equipment on the One Bloor condo tower site

 

Drilling starts: One of Toronto’s biggest construction events took place in the middle of July when the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the much-awaited One Bloor condo tower at the southeast corner of the city’s premier Yonge & Bloor intersection. Drilling equipment had arrived on the site weeks earlier, but it wasn’t until July 15 that executive shovels turned soil to officially kick off construction of the 70-storey tower.

A project of Great Gulf Homes, One Bloor was designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects of Toronto.  My previous coverage of this condo project includes posts on July 15 2011, May 4 2011, and January 10 2011 — my first report on One Bloor.

Below are several recent photos of construction equipment on the One Bloor property. Numerous tower renderings and a full architectural description of the building can be viewed at this page on the Hariri Pontarini website.

 

One Bloor condo tower Toronto

 July 13 2011: Pedestrians walk on Yonge Street south of Bloor Street, passing foundation drilling machines on the One Bloor site

 

One Bloor condo tower Toronto

 July 13 2011: Yonge Street view of the One Bloor site, looking east toward the Xerox Tower at 33 Bloor Street East

 

One Bloor condo tower Toronto

July 13 2011: A man walks along the temporary subway station access path next to the north side of the One Bloor condo tower location

 

One Bloor condo tower Toronto

August 6 2011: Foundation building equipment on the One Bloor site

 

One Bloor condo tower Toronto

August 6 2011: A ground level view of the north half of the tower site

 

 

Checking in on the new 5-star hotel/condo towers: the Four Seasons Toronto in Yorkville

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: The two Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto towers viewed from the northeast on Church Street near Yonge Street

 

Looking sharp: Glass cladding installation is nearly finished as construction of the Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto moves closer to completion.

Designed by Toronto’s architectsAlliance, the five-star hotel/condo project features two sleek and slender glass towers — one 26 storeys, the other 55 floors — that soar above Yorkville from the northeast corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue.

The west tower firmly established itself as a new Yorkville landmark several months ago when it became the tallest building in the upscale shopping and residential neighbourhood. It will boast a lavish  253-suite Four Seasons Hotel in its shiny glass base, with posh condominiums rising from floor 24 to the 55th-floor penthouse, which recently sold for a record $28 million. The website shows six available floorplans, ranging in size from a spacious 1,956-square-foot 2-bedroom suite to a palatial 3,914-square-foot two-bedroom estate with two 12 x 12-foot terraces. Floorplans for the East Residence range from a 1,100-square foot 1-bedroom suite to an 1,815-square-foot 2-bedroom home. The towers’  204 condos were designed by Gluckstein Design Planning.

The east tower will be connected to the west by an elevated bridge, giving its privileged residents easy access to the hotel amenities. “They will enjoy a pampered lifestyle, with all the luxurious amenities of the hotel at their doorstep, including 24-hour concierge, doorman and valet parking,” the project website promises.

The hotel’s main entrance on Bay Street will open into a Grand Lobby extending the full width of the building (from Scollard Street south to Yorkville Avenue). The hotel will have a lobby bar, a second-floor restaurant, ballroom and banquet facilities, and a luxurious 28,000-square-foot spa with a fitness club, indoor lap pool, whirlpools and an outdoor terrace. The lobby and amenities areas were designed by Yabu Pushelberg, while a central landscaped courtyard park fronting onto Yorkville Avenue was designed by Claude Cormier

The Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto is a joint venture project of Menkes Developments Ltd. and Lifetime Developments.

Below is a series of photos I’ve shot of the Four Seasons complex over the course of the summer.

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

May 5 2011:  Construction of the 55-storey Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences west tower viewed from Church Street near Park Road

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

May 6 2011: Balmuto Street view of the Four Seasons towers rising above Yorkville

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

May 6 2011: West tower viewed from Bloor Street near Yonge Street

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto penthouse

June 22 2011: Fog surrounds the 55th floor $28 million penthouse

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011:  Four Seasons viewed from the SW corner of Bay & Yorkville

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011: The west tower’s ground floor and lower levels seen from the northeast corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011: The hotel spa, ballroom and banquet facilities are housed in this 8-storey wing at the corner of Bay and Scollard Streets

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

 July 13 2011: Bay Street view of the hotel section of the west tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011: Clouds reflect in the exterior of the hotel amenities wing

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011:  Ground-level view of the amenities wing at Bay & Scollard Streets

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011: Looking up from the NW corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

 July 13 2011: Cladding has been installed, but the balconies haven’t yet been completed on the East Residence tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011: Looking up the northwest corner of the west tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011: The sleek glass midsection of the 55-storey west tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 13 2011:  Four Seasons towers viewed from the northwest on Davenport Road

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 24 2011: Roof fin installation underway on the west tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 24 2011: Balconies and construction elevator on the hotel tower’s SE corner

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 24 2011: Crane and upper six floors of the East Residence tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 24 2011: The soaring west tower viewed from Bloor Street near Yonge Street

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 24 2011: West tower viewed from the University of Toronto campus

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

July 24 2011: Hotel tower penthouse floors viewed from the southwest

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011:  Yorkville Avenue view of the two towers

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

 August 6 2011: Looking up the south side of the East Residence tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: A pedestrian bridge links the East Residence tower to the amenities wing of the hotel building

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: Reflections on windows of the East Residence tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: The base of the East Residence tower

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: This area will become a showpiece courtyard garden + hotel/condo entrance driveway designed by Claude Cormier

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: The hotel tower base at Yorkville Avenue & Bay Street

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: The hotel tower base awaits its exterior cladding

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 201: Yorkville Avenue view of what will become the driveway entrance to both the hotel and condo towers

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: The condo floors rise from the slightly broader hotel base

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: The Four Seasons west tower looks short from this angle, but actually rises high above the office towers at Yonge & Bloor Streets

 

Four Seasons Hotel + Private Residences Toronto

August 6 2011: Four Seasons complex viewed from Yonge Street

 

 

Police close sections of downtown streets after more glass panels break on condo tower balconies

Festival Tower condos Toronto

November 29 2010:  Glass balcony panels on the Festival Tower condo highrise in the Entertainment District. Two panels on the tower have broken this summer.

 

Danger zones: In the wake of media reports that more glass balcony panels have fallen from two different downtown condo towers this week, I’m beginning to wonder if I should start wearing a hard hat whenever I leave my building. Seriously. I’m not worried about walking below my own condo building — all of the balconies on our 30-year-old highrise have metal railings. But almost every day I do walk below new condo towers that have glass balconies, and I recently walked below two of the condo towers that made headlines with balcony glass breakage this week.

On July 19, I crossed a section of Grosvenor Street that, just two days later, was showered with pieces of glass that broke on two separate balconies at the Murano condo tower at 37 Grosvenor Street. This past Monday afternoon I nearly walked up Bay Street past the Murano, but changed my mind two blocks away and took a different route. It wasn’t until an hour or so later that I learned another Murano balcony panel had shattered that very afternoon, spilling glass onto Bay Street — and that yet another panel had broken on the building’s east side just 12 hours earlier. Police cordoned off one northbound lane of Bay Street as a precaution; they already had closed part of Grosvenor Street and nearby St Vincent Lane because of the July 21 incidents. Coincidentally, I had just been walking around the Entertainment District, where I stood below the Festival Tower condo building on John Street to take photos of daredevils doing the CN Tower’s EdgeWalk.  Around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, a panel on one of Festival Tower’s 27th floor balconies shattered, raining broken glass onto John Street. I had not been aware that another balcony panel on the same tower had broken just three weeks before.

Monday’s double-break at Murano occurred mere days after contractors had started removing panels from the tower after City of Toronto building inspectors ordered Murano’s developer, Lanterra Developments, to replace the balcony glass — a multimillion-dollar remediation project that could take several months to complete.

Why has the balcony glass been breaking? Speculation is running rampant in public online discussion forums, with commentators blaming faulty manufacturing, installation, or balcony design, and some others conjecturing that developers or builders may have been “cheaping out” on materials to cut construction costs.  Some blame the recent extreme heat, some say it’s caused by wind, but at this point experts can’t yet pinpoint the precise cause of the breakage at Murano and Festival Tower.

A story posted on the Toronto Star website Tuesday quotes Jim Laughlin, a senior City of Toronto building official, as saying the City ordered Lanterra to replace the Murano balcony glass following the building’s fifth consecutive breakage incident “because we don’t know why this is happening.” The story also quotes Lanterra president Barry Fenton as saying the company has engineers “performing an autopsy of the glass to figure out what happened.” According to Fenton, the glass and railings on the Grosvenor Street Murano condo tower were installed two years ago by a company that is no longer in business. A different company installed the balconies on the adjacent Murano south condo tower at 38 Grenville Street, where no panels have broken.

Meanwhile, the CBC reports that Festival Tower’s developer, The Daniels Corporation, will temporarily install scaffolding below the building as a precautionary measure to protect pedestrians in case any more glass breaks and falls. In the meantime, police have closed John Street to traffic between King and Adelaide Streets. The CBC quotes a Daniels executive as saying the company knows why a panel shattered three weeks ago — apparently a metal railing expanded during the hot temperatures, putting too much pressure on the glass — but doesn’t know what caused Tuesday’s incident.  It’s suspected that something may have struck the glass, the executive said. “The way the balcony has been designed, it’s in accordance with all the codes and practice with construction technique but for some reason we seem to have this problem with the tempered glass is letting go,” Daniels senior vice president Tom Dutton told the CBC.

However, a University of Toronto engineering professor says glass breakage “happens all the time.” “It is known as a delayed spontaneous fracture,” Prof. Doug Perovic told the Toronto Star in a story published on the newspaper’s website Wednesday night. It could be caused either by imperfections that occur in the glass during the manufacturing process, or it could be related to the installation process. In both instances, stressors such as wind and temperature can later increase pressure on the glass, eventually causing it to fracture. Prof. Perovic is one of two engineering experts who discuss the breakage phenomenon in “Shattered glass: what causes panes to fall off,” an in-depth report posted on the CBC website today. [Note: Wednesday’s story in the Star includes a “Falling Glass” summary listing dates on which glass apparently broke on Murano and Festival Tower. It mentions June 17 as the date for one Murano breakage, an event I reported in my June 21 2011 post. In addition, the Star says Dec. 1 2010 was when the “first known pane of glass explodes and falls from the north tower of 37 Grosvenor Street”; however, in a story published on Sept. 18 2010, the Star itself reported on two breakage incidents that occurred one week apart last September. I reported on the December occurrence in a January 18 2011 post.]

It now appears that at least one more panel has broken on Festival Tower so far this year. A story in today’s Star quotes a Festival Tower resident, Omar Jabri, describing how a pane fell off his 16th floor balcony back in May. Jabri actually happened to be standing at the corner of King & John Streets on Tuesday evening when the panel on the 27th floor shattered; he told the Star he saw the glass fall onto John Street. I haven’t been able to get down to the area to take photos, but was surprised when I saw pictures in the Star and other media showing a Festival Tower balcony with a missing panel. In February, I snapped a photo of a Festival Tower balcony missing a panel, also on the east (John Street) side of the building. The pane was missing from the exact same part of the balcony railing as the pane that fell from the tower this week (see photo, below). Could that be just a curious coincidence?

Today I walked past the Murano condos to see how the glass removal project is progressing. Most of the balcony panels on the north side of the Grosvenor Street building have been removed, with four and a half floors still to go as well as several vertical rows of panes, rising about two-thirds of the way up the tower, for balconies near the northeast corner. No glass has been removed from the south side of the tower yet.  Part of Grosvenor Street and St Vincent Lane are still closed to traffic, as is the right-hand northbound lane of Bay Street between Grenville Street and Grosvenor. The Bay Street sidewalk alongside the Murano complex is completely closed to pedestrians, and police officers are stationed at both ends of the sidewalk to ensure people detour around the site.

Here’s hoping that Lanterra’s glass “autopsy” and the Daniels investigations are able to quickly pinpoint the cause of the breakage — and determine an effective solution. I’d like to be able to walk our downtown streets without having to wear protective headgear, and I’m sure most Torontonians feel the same way.

Below are recent photos of the balcony removal work at the Murano condo on Grosvenor Street, along with some photos I’ve shot in the past showing the glass balcony panes on Festival Tower.

 

Murano Condos Toronto

 July 21 2011: The Murano north tower on Grosvenor Street, left, has suffered about eight incidents of balcony glass breakage this year.

 

Murano condos toronto

 July 24 2011: A crew on a swing stage inspects the Murano north condo tower as work begins to remove all balcony glass and railings from the building.

 

Murano condos toronto

 July 24 2011: Workers remove a glass partition from between two balconies on the north side of the Grosvenor Street Murano tower

 

Murano condos Toronto

 July 27 2011: Crews remove balcony glass from the Murano north condo tower. The dismantling of all of the building’s balconies is expected to finish next week.

 

Murano Condos north tower

August 4 2011: Balcony glass removal progress on the tower’s north side

 

Murano condos north tower

August 4 2011: Panels still must be removed from four and a half full floors, along with a vertical row of balconies near the northeast corner of the building

 

Murano condos north tower

August 4 2011: A work crew removes balcony panels and railings on the north tower. The yellow signs posted on the balcony doors advise residents that they cannot use their balconies during the city-ordered remediation project.

 

Murano condo north tower

August 4 2011: A contractor removes a balcony support pillar

 

Northbound Bay Street between Grenville and Grosvenor Streets

August 4 2011: The right-hand northbound lane of Bay Street is closed between Grenville and Grosvenor Streets, as is the sidewalk. I counted seven Toronto police officers enforcing the street and sidewalk closures at lunch time today.

 

Murano Condos Toronto south tower

 July 21 2011: The Murano south condo tower at 38 Grenville Street has not experienced any balcony panel breakage

 

Festival Tower condos Toronto

 March 8 2010: Balcony panel installation underway during construction of the Festival Tower condo highrise on John Street

 

Festival Tower condos Toronto

February 3 2011: A Festival Tower balcony was missing one of its glass panels last winter. There had been no reports of glass breakage at the time.

 

Festival Tower condos Toronto

November 2 2010:  CN Tower observation deck view of the 42-storey Festival Tower that opened at King & John Streets last year. The podium is the TIFF Bell Lightbox, home to the Toronto International Film Festival

 

 

Checking in on the new 5-star hotel/condo towers: The Trump International Hotel + Tower

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 1 2011: The Trump Toronto Tower viewed from Adelaide Street West near the Living Shangri-La Toronto (left), another new skyscraper I will profile in an upcoming installment of “Checking in on the 5-star hotel/condo towers”

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The north side of Trump Toronto, looking up from Adelaide Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The tower’s west side, viewed from Bay Street

 

 

Putting up the penthouse:  Shouldn’t be too much longer before construction tops off on the Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto.

From my balcony, I’ve been able to watch the penthouse levels of the 60-storey tower gradually take shape during the past two weeks, climbing into view above the top of the Bay Adelaide Centre. I expect completion of the mechanical floors above them to follow soon. And once its signature “quarter onion”-shaped turret has been built to cap the tower’s northwest corner, and in turn is topped with a spire, the Trump Tower Toronto will become the city’s second-tallest building, after First Canadian Place.

Designed by Toronto’s Zeidler Partnership Architects, the Trump Toronto will rise more than 900 feet on its compact site at the southeast corner of Bay and Adelaide Streets. According to the project website, the building will include 261 luxury hotel rooms on its lower levels in studio, 1- and 2-bedroom configurations, along with five Trump Executive suites. There also will be 118 condominium suites from floors 33 to 60, accessed via a Sky Lobby with concierge on the 31st floor. Condo residents will enjoy “full access” to the hotel’s amenities, including room service, housekeeping, concierge and valet. A five-star restaurant will occupy the 30th floor, while there will be an entire floor of executive meetings rooms in a “high-tech business centre.” A full-service spa with gym, exercise studios and swimming pool will occupy two levels of the building. The ground floor will feature a “sophisticated” lobby bar, while floors 2 through 7 will contain a valet-operated parking garage.

The Trump Hotel Collection website is currently accepting online reservations for Trump Toronto beginning November 1 of this year. Today, the site’s reservation system showed seven suites available for the night of Nov. 1; the lowest available price was $485 (plus tax) for either a superior king or superior double room, each 550 square feet in size. A 1,000-square-foot grand deluxe 1-bedroom suite with panoramic views was available for $885 (plus tax), while a 1,650-square-foot grand deluxe two-bedroom suite with city views and a kitchen was going for $1,785 (plus tax).

Below is a series of Trump Toronto photos I shot during the summer.

 

Toronto Trump Tower

June 6 2011:  The Trump Toronto crane stands prominently on the skyline

 

Scotia Plaza Trump Toronto and Bay Adelaide Centre

June 20 2011: Looking up at Scotia Plaza, the Trump Toronto, and Bay Adelaide Centre (right) from the sidewalk on Adelaide Street West

 

Trump Toronto Tower

June 20 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the University/ Adelaide intersection

 

Trump Tower Toronto

June 26 2011: Trump Toronto’s ascent to the upper echelons of the Financial District is seen from Broadview Avenue above Riverdale Park

 

Trump Tower Toronto

June 26 2011: Another Broadview Avenue view of the Trump Toronto and other Financial District skyscrapers

 

Trump Tower Toronto

June 26 2011: A Broadview Avenue view of, from left, Commerce Court, CN Tower, TD Centre’s TD Bank Tower, Scotia Plaza, First Canadian Place, Trump Toronto and the Bay Adelaide Centre

Toronto Trump Tower

June 29 2011: My balcony view of Trump Toronto rising on the skyline

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 1 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from Shuter Street to the northeast

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 1 2011: Trump Toronto begins climbing above the 51-storey Bay Adelaide Centre (right), but won’t stand as tall as 72-storey First Canadian Place (rear)

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 1 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the TD Centre Plaza off King Street

 

Toronto city skyline viewed from the west

July 3 2011: Trump Toronto joins the ranks of the tall bank towers in this city skyline view from the Humber Bay area

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 3 2011: Another view of Trump Toronto making its mark on the skyline

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 8 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from Nathan Phillips Square

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 13 2011: Spotlights on the Trump Toronto construction crane at sunset

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the SW corner of King & Bay Streets

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011:  Southwest view of the Trump Toronto from King Street West

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: Southwest view of the tower’s upper floors. At this point, the Trump Toronto has reached 57 storeys

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011:  Southwest view of the tower’s middle section

 

Trump Tower Toronto

 July 20 2011: A closer look at forms midway up the tower’s south side

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: The external construction elevator rises up the green glass curtain wall on the building’s south side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: A closer look at the exterior construction elevator

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Windows near the tower’s southeast corner

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: The construction entrance to the 54th floor. The exterior elevator climbs a total of 55 floors

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: The tower’s northwest upper floors reach 57 storeys here

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Upper floors await their curtain wall installation

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Windows on the tower’s southwest corner

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the west on Adelaide Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Upper floors on the tower’s west side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Missing window panes and panels on the tower’s west wall

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 24 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from Bloor Street near Varsity Stadium

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Bay Adelaide Centre and Trump Toronto viewed from the west

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Trump Toronto and Scotia Plaza viewed from the west

 

Toronto Trump Tower

 August 1 2011: Trump Toronto reflects in the Bay Adelaide Centre)

 

Toronto Trump Tower

 August 1 2011: Windows on the lower levels of the tower’s north wall. A valet-operated parking garage occupies floors 2 through 7.

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Window and cladding details on the lower levels

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The tower’s northeast corner awaits some missing panels

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The Adelaide Street entrance to the tower’s porte-cochère

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Adelaide Street view into the porte-cochère, which features a curved public art mural made of glass, stone and ceramics

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: An Adelaide Street view of upper floors on the tower’s north side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 201: Bay Street view of the Bay Adelaide Centre and the Trump Toronto

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Lower floors on the west side of the tower, viewed from Bay Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Looking up from Bay Street at the tower’s west side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011:  Progress on the penthouse levels viewed from the west

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Green glass curtain wall on the tower’s west side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: West view of Trump Toronto and Scotia Plaza

 

 

CN Tower puts thrill seekers on edge…1,168 feet up

CN Tower EdgeWalk

August 1 2011: Thrillseekers on the CN Tower observation deck roof

 

CN Tower EdgeWalk

Eight daredevils walking along the north side of the deck’s roof

 

CN Tower EdgeWalk

An EdgeWalker takes a hands-free backward lean over downtown Toronto

 

On edge: The CN Tower literally put people on edge today, the first day its new EdgeWalk attraction was open to members of the public eager to pay $175 for the privilege of walking on a ledge 1,168 feet above downtown Toronto.

I was at John & Adelaide Streets around 3 o’clock this afternoon when I looked up and saw one group of eight daredevils walking along the edge of the tower’s observation deck rooftop, securely tethered to the tower by safety harnesses attached to their red jumpsuits. The walkers paused a few times so some of the participants could take turns doing “Look ma, no hands!” backward leans off the EdgeWalk platform.

Below are several more photos and one brief videoclip of this particular group of EdgeWalkers. Further details about the CN Tower’s spine-tingling new feature are available in my May 12 2011 post as well as in this Toronto Star story by reporter Katie Daubs.

 

CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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 CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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CN Tower EdgeWalk thrillseekers

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