Monthly Archives: May 2012

City planners urge rejection of proposal to build 50-floor condo tower on Jarvis near Allan Gardens

308 - 314 Jarvis Street proposed condo tower site

May 9 2012: City planners have recommended that Toronto City Council refuse zoning bylaw changes requested by a developer that wants to build a 50-storey condo tower on this Jarvis Street site

 

Refusal report: Citing concerns over two specific heritage properties as well as vehicle and service access issues, city planners have recommended that a 50-storey condo tower proposed for Jarvis & Carlton Street area be refused by City Council.

In a January 23 2012 rezoning application, Duration Investments Ltd. proposed to build a build a 590-unit condo complex on a property that extends from Jarvis to Mutual Street, just south of Carlton Street. The building would include: a 41-storey wedge-shaped tower rising near the northwest corner of the site; a masonry-clad 9-storey podium that would step back from Jarvis Street at the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th floors; retail shops along the podium’s Jarvis Street frontage; five 3-storey townhouses fronting on Mutual Street; and five levels of underground parking.

 

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TPA parking lot and CCAS building on Maitland St. touted for condo tower development potential

Municipal parking lot between Wellesley and Maitland Streets

April 27 2012: This Toronto Parking Authority surface parking lot at 15 Wellesley Street East, seen here looking south from outside the Wellesley subway station …

 

municipal parking lot at 15 Wellesley Street East Toronto

… and seen here, looking north from Maitland Street, is presently being marketed for sale as “an outstanding development opportunity” …

 

20 and 26 Maitland Street Toronto

… along with these two adjacent properties on the east side of the lot: the large brown brick mansion at 20 Maitland (now housing office space) and the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto building at 26 Maitland Street

 

CBRE Wellesley Development Lands flyer illustration

This illustration of the potential for the site appears in a marketing flyer that says CBRE Limited is “exclusive listing agent” for all three properties, each of which is subject to “separate offering requirements” for development.

 

CBRE Wellesley Development Lands

Another illustration from the CBRE marketing flyer shows an aerial view, from the northeast, of the site being touted as the Wellesley Development Lands

 

Tower trio: The Church-Wellesley neighbourhood is buzzing over news that a large Wellesley Street parking lot, plus two adjacent properties on Maitland Street, are being jointly marketed as as an “outstanding development opportunity” in the downtown core, offering a massive 1.3 million square feet of redevelopment space in up to three separate condo towers.

The three properties being offered for sale include the Toronto Parking Authority surface lot at 15 Wellesley Street East, which extends from Wellesley at the north to Maitland Street at the south, as well as a large brick mansion used as office space at 20 Maitland and the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto building at 26 Maitland.

 

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ÏCE and Infinity3 condo tower construction already making a significant visual impact on city skyline

ICE Condos and Infinity3 Condos

May 10 2012: South view from Bremner Boulevard of construction progress on the two ÏCE Condo towers, left and center, and the Infinity3 Condominiums, right

 

Changing views: Although construction of two neighbouring condo projects near the CN Tower still has a long ways to go before completion, it’s fast becoming apparent just how significantly the new towers will change the look of the city skyline.

The side-by-side ÏCE Condos and Infinity3 Condominiums rising on the north side of the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard, between York and Lower Simcoe Streets, are already having a huge impact on sightlines and views in the South Financial District and Harbourfront areas. And that’s even though construction of the east ÏCE condo tower has so far climbed less than one-tenth of its ultimate 67-storey height, while the west ÏCE tower is just slightly more than one-third of its way to 57 floors. The main Infinity3 tower, meanwhile, is more than 20 floors high on its way to 34.

 

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Construction of The Milan Condominium tower approaches sidewalk level on north Church St.

Milan Condos in Yorkville Toronto

May 6 2012: Looking west across The Milan Condominium tower construction site near the Yonge & Church intersection in Yorkville

 

Milan Condos in Yorkville Toronto

May 6 2012: Construction has climbed to 1 meter below grade at the southeast side of the site, seen here looking north from the Church Street sidewalk …

 

Milan Condos in Yorkville Toronto

… but still has some catching up to do at the southwest corner …

 

Milan Condos in Yorkville Toronto

… while construction continues to progress the fastest at the northeast corner, where the building already looms above the Yonge subway line

 

Closing the gap: Passersby will soon be able to watch construction activity at The Milan Condominium tower site in Yorkville without having to peer through a chainlink fence surrounding parts of the property that aren’t blocked by wood hoarding.

As of this past weekend, construction of the tower’s underground levels had climbed to just one meter below the sidewalk along Church Street at the site’s southeast corner, where rebar reinforced floor forms were ready for a concrete pour. As construction of the podium for the 37-storey tower starts to climb above grade, motorists and pedestrians on Church Street will get their first clear view of the building since work commenced in the summer of 2010.

 

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All topped off: Final concrete pour celebrated at new SickKids Centre for Research and Learning

SickKids Centre for Research & Learning Toronto

May 5 2012: Construction of the SickKids Centre for Research and Learning, seen here from the south on Bay Street, reached a milestone last week …

 

SickKids Centre for Research & Learning

… with a ceremony celebrating the final concrete pour for the 21-storey tower, seen here in a screen capture from a SickKids video of the event

 

SickKids Centre for Research and Learning Tower

SickKids President and CEO Mary Jo Haddad pours the final buckle of concrete

 

Topped off: A new Bay Street building landmark has celebrated a construction milestone with a topping off ceremony to commemorate the final concrete pour on the 21-floor structure.

The SickKids Centre for Research and Learning reached its highest point of construction last Thursday afternoon, exactly two years after construction commenced on the $400 million, 750,000-square-foot building that will house laboratory and meeting spaces for more than 2,000 scientists, trainees and children’s health research staff.

 

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Work reaches 6th floor at Motion on Bay Street

Motion on Bay Toronto

May 5 2012: Construction workers were busy moving building forms today to prepare to build the 6th level of the Motion rental highrise

 

Motion on Bay Toronto

May 4 2012: The building will rise 29 storeys at the SW corner of Bay and Dundas Streets, and contain 463 units plus street-level retail shops

 

Form fitting: The Motion rental highrise at Bay & Dundas Streets reached a new level today, as crews repositioned building forms to prepare for construction of the 6th floor of what will ultimately be a 29-storey tower.

Toronto Police closed Bay Street to traffic for the length of the building site this afternoon while the construction crane hoisted forms from the building’s fifth level, and repositioned them directly above.

 

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Living Shangri-la to unveil Zhang Huan sculpture

Living Shangrila hotel condo tower Toronto

May 4 2012: Rising, a dramatic sculpture by contemporary artist Zhang Huan, will be unveiled Saturday at this location outside the Living Shangri-la Toronto tower on University Avenue, between Richmond and Adelaide Streets

 

Living Shangrila hotel condo tower Toronto

May 4 2012: Workers prepare the giant sculpture for its official unveiling ceremony, scheduled for 1-2 pm tomorrow afternoon

 

Living Shangrila condo hotel tower Toronto

May 4 2012: The large-scale sculpture occupies a space at street level …

 

Living Shangrila condo hotel Toronto

… and soars above the glass ‘Ice Cube’ at the building’s NE corner …

 

Living Shangrila condo hotel Toronto

… seen here, from the University Avenue median to the east. This section of the building encloses a pool on the upper level, with a Momofuku restaurant on the floor below. The Momofuku Toronto is scheduled to open in August.

 

Taking flight: As construction of the 66-storey Living Shangri-la Toronto draws closer to completion, the building’s developer is set to unveil the dramatic sculpture it commissioned for the public art component of its project.

Full-page advertisements published in local newspapers this week announced that the art installation — Rising, by Shanghai and New York-based contemporary artist Zhang Huan — will be unveiled at a public ceremony Saturday afternoon from 1 – 2 p.m.

 

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In Photos: Aura at College Park

Aura Condos at College Park Toronto

May 2 2012: A screenshot from the construction webcam for the Aura condo tower at College Park. The developer will need to adjust its camera angle soon; otherwise, construction of what will be the city’s tallest condo tower will quickly climb out of view.

 

Aura Condos at College Park Toronto

April 29 2012: Aura Condos at College Park construction viewed from the southeast corner of Yonge and Gerrard Streets.

 

On the rise: “What’s taking Aura so long?” That’s a question I’ve been asked a number of times recently by people who have been waiting, obviously rather impatiently, for the Aura condo tower at College Park to begin making its mark on the downtown skyline. They won’t have to wait much longer.

Aura already has a profound presence when viewed from ground level along parts of Yonge and Gerrard Streets, and in a few short weeks will become more visible over a wider area as it starts rising above some of its highrise neighbours. By June, I will probably be able to watch the construction from the comfort of my condo six blocks away to the northeast; right now, the orange and white cranes atop Aura are competing for my attention with the two cranes on the SickKids Centre for Research and Learning Tower two blocks to their southwest.

 

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Looking in on 3 big digs along north Yonge Street: One Bloor, Nicholas Residences & FIVE Condos

One Bloor condo tower excavation Toronto

April 27 2012: The excavation for the One Bloor condo at Yonge & Bloor Streets keeps getting deeper along the site’s north and west sides …

 

Nicholas Residences excavation Toronto

… while three blocks south at St Mary & St Nicholas Streets, the excavation is deepest at the east and south ends of the Nicholas Residences condo tower site  …

 

FIVE Condos Toronto

… ande just two blocks farther south at Yonge & St Joseph Streets, the excavation for FIVE Condos is deepest at the northeast corner of the property

 

Digging deeper: Excavation work is continuing apace for three condo tower projects that will substantially change the look and height of Yonge Street between Bloor and Wellesley Streets. Below are photos showing how excavations have progressed in recent months at the One Bloor, Nicholas Residences and FIVE Condos construction sites.

 

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3 big digs on Yonge Street (Part 2: FIVE Condos)

FIVE Condos site Toronto

May 1 2012: A view of the FIVE Condos development site at the southwest corner of Yonge and St Joseph Streets, one block north of Wellesley Street

 

FIVE Condos Toronto

May 1 2012: Excavation is well underway for a condo tower that will rise at least 45 storeys behind the facade of the former Rawlinson Cartage warehouse building, seen here being held in place by a giant frame on St Joseph Street

 

FIVE Condos at 5 St Joseph

 

Much like the Nicholas Residences site a short walk up the street, the 5 St Joseph Street location for FIVE Condos poses some interesting challenges for excavation crews. They, too, have been digging directly behind a row of heritage buildings that front along Yonge Street. What makes their task even more complicated, however, is that they must work beneath the 4-storey brick facade of the historic Rawlinson Cartage building that formerly occupied the site — a huge structure currently held in place by a giant steel frame on St Joseph Street. The facade eventually will be incorporated into the condo tower podium, while the west wall of another brick building that once stood next door to it on St Nicholas Street also will be reconstructed as part of the FIVE Condos development.

 

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33-storey condo with office space proposed for Church St. site near Ryerson University campus

365 Church Street Toronto

March 7 2012: A 33-storey tower with condos and 3 floors of offices has been proposed for the site of this building at 355 Church Street …

 

355 Church Street Toronto

… presently the home of Family Service Toronto, an organization that provides counselling, support and other social services for families and individuals

 

More change for Church Street: A centre that provides counselling services for individuals and families facing difficult life challenges faces a big challenge of its own — finding new premises — now that a development application has been filed with the city to build a condo on the site of its 3-floor facility.

According to an April 26 2012 rezoning application filed with the City, a developer wants to build a 33-storey tower on the 355 Church Street site currently occupied by Family Service Toronto. The building would have a 4-storey podium with street-level retail and 3 floors of office space, topped by a 29-storey residential tower with 335 units. The building would have parking for 185 vehicles on four underground levels, along with 301 bicycle parking spaces.

 

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Reflections of cranes on MaRS

 

MaRS Centre phase 2 tower construction

One of the three cranes atop the MaRS Centre Phase 2 construction site casts multiple reflections in the curved glass facade of the Ontario Power Generation building at the southwest corner of University Avenue and College Street

 

MaRS Centre Phase 2 tower

Southbound motorists and pedestrians approaching University Avenue from Queen’s Park Crescent can see intriguing reflections of the MaRS Centre construction on the OPG headquarters to their right …

 

MaRS Centre Phase 2 tower

… and get a great view of the actual construction site to their left, as seen here last month in a photo shot from the median at the foot of Queen’s Park Crescent

 

Mirror images: Three construction cranes are helping to build the MaRS Centre Phase 2 tower at the southeast corner of University Avenue and College Street. But from certain perspectives at street level, fascinating reflections on the glass facade of the Ontario Power Generation building across the street suggest there are dozens more cranes working the project.

 

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