Monthly Archives: October 2012

Toronto skyline views

Toronto skyline

September 11 2012: A view of the downtown Toronto skyline, as seen from Ward’s Island in the Toronto Islands. Click on the photo to view a larger image.

 

Summer skyline:  As the “Frankenstorm” from Hurricane Sandy drenches the city with windy wet weather, I’ve been missing the opportunity to take long relaxing rides on my bike to see the downtown skyline from different perspectives.

Since it was too rainy for riding and photography this weekend, I decided to collect some of the skyline photos I shot during the summer, and compile them into an online album. Entitled Toronto Skyline Views 2012, the album can be viewed on thetorontoblog.com’s Facebook page. It features dozens of skyline pics from a variety of vantage points, including the Toronto Islands, the island ferries, Tommy Thompson Park, Ontario Place, and condo balconies near Jarvis & Carlton Streets.

 

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Wrecking crews clearing sites for Casa 2, King+ and King Charlotte condo tower construction

42 Charles Street East

October 25 2012: Demolition crews are busy dismantling the 9-storey building at 42 Charles Street East that formerly housed offices for the Toronto YMCA…

 

39 Hayden Street

… as well as this 3-storey brick law office building right behind it, at 39 Hayden Street, to clear the site for the 56-storey Casa 2 Condominium tower

 

King Charlotte condo site

October 20 2012: Piles of rubble and metal are all that remain of the 3-storey warehouse building that once stood at 11 Charlotte Street …

 

11 Charlotte Street

… seen here on March 29 2011. It has been demolished to make way for the 32-storey King Charlotte condo tower. Click on the photo to view a larger image.

 

King+ Condos site

October 4 2012: Low-rise buildings that once stood at 37 Sherbourne Street have been razed to make room for the 17-storey King+ Condos

 

King+ Condos site

… which will incorporate into the new tower part of the facade of the historic National Hotel building at 251 King East, constructed in 1868

 

 

Getting wrecked: Demolition and other site preparation work is clearing the way for construction to commence on three condo tower projects in three different downtown neighbourhoods.

Two office buildings are being knocked down and ripped apart near Yonge & Bloor to make room for the 56-storey Casa 2 Condominium that will take their place. The 9-storey brick building at 42 Charles Street East formerly housed offices of the Toronto YMCA, while the 3-storey brick building to its north, at 39 Hayden Street, had previously been home to a law firm. (For more information on the Casa 2 project, see my September 17 2012 post.)

 

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Shoring work for The Mercer adds to daily din of Entertainment District condo construction

The Mercer condo

October 1 2012: A construction worker walks past foundation drilling machines on The Mercer condo tower site. Click on the photo to view a larger image.

 

The Mercer condo

October 1 2012: Tall shoring machines on The Mercer condominium tower site. This view is from John Street, looking west. Click on the photo to view a larger-size image.

 

The Mercer condo

A John Street view of the full corner site, looking northwest …

 

The Mercer condo

… a Mercer Street view of the shoring work, also looking northwest …

 

The Mercer condo

… and another Mercer street view, this time looking northeast

 

CN Tower view of The Mercer condo location

September 25 2012: The white circle indicates the The Mercer’s approximate location in this CN Tower view of the Entertainment District. Six more condo towers have been proposed just for the one block area to The Mercer’s west, while double that number are either already under construction or have been proposed for its immediate vicinity.

 

 

Shoring the site: The area is formally known as the Entertainment District, but as intensification of the bustling west downtown neighbourhood continues its breakneck pace, Torontonians might soon start calling it the Condominium Construction District. It seems residents and tourists can’t stroll more than a block without encountering drilling, dust, dump trucks and the constant cacophony of construction work — or development proposal signs heralding more highrises still to come.

The Mercer, a 33-storey tower set to rise on the northwest corner of John and Mercer Streets, is the latest condominium project adding to the incessant daytime din of building activity that permeates the neighbourhood.

 

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Sunset and daytime views of MaRS

toronto sunset October 17 2012

Cranes rise above the MaRS Centre Phase 2 tower construction site (left) in this sunset photo I shot from my balcony yesterday. Click on the photo to view a larger image.

 

MaRS aglow: At sunset, it’s easy to spot the MaRS Centre Phase 2 tower from my west-facing balcony — its three construction cranes stand in stark silhouette above the exposed concrete skeleton of the building’s upper floors. The building frame won’t be visible much longer, though, since installation of windows and glass cladding is proceeding quickly on the 21-storey tower, which topped off in August. Once the highrise is fully glassed in, it will be interesting to watch the various ways in which the tower reflects the sunset at different times of year.

Of course, the building looks completely different from a ground-level perspective near the College Street/University Avenue intersection — but the way the sun strikes the tower is equally dramatic. On a clear day, the glint of sunshine off the tower’s west facade is almost blinding to passersby glancing up at the building from University Avenue.

 

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29-storey condo proposed for 81 Wellesley East

81 Wellesley Street East

This artistic rendering, by Toronto’s Core Architects, depicts the 29-storey condo tower that a developer would like to build at 81 Wellesley Street East…

 

Odette House 81 Wellesley Street East

… the site on which this elegant 3-storey Odette House mansion once stood for decades …

 

81 Wellesley Street East coach house

… along with this 2-storey coach house at the rear of the property, until both buildings were hastily demolished in January by their new owners

 

Tall tower, slim site: A small Toronto development firm has revealed its plans for a 29-storey, 200-unit condo tower for 81 Wellesley Street East — the controversial site of the Odette House mansion and coach house that were demolished last winter.

Although the two buildings were not included on the City’s inventory of heritage properties, their destruction — and the way in which it was carried out — sparked considerable outrage in the Church-Wellesley Village neighbourhood. (For further details and photos, see my January 19 2012 report as well as my June 16 2012 follow-up post.)

The condo tower being proposed to take their place may prove to be almost as controversial.

 

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Crane comes down as Sync Lofts construction moves closer to completion on Queen East

Sync Lofts 630 Queen Street East

October 16 2012: A flatbed truck moves into position to load a segment of the construction crane that was disassembled at the Sync Lofts construction site

 

Sync Lofts

The 8-storey condo loft building now looks much like this artistic rendering — by Toronto architects Tact Design — that appears on the project website.

 

Loft living: Yesterday’s removal of the big red construction crane was a sure sign that construction of the Sync Lofts condo building is moving closer to completion.

The newest residential addition to Toronto’s Riverside District, Sync Lofts is situated at 630 Queen Street East, between the Don Valley Parkway and Broadview Avenue. A project of Streetcar, Sync Lofts was designed by Toronto’s Tact Design.

 

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Ripley’s Aquarium construction photo update

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

October 12 2012: The Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is almost fully roofed in …

 

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

… as seen in this September 25 overhead view from the CN Tower. Click on the image to view a larger photo.

 

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

 September 25 2012: A view of the giant frame for the building’s entrance area

 

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

October 12 2012: Construction progress viewed from the southwest, on Bremner Boulevard. Click on the image to view a larger image.

 

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

 October 12 2012: Aquarium viewed from the southeast, on Bremner Boulevard.  The yellow installation indicates where exterior walls are taking form.

 

Eyes on the aquarium: Most of the roof is in place for the new Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, while walls along the building’s east and west sides look like they’re almost ready for exterior cladding and glass installation.

More recent photos of the aquarium, including additional overhead pics shot from the CN Tower, can be viewed in an album on thetorontoblog’s Facebook page.

The album includes photos showing the aquarium site before construction commenced, as well as dozens of photos tracking the building’s progress since the summer of 2011.

Information about the project, along with building renderings and construction photos, can be viewed in my previous posts about the $130 million aquarium on August 17 2012, August 18 2011, and February 3 2011.

 

 

40-storey condo proposed for Yonge & Isabella

625 Yonge Street

A development application has been filed with the City for this 625 Yonge Street property at the southeast corner of Yonge & Isabella Streets. The proposal calls for a 40-storey residential tower with retail shops and offices to take its place.

 

625 Yonge Street

October 10 2012: The 625 Yonge building, viewed from the southwest

 

looking north on Yonge Street from Irwin Street

October 10 2012: Looking north on Yonge from Irwin Street. The 625 Yonge development site (white building with the yellow and black YSFC banners) has the cachet of being situated only three blocks south of the prime Yonge & Bloor intersection.

 

Condos on the corner: News that a rezoning application had been filed with the city for a commercial property on the corner of Yonge and Isabella Streets left the nearby neighbourhood rife with rumours and speculation yesterday about what is in store for the site. Not surprisingly, most people expected an announcement would be forthcoming that a condo  tower project is being proposed.

Word spread quickly that an entry for 625 Yonge Street had been added to the development projects page in the planning department section of the City of Toronto website. For most of the day, the website entry listed only the municipal address for the development application, its file number, and contact details for the city planner responsible for the file. It did not provide any specifics about how big or how tall the development would be, or whether it would be condos, offices, retail or a mix of all three. The absence of further information led to considerable conjecture about the owner’s plans for the property. (When I checked the entry late yesterday afternoon, it still lacked details; this morning, someone called my attention to additional information that finally had been added sometime during the evening.)

 

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Topping-off time for The L Tower

The L Tower October 4 2012

The L Tower viewed from the west on Front Street near University Avenue

 

The L Tower

A construction crew pours concrete on the top level of The L Tower, 58 storeys above Yonge Street & The Esplanade. Click on the picture to view a larger image.

 

The L Tower October 4 2012

 The upper levels appear to recede in this view of The L Tower ‘s north side

 

The L Tower October 4 2012

Looking up The L Tower’s northwest corner, from Yonge Street

 

Top-off time:  The L Tower marks a construction milestone this afternoon with a topping-off ceremony that will include an exciting aerial performance by a 5-member troupe from Vancouver’s Aeriosa Dance Society on the skyscraper’s north side.

Word is that the building’s internationally renowned architect, Daniel Libeskind, will be in the city to participate in the celebrations. The L Tower is Libeskind’s second major building design in Toronto in the past decade; his previous landmark, the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), opened during the summer of 2007.

 

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Former Alice Fazooli restaurant razed to make way for construction of The Bond condo tower

294 Adelaide Street West

October 4 2012: Hoarding protects the sidewalk alongside the former Entertainment District location of an Alice Fazooli’s restaurant at 294 Adelaide Street West …

 

Alice Fazooli's Italian Grill

… seen here on February 17 2011 before part of the restaurant building was converted into a presentation centre for The Bond Condominiums tower, which will be built on the site

 

Alice Fazooli restaurant building demolition

 October 1 2012: Demolition of the one-time restaurant building as seen from a parking lot next to the northwest side of the site …

 

Alice Fazooli restaurant building

… and through one of the building`s front windows, before the installation of protective hoarding blocked views of demolition work from the street

 

 The Bond Condominiums

This building illustration appears on The Bond Condominiums website. Click on the image to view the rendering in a larger format.

 

The Bond Condominiums

This illustration, also from the project website, depicts a street-level view of The Bond’s podium. The building was designed by Toronto’s Core Architects Inc. Click on the illustration to view a larger-size image.

 

Adieu, Alice: I still recall fun times with family and friends at the former Alice Fazooli’s restaurant in the Entertainment District nearly a decade ago, so I wasn`t surprised to feel a tad nostalgic when I saw the building being smashed to smithereens this week, clearing the space for construction of a yet another condominium tower.

The once-popular restaurant site at 294 Adelaide Street West is being razed as preliminary construction work kicks off for The Bond Condominiums, a 40-storey condo tower that will take its place. Designed by Toronto’s Core Architects, The Bond is a project of Lifetime Developments. It will have 369 condos in studio plus  1-, 2- and 3-bedroom configurations, along with a collection of penthouse suites, an outdoor private terrace, and extensive indoor amenity spaces.

 

 

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TEYCC expected to request public meeting on 49-storey condo proposed for 587-599 Yonge

587-599 Yonge Street

This large sign, one of three posted around the site, outlines a proposal filed with the City to redevelop the 587-599 block of Yonge Street between Gloucester & Dundonald Streets. (Click on photo to view a larger image and read the details.)

 

587-599 Yonge Street

A developer’s plan to build a 49-storey condo tower with 513 units and 2 floors of retail space would completely transform this block of Yonge Street, viewed here from the northwest …

 

587-599 Yonge Street

… and here, from the southwest. The development would include two townhouses on Gloucester Street as well as a restaurant building on Dundonald Street.

 

Tower talk: City planners are asking Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC) to convene a community consultation meeting so they can get public feedback on a condo tower development plan that would transform an entire block on the east side of Yonge Street, between Dundonald and Gloucester Streets.

The planners’ request, a routine step in the city’s development review process, is an agenda item for tomorrow’s (October 10) monthly meeting of the TEYCC.

As I reported in my August 28 2012 post, an application has been filed with the City for zoning amendments that would allow construction of a 49-storey condo tower on the 587-599 block of Yonge Street. At that time, few details about the proposal were available. More information is now in the public domain, thanks to a September 17 2012 preliminary report that city planners have prepared for TEYCC’s consideration.

 

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Planners ask city to oppose developer’s bid to build 37-storey condo tower at 40 Wellesley East

40 Wellesley Street East Toronto

40 Wellesley East presently is occupied by this 5-storey office and retail complex, formerly known as the Orthopedic and Arthritic Sciences building

 

40 Wellesley Street East

This illustration, from a September 17 2012 city planning department report, depicts the south elevation for a 37-storey condo tower proposed for the 40 Wellesley site …

 

40 Wellesley Street East

… while this illustration depicts the tower`s north elevation. City planning documents say the building`s architect is Sweeney Sterling Finlayson & Co. Architects of Toronto

 

 

Wall on Wellesley: City planners are urging Toronto City Council to oppose an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) appeal in which developer 862015 Ontario Inc. is seeking approval to build a 37-storey condo tower at 40 Wellesley Street East.

Although a 44-storey tower originally had been proposed for the site seven years ago, planners object to the revised plan for a highrise with seven fewer floors on the ground it still represents “overdevelopment of the site,” does not “provide adequate transition” to the low-rise residential neighbourhood to its north, and “creates significant issues regarding shadow impact, overlook and privacy for the mid-rise and low-rise buildings in the area.” Those and other formal objections are explained in full detail in a September 17 2012 “request for direction report” the planners prepared for Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC).

 

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