Tag Archives: M5V Condos

Keeping tabs on … M5V condos on King West

M5V condominiums

M5V condo tower viewed from Clarence Square Park January 14 2011


Big Red Box: I have to be honest: I keep confusing the M5V Condominium tower on King Street West with Boutique Condo at the corner of Simcoe and Nelson Streets, a few blocks to the east. In fact, I have nearly mislabelled photos of the two towers while organizing my pictures. Though they’re products of completely different designers, builders and developers, they’re both tall glass boxes with what I consider quite similar designs — particularly up top. 

What does distinguish them, however, are the splashes of colour on the north and west facades of M5V’s tower and podium. And I never mistake M5V when viewing the tower from the north or the west: there’s just no way to miss the distinctive big red box that sits nearly halfway up the 34-storey tower’s northwest corner. (It houses the building’s mechanical room and rainwater retrieval system.) 

M5V is drawing closer to completion, and the project website says that building occupancy is scheduled for June. I’m anxious to see the hoarding come down from the front of the tower, so I can see and feel how the building contributes to the King West streetscape. Shouldn’t have to wait too much longer for that.

M5V is a project of Lifetime Developments and TAS DesignBuild. There’s more information and photos of M5V on the project website as well as on the M5V section of the TAS website.

Below are some photos I’ve taken of M5V at different stages of construction in recent months; there are more pics in the M5V album on the Photo Sets page of the blog.

 

M5V Condominium

The big red box that houses the M5V condo tower’s mechanical room


M5V Condominium

November 2 2010: CN Tower view of M5V Condominium building


M5V Condominium

November 2 2010: CN Tower view of M5V’s upper floors and roof


M5V Condo tower and CN Tower

November 29 2010: Charlotte Street view of the CN Tower and M5V Condo tower


CN Tower and M5V condo tower

November 29 2010: Coloured window panels on north wall of M5V condo tower


M5V condo tower

November 29 2011: Another Charlotte Street view of M5V


M5V condo tower

November 29 2011: Looking up from corner of King & Charlotte Streets


M5V condo tower

November 29 2011: Tower viewed from the north side of King Street


M5V condo tower

November 29 2011: A view of the 8-storey podium above King Street


M5V condo tower

November 29 2011: Looking up at the big red box mechanical room


M5V condo tower

January 14 2011: M5V viewed through the bare trees at Clarence Square park


M5V condo tower

January 14 2011: The upper floors of the tower’s west side


M5V condo tower

January 14 2011: M5V condo tower viewed from the southwest on Front Street


M5V condominium

February 17 2011: The street level hoarding I can’t wait to see dismantled


M5V condominium

February 17 2011: Another view of M5V, this time looking west along King Street


M5V condominium

February 17 2011: The M5V tower on a dull, overcast afternoon


New year, new construction milestones

2011 is getting off to a foggy, soggy start in Toronto (it’s 10 degrees Celsius and pouring rain as I write), but the wet weather won’t put a damper on the frenetic pace of building activity across the downtown area. When construction gets back to full speed next week once the holiday season has wound down, numerous projects will start, approach or reach significant stages of construction. At least five towers will make a major mark on the city skyline soon. In Yorkville, The Four Seasons Private Residences and Museum House on Bloor, both of which already have a substantial streetscape presence, will be pouring their top floors during the winter. Several blocks south, on Bay Street, the Burano condo tower is quickly climbing high, while the Living Shangri-La Torontoand Trump International Toronto hotel/condo skyscrapers are adding excitement to the Financial District skyline. Market Wharf is doing the same for the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood. In the next few weeks, streetscapes in several different areas will transform as construction climbs above ground level at 77 Charles Westin Yorkville, The L Tower on Yonge Street, Charlie Condos in the Entertainment District, The Modern at Sherbourne and Richmond, and the Clear Spirit tower in the Distillery District. Not too far behind are Aura at College Park on Yonge Street, Cinema Tower on Adelaide Street West, Three Hundred Front Street West, The Residences of Pier 27 on the waterfront, ICE Condos and Infinity3 Condos in the South Financial District, and Couture Condos on Jarvis Street; foundation work and underground levels are progressing fast at all seven sites. In the area bounded by Bloor, Bay, Wellesley and Jarvis Streets, demolition and excavation work should soon get in full swing for five key developments: U Condos, Five Condos, Nicholas Residences, X2 Condos, and the long-awaited One Bloor tower. Digging will get underway in earnest for the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre at Yonge and Gould Streets, and for the Delta Toronto hotel and Bremner Tower office complex in the South Financial District. Meanwhile, construction should soon conclude at the Sherbourne Common park at the waterfront, as well as for the 18 York office tower and seven major residential structures: the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, Crystal Blu Condos, Uptown Residences, James Cooper Mansion, Lumiere Condos, M5V Condos, and the YWCA Elm Centre. I’ll be taking a closer look at each of the above-mentioned projects — and many more hot construction spots — in the weeks ahead.

77 Charles Street


18 York