Author Archives: TOblogeditor

One Bloor condo building progress finally in view

One Bloor condo construction is now visible above the sidewalk hoarding

August 17 2013: Work on the 75-storey One Bloor condo tower finally comes into view as podium construction climbs above the sidewalk scaffolding …

 

 

Buildings at the SE corner of Yonge & Bloor being demolished in August 2008

… five years after demolition machines razed the low-rise retail, restaurant and office buildings that had occupied the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor

 

 

Show time: It has taken five years, but people passing through the bustling Yonge & Bloor intersection can once again see a building structure (albeit one still in the very early stages of construction) standing on the southeast corner.

Five years ago this month, the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor was surrounded by scaffolding, above which passersby could see demolition machines razing the upper floors of several low-rise retail, restaurant and office buildings that had occupied the corner property for decades. They were clearing away the old structures — and the pedestrian-friendly Roy’s Square lane behind them — to make room for construction of a highly-hyped 80-storey condo, hotel & retail complex that developer Bazis International called 1 Bloor.

With a promised “iconic” design, 1 Bloor would become a striking new landmark for the Yonge & Bloor area, and claim bragging rights to the title of tallest residential building in Canada. Prospective purchasers lined up for days before the presentation centre opened and, once it did, units sold like hot cakes.

By mid-September of 2008 the old buildings on the 1 Bloor site were completely demolished, leaving nothing but a big empty lot for passersby to see through security fences set up around the property. Architecture and building buffs — not to mention all the people who had bought condos at 1 Bloor — anxiously awaited word that construction was about to start.

 

1 Bloor promotional billboard November 13 2007

November 13 2007: This billboard advertised the original 1 Bloor condo tower that developer Bazis International had planned for the site.

 

 

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Construction worker dies in fall from 70th floor of Aura condo tower; body found on nearby rooftop

Aura condo tower Toronto

August 16 2013: Construction progress on the Aura condo tower, viewed from the northwest corner of College Park

 

[Editor’s note: This post was updated on August 25. See below.]

 

55-floor plunge: Tragedy struck the Aura condo building site at lunchtime this afternoon when a 29-year-old male construction worker plunged to his death from the 70th floor of the tower.

Local media reports say that the man fell around noon, tumbling about 181 meters (55 floors) onto the roof of a 15-storey building nearby. News reports quote a Toronto Fire Department official as saying that the worker’s body was found about 24 meters away from the Aura tower.

A report by CTV News Toronto said the firm that is building Aura, Reliance Construction Group, had no comment on the incident. But in a report posted later on the Toronto news page of the CBC website said Reliance had issued a statement in which it noted that the worker had been an employee of an on-site contractor.

“This is a very sad and difficult time for all involved,” Reliance said in its statement. “Our thoughts today are with the people involved in this incident as well as their families, friends and colleagues. Health and safety is an utmost priority for our company. Our team is cooperating fully with local police and authorities to investigate this matter.”

The accident is under investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

 

Worker’s safety harness broke, news report says

A Global News Toronto report on August 24 identified the construction worker as Hamilton, Ontario resident Kevin Raposo, and said he was an employee of Verdi Alliance. The report says the tragic accident occurred when the metal clasp that secured Mr. Raposo’s safety harness broke. He fell onto the roof of the College Park Suites apartment building at 424 Yonge Street immediately to the north of Aura.

“The force of the impact caused structural damage to the gravel rooftop. Raposo’s body remained at the scene, covered by an orange blanket, for more than seven hours before crews laid down support beams and pieces of plywood so investigators could examine it. His body was removed after dark,” the Global News report states.

Aura will be the tallest residential building in Canada once construction is complete. The tower will be 78 storeys high.

Below are screen captures from local television news reports about the horrific accident, followed by a photo of Aura that I shot last week from the northwest corner of College Park.

 

Aura condo tower construction worker fatality

This image from a Global Toronto television news video show the roof of the College Park Suites building at 424 Yonge Street (center), onto which a young construction worker fell after his safety harness broke while he was working on the Aura condominium tower (upper right) on Friday.

 

 

Aura condo tower construction worker fatality

This image from the Global Toronto news video report shows emergency personnel standing on the roof of the College Park Suites apartment building, several meters from the tarp-covered body of the construction worker who fell from the adjacent Aura condominium tower construction site.

 

 

Aura condo tower construction worker fatality

This image, from a CTV Toronto News video report, shows the roof of the College Park Suites, as viewed from a nearby building on the east side of Yonge Street

 

 

Aura condo tower Toronto

 

U Condos townhouse & tower construction asserts strong visual presence along Bay & St Mary Streets

U Condos construction viewed from Bay Street

August 17 2013: Above-ground construction is still in relatively early stages, but the U Condos condo tower and luxury townhouse complex … 

 

U Condos site viewed from Bay & Irwin Streets

… has already drastically transformed the southwest corner of Bay and St Mary Streets, seen here on September 26 2008 when a surface parking lot still occupied part of the development site

 

 

Strong presence: Construction of the U Condominiums complex is really beginning to turn heads on Bay Street now that one of its two towers is climbing steadily higher above its 3-storey podium and the concrete shells for luxurious townhouses that will wrap around three sides of the property.

Although passersby have been able to see above-ground construction activity since January, it has been only in recent weeks that the huge scale of the project — and the tremendous visual impact it will have on the neighbourhood — have become apparent.

The project’s  townhouse component has noticeably changed the pedestrian experience on Bay Street, while the west tower — which has climbed more than six storeys on its way to 45 — already hints at how drastically it and the even taller east tower will change the neighbourhood skyline. (Construction of the east tower has so far reached only as high as the townhouses.)

 

U Condos at Bay & St Mary Streets in Toronto

This artistic illustration, from an online promotional brochure that had been available on the U Condos website, shows how the completed towers will look when viewed from the same perspective as the two photos above.

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Construction of Ryerson’s Student Learning Centre starts climbing into view at Yonge & Gould

Ryerson Student Learning Centre construction

July 25 2013: A man walks past a wall taking shape at the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre construction site at the northeast corner of Yonge & Gould Streets. The circle on the architectural rendering below shows this particular wall’s location along the east side of Yonge.

 

 

An architectural rendering of the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre now under construction at Yonge & Gould Streets

Click on the image to view a full-size version. The rendering, by project architects Zeidler Partnership Architects of Toronto and Snøhetta of Oslo and New York City, is one of several on the Ryerson University website.

 

 

Above grade: Now that construction has climbed into view above street level, people passing by the intersection of Yonge & Gould Streets are getting a glimpse of some key design elements of the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre.

From Gould Street as well as from Yonge Street just south of Gould, passersby can now clearly see construction crews working on the steps that will lead to an elevated entrance plaza on the south side of the university building. Meanwhile, construction forms for the Centre’s west wall along Yonge Street have started to become visible above the Urban Umbrella scaffold protecting the sidewalk on the east side of Yonge.

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Aura condo construction climbs to 60 storeys

Aura condo tower

June 20 2013: The west side of the Aura condo tower as seen from Gerrard Street near University Avenue, at sunset last evening

 

Sweet 60: Construction has commenced on the 60th floor of the Aura condo tower at College Park.

That leaves 18 more residential levels to be built, plus the tower’s mechanical penthouse.

If you have roughly a million bucks to spare, you can still buy in the building. According to a listing on the project website, 7 “executive suites” are available on the 75th floor, at prices ranging from a low of $994,500 for a 1,090-square-foot unit, to a high of $1,454,800 for a 1,630-square-foot residence.

If you’d prefer to live higher up, four penthouse suites are still available, too —  at prices ranging from $2,349,500 for 2,335 square feet to $3,559,000 for 2,961 square feet.

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Off for a change of architectural scenery

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens

 

Spring break: Regular readers of TheTorontoBlog.com may have noticed that I haven’t posted many updates during the past several weeks. As many of you know, this website is a personal hobby I work on in my spare time — and that’s something I haven’t had much of lately. Regrettably, I don’t have the resources to employ staff or freelance contributors to provide content updates when I’m busy with my day job.

Just wanted to advise that my reporting hiatus will continue for a couple more weeks. I’m taking a break from tracking downtown Toronto tower construction so I can enjoy a change of architectural scenery with a holiday in Greece.

Regular postings will resume in June.

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The intriguing top of The L Tower

The L Tower

I often hear people comment about how much they like the distinctive big bend on the upper north face of The L Tower at Yonge & The Esplanade …

 

 

The L Tower

… the 58-storey condo tower designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in conjunction with Toronto’s Page + Steele/IBI Group Architects

 

 

The L Tower

… but I’m equally fascinated by the interesting shape and layout for the tower’s mechanical penthouse levels …

 

 

The mechanical penthouse levels of The L Tower take shape

… seen in this telephoto view from the northeast along Church Street near King Street East. Below are more photos of The L Tower, one of my favourite new skyscraper additions to the city skyline.  The L Tower is a project of Fernbrook Homes, Cityzen Real Estate Group and Castlepoint Realty Partners.

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X2 Condos turning heads at Jarvis & Charles

X2 Condos

April 17 2013: Construction of the X2 Condominium tower has climbed 5 floors on the way to 49, as seen in this view from the northwest on Charles Street. Click on the picture to view a larger-size image.

 

 

Eye catcher: When 2012 drew to a close, construction of the X2 Condos at the southwest corner of Jarvis & Charles Streets was just beginning to rise above the hoarding that blocked most of the site from the view of passing motorists and pedestrians. As New Year’s approached, a couple of support columns for the 49-storey tower’s ground floor were taking shape near the west end of the building site — the first signs of construction progress visible from street level.

With construction now up to five floors, passersby can’t help but notice the building — and get an early sense of the tremendous visual impact it will have in the Bloor-Jarvis neighbourhood once construction is complete.

I have walked past the X2 Condos site three times in the past two weeks, and on each occasion have noticed that the building is commanding considerable attention from people passing by both on foot and in vehicles. I saw pedestrians pause to watch the construction work, and noticed dozens of vehicle drivers and passengers checking out the site while waiting for traffic lights to change at the busy Jarvis-Charles-Mt Pleasant intersection.

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Plans for 29-storey condo tower founder as Odette mansion site at 81 Wellesley East is listed for sale

81 Wellesley Street East

April 29 2013: A “for sale” sign has been posted in front of the vacant property at 81 Wellesley Street East …

 

 

Odette House 81 Wellesley Street East

… where a century-old mansion and coach house stood until January 2012 when the buildings were hastily demolished after new owners took possession …

 

 

81 Wellesley Street East proposed condo

… with plans to construct a 29-storey condo tower in their place. The proposed highrise is depicted in this artistic illustration by Toronto’s Core Architects

 

 

Back on the market: A controversial condo tower development planned for the heart of the Church-Wellesley Village appears to be dead now that the property has been listed for sale.

As I reported in an October 17 2012 post, a small Toronto firm called Icarus Developments held an informational meeting last fall to publicly reveal its plans to build a 29-storey, 200-unit condo tower at 81 Wellesley Street East. Designed by Toronto’s Core Architects, the highrise would occupy a vacant piece of land that had been occupied for many decades by two by heritage-character buildings — the Odette House mansion and a coach house behind it — that were hurriedly demolished in January 2012.

The surprise demolition — and the brazen manner in which the buildings were razed — outraged local residents as well as Ward 27 Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who only a few weeks earlier had initiated procedures under which city staff would consider whether Odette House could be designated as a heritage property (see my January 19 2012 post for photos and a report about the demolition incident).

 

 

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Theatre Park condo tower construction begins to climb above heritage neighbours on King Street

Theatre Park condo

April 17 2013: With the concrete frame for its podium in place, construction of the Theatre Park condo tower is set to rise above the neighbouring heritage buildings on King Street West, including the Royal Alexandra Theatre at 260 King West, left, and the Nicholls Building at 220 King West, right

 

 

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Pit stop at The Mercer condo construction site

 The Mercer condo

April 3 2013: The excavation for The Mercer condo tower, as seen from Mercer Street at the southwest corner of the construction site. Below are several more excavation photos that I shot earlier this month.

 

 

 

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Construction views from Roundhouse Park

 

Constantly changing scenery: The Rogers Centre, the CN Tower and the skyscrapers of the Financial District once dominated the north and east views from Roundhouse Park on Bremner Boulevard. But a slew of nearby construction projects is giving park visitors new views that change by the day. Above is a video I shot from the park yesterday, showing building activity at five major construction sites nearby: Infinity3, the final phase of the Infinity condo complex between Bremner and Lake Shore Boulevard; the two ICE Condos towers at York Centre on the east side of the Infinity buildings; the Delta Toronto hotel and Bremner office tower at Southcore Financial Centre; the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada approaching the end of construction at the foot of the CN Tower; and the Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower to the northwest.

 

 

Ground floor construction underway at 210 Simcoe condo highrise near Queen West & University Ave

210 Simcoe Street condo

April 4 2013: Construction crews assemble forms into which concrete will be poured to build ground-floor walls and support structures for the No 210 Residences on Simcoe condo highrise

 

210 Simcoe condo

This artistic illustration depicts a view of the 210 Simcoe condo building from street level at the corner of Simcoe Street and Michael Sweet Avenue. The rendering appears on the website for Toronto developer Diamondcorp, which has partnered with Sorbara Development Group on the project.

 

210 Simcoe Street

This was how the condo site looked in July 2011, viewed from the same perspective as the rendering above.

 

 

Ready to rise: Construction of a new condo tower in the AGO-Grange District near Queen Street West & University Avenue will soon climb as high as the ugly low-rise parking garage that formerly occupied the narrow, block-long property.

Work on the No 210 Residences on Simcoe has reached street level, and yesterday construction crews were assembling building forms for the building’s ground floor walls and supports.

A joint project of Diamondcorp and Sorbara Development Group, No 210 Simcoe Residences will rise 25 storeys when finished, and contain 290 condo units. The building was designed by Sol Wassermuhl of Page + Steele/IBI Group Architects.

 

 

 

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South downtown skyscraper construction offers soaring backdrop for Toronto’s new aquarium

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada and tower construction projects  in Toronto's south downtown area

April 4 2013: Construction is proceeding on schedule for a summer opening of the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (foreground), located on Bremner Boulevard at the foot of the CN Tower.  The new aquarium is one of eight different buildings seen at various stages of construction in this photo shot from the pedestrian walkway on the east side of the Rogers Centre. Rising behind the aquarium are, from left, The L Tower, the Delta Toronto Hotel and Bremner Tower office building at Southcore Financial Centre, the two cylindrical ÏCE Condos skyscrapers, and the two towers of the Infinity3 Condominiums. Click on the photo to view it in a larger format.