Category Archives: Architecture & Construction

Construction underway on completely sold-out Pace condo tower project at Dundas & Jarvis

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Pace Condos

December  13 2012: “Sold Out” signs dominate the hoarding around the Pace Condos construction site on the southwest corner of Dundas and Jarvis Streets

 

Pace Condos

December 13 2012: A foundation shoring machine towers above the hoarding along the Dundas Street sidewalk next to the Pace Condos site

 

Sales success: Construction is in full swing on a 42-storey condo tower development that could help revitalize a scruffy southeast downtown neighbourhood that is home to dozens of shelters and social service agencies serving one of the country’s largest low-income communities.

Shoring and foundation drilling machines have been stirring up dust at the southwest corner of Dundas and Jarvis Streets, where Pace Condos will gradually climb skyward over the next three years. The Great Gulf project at 155 Dundas East — which was approved by Toronto City Council just over one year ago — has been a tremendous sales success for the developer. The 384-unit building is completely “sold out,” according to bold signage posted on sidewalk hoarding along the Dundas and Jarvis perimeters of the construction site.

 

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U Condos construction approaches grade

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U Condos

December 6 2012: A view of the U Condos building site, looking northeast toward the intersection of Bay Street and St Mary Street, as construction of the project’s underground parking floors approaches ground level. A row of 3-storey “urban townhomes” will rise in the immediate foreground — the southern flank of the 2-tower condo complex.

 

U Condos

December 6 2012: Construction progress at the southwest corner of the U Condos property, where the 45-storey west tower will rise. Townhomes will extend across this side of the site.

 

U Condos

December 6 2012: Looking southeast from St Mary Street toward the site where the 50-storey east tower will rise. Concrete will soon be poured atop the building forms in the foreground, which are nearly at street level.

 

U Condos

From the U Condos website, this photo offers an October 2012 aerial view of the construction

 

Making grade: As autumn draws to a close, construction of the U Condos tower and townhouse complex is drawing closer to ground level.

Forms have been put in place along much of the west half of the property to prepare for concrete pours that will create the ceiling of the P1 level. That area is where the 45-storey West Tower will rise, as well as a row of “urban townhomes” along on the north and south perimeters of the property. Although similar building forms haven’t yet been installed on the east half of the site, where the 50-storey East Tower will soar skyward above more townhouses along Bay Street and St Mary Street, construction progress on that part of the project isn’t far behind.

Although the two tall towers will become skyline landmarks at the east (Bay Street) end of the University of Toronto campus, the 19 townhouses that will enclose the complex will ensure that U Condos stands out at street level, too. Indeed, they will give the U Condos project a unique look on Bay Street, sharply distinguishing the complex from all nearby condo, apartment and office highrises.

 

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Fall photo update: One Bloor condo construction

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1 Bloor condo

December 5 2012: Two construction cranes soar above the One Bloor condo tower excavation at Yonge & Bloor. Click on the photo to view a larger-size image.

 

Digging nearly done:  Last time I reported about construction progress on the One Bloor condo tower, in my September 4 2012 post, crews still had a huge amount of earth to excavate from the building site. As winter approaches some excavation work remains, but the two white construction cranes soaring above the property are a sure sign that the pace of building activity is going to pick up significantly. And at the bottom of the big pit more than five levels below the southeast corner of the busy Yonge & Bloor intersection, the base of the elevator core for the 75-storey skyscraper has started taking shape.

 

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A important note about my online photo albums

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As regular readers of thetorontoblog.com are aware, many of my posts include links to online photo albums, some of which feature hundreds of pictures of downtown Toronto buildings and construction projects. The albums were hosted on Webshots.com, a popular site boasting more than 691 million member photos.

Unfortunately, the photos in my Webshots albums are no longer available for public viewing. The company that owned Webshots.com decided to shut the photo site down, effective December 1 2012. That means all links I have provided to my photo albums will not work. Editing posts to remove the Webshots links will be an incredibly tedious and time-consuming process that will take me weeks, if not months, since I have posted hundreds of photos since launching the blog.

I am gradually rebuilding photo albums on thetorontoblog.com’s Facebook page, as well as on TheTorontoBlog’s Flickr page, but that, too, takes an enormous amount of time.

I sincerely apologize for the dead links and trust you will understand this was completely beyond my control. Unfortunately, Webshots.com provided little advance notice of its intentions to close, and I have not yet had an opportunity to remove more than a few links. Please bear with me.

Moving forward, links will be provided for albums on either flickr on Facebook. Fingers crossed that neither of those websites decides to shutter its photo album operations, too!

 

Bridgepoint hospital construction & old Don Jail renovation on track for April 2013 completion

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Bridgepoint Health

 October 16 2012: A southwest view of Bridgepoint Health‘s new hospital, seen here from the Gerrard Street bridge above the Don Valley Parkway. As construction nears completion, Bridgepoint expects to begin moving patients into the new building next April …

 

Don Jail

… while the historic Don Jail, which has been undergoing an extensive cleaning and restoration, inside and out, is expected to open at the same time. The fully renovated building will house administrative offices for around 100 Bridgepoint executives.

 

Completion in sight: With construction of the new Bridgepoint hospital continuing on schedule, patients and staff of Bridgepoint Health should begin moving into the state-of-the-art and environmentally-conscious new facility in only a few months’ time — April of next year, to be exact. Hospital administrators and executives are expected to start moving into their own new digs around the same time — office space in the fully restored and repurposed historic Don Jail building right next door. And by the end of next year, once the old hospital building and Toronto Jail addition beside it have been demolished, and new public park spaces, landscaping and streets have been put in place, the 10-acre Bridgepoint campus will have completely revitalized the northwest corner of Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street.

The $1.27 billion project was in the news today, with an insightful Globe & Mail report by Angela Kryhul — “Historic Don Jail buffed up, refitted for a new purpose” describing the transformation of the 148-year-old Don Jail building into the administrative headquarters for the adjacent 10-storey, 472-bed hospital. I highly recommend giving Angela’s interesting article a read; she spoke to two architects involved in the Bridgepoint project, Paul Sapounzi of the Ontario firm +VG Architects and Gregory Colucci of Toronto’s Diamond Schmitt Architects. The online Globe & Mail article is accompanied by a slideshow of 11 photographs of the Don Jail’s interior and exterior.

 

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Structure in place for first Pier 27 SkyBridge

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The Residences of Pier 27

November 19 201: Construction is complete for the metal structure of the SkyBridge that links the two east buildings of the Residences at Pier 27  …

 

Residences at Pier 27

… while concrete columns indicate where the second SkyBridge will connect the two west condo buildings. Pier 27 is located on Queen’s Quay Boulevard East.

 

Linked up: When I last reported on construction progress for the Residences at Pier 27 project in my September 13 post, iron framework had just been installed for the SkyBridge linking the two east buildings. According to a November blog update by the developer, Cityzen Developments, the bridge is now “structurally complete with all the metal work finished.”

 

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Office & condo tower complex would revitalize under-used ‘island’ site at York & Harbour Streets

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1 York/90 Harbour Street

City planners have suggested the City give an official thumbs-up to a massive multi-use development project Menkes Developments Ltd. has proposed for a 1-hectare site at 1 York Street/90 Harbour Street. Their report recommends approval of a 37-storey office building, one 62-storey condo tower, and one 66-storey condo skyscraper — a significant revision from the original plan described in the development proposal sign posted on the property.

 

1 York Street office & condo site

October 4 2012: Looking east from York Street. The development site extends to the property line near the historic 6-storey Toronto Harbour Commission building at 60 Harbour Street. The heritage building was constructed in 1917.

 

1 York Street / 90 Harbour Street

September 25 2012: CN Tower view of the 1 York/90 Harbour development site, presently a surface parking lot (near center of photo).  To its right is the construction site for the 30-storey RBC WaterPark Place office building. Visible in the bottom right corner of the photo are the two ÏCE Condo towers and the Infinity3 condo complex under construction between York and Lower Simcoe Streets. At left are the 50- and 54-storey condo towers of Maple Leaf Square. Click on the photo to view a larger-size image.

 

Island bridge: City planners are recommending approval in principle of a proposal to develop a piece of prime real estate on Harbour Street into an office and condo complex with three towers ranging in height from 37 to 66 storeys.

The planners’ September 21 2012 report to Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC) says redevelopment of the 1-hectare parcel at 1 York Street/90 Harbour Street — essentially an “island” of property between the Financial District and the Central Waterfront area — would “contribute to the City’s economic base, enhance the public realm of the Central Waterfront and help connect a key site in the downtown to its local context.”

The property already has been identified, in the City’s Official Plan as well as a Secondary Plan, as being “underused and in need of revitalization from its present use as parking lots and surrounded by highway ramps to something more vibrant and contributory to the community,” the planners observed in their 67-page report.

 

 

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Tridel previews trimmed Ten York condo tower as redesigned project goes to TEYCC for approval

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Tridel Ten York condo tower

Making a strong point: The prow-shaped podium for the proposed Ten York condo tower will add tremendous visual interest and excitement for eastbound drivers emerging onto Harbour Street from the dark Lake Shore Blvd corridor beneath the Gardiner Expressway. This artistic rendering, provided courtesy of Tridel, depicts a view of the podium from its western point.

 

Tridel Ten York condo tower

This illustration, featured in current Tridel marketing promotions, depicts the dramatic impression the 65-storey, flatiron-shaped Ten York condo tower (center) would make on the Toronto skyline. Ten York was designed by Toronto’s Wallman Architects. Click on the image to view the illustration in a larger format.

 

Back in the spotlight: It was one year ago this month (November 22 2011, to be precise) that the announcement of plans to build Ten York, a 75-storey condo tower near the foot of York Street, became the talk of the town — and the focus of news headlines and discussion right across the country. Ten York remained a popular conversation topic for weeks afterward, with people continuing to comment as much on its soaring floor count as its unlikely location — a triangular site tightly wedged between three of downtown’s busiest traffic arteries, the Gardiner Expressway, Lake Shore Boulevard and Harbour Street. Ten York even dominated cocktail chat at holiday parties and get-togethers I attended throughout the holiday season  (asking the question: “Who would want to live so close to the Gardiner and Lake Shore?” always sparked a lively debate).

 

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Toronto skyline views

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.