Category Archives: 1 Bloor East

Looking up at some of the new skyscrapers making their mark on the downtown Toronto skyline

The new RBC WaterPark Place office tower practically blends into the clouds in this view from the west on lower York Street on September 16 2014 …

… while four new towers reach for the clouds above the south downtown core. At left are the Delta hotel and Bremner office tower at Southcore Financial Centre on Bremner Blvd. Soaring skyward at right are the two ÏCE Condos on York Street.

The sensuous curves of the One Bloor condo tower are already adding interest and excitement to the once-drab Yonge & Bloor intersection in Yorkville.

Below are more photos of the towers shown above, as well as other hotel, office and condo skyscrapers that I photographed this past week.

RBC WaterPark Place office building

West side of RBC WaterPark Place viewed from lower York Street

South face of RBC WaterParkPlace seen from Queen’s Quay Blvd. The tower was designed by WZMH Architects of Toronto.

Upper half of the 30-storey tower, viewed from the southwest

Another view of the tower from Queen’s Quay to the southwest

Studio on Richmond condominiums

Looking up the north side of the Studio on Richmond condo tower situated between Simcoe and Duncan Streets in the Entertainment District. It will top off at 31 storeys. Its 41-storey sister tower, Studio2, is currently under construction behind it on Nelson Street.

Studio on Richmond podium and tower viewed from the north side of Richmond Street near Simcoe Street

The two-tower Studio on Richmond condo complex was designed by Quadrangle Architects of Toronto.

A view of the Studio on Richmond condo from the west on Richmond Street near Duncan Street. The building is a project of Aspen Ridge Homes.

Delta Hotel and Bremner office tower at Southcore Financial Centre

The Delta Toronto hotel (left) and the Bremner office tower are nearing completion at Southcore Financial Centre on Bremner Boulevard between York Street and Simcoe Street. The buildings are seen here from Roundhouse Park, near the Toronto Railway Museum.

The 45-storey Delta Hotel tower reflects on the west wall of the 30-storey Bremner office tower in this view from the southwest corner of Lower Simcoe Street and Bremner Boulevard.

Looking up the northwest corner of the Delta Hotel. The Bremner office tower is partially visible behind it.

Upper west side of the Delta Hotel. Scheduled to open in 2015, the Delta will be a premium 4-star hotel with 567 guest rooms.

The angled south face of the Delta Hotel, seen from Bremner Boulevard

The L Tower condominium

Upper floors of The L Tower seen from the west on Sept 16 2014. The dramatically curved skyscraper was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind.

A closer view of some of the upper levels of the 58-storey L Tower, which is located at the corner of Yonge Street and The Esplanade, directly behind the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.

The L Tower makes an emphatic point on the downtown skyline

A telephoto view of the construction crane that has soared above The L Tower construction site for the past several years

The Mercer condo tower

Looking up the southeast corner of The Mercer condo building, which rises 33 storeys at the corner of Mercer and John Streets in the Entertainment District

The Mercer was designed by BBB Architects, and is a project of Graywood Developments Ltd. and Beaveerhall Homes.

Three Hundred Front Street West condominiums

The upper floors of the 49-storey Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower

Looking up the southeast corner of Tridel’s Three Hundred Front West condo. The building was designed by Toronto’s Wallman Architects.

Theatre Park condominiums

The 47-storey Theatre Park condo tower is under construction on King Street West, right next door to Toronto’s historic Royal Alexandra Theatre. I shot this photo of Theatre Park from two blocks to the northwest.

Theatre Park was designed by architectsAlliance of Toronto. The condo is a project of Lamb Development Corp., Niche Development and Harhay Construction Management Ltd.

Glass balcony panels are gradually being installed on the tower’s north side

Design details on the tower’s west side

ÏCE Condominiums

The upper west sides of the 67- and 57-storey ÏCE Condominiums, located at 12 and 14 York Street in the south downtown core

The top of the 67-floor ÏCE Condo at 14 York Street. A project of Lanterra Developments, the two skyscrapers were designed by Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

ÏCE Condo towers viewed from the southeast on Queen’s Quay Blvd.

A view of the two towers from Grand Trunk Crescent to their northwest

Aura condominium

I shot this pic of the 78-storey Aura condominium tower from the podium green roof at Toronto City Hall. Aura is the tallest condominium building in Canada.

The upper third of Aura, viewed from several blocks to the southwest

A view of Aura from two blocks to the west on Elizabeth Street

Aura viewed from the northwest corner of College Park. A Canderel development project, the tower was designed by Graziani & Corazza Architects Inc.

The top of Aura, viewed from the southwest

The top of Aura, viewed from the north

Nicholas Residences condominiums

A view of 35-storey Nicholas Residences from the north on Balmuto Street. The condo is a project of Urban Capital and Alit Developments.

Looking up the tower’s northwest corner, from the intersection of St Mary and St Nicholas Streets. The building was designed by Toronto’s Core Architects Inc.

Nicholas viewed from the southwest on St Nicholas Street.

West side of Nicholas, viewed from St Mary Street near Bay Street

FIVE Condominiums

Looking toward the 48-storey FIVE Condos tower from two blocks to the southeast, at the corner of Yonge and Maitland Streets. To its right is the Nicholas Residences condo tower, two blocks north.

FIVE Condos was designed by Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects

Looking up the south side of FIVE Condos from Wellesley Street West

The tower has a wonky appearance when viewed from the south, thanks to the undulating pattern of balconies on the east and west sides.

Construction of the tower’s mechanical penthouse is underway. FIVE Condos is a project of MOD Developments Inc., Graywood Developments Ltd., Tricon and Diamondcorp.

Windows on the east side of FIVE Condos on September 5

FIVE Condos viewed from the east on the morning of September 11

A view of FIVE from the south on St Luke Lane, next to the Toronto Central YMCA Centre (left). This view will change drastically in several years when Lanterra Developments builds its 60-storey 11 Wellesley on the Park condo tower on the property partly visible on the left side of St Luke Lane (presently occupied by a row of trees and a condo presentation centre behind them).

Chaz.Yorkville condominiums

Chaz.Yorkville Condominiums, on Charles Street between Yonge and Church Streets, is a project of 45 Charles Ltd. and Edenshaw Homes Limited.

A signature design element of Chaz.Yorkville is the large rectangular box that juts from the tower’s south side. It’s the Chaz Club, a 2-storey private club for exclusive use of condo residents.

The tower was designed by Sol Wassermuhl of Page + Steele IBI Group Architects in Toronto. It will stand 47 storeys tall when complete.

Chaz.Yorkville is only a few weeks away from overtaking the height of its next-door neighbour, the 46-storey Casa Condominium tower, which was built in 2010.

One Bloor Condominiums

Although construction has climbed only one-third of the way to its ultimate 75 storeys, the One Bloor condo tower is already making a huge architectural statement at the Yonge & Bloor crossroads in Yorkville. I shot this photo from the southwest corner of Yonge & Charles Streets.

I often hear passersby comment favourably on the delightful sweeping curves of One Bloor’s podium and tower.

Looking up at One Bloor from the southwest corner of the Yonge & Bloor intersection. The building was designed by Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects.

A view of One Bloor from the northwest, on Yonge Street just above Bloor

U Condos

A view of the two U Condos towers from two blocks to the south on Bay Street, at Phipps Street. The construction crane at left is building the 32-storey 1Thousand Bay condo tower at the southwest corner of Bay and St Joseph Streets.

The west U Condos building has topped off at 45 storeys, while the east tower continues its climb toward 55 floors. U Condos is a project of Pemberton Group, and was designed by architectsAlliance of Toronto.

X2 Condominiums

Construction crews are closing in the mechanical penthouse levels of the 49-storey X2 Condominiums at the southwest corner of Jarvis & Charles Streets

X2 Condos viewed from one block to the southwest on Isabella Street. The tower is a project of Lifetime Developments and Great Gulf Homes.

A September 3 view from the south of X2 Condos left, and the first X Condos, right, which was constructed in 2010. X2 was designed by Wallman Architects, while X Condos was designed by architectsAlliance.

Nicholas & FIVE condos making big visual impact on Yonge Street; 1 Bloor tower set to follow suit

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November 14 2013: Construction of FIVE Condos (left) and Nicholas Residences (center rear) is dramatically changing the landscape of north downtown Yonge Street. This is a view from the east side of Yonge just below Maitland Street, one block south of Wellesley Street.

Shifting landscape: Two condo tower construction projects are rapidly changing the look of Yonge Street’s west side, between College and Bloor Streets, while a third new building will soon make a dramatic impact on views up the east side of Yonge Street.

The steadily rising concrete frames for FIVE Condos and Nicholas Residences now dominate the views up Yonge from as far south as its intersection with Carlton and College Streets. Depending upon your particular vantage point along the 10-block stretch of what city planners call “north downtown Yonge,” FIVE and Nicholas already obscure or partially block from sight several skyscrapers in the Yorkville neighbourhood — including the 51-storey Manulife Centre tower, which has been a familiar landmark indicating the intersection of Bloor & Bay Streets since 1972.

But with a long way still to go before construction of FIVE and Nicholas is complete, it’s already obvious that both new buildings will exude an even more powerful presence on the landscape once they have attained their full height. As of this weekend, construction of Nicholas has reached the 27th level on the way to 35, with cladding and windows installed up to the 13th floor so far. Two blocks down the street, construction of FIVE Condos has climbed to the 16th storey — exactly one-third of its way to the building’s final 48 floors. Installation of that tower’s cladding has not yet begun.

Meanwhile, the One Bloor condo project is poised to begin an equally remarkable transformation of views up the east side of Yonge Street. Rising at the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor Streets, One Bloor will ultimately top off at 75 floors, completely reshaping the Yorkville skyline and one of the country’s most famous crossroads in the process.

November 27 2013: Looking toward the One Bloor condo construction site from one block to the south, at the intersection of Yonge and Charles Streets.

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One Bloor condo building progress finally in view

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

… 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.

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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Winter building pics: February 2013

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Above is a link to my February 2013 Flickr album of building and construction photos I shot during walks in the downtown area. Click once on the image to view a small-format slideshow of the pictures, or click twice to access the album directly on Flickr and see full-size photos and captions.

Photo update: a peek at below-ground building progress at the One Bloor condo tower site

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February 17 2013: Construction of the bottom underground level of the One Bloor condo tower has made considerable progress …

… since I last photographed the site, back on December 5 2012

February 17 2013: A peek between the construction cranes at the northwest corner of the site

February 17 2013: Walls and support columns are gradually taking shape on the north side of the site at the base of one of the construction cranes

Pit Stops: Photo roundup of below-ground and at-grade construction activity at 21 downtown condo, office & university building sites

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As 2012 drew to a close, some noteworthy downtown building projects had reached different stages of at- and below-grade construction progress. At some sites, like this one for the Picasso on Richmond condo tower, preliminary foundation drilling work was in full swing …

… while at others, like this one for the Studio on Richmond and Studio2 condo towers just two blocks east of Picasso, site excavation was ongoing.

Over the same period of time, underground parking levels were taking shape at some building sites, like this one for The Yorkville condo project on Davenport Road …

… while over on Charles Street East, construction had reached a milestone mark at X2 Condos, where building had started on the ground level of the tower

Fall photos: Until condo and office tower construction starts to climb above street level, it can be difficult to track how quickly work is progressing on the dozens of new buildings going up in Toronto’s downtown core. Ground-level views of building sites are often obscured by hoarding and security fences, plus concrete delivery trucks, dump trucks and other construction vehicles maneuvering into and out of staging areas adjacent to construction zones. I find it’s a big challenge to monitor ongoing progress at places where underground levels are taking shape, let alone keep an eye on sites where shovels are just breaking ground or preliminary work is being undertaken to prepare for full-scale construction. The vast number of projects scattered throughout the downtown core certainly doesn’t make the task any easier.

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Fall photo update: One Bloor condo construction

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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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Pit stop: The One Bloor condo tower excavation

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September 1 2012: A new month starts with major excavation work remaining in the southwest third of the One Bloor condo tower construction site

Still digging: People frequently ask me if foundation building work has started yet on the 75-storey One Bloor condo tower. The short answer, “not yet,” clearly seems to surprise most, who typically ask in response: “What’s taking so long?” I suppose Torontonians are anxious to see a tower finally rise from the site since it has been exactly four years since the retail and restaurant buildings that formerly occupied the block were demolished. People don’t seem to like seeing a big empty space at one of the city’s prime downtown intersections.

The mixed-use condo and retail building is a project of Great Gulf Homes, and was designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects.

My most recent One Bloor construction update post was published on June 16 2012.

Below is a tower rendering that appears on the One Bloor project website, followed by several more pics I shot of the excavation during the Labour Day Weekend.

This illustration of the Hariri Pontarini-designed tower appears on the One Bloor website

September 1 2012

Through another lens: the One Bloor excavation

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May 12 2012: Excavation activity at the One Bloor condo site. Photo by Doug Lewis Images.

Condo sandbox: Nobody has figured out how to turn back time yet, but this week some Toronto construction photos by Doug Lewis Images managed to instantly take me back to a summer during my childhood. The images — real photos made to look miniature — captured excavation activity during May and June at the One Bloor condo tower construction site. The second I saw them, I remembered playing “construction” with other kids in my neighbourhood, moving dirt around a sandbox with our die-cast Dinky® and Corgi® toy backhoes and dumptrucks.

Although I can’t remember what my buddies and I may have been trying to build way back then, it could well have been skyscrapers. But they would have been office buildings, not condo towers with 70-plus stories, like One Bloor. Those didn’t exist yet; in fact, neither did the CN Tower, the Toronto-Dominion Centre or Toronto’s new City Hall, for that matter.

Below are three more photos showing Doug Lewis’s unique miniature perspective of excavation work at the One Bloor site on June 1. (See the post below for a separate update on the One Bloor condo tower project.)

If you have photos of Toronto-area buildings and construction activity you’d like me to consider publishing in my new “Through another lens” feature, drop me a line. My email is: [email protected].

June 1 2012: One Bloor condo tower excavation activity viewed from Bloor Street to the north. Photo by Doug Lewis Images.

June 1 2012: An excavator works near the northeast corner of the excavation site, below the Xerox building at 33 Bloor St. East. Photo by Doug Lewis Images.

June 1 2012: The pit’s southeast corner below Hayden Street. Photo by Doug Lewis Images.

Developer gets city’s approval to raise One Bloor condo tower height from 70 to 75 storeys

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June 13 2012: Excavation work continues at the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor Streets where Great Gulf Homes is building its One Bloor condo tower

Five more floors: One Bloor, the landmark condo tower under construction at the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor Streets, will be climbing five floors higher as a result of a Committee of Adjustment hearing at City Hall this week.

In an application to the committee, the project developer had requested a zoning bylaw variance that would allow it to raise the tower’s height from 70 to 75 storeys, as well as increase the building’s gross floor area from 55,910 square meters to 68,634 square meters. The application was item number 26 on the Committee of Adjustment’s June 13 meeting agenda.

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

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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 …

… 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 …

… 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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Earth moving at Yonge & Bloor as excavation crews keep digging deeper on One Bloor condo tower site

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January 11 2012: Excavation has progressed to roughly one level below grade at the One Bloor condo site, a dramatic change from exactly one year ago …

… when the property was still just a snow-covered empty lot. This is a view of the southern third of the One Bloor site, looking west from the Yonge-Bloor TTC subway entrance at the adjacent Xerox tower on January 10 2011 …

… while this is a view of the northern two-thirds of the property, also taken from the west side of the Xerox building on January 10 last year

Digging deeper: Exactly one year ago, the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor Streets was just a large, empty, snow-covered lot, bisected by a pedestrian entrance to the Yonge-Bloor subway station. Now it’s a bustling construction site where an enormous excavation is taking shape for the 70-storey One Bloor condo tower. So far crews have dug deeper than one level below grade, making steady progress on moving earth out of what will ultimately become a five-level underground parking garage. One Bloor is a project of Great Gulf Homes. The tower was designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, with interior design by Cecconi Simone Inc. Below are photos I have shot of One Bloor’s excavation progress in the past two weeks. Renderings and illustrations of the tower can be viewed on the One Bloor East project page of the Hariri Pontarini website.

December 30 2011: Looking to the northwest across the construction site

December 30 2011: Digging still hasn’t started at the southwest corner

December 30 2011: Excavation at the north side of the site, along Bloor Street

December 30 2011: Construction equipment near the northwest corner

December 30 2011: Idle excavating machines on the south end of the lot

January 11 2012: An excavating machine digs near the southwest corner of the lot, as seen here from the west side of Yonge Street

January 11 2012: The One Bloor excavation, viewed from the southeast corner of Yonge & Hayden Streets

January 11 2012: Looking from Hayden Street toward The Bay’s 44 Bloor Street East department store at the Hudson’s Bay Centre

January 11 2012: Overlooking excavation activity from the southeast

January 11 2012: Two red dump trucks stand by for loads of dirt

January 11 2012: Excavation progress near the northeast corner along Bloor

January 11 2012: Excavation crews working near the northeast corner

January 11 2012: Construction entrance ramp off Bloor Street

January 11 2012: Excavation appears to be deepest at the northwest corner

January 11 2012: An excavating machine digs near the southwest corner

January 11 2012: In less than two weeks, several feet of soil has been excavated from virtually the entire site

A look at the One Bloor condo construction site

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November 6 2011: Looking north from Hayden Street across the One Bloor condo construction site at the SE corner of Yonge & Bloor

November 6 2011: Looking northeast across the site from Hayden Street

Site preparation: Drilling and shoring work continues at the construction site for the One Bloor condo tower at the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor Streets. The work, which prepares the site for excavation, has been underway for over four months now.

A project of Great Gulf Homes, One Bloor was designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects of Toronto. Information about the building site and design, along with a selection of tower renderings and illustrations, is available at the One Bloor East profile page on the Hariri Pontarini website.

Below is an illustration of the 70-storey tower that appears on the One Bloor website, along with some of my recent photos of the construction site. Earlier photos can be viewed in my posts on August 13 2011, July 15 2011 and January 10 2011.

From the One Bloor website, an illustration of the 70-storey tower designed by Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects.

November 6 2011: North view of the One Bloor site and towers at Yonge & Bloor

November 6 2011: Hoarding protects the Yonge Street sidewalk at the west end of the One Bloor construction site

November 6 2011: A shoring rig on the south edge of the property

November 6 2011: Hayden Street view of the One Bloor site and its office building neighbour to the east, the Xerox Centre at 33 Bloor Street East

November 6 2011: An idle excavating machine near Hayden Street

September 27 2011: Looking south across the One Bloor site. The tower will soar above the 46-storey Casa condominium at rear left.

September 27 2011: Another view of the One Bloor site from the north side of Bloor Street, outside the RBC bank branch

September 27 2011: Drilling rigs and concrete trucks on the building site

September 27 2011: Site viewed from the corner of Yonge & Hayden Streets

September 27 2011: Crews working near the site’s northeast corner

September 27 2011: Overlooking the One Bloor site from the southeast

September 27 2011: View toward the southwest corner of the site at the intersection of Yonge & Hayden Streets

September 27 2011: Drilling rigs and concrete trucks in the center of the site

In Photos: Summer construction activity in north downtown and the Bloor-Yorkville area (Part 1)

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August 13 2011: Newly-installed glass curtain wall cladding on the 77 Charles West luxury condo building, seen (above and below) from St Thomas Street

77 Charles West condos reaches 12 floors; cladding installation begins

Going green: Construction on the 77 Charles West luxury condo midrise could be topping off later this month, now that 12 of the building’s 13 floors have been built. Meanwhile, down at street level, the facade is beginning to reflect some of its nearby condo neighbours as its striking green-hued curtain wall cladding gradually gets installed.

I was surprised when I saw some of the first panels being put in place five days ago because the glass is turquoise green rather than blue, as renderings on the project website suggested it would be. Nevertheless, I like how it looks — and think it makes 77’s neighbours look good, too. Depending upon where I stood while looking at the new windows this morning, I saw sharp reflections of the One St Thomas Residences condo tower across the street, the Residences of the Windsor Arms at 22 St Thomas Street one block north, and other buildings in the Bloor-Yorkville area.

So far, the cladding encloses just three storeys around what will be the Charles Street entrance to the condominium homes (the 13 floors of luxury condos rise above Kintore College and Cultural Centre, a three-storey residence and educational facility for female Catholic students attending University of Toronto). I’m anxious to see how the cladding will look on the rest of the floors, especially on the curved south side of the building.

77 Charles West is a project of Aspen Ridge Homes, and was designed by Yann Weymouth of HOK.

Below are more photos of the new cladding and recent construction progress. Previous construction updates can be found in blog posts on July 5 2011, April 7 2011, and February 15 2011 — my first report on the 77 Charles West project.

August 6 2011: 77 Charles West condo construction viewed from St Thomas Street

August 6 2011: New promotional signage on the building’s north side

August 6 2011: Floors on the northwest corner of the building

August 6 2011: St Mary Street view of the building’s curved southwest corner

August 8 2011: Crews install the first 3-storey section of glass cladding

August 8 2011: Workers put the green-hued glass curtain wall panels in place

August 8 2011: A closer look at the cladding over the second and third storeys

August 13 2011: New cladding viewed from Charles Street, looking west

August 13 2011: Cladding above the entrance that faces north up St Thomas Street

August 13 2011: The cladding reflects several nearby buildings including the Residences at the Windsor Arms, the One St Thomas Residences, 155 Cumberland Street condos, and The Colonnade apartment building on Bloor Street

August 13 2011: Street-level view of the cladding’s neighbourhood reflection

August 16 2011: Reflection of the nearby Residences of the Windsor Arms

August 13 2011: One of the construction entrances on Charles Street

August 13 2011: A closer look at a corner section of the glass curtain wall

August 13 2011: New cladding viewed from the west end of the building

August 13 2011: Cladding reflects the One St Thomas Residences across the street

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Enormous excavation for U Condominiums keeps getting deeper & wider

August 6 2011: Excavation progress along the Bay Street side of the U Condos site, where the 50-storey east tower will rise

Digging down: Whenever I checked out excavation activity at the U Condominiums site back in the spring, it always seemed like the earth was moving at a snail’s pace. I thought it might take until the end of the year before the digging would reach anywhere near the 15-metre depth required for construction of the foundation for the project’s two condo towers, which will rise 45 and 50 storeys tall. Excavation work appeared to be moving well along the east, south and west perimeters of the property, but a vast amount of earth remained in the center and along the north perimeter. Since June, however, the excavation has progressed at an amazing pace, and the big hole in the ground at Bay and St Mary Streets is now more than two levels deep across most of the property.

U Condos is a project by The Pemberton Group. Its two condo towers, along with 3-storey townhouses that will flank the north, east and south sides of the development, were designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

Below are photos showing summer excavation progress at the U Condos location. Earlier construction photos can be viewed in my blog posts on May 7 2011, April 2 2011, March 18 2011, and February 4 2011 — my first report on the U Condos project.

June 21 2011: Looking southeast toward Bay Street from the U Condos construction entrance off St Mary Street

June 21 2011: Looking towards the eastern side of the site along Bay Street

June 21 2011: A construction supervisor watches excavation activity about 20 feet below. Bay Street is on the other side of the hoarding behind him.

June 21 2011: The southeastern corner where the 50-storey condo tower will rise

June 21 2011: Excavation on the south side of the site next to St Basil’s Church

July 3 2011: Excavation progress at the location for the east condo tower

July 3 2011: Excavation equipment and machines near the ramp off Bay Street

July 3 2011: An excavator on the south side of the site near St Basil’s Church. A row of 3-storey townhouses will be built along that edge of the U Condos property.

July 3 2011: The southwest corner of the U Condos property near Brennan Hall on the University of Toronto campus

July 24 2011: A substantially wider and deeper area has been excavated at the southwest corner in the past three weeks

July 24 2011: An excavator sits roughly where the east tower will be constructed

July 24 2011: Another view of the excavator from the St Mary Street entrance

July 24 2011: Looking toward the southeast corner of the property from a security fence along St Mary Street

August 6 2011: Significant excavation progress on the eastern third of the site

August 6 2011: Looking toward St Basil’s Church across the center of the site

August 6 2011: The 45-storey west tower will be built at this location

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Foundation work begins on north section of the One Bloor site

August 6 2011: Foundation drilling equipment on the One Bloor condo tower site

Drilling starts: One of Toronto’s biggest construction events took place in the middle of July when the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the much-awaited One Bloor condo tower at the southeast corner of the city’s premier Yonge & Bloor intersection. Drilling equipment had arrived on the site weeks earlier, but it wasn’t until July 15 that executive shovels turned soil to officially kick off construction of the 70-storey tower.

A project of Great Gulf Homes, One Bloor was designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects of Toronto. My previous coverage of this condo project includes posts on July 15 2011, May 4 2011, and January 10 2011 — my first report on One Bloor.

Below are several recent photos of construction equipment on the One Bloor property. Numerous tower renderings and a full architectural description of the building can be viewed at this page on the Hariri Pontarini website.

July 13 2011: Pedestrians walk on Yonge Street south of Bloor Street, passing foundation drilling machines on the One Bloor site

July 13 2011: Yonge Street view of the One Bloor site, looking east toward the Xerox Tower at 33 Bloor Street East

July 13 2011: A man walks along the temporary subway station access path next to the north side of the One Bloor condo tower location

August 6 2011: Foundation building equipment on the One Bloor site

August 6 2011: A ground level view of the north half of the tower site

At last! Great Gulf breaking ground today for its 70-storey One Bloor condo tower at Yonge & Bloor

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July 13 2011: Construction equipment rises above the One Bloor condo tower construction site, viewed here from the west side of Yonge Street

Shovels ready: It only felt like it was taking forever, but it’s finally going to happen: According to a July 14 2011 article posted on the Toronto Star website, Great Gulf Homes will break ground tomorrow to officially launch construction of its 70-storey One Bloor condo tower at the southeast corner of at Yonge and Bloor Streets.

Frankly, it’s about time. Seven months ago — in a January 10 2011 post, to be exact — I publicly wondered when Great Gulf was going to get shovels in the ground and start building the One Bloor tower on what is often referred to as the “premier” piece of real estate in Canada. During the months that followed, heavy machines rolled on and off of the One Bloor site, hinting that a construction start was imminent. But they didn’t stay for long, and nothing appeared to change on the property. But after foundation building equipment arrived on the site in June, it seemed clear that preliminary construction work for the tower was set to start.

Initially, One Bloor was slated to be a 65-storey condo building with two floors of retail space fronting on the prestigious Yonge & Bloor intersection. However, thanks to strong buyer demand (the Star says 85% of the units in the 732-suite tower have been sold), One Bloor will now soar five storeys taller — topping off at 70 floors. Construction is expected to cost $450 million and last until the end of 2014.

Below are several One Bloor website renderings that suggest how the skyscraper, designed by Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects, will look, along with photos I’ve taken of the project site in recent months.

Condo tower rendering from the One Bloor project website

Condo tower podium rendering from the One Bloor project website

Another tower rendering seen in this screen capture from the One Bloor website

May 1 2011: Trailers on the otherwise vacant south side of the One Bloor condo tower construction site, viewed from the west side of the Xerox Tower

May 1 2011: Looking west across the vacant One Bloor site

May 1 2011: Looking northwest toward the corner of Yonge & Bloor

June 22 2011: A shoring rig on the northern half of the One Bloor site

June 22 2011: Yonge Street view of the shoring rig on the One Bloor property

June 22 2011: Bloor Street view of the shoring rig

July 6 2011: Two shoring rigs ready for action on the building site

July 6 2011: A closer look at the two rigs sitting idle on the site

July 13 2011: More construction equipment and a tent have been brought in for the groundbreaking ceremony

July 14 2011: My balcony view at sunset of skyscrapers near Yonge & Bloor Streets. The 45-storey Casa condominium tower (center) currently dominates the skyline; however, in three or four years’ time, One Bloor — which will rise just to the right rear of Casa — will be the tallest building in the area

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At last! Great Gulf breaking ground today for its 70-storey One Bloor condo tower at Yonge & Bloor

Tracking Downtown Toronto's AmazingBuilding Boom.

Tracking Downtown Toronto's Amazing
Building Boom.