Category Archives: Front Street West

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.

Construction views from Roundhouse Park

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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.

Winter building pics: March 2013

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My March 2013 album on Flickr features more than 500 photos showing dozens of downtown construction projects and building sites. Click once on the image above to view a small-format slideshow of the pictures, or click twice to access the actual album where you can view individual full-size photos with captions.

Frozen fingers: It’s only a few days into spring and I’m still sorting through hundreds of building and construction photos I took during the winter. What has struck me the most is how gloomy and grey the city looked most of the time. Sunny, clear days were few and far between — and when they came, it was usually too bitterly cold and windy for me to risk freezing my fingers by wandering around with my camera.

I did manage a few long photo walks, though, and have been gradually posting the pics in albums on thetorontoblog.com’s Flickr photostream. Above is a link to my fourth winter photo album, March 2013.

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Winter building pics: January 2013

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Above is a link to my January 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.

300 Front Street West condo construction passes 45 storeys on way to 49th-floor topping-off

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September 18 2008: The northwest corner of Front and John Streets used to be a parking lot just steps away from the CBC Canadian Broadcasting Centre at 250 Front Street West (right), the Metro Hall Civic Centre at 55 John Street (right rear), and the Rosemont Residences at 50 John Street (center rear) …

… as seen in this view from the CN Tower on September 22 2008

But during 2010 and early 2011 Tridel excavated the site …

… and began building the foundation and underground levels …

… for its 300 Front Street West condo complex, depicted in this artistic night view rendering by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects.

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Fly condo highrise climbs into its element in crowded tower cluster on Front Street West

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August 15 2012: Construction of Fly Condos viewed from Bathurst Street to the southwest. From this perspective, there appears to be considerable wide open space on the condo building’s north and west sides …

… thanks to a large surface parking lot on Fly’s west flank …

… and another large parking lot to its immediate north and northwest …

… however on its south side, Fly shares close quarters with three CityPlace condo towers, including the east Apex building, left, and the two oval Matrix towers on Front Street …

… while Fly’s east side rises almost smack against the Element condo highrise to its east

Close quarters: At this time last summer, the underground parking levels of Fly Condos were still in the early stages of construction, with months to go before the building reached grade. As of this week, the building has climbed 23 stories above the street — just one level shy of its final floor count. In the process, Fly has made a mini condo tower canyon on Front Street West look and feel even more cramped and crowded than it had been before.

Right now, there’s lots of open space to the north and west of Fly, since the surrounding land is occupied by large surface-level parking lots (who knows for how much longer before they’re redeveloped into condos, too). But it’s a completely different story on Fly’s other two sides.

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Cladding & glass on new condo/loft complex brings shades of grey to Front Street West

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July 27 2012: A view from the west of construction progress on the Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower being built by Tridel at Front & John Streets

July 27 2012: Charcoal grey and silver cladding is being installed on the southwest corner of what ultimately will be a 49-storey condo tower …

… with an attached 15-storey loft building …

… both of which are seen here from the south side of Front Street last Friday

Nearly halfway there: The exterior colour of a condominium tower currently under construction on Front Street West shares two things in common with one of the year’s most popular novels. Not only do shades of grey figure prominently with the building’s cladding and the book’s title, but both have been selling exceptionally well also.

Three Hundred Front Street West, a project of Toronto’s Tridel group of real estate development and management companies, is an L-shaped condo-loft complex being built at the northwest corner of Front and John Streets, just north of the CN Tower. The condo tower will soar 49 storeys above the street, while the loft section of the building will rise just 15 floors. As of last week, the tower was approaching the halfway mark, while work on the midrise loft wing had reached the 12th level.

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Neighbourhood Watch: Condo construction activity in downtown’s King & Bathurst area (Part 2)

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July 17 2011: Rêve King West viewed from Bathurst Street. The building extends from Front Street all the way north to Niagara Street.

Three streets, five projects: Last week I profiled five different development projects in Part 1 of my Neighbourhood Watch focus on the King & Bathurst area: Lofts 399 on Adelaide Street West, plus Victory Condos, Fashion House Condos, Six50 King West and Thompson Residences — all on King Street between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street. Today, Part 2 takes a look at another five projects on three separate streets in the same area.

Rêve King West

Construction is nearing completion on this midrise Tridel condominium project at 560 Front Street West between Bathurst and Portland Streets. According to the Rêve King West website, occupancy has been tentatively scheduled for this fall. Many floorplans have sold out; however, the website indicates there is still availability for a $341,000 1-bedroom + den in 650 square feet, a 970-square-foot 3-bedroom priced from $535,000, and several “Dream Collection” suites offering anywhere from 1,030 to 1,55 square feet of living space, at prices between $590,000 and $890,000.

Even with construction winding down, I’m still ambivalent about the building’s design. Rêve does have some striking design features that I like — especially the red trim highlights on the black cladding, and the opaque white balcony panels which really make the building stand out. Yet that’s also what I don’t like about Rêve: it stands out too much. The building’s sheer size seems completely wrong for the location since it totally dominates the block and overwhelms all of its next-door neighbours. It has an ominous, hulking appearance and, particularly when viewed from either the east or west side, looks far too big and way too black. I would hate to live in one of the townhouses at Portland Park Village and have that vast black building looming next door.

Photos of earlier stages of Rêve’s construction progress can be viewed in my April 14 2011 post and my January 21 2011 post.

June 21 2011: Workers install panels at the top of Rêve’s south side

July 17 2011: Rêve dwarfs the Portland Park Village condo complex immediately to its east at 550 Front Street West

July 17 2011: Balconies on Rêve’s south facade above Front Street

July 17 2011: Bathurst Street view of the upper south and west walls

July 17 2011: Balconies along part of Rêve’s extensive west wall

July 20 2011: A window on the upper south facade catches some sun

July 20 2011: A street-level view of Rêve’s south side

July 20 2011: This private driveway off Front Street leads to the lobby entrance

July 20 2011: Rêve rises only inches away from the Portland Park Village condos

July 20 2011: Looking up the building’s south face

July 20 2011: Some balconies are still missing panels …

… while other parts of the exterior await their own finishing touches

July 20 2011 : Balconies on the south side of the building

July 20 2011: Looking up at the southeast corner of the building

July 20 2011: Ropes for swing stages dangle down the building’s south side

July 20 2011: Rêve’s upper northeast floors viewed from Niagara Street

July 20 2011: Rêve looms behind the Portland Park Village townhouses

July 20 2011: Rêve viewed from the driveway for Portland Park Village

July 20 2011: The Portland Park Village midrise building (left) and Rêve tower above the four-level townhouses nestled below

July 20 2011: Rêve rises above the townhouses at Portland Park Village in this view from Victoria Memorial Park

Condo development proposal for Front & Bathurst

July 17 2011: A proposed four-building condo development site on the northeast corner of Bathurst and Front Streets. The new Rêve King West condo building (right rear) stands immediately next door to the east.

A rezoning application was recently filed with the city to construct a four-building residential community with nearly 1,000 condos at the northeast corner of Bathurst and Front Streets, right next door to the new Rêve King West condos profiled above. The June 30 2011 redevelopment proposal for 578 Front Street West encompasses a group of properties with frontage on Niagara, Bathurst and Front Streets. The plan calls for a mixed-use development with 970 residential units in four buildings ranging in height from 4 to 22 stories. There would be street-level retail space, along with 960 parking spaces in an underground garage.

The site itself has an intriguing history going back more than 150 years. In the late 1800s, the land was used as a coal and wood yard, and then became home to the Doty Engine Works machinery-building plant. Bertram Engine Works subsequently acquired the property, where it manufactured engines and boilers for its nearby shipyard. For a time, it was the location of a brick press manufacturer, and during the First World War operated as a munitions factory. Over the decades that followed, the land and buildings were occupied by a variety of different businesses, including the Rock Oasis indoor climbing gym which operated there until it relocated in June. (The property’s history is outlined in extensive detail and photos in a June 21 2011 post by Toronto blogger Nathan Ng. A shorter account of Mr. Ng’s historical essay can be read in The Architourist column by Dave Leblanc in the July 15 2011 Globe and Mail.)

Below are pictures of the development proposal notice as well as recent photos of demolition activity on the site.

The development proposal sign on the property

Site plan illustration on the development proposal sign

July 17 2011: Hoarding surrounds buildings at 33 – 49 Niagara Street that will be demolished to make way for the condo development

July 17 2011: The buildings at 33 – 49 Niagara Street, viewed from Victoria Memorial Park looking west toward Bathurst Street

July 20 2011: Demolition activity at the 578 Front Street West condo development site, viewed here from Front Street looking northwest toward Bathurst Street.

July 20 2011: From the late 1890s until 1940, the buildings on this site were home to several different machinery manufacturing companies.

July 20 2011: This building was the downtown Toronto location of the Rock Oasis indoor climbing gym for 13 years until the business relocated in June.

July 20 2011: Four buildings will range from 4 to 22 storeys tall

July 20 2011: The former downtown Toronto Harley-Davidson dealership occupies the eastern end of the proposed condo development site

Minto 775 King West

A project of Minto Group Inc., this development is currently under construction on a large site at the southwest corner of King and Tecumseth Streets. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the 16-storey building has a variety of floorplans for studio, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom suites that vary in size from 542 to 1,425 square feet and in price from $356,800 to $639,800. Suites in “The Penthouse Collection” range from an 821-square-foot 1-bedroom unit costing $580,800 to an 1,866 2-bedroom going for $1,288,800. Retail space will occupy the ground level of the five-storey podium along King Street. Below are recent photos showing construction progress on the site. Further information about the building design is available on the Harini Pontarini webpage for the Minto 775 King West project.

From the Minto 775 King West condo website, an artistic rendering of the Hariri Pontarini-designed building

August 23 2008: The Minto 775 King West location before construction commenced, looking southeast from King Street toward Tecumseth Street

July 20 2011: West view toward the condo site at King & Tecumseth Streets

July 20 2011: One of two cranes on the construction site, viewed here from the sidewalk on the north side of King Street

July 20 2011: Overlooking the L-shaped excavation from the NE corner

July 20 2011: Construction activity several levels below Tecumseth Street

July 20 2011: Underground levels take shape near the northeast corner

July 20 2011: Looking west from the Tecumseth Street side of the property

July 20 2011: Walls taking shape four levels below street grade

July 20 2011: Concrete delivery at the King Str. construction entrance

400 Wellington

This midrise building on Wellington Street just west of Spadina Avenue is a project of DesignSorbara, a family-owned and operated design development company. It’s essentially two buildings in one, with a 10-storey wing in front and a 12-storey section in back. The complex also blends two distinct architectural styles: The front building was inspired by the reddish-brown warehouses in the surrounding neighbourhood, while the rear structure features “a mid-1900s-inspired horizontal layout of windows and masonry,” according to the 400 Wellington website.

Below are construction progress photos I snapped during June and July. Photos of earlier stages of construction can be viewed in my February 27 2011 post and in my January 17 2011 post.

This artistic rendering of the 400 Wellington condo buildings appears on the condo project website

June 21 2011: 400 Wellington viewed from the southeast end of the block

June 21 2011: The front wing (left) stands 10 storeys; the rear section 12

June 21 2011: A closer view of the five upper levels of the rear building section

June 21 2011: Construction progress on the southwest side of the building

June 21 2011: A yellow construction garbage chute stands out against the blue insulation on the exterior wall of the front wing

July 17 2011: Brickwork has been installed on much of the building’s exterior

July 17 2011: Brickwork on the building’s southwest corner

July 17 2011: Street level view from the south side of Wellington Street

July 17 2011: Upper levels on the south side of the 12-storey wing

July 17 2011: Construction viewed from Wellington Street, looking northwest

July 17 2011: Brickwork on upper levels of the 10-storey front building

July 17 2011: 400 Wellington rises behind The Globe and Mail newspaper’s head office in this view from Concord CityPlace. The Globe site could become condos in several years’ time, too; the newspaper has announced it will begin construction in 2012 on a new building next door (at right, currently a Toyota dealership).

500 Wellington West

A project of Freed Developments, this 10-storey boutique condo building is nearing completion. Designed by Core Architects, 500 Wellington West has 17 luxury suites that occupy either half or full floors. It’s just a short walk west of the 400 Wellington project site (above), and even closer to the Victoria Memorial Park at Portland Street. Below are photos showing construction progress in June and July. Pictures of earlier stages of construction can be viewed in my February 27 2011 post and in my January 16 2011 post.

June 21 2011: A crew works on the exterior of the building’s south facade

June 21 2011: The building appears small from the outside, but offers incredible space inside. For example: Residence 6 offers 5,990 square feet of interior space on a full floor, along with a 975-square-foot terrace.

June 21 2011: A closer look at the crew working on the front windows

July 17 2011: Even the half-floor suites are spacious. Residence 5 offers 3,515 square feet of interior space along with a 535-square-foot terrace.

July 17 2011: Glass panels will be installed on the 3 balconies seen here

July 17 2011: Floor-to-ceiling windows line three sides of the top-level suites

July 17 2011: Construction progress viewed from across Wellington Street

Laying foundations: Building progress at Pier 27, 300 Front West, Fly, and Cinema Tower Condos

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July 17 2011: A view of the Cinema Tower construction site, looking south from Adelaide Street West. Cinema Tower is a project of The Daniels Corporation.

From the Cinema Tower project website, an artistic rendering of the 43-storey condo designed by Toronto’s Kirkor Architects & Planners

July 17 2011: Looking across the east side of the Cinema Tower site at the corner of Widmer & Adelaide Streets. Construction is fast approaching grade.

July 17 2011: Cinema Tower is rising behind the TIFF Bell Lightbox (left) and the Hyatt Regency Toronto (right). Earlier construction photos can be seen in my February 17 2011 post about the project.

July 17 2011: Construction progress at the southwest corner of the site

July 17 2011: Along the east side of the property, the foundation has climbed close to little more than 1 meter below street level

July 17 2011: A white and orange crane rises from the excavation for the Three Hundred Front West condo tower. For earlier construction photos and information about this Tridel project, see my April 16 2011 post.

From the Tridel website, an artistic rendering depicting a night view of the 49-storey Three Hundred Front West condo tower designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects

July 17 2011: Foundation work observed from above the site’s southwest corner

July 17 2011: Looking to the northeast toward John Street

July 17 2011: A view of underground levels taking shape between the two construction cranes working the site

July 17 2011: Foundation progress on the east side of Fly Condos, a project by Empire Communities. Earlier construction photos appeared in my March 30 2011 post and my January 23 2011 post.

A rendering of the 24-storey tower appeared on this Front Street billboard. Fly Condos was designed by Toronto’s Graziani + Corazza Architects Inc.

July 17 2011: Overlooking the southeast corner of the construction site

July 17 2011: Looking toward the crane near the center of the site

July 17 2011: The bottom underground level is starting to take shape in the northeast corner of the excavation

July 17 2011: Looking toward the northwest corner of the property

July 17 2011: Machinery in the northwest corner of the excavation

July 17 2011: Wall forms on the south side of the site next to the crane

July 17 2011: Looking toward the northeast corner of the excavation from the west construction entrance on Front Street

July 17 2011: Excavation continues on the west side of the site

July 17 2011: Forms for supporting walls near the construction crane base

June 21 2011: Looking south from Queen’s Quay Boulevard across The Residences of Pier 27 waterside construction site, a project of Cityzen Developments and Fernbrook Homes

From the project website, a rendering of one of the buildings being constructed at The Residences of Pier 27 complex on the waterfront. The condos were designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance.

June 21 2011: Construction progress in the Pier 27 site’s southeast corner. Photos of earlier stages of construction can be viewed in my April 22 2011 post, my February 18 2011 post, and my January 4 2011 post.

June 21 2011: Construction progress on the east side of the massive building site

July 17 2011: Looking south from Queen’s Quay Boulevard as the foundation continues filling in the east side of the Pier 27 site

July 17 2011: Underground levels are fast taking shape on the east side of the site, but excavation work still continues on the west end of the Pier 27 property.

July 17 2011: The supporting wall in the foreground rises close to street level

Contractors digging deep foundation for 49-storey Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower

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March 29 2011: Excavation machines and equipment inside the deep pit at the Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower construction site

From the Tridel website, an artistic illustration of a southeast night view of the Three Hundred Front Street West condo building

Deep dig: An already huge hole in the ground is getting even bigger at the northwest corner of Front and John Streets, where Toronto developer Tridel is building its latest luxury condominium tower on the site of a former parking lot. Designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects, the L-shaped Three Hundred Front Street West will actually be two buildings in one. A 49-storey tower offering a variety of 1- and 2-bedroom condo suites plus spacious penthouse residences will rise from the west side of the property, while a connected 15-storey loft building will stand to the north. A grand two-storey lobby entrance will overlook a large landscaped garden gracing the southeast corner of Front & John.

Design-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will bring a bit of Big Apple appeal to downtown Toronto. “I was inspired by the classic skyscrapers of the modern era to create a structure that is timeless and elegant,” Wallman explains in a video presentation on the Tridel website. Three Hundred Front Street West, he adds, will be “a unique and elegant addition” to the neighbourhood, complementing the new Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel and condo tower one block to the east, as well as the new Festival Tower and TIFF Bell Lightbox buildings two blocks north at John and King. Interior designer Alex Chapman of Chapman Design Group says Wallman has conceived a “Manhattan-style” tower that is “totally reminiscent of many of the famous complexes” in New York City. Unfortunately, I haven’t been to Manhattan yet, so I can’t draw any comparisons myself. But I do think that, with its soaring height and its striking silver and charcoal grey glass exterior, Three Hundred Front Street West will become a landmark commanding attention both in its immediate area and on the city skyline. The neighbourhood is dominated by office and condo towers with similar green glass exteriors, so Three Hundred Front Street West’s unique silver and grey tower accents should provide a refreshing visual break from the rest as well as an attractive addition to the skyline.

Amenities-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will be a contemporary condo offering the look and feel of an exclusive, upscale boutique hotel. The airy two-storey lobby off Front Street will be “a sophisticated urban arrival space” with a lounge atmosphere, Chapman says, while a 13,500-square-foot recreational center on the 15th floor will feature a “professional-level” exercise area. The rooftop of the loft wing will look like a chic “urban resort” with its infinity pool, sundecks, Roman fountain and barbecue. Interior recreational amenities will include a party room with south views, a private dining room with a catering-size kitchen and its own “cocktail balcony,” a poker room, billiards room and lounge. I’m jealous; with the exception of a ground-level swimming pool, all of the amenity areas in the downtown condo where I live are windowless basement spaces with all the sophistication of a recreation room from a 1970s-era suburban house.

Overall, I think Three Hundred Front Street West will significantly enhance the streetscape in one of the city’s most popular tourist areas, particularly since it will block many sightlines of the Windsor hydroelectric station on Wellington Street. And with plans in the works for John Street to get a major makeover in the next several years, Three Hundred Front Street West’s main entrance park will become a classy southern gateway to the Entertainment District’s main north-south street. The only downside to the development, that I can see, is the block full of ugly power transformers on its north flank. But since Wallman’s design means all of the loft suites face south, their residents will still enjoy good views and won’t get stuck overlooking electrical equipment.

Below are photos I’ve taken of recent construction activity at Three Hundred Front Street West, along with several artistic illustrations provided by Tridel that suggest how the tower, its street-level exterior, and its landscaped park will appear. Additional artistic illustrations of the building exterior, lobby and amenities, as well as floor plans and brief video presentations by Rudy Wallman and Alex Chapman, are available on the Three Hundred Front Street West website.

November 28 2010: Signage on hoarding around the construction site

November 23 2010: North-facing view of the 300 Front West site

November 23 2010: A tall shoring machine at work on the condo excavation site

November 23 2010: Northeast view of the condo construction site. The building with the red window frames is the CBC broadcasting headquarters on the southeast corner of Front & John Streets.

November 23 2011: Northeast view across the 300 Front Street West condo site

January 14 2011: The ramp leading from Front Street into the excavation

January 14 2011: Some of the hydroelectrical equipment at the Windsor Station on the north side of the 300 Front Street West site. Thankfully, the condo will block views of the hydro station from most parts of Front and John Streets.

February 18 2011: A view of the crane recently installed on the site

March 29 2011: Excavation machines inside the pit at 300 Front West

March 29 2011: Looking toward the northeast corner of the excavation

March 29 2011: Excavation machines at the bottom of the deep pit

March 29 2011: The supporting wall on the north side of the excavation

March 29 2011: Excavation activity at the eastern half of the site

March 29 2011: Considerable excavation work remains on the west side of the site

March 29 2011: Looking toward Front Street from the site’s NE corner

March 29 2011: Slick white hoarding protects pedestrians on Front Street

From the condo website, an illustration of the landscaped SE corner park

Website illustration of the lobby exterior, viewed from the condo park

Website illustration of the Three Hundred Front West lobby exterior

Website illustration of the Three Hundred Front Street West lobby interior

Another illustration of the Three Hundred Front Street West lobby interior

Rêve King West exterior looking more complete

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Rêve King West condo construction progress viewed from the Bathurst Street bridge to the southwest on March 29 2011

Nearly finished: January was the last time I was in the vicinity of the Rêve King West condo construction site. At that time, concrete had been poured for all 14 floors of the midrise Tridel condo building, while windows and exterior cladding had been installed on all but the top six storeys. Two construction cranes were still working on site. When I was back in the area at the end of March, I saw that the cranes had been removed from the roof, while almost all windows had been installed. Most of the exterior finish was in place, too. Occupancy is tentatively scheduled for this summer. Most suites have already been sold, but several are still available, at prices ranging from $334,000 for a 1-bedroom with den, to $850,000 for a 1,55-square-foot, 3-bedroom suite with a large terrace. Below are several more pics of the building; earlier construction photos can be viewed in my January 21 2011 post.

Southeast view of Rêve King West condo building on Front St. W. near Bathurst St.

North end of the Rêve King West condo building viewed from Niagara Street

The upper southwest floors of Rêve King West, viewed from Front Street

Another Bathurst Street bridge view of Rêve King West

Fly condo tower site ready for crane installation

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The construction crane for the Fly condo tower will be mounted on this pad near the east side of the building excavation, seen here on March 29 1011

The Fly Condos excavation, looking north from Front Street West

The east side of the excavation pit for the Fly condo tower

Awaiting a crane: Looks like a construction crane will be installed on the Fly Condos building site on Front Street West near Spadina Avenue any day now. The excavation for the 24-storey glass, stone and precast tower is four levels deep on the east half of the site, and a concrete pad for the crane base has been prepared in the middle of the pit. A project of Empire Communities, Fly Condos was designed by Graziani & Corazza Architects Inc. Below is a billboard with a rendering of the Fly condo tower, followed by photos taken March 29 2011 of the excavation site.

Fly condos marketing billboard on Front Street West

Ramp leading from Front Street into the Fly condos excavation

Front Street view toward the northeast corner of the Fly Condos excavation

A trailer at the bottom northeast corner of the pit

The ramp curves downward to the pad for the construction crane base

Southeast corner view of the excavation for the 24-storey condo tower

A view of the crane pad, near top left, and excavation equipment in the pit

The excavation on the east side of the site is about four levels deep

Three men make the long walk up the ramp at the end of the workday

Looking west across the Fly Condos excavation

Keeping tabs on … fly condos on Front St West

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Excavation activity at fly condos on January 14

Digging deeper: The hole in the ground for fly condos on Front Street West has gotten just a bit deeper in the two weeks since my “Big Digs” excavation update post.

Here are three more pics of the excavation progress.

Rêve makes a bold statement at Front & Bathurst

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Rêve King West condo construction progress on January 14 2011

Rêve it up: It’s just 14 stories tall, but because of its dark greyish-black glass facade and red accent trim, not to mention its imposing physical size, the Rêve King West condo wields a commanding presence near the northeast corner of Front Street West and Bathurst Street.

This place looks huge from most perspectives, including from the CN Tower’s observation deck. It completely dominates the block, looming over low-rise office buildings and dwarfing adjacent townhouses as it stretches from Front Street in the front (of course) to Niagara Street in the back.

Thankfully, Rêve now draws attention away from the ugly 9-storey beige condo building right next door at 550 Front that up until now had been the most noticeable structure on the street (unfortunately).

I recall going to a party in a two-storey upper-level suite at 550 around five or six years ago. The only thing I liked about 550 was that this particular unit had a spacious private rooftop terrace with a panoramic view from west to east. Less than half of the complex’s townhouses had been built at that point, so there was an empty lot down below. I can’t recall whether there was a building, parking lot or just an empty space next door, where Rêve is rising. But I do remember the host saying the site was slated for development. When someone asked if a bigger, taller building might go up next door, spoiling his terrace view and privacy, he wasn’t worried. “It’ll never happen,” he insisted.

It almost didn’t. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide had acquired the site with plans to build its first Toronto hotels bearing the aloft and element brand names. The two hotels would have shared the one building; element is a chain geared to the extended-stay travel market, while aloft is a trendy brand aimed at short-stay visitors. Excavation and foundation building work commenced before the global financial crisis, but in January 2009 construction came to a halt when the hotel project was put on hold.

Midway through the year, Tridel Corporation acquired the site and resumed construction, this time building Rêve, rather than a hotel. Aiming for completion later this year, Rêve will have 305 units, including 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom suites.

I’ll be curious to see what happens with the vacant property next door, the former Harley-Davidson motorcycles downtown location. Will Rêve get a new condo neighbour to its west? Stay tuned.

Below is a Tridel rendering of Rêve, plus some of my photos of the building during various stages of construction.

Tridel artistic rendering of Rêve King West condo building

Rêve King West condos excavation on September 26 2008

Rêve King West condo site viewed March 11 2010 before cranes were installed and construction resumed on the foundation built before Tridel acquired the property

Rêve King West condo site viewed from Bathurst St bridge March 11 2010: Tridel hoarding surrounds the property but the construction crane isn’t yet in place.

CN Tower view of Rêve King West condos location on November 2 2010

CN Tower view of Rêve King West condos on November 2 2010

Rêve King West condos viewed from Victoria Memorial Park on November 23 2010

Window installation on north side of Rêve King West condos November 23 2010

Rêve King West condos viewed from Bathurst St bridge November 23 2010

Rêve King West condos viewed from Bathurst St bridge November 23 2010 Construction progress in just two months: Niagara Street views of Rêve King West condos on November 23 2010 (left) and on January 14 2011

Rêve King West Condos viewed from Niagara Street on January 14 2011

Rêve King West Condos viewed from Bathurst Street on January 14 2011

Rêve King West Condo balconies viewed from Bathurst Street on January 14 2011

West side of Rêve King West Condos on January 14 2011

Balconies along the west side of Rêve King West Condos on January 14 2011

Big digs: A look at how the earth’s been moving for five condos and a new waterfront college campus

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Hole-y moley! That’s my reaction to several mighty big excavations currently underway for a half dozen major construction projects in the southern half of downtown.

One of the biggest (above) is for the new waterfront campus of George Brown College, situated between Sherbourne Common and the Corus Entertainment head office, both of which opened in 2010.

Just down the road, an even bigger dig is in progress for the Waterlink at Pier 27 condo complex.

Meanwhile, York Centre is the site of an enormous L-shaped excavation where the two ICE condo towers (65 and 55 storeys tall, respectively) and their office highrise sister (31 floors) ultimately will rise alongside the new Infinity3 three condo building (35 storeys).

Finally, on nearby Front Street West, holes are gradually getting deeper for Fly Condos (24 floors) and the 300 Front Street West condo tower (49 storeys).

Here’s a set of photos I’ve taken of these project sites recently, including some aerial shots from the CN Tower.