Category Archives: Toronto condos

BLVD Developments ready to declare Victory in condominium building battle on King Street West

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Victory condo construction progress on January 14 2011


Building exterior nearly done: Window, brickwork and balcony installations are giving the exterior of Victory Condos on King Street West a more finished look this week.

The L-shaped, 12-storey building is a project of BLVD Developments. It will feature 175 units, including penthouses with large terraces, 2,500 square feet of retail space on its ground level, and another 3.500 of retail shops accessed by a landscaped walkway at the west side of the property.

The building was designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects.

Below is a series of photos showing construction progress at Victory Condos. There are three shots showing the condo location in 2008 before construction commenced, a picture taken from the CN Tower in November, and several pics from just this past week.

 

With podium and cantilevered townhouses in place, Market Wharf poised to built condo tower next

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Website rendering of Market Wharf condos below St Lawrence Market


Podium finish: If you liken building construction to a competitive race, then Context Development has achieved a podium finish with its Market Wharf project on Lower Jarvis Street. And to borrow an expression from the 2010 Canadian Winter Olympic Team, Context will totally own the podium once it gets the 25-storey Market Wharf condo tower going up — the next phase in construction — and sells the remaining 30% of units that have not already been snapped up by eager buyers. 

December was a busy building month for Market Wharf:  its eight-storey-tall podium got topped off; crews began installing windows in the townhouses that cantilever over the south end of the podium; mullions were being installed for windows for the Shoppers Drug Mart store that will open in the podium’s retail level; and work continued on the base for the condo tower.

  The building was designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance. Below are photos I took of the site last week, along with another artistic rendering from the Market Wharf website where full project details and floorplans can be viewed.

 

Artistic rendering of a west view of the Market Wharf podium and tower


Market Wharf podium northwest side view January 3 2011; note how the window sizes and brickwork placement differ from the rendering above.


West side of Market Wharf podium on January 3 2011


Southwest view of Market Wharf podium on January 3 2011


Preliminary building work for Market Wharf condo tower


Getting ready to build the tower at south end of Market Wharf site


Southeast view of Market Wharf podium and townhouses


Cantilevered townhouses on the podium’s southeast corner


Another view of the cantilevered townhouses


Southeast side of Market Wharf podium along Jarvis Street


Northeast side of Market Wharf podium along Jarvis Street


Northeast corner of the Market Wharf podium (drug store to occupy street level)


St Lawrence Market view of Market Wharf podium on January 3 2010


Move-in dates approaching quickly for buyers at James Cooper Mansion condos on Sherbourne St.

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James Cooper Mansion condos on Sherbourne Street January 9 2011


Looking good: “If you think it’s nice on the outside, you should see inside. This place is beautiful!”

That’s what a contractor said when he saw me snapping photos outside the James Cooper Mansion condo tower on Sherbourne Street last weekend.

The Tridel condo project designed by Burka Architects Inc. is close to completion, and the contractor said buyers will probably start moving into the building by the end of the month.

Today, I saw workers putting up signs for a rental office and Tridel customer care centre, so at least parts of the building must be nearly ready for occupancy.

Below are photos I’ve taken of the building in recent weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Demolition underway as The Berczy prepares to build “boutique” condo complex at Church & Front

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Artistic rendering of The Berczy condos at Church and Front Streets


New neighbour for the Flatiron: The Berczy condo site at the southwest corner of Church and Front Streets is now surrounded by hoarding, and demolition activity is underway at what used to be the The Keg steakhouse chain’s Church Street location.

The Berczy will be a 13-story building with just 163 suites, billed by its developer — Concert Real Estate Corporation — as “a boutique collection of city homes.”

It will be a new neighbour for one of Toronto’s most popular landmarks, the Flatiron building at Front and Wellington Streets.

The Berczy itself is just as popular, it seems: the project is completely sold out.

Below are some pics I shot recently at The Berczy site.

 

A view of The Berczy site before demolition commenced


Hoarding around The Berczy construction site January 5 2011


Hoarding along Church Street side of The Berczy construction site


Hoarding along Church Street side of The Berczy construction site


The Berczy construction site viewed from The Esplanade January 5 2011


Apparently, much of this brick building immediately to the south of The Berczy will be restored and  incorporated into the new condominium complex.


Condo slump coming? Some experts think so, but developers are set to launch 35 projects by June

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Rendering of the proposed Backstage on the Esplanade condo tower; real estate brokers packed a sales office this week for a sneak peek at the project


Condo boom losing steam? The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) says housing starts in Canada dropped 13% in December, dragged down by a 45% drop in condo construction in Ontario. According to CMHC, multiple-unit starts (mainly condos) averaged 91,000 in 2010, but dipped to 85,000 in December. Some experts predict the numbers will fall even lower — to 75,000, which is the average historical level. Does this mean Toronto’s red-hot condo boom is on the verge of  a slump?  Not necessarily.

According to a story in The Globe and Mail today, “Toronto builders expect to launch 35 new projects in the first two quarters of the year, with as many as 17,000 new units expected to hit the market in 2011.” Last year, the second-best ever, saw 19,000 new units sold. And real estate agents are optimistic the high demand for condos will continue.

Earlier this week, the Globe pointed out, realtors packed the Backstage on the Esplanade sales office for a sneak peek at the project. Backstage is a 36-storey tower proposed for a narrow wedge of land nestled between the railway tracks to the south, Yonge Street to the west, and The Esplanade to the north. It will sit behind the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and the Daniel Libeskin-designed L Tower, which is currently under construction at the northeast corner of Yonge and The Esplanade.

The site looks impossibly tiny for a condo tower when viewed both from street level and above, but developers have been plans to make it work.

Below are some photos of the Backstage location, its sales office, and its original development proposal signage on The Esplanade.

 

Backstage condo tower location viewed from CN Tower


Another CN Towerview of the site proposed for the Backstage tower


Backstage Condos

November 9 2010 view of Backstage Condos site on The Esplanade


Proposed Backstage condo tower site viewed from The Esplanade


Marketing banner on Yonge Street railway underpass adjacent to Backstage site


Backstage sales office one block east of the tower site


The project’s original development proposal sign on The Esplanade


Military club makes way for condo construction: RCMI Residences set to rise on University Ave.

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Tower rendering on hoarding at the RCMI Residences construction site


The cannons will come back! Preliminary excavation work is underway for Residences at RCMI on University, the 42-storey condo tower that will rise on the site of The Royal Canadian Military Institute at 426 University Avenue (just south of Dundas Street).

When the  slender glass highrise opens in several years, it will house “a completely modernized RCMI [on] the first six floors, complete with its distinctive cannons dutifully rolled back to their guarding positions,” the RCMI notes in its website description of its novel construction venture with builder Tribute Communities.

The tower design incorporates the facade of the RCMI’s former building, which had occupied the site from 1890 until its demolition last fall. The RCMI is a private social club for former military officers and civilians with interests in the military; it also owns and maintains “Canada’s largest privately-held military library.” Its current membership “is drawn from all walks of life, including the Reserves, the Regular Forces, academe, and business across Canada and abroad. Increasingly, our new members are concerned with information technology and other business affairs related to security issues.” Undoubtedly, buyers at RCMI Residences will feel secure in their sleek new digs once they move into the completed condo complex.

Below are photos I snapped of the RCMI building before it was demolished, along with photos of construction progress to date and renderings of the RCMI tower.

 

The Royal Canadian Military Institute on March 11 2010


The Royal Canadian Military Institute on March 11 2010


The Royal Canadian Military Institute on March 11 2010


Hoardings around the RCMI Residences site on Nov 29 2010


RCMI Residences construction viewed from Simcoe Street Jan 3 2011


RCMI Residences construction viewed from Simcoe Street Jan 3 2011


RCMI Residences construction viewed from Simcoe Street Jan 3 2011


RCMI Residences construction viewed from Simcoe Street Jan 3 2011


RCMI Residences construction viewed from Simcoe Street Jan 3 2011


Hoarding at RCMI Residences construction site on Jan 3 2011


RCMI Residences tower rendering


RCMI Residences facade rendering


RCMI Residences tower rendering


Snow wonder: When will digging start at One Bloor?

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November 20 2008 view of snow-covered One Bloor condo tower site …

 

…and on January 9 2011 — over two years later — little has changed

 

Bloor Street blahs: I’m getting increasingly anxious for construction to start on the One Bloor condo tower. Every time I pass the One Bloor building site at the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor, it bugs me to see a big empty lot — a site that the media and real estate agents for years have described as Canada’s “premier” and “most prestigious” address. If it’s such a hot and important spot, what’s taking developer Great Gulf Group so long to get shovels in the ground? C’mon, guys, get going already!

Actually, Great Gulf is getting there — and digging should start soon. Back in November, the company applied to the city for a permit to begin work on the building’s foundation. Meanwhile, it’s preparing to open a spiffy new condo sales centre in the Xerox tower right next door. So things are moving along, though seemingly at a snail’s pace to impatient people like me.

I know I won’t be the only one cheering when hoarding is installed around the site and excavation equipment finally begins breaking ground — there’s a lot of building and skyscraper fans who can’t wait to watch a tower soar into the sky here. But exactly how tall will it stand?

The excavation permit application refers to a mixed-use highrise tower with 67 residential floors, 2 commercial floors (including a “p1 level commercial concourse”)  and six underground parking levels. That suggests the developer is set to build a 69-storey skyscraper.

Personally, I’d prefer to see a much taller tower — something closer to the 80 storeys envisaged for the ill-fated condo + hotel + retail complex originally proposed and sold for the site. (For those who either don’t recall or aren’t familiar with the dramatic recent history of the 1 Bloor Street East site, the Toronto Star describes crucial events in this story from July 18 2009 and this follow-up article from August 21 2009, while The Globe and Mail offered an even more detailed account in this story from September 17 2009.)

Heck, I wish One Bloor would go even higher — if Melbourne, Australia can build a 91-storey skyscraper (the Eureka Tower), why can’t we? Hasn’t Canada (i.e. Toronto) traditionally held bragging rights to the tallest building in the Commonwealth?

I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Great Gulf ultimately hikes the height of One Bloor to make it the tallest condo in Canada, but I won’t hold my breath just yet.

Below are several more photos I’ve taken of the One Bloor site, along with pics of Great Gulf marketing billboards featuring artistic renderings of their tower design. Additional renderings as well as more details about the project can be viewed on the project website, onebloor.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Museum House rises above its namesake on Bloor

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The Royal Ontario Museum’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal appears to point at the Museum House condo under construction across Bloor St.

 

Nearly there: With only three storeys left to build, and windows already installed on more than half its floors, Museum House on Bloor is drawing some attention away from its famous namesake across Bloor Street — the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The slender luxury condo tower will top off soon at its full 19-storey height, offering a mere 26 “discerning residences” to its very well-heeled buyers (fully detailed descriptions of the building and its suites are provided on the Museum House website.) Below are some fresh Museum House construction pics I shot this afternoon, along with a slideshow of other photos taken since 2008. I hope Museum House enjoys its moments in the limelight, while they last, because a much taller condo project is waiting in the wings to steal its thunder. Right next door is the site for the proposed Exhibit Residences condo tower, which is currently accepting registrations from interested potential purchasers. Sales for that project haven’t been launched yet, but its website does give some sneak peeks at the dramatic design being considered for Exhibit, as you’ll see in the three images at the bottom of this post.

 

January 9 2011 view of construction progress at Museum House on Bloor

 

January 9 2011 view of construction progress at Museum House on Bloor

 

January 9 2011 View of newly installed windows in Museum House

 

January 9 2011 view of Museum House (right) and One Bedford condos

 

January 9 2011 view of construction progress at Museum House on Bloor

 

Museum House construction crane reflects in the ROM’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal

 

Bloor Street West site for proposed Exhibit Residences Condo Tower

 

Artistic rendering of proposed Exhibit Residences condo tower

 

Artistic rendering of proposed Exhibit Residences condo tower

 

Artistic rendering of proposed Exhibit Residences condo tower

 

Lumiere condo tower awaits finishing touches

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Lumiere Condominiums on Bay viewed January 5 2011


Close to completion: I always find it exciting to walk past a building that has been under construction for several years and suddenly discover that construction hoarding and security fencing have been removed. It’s great to finally get an unobstructed view of the ground level, and to physically feel how the new building relates to and impacts upon the streetscape.

My most recent “big reveal” experience was in early November when I saw that hoarding had been dismantled from the streetfront at the Lumiere condo tower on Bay Street below College. All that remained was a security fence keeping pedestrians away from crews installing new sidewalks out front on Bay.

Lumiere is looking mighty good! I think it’s a nice addition to the block, and it feels like it’s always been there (actually, I can’t even remember what was there before. A parking lot perhaps?)

Lumiere needs a few finishing touches, though. Exterior cladding still hasn’t been installed on the west side of the three-level podium, while the canopy roof awaits some final cosmetic work, too. But plastic balcony panel wraps that had been flapping in the wind for months were removed in December, giving the Bay Street side of the building a sleek, clean look.

A Menkes highrise building project, Lumiere was designed by Toronto architect Rudy Wallman.

 

 

Lumiere Condos

Developer’s website rendering of Lumiere condo tower on Bay below College


Lumiere Condos

November 9, 2010 street view of Lumiere Condos


Lumiere Condos

November 9, 2010 street view of Lumiere Condos


Lumiere Condos

January 8, 2011 street view of Lumiere Condos


Lumiere Condos

January 8, 2011 street view of Lumiere Condos


Lumiere Condos

January 2011 view of Lumiere condos rooftop canopy


Lumiere Condos

November 2010 view of Bay Street side of Lumiere Condos


Lumiere condos

November 2010 view of Lumiere Condos rooftop canopy


Lumiere Condos

November 2010 view of Lumiere Condos balconies above Bay Street


Lumiere Condos

Lumiere balconies unwrapped in time for Christmas


Lumiere Condos

Lumiere Condos viewed from Elizabeth Street


Lumiere Condos

Lumiere Condos viewed from Elizabeth Street


Lumiere Condos

North side of Lumiere Condos viewed from Grenville Street


Going up: Burano makes a statement on Bay Street

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Burano Condos viewed from corner of Grenville and Bay on Jan. 5 2011

 

 

Bold new building for Bay: It’s only approaching one-third of its ultimate height, but the Burano Condos tower already makes a strong visual statement on Bay Street.  With its sharply-angled northeast and southeast corners, and freshly-installed reflective windows putting a shiny face on its six lower floors, Burano is attracting plenty of attention these days. Artistic renderings (below) show what the 50-floor tower is expected to look like when completed; the photos that follow show how far Burano’s construction was coming along this week.

 

 

Burano Condos construction entrance on Grosvenor Street

 

Concrete pumper and construction crane atop Burano Condos tower

 

Windows recently installed on southeast side of Burano Condos tower

 

Southeast corner of the Burano Condos tower

 

North side of Burano Condos tower viewed from Grosvenor Street

 

Northwest side of Burano Condos tower viewed from Grosvenor Street

 

A nearby building reflects in windows on the north side of Burano Condos

 

Looking up at Burano Condos tower from Grosvenor Street

 

Northeast corner of Burano Condos tower

 

Burano construction crane reflects in the Murano tower across Bay Street

 

Work crews laying a solid foundation for Aura

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January 7 2011 webcam view of construction progress at Aura


Growing closer to ground level: The huge hole in the ground at the northwest corner of Yonge and Gerrard Streets is filling in nicely. The foundation for Aura at College Park is rapidly taking shape as work crews continuing pouring concrete for the 75-storey condo tower’s extensive underground levels.

Work crews were easy to observe from the sidewalk on Yonge Street when I walked past the site’s entrance for concrete mixing trucks earlier this week. Last time I passed by, I couldn’t see any of the construction workers from the Yonge Street sidewalk because they were still too far down in the deep excavation.

Won’t be long before passersby get a clear view of the construction activity from the street. For now, they have to be content peering through the small observation windows in the hoarding along the north side of the site.

Below are several of my recent photos of the site, including a shot from the CN Tower which shows the top of one of the three construction cranes at Aura poking above the nearby Delta Chelsea hotel. That same view will look markedly different a year from now, at which point the tower’s frame will have an impressive presence on the city skyline.

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.

 

New George Brown College waterfront campus site August 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus excavation August 29 2010


George Brown College waterfront campus excavation August 29 2010


Waterlink at Pier 27 excavation November 2 2010


Waterlink at Pier 27 excavation November 2 2010


Waterlink at Pier 27 excavation November 9 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


ICE + Infinity3 condos excavation November 2 2010


Fly Condos excavation January 3 2011


Fly Condos excavation January 3 2011


Fly Condos excavation January 3 2011


Fly Condos excavation November 2 2010


Fly Condos excavation November 2 2010


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation January 3 2011


300 Front Street West excavation November 2 2010


300 Front Street West excavation November 2 2010


Toronto’s Trump Tower quickly catching up to its Bay Adelaide Centre, Scotia Plaza neighbours

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Trump Toronto starts to make its mark on the skyline


For years, my balcony view of the Financial District skyline never changed. I had a terrific view of the CN Tower, First Canadian Place and Scotia Plaza, and could even see the TD Bank Tower at the Toronto-Dominion Centre. Things changed considerably in mid 2009. That summer, the Bay Adelaide Centre (BAC) topped off at 50 floors and obscured nearly all of my view of the TD Bank building, while the 43-storey RBC Centre blocked a bit of the CN Tower (only the lower third, thankfully). In 2010, part of the RBC Centre’s next-door neighbour, the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel, came into view (appearing behind other towers this time, not blocking sight of them). Within just a couple more months, I’ll get to see another new skyscraper when the Trump International Hotel and Tower overtakes the Bay Adelaide Centre in height.

I’ve been wondering when the Trump would finally make a noteworthy impression on the city skyline. For the past two years, its construction has been obvious from parts of Adelaide Street and Bay Street, but taller neighbours have obscured most views from the north and south. That started to change in late fall 2010; from the CN Tower observation decks in early November, I could see part of the Trump climbing behind the east side of First Canadian Place. Now the Trump can be seen from other areas of downtown, too, as these photos — snapped through a window at the Art Gallery of Ontario on December 26 — show. With its spire, the Trump will become the second-tallest tower in Toronto. Measured to its roof, however, the Trump will take only third place.