Category Archives: Wellington Street West

Winter building pics: March 2013

 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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Two floors to go for boutique Downtown Condos under construction at Wellington & Portland

Downtown Condo

February 6 2013: Construction progress on the Downtown condo midrise, viewed from the south at the intersection of Wellington Street West and Portland Street.

 

9  up, 2 to go: One year ago, excavation work was just in its early stages at the 508-516 Wellington Street West site of the boutique Downtown condo building. As of this week, concrete has been poured for 9 floors of the 11-storey midrise structure.

A project of Parallax Investment Corportion, the 89-unit condominium building was designed by Sweeny Sterling Finlayson & Co. Architects Inc. It’s the third new midrise condo building to be constructed on Wellington West, between Spadina Avenue and Portland Street, just in the past two years. (The other two, now occupied, are 400 Wellington and Five Hundred Wellington West.) But Downtown is the first building — both in Toronto, and possibly the entire world — to feature the innovative Flexnatür raised-floor building design that Sweeny Sterling developed.

 

 

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

Reve King West condo Toronto

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.

 

Reve King West condo Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos and Portland Park Village condos

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

 

Reve King West condos

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

 

Reve King West condos

July 20 2011: Some balconies are still missing panels …

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

 

Reve King West condos Toronto

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

Reve King West condos and Portland Park Village condos

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

 

Reve King West condos and Portland Park Village condos

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

 

Reve King West condos and Portland Park Village condos

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

 

Reve King West condos

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

 

578 Bathurst Street condo development site

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.

 

578 Front Street West condo proposal notice

 The development proposal sign on the property

 

578 Front Street West condo proposal site plan

Site plan illustration on the development proposal sign

 

buildings at 33 - 49 Niagara Street Toronto

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

 

buildings at 33 - 49 Niagara Street Toronto

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

578 Front Street West condo development site

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

 

578 Front Street West condo development site

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

 

578 Front Street West condo development site

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.

578 Front Street West condo development site

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

 

former downtown Toronto Harley Davidson dealership

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.

 

Minto 775 King West condo building artistic rendering

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

 

Minto 775 King West condos location

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

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

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

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

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

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

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

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

July 20 2011: Construction activity several levels below Tecumseth Street

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

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

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

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

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

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

 

Minto 775 King West condo Toronto

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.

 

architectural rendering of the 400 Wellington condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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

 

400 Wellington Street West condos

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.

 

500 Wellington West condos

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

 

500 Wellington West condos

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.

 

500 Wellington West condos

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

 

500 Wellington West condo

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.

500 Wellington West condo

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

 

500 Wellington West condo

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

 

500 Wellington West condo

July 17 2011: Construction progress viewed from across Wellington Street

 

Neighbourhood Watch: Condo construction activity in downtown’s King & Bathurst area (Part 1)

Six50 King West condos Toronto

 July 17 2011: The 9-storey King Street facade of Six50 King West

 

Good fits?: They’re not skyscrapers, but the collection of low- and midrise condo buildings under construction on Adelaide, King and Wellington Streets, between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street, are significantly transforming the vibrant west downtown neighbourhood nonetheless. Rising above, between and behind the old brick warehouse buildings that are characteristic of the area, they’re adding contemporary style, colour and flair — along with expensive “to die for” designer penthouses — to the once-gritty and now hot & trendy district.

I manage to visit what some call the “Central King West” area about once or twice a season. I still enjoy its general look and and atmosphere, and find it’s still a comfortable area to walk around. Although some of the new buildings do appear to loom rather large next to their neighbours, they don’t seem overwhelming or out of scale for the streets. So far, at least, the area hasn’t developed the sterile and impersonal “condo canyon” feel or annoying wind tunnel conditions of Bay Street and other downtown streets that keep sprouting skyscrapers. But since some of the projects are only in early stages of construction (three are still below grade, while one is just beginning to break ground), and just as many more are in the development pipeline, it’s possible my impressions of the neighbourhood could change significantly  in several years’ time. Until then, I’m sure I’ll find it interesting to keep tracking the progress with each changing season. Below are photos I’ve taken recently of several different condo projects. Photos of additional neighbourhood projects will appear in Part 2.

 

Lofts 399 at 399 Adelaide Street West

 

A project of Cresford Developments, Lofts 399 is being built on the south side of Adelaide Street between the two Quad Lofts condos, and will sit back-to-back to the new Victory Condos on King West. My February 20 2011 post has several photos showing earlier construction progress at Lofts 399 and its proximity to the other condos.

 

artistic rendering of Lofts399 condos

From the Lofts 399 project website, an artistic rendering of how the 10-storey, 173-unit building will look when viewed from Adelaide Street.

 

Lofts 399 condo construction

July 17 2011: Looking from west to east across the Lofts 399 site

 

Lofts 399 condos on Adelaide Street West

July 17 2011: The Lofts 399 foundation begins to take shape

 

Lofts 399 condos on Adelaide Street West

July 17 2011: Looking along the south wall of the Lofts 399 site

 

Lofts 399 condos on Adelaide Street West

July 17 2011: A closer view of the bottom underground level. Lofts 399 will have four floors of below-grade parking.

 

Lofts 399 condos on Adelaide Street West

July 17 2011: Looking across the site toward Adelaide Street West

 

 Victory Condominiums on King

 

This project by BLVD Developments is approaching completion on the north side of King Street just west of Spadina Avenue. Designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects, the L-shaped building is 12 storeys tall and has 175 units. My March 13 2011 post and my January 15 2011 post both include photos of Victory during earlier stages of construction.

 

Victory Condos on King Street West Toronto

From the Lifetime Developments website, an artistic rendering of the Victory Condominiums on King West building designed by Toronto architect Rudy Wallman

 

Victory Condos on King West  Toronto

July 17 2011 : A street-level view of Victory Condos on King West

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011: The south side of Victory Condos, viewed from across King Street

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011:  Balconies, windows and brickwork on the south facade

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011: Victory viewed from the southwest on King Street

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011: Victory Condos offers six penthouse suites. The smallest is an 800-square-foot 2-bedroom unit with 80-square-foot balcony; it was priced at $706,900. The largest is a 2,545-square-foot residence with a 530-square-foot balcony. It carried the eye-popping pricetag of $2,219,900.

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011: Victory rises behind the brick building at 500 King Street West

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011: Victory viewed from the intersection of King & Brant Streets

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011:  Another view of Victory from Brant & King

 

Victory Condos on King West Toronto

July 17 2011: The upper four floors of south-facing balconies

 

 Fashion House Condos on King West

 

One of several Freed Developments projects in the popular Central King West neighbourhood, Fashion House Condos was designed by Toronto’s Core Architects Inc. Its red colour accents and striking design are definitely going to make a bold architectural fashion statement on the street.  As described on the project website: “a stunning 12-storey glass and steel staircase tower, the intricate platform design sets the stage for large terraces and balconies, while the glass showcases the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.” The 334-unit building is 85% sold. Photos of earlier construction progress at Fashion House can be seen in my April 2 2011 post and in my January 24 2011 post.

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

From the Fashion House Condos website, an artistic rendering of how the building will look when viewed from the south side of King Street

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: King Street view of excavation progress at the Fashion House site

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking down on the southeast corner of the construction site

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking northwest across the construction site

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: Excavation progress viewed from Morrison Street to the northeast

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Overlooking the excavation from the northeast corner of the site

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: Morrison Street view toward the south side of the excavation

 

Fashion House Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: A construction worker takes a rest on a woodpile in the pit

 

Six50 King West Condominiums at King & Bathurst

 

Another successful (80% sold) project by Freed Developments, Six50 King West is a 236-unit two-building complex with frontage on both King Street and Bathurst Street. The Bathurst wing will be the tallest, rising 15 floors, while the King section will have nine storeys. Like Fashion House, Six50 was designed by Core Architects Inc. Photos of earlier stages of construction can be viewed in my March 30 2011 post and in my January 20 2011 post.

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

From the Six50 King West condo project website, an artistic rendering of the two-building complex that will front on both Bathurst (left) and King Streets (right)

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

 July 17 2011: Street-level view of the King side of the two-building complex

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: The glass-fronted upper floors of the King Street building

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Northeast view of the building during streetcar track replacement work on King Street West

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Northeasterly view of the upper levels of the King Street wing

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 20 2011:  Bathurst Street view of construction progress on the west wing

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: West sides of the complex viewed from Bathurst Street

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: The west wing will rise 15 storeys above Bathurst Street

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: Adelaide Street view of the north and east sides of Six50 King West

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 17 2011: Balconies on the northeast side of the Six50 King complex

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: Another view of balconies on the east side of the condo complex

 

Six50 King West Condos Toronto

July 20 2011: Balconies and windows at the northeast corner of the building

 

 Thompson Residences on King Street West

 

Freed strikes condo gold — again. Thompson Residences is yet another Freed Developments project on the Central King West strip, just a stone’s throw from its hip Thompson Hotel & condo complex that opened at 550 Wellington Street West in 2010  (and scored a coveted spot on Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s Hot List Hotels 2011). According to the project website, Thompson Residences will offer “hotel inspired living” in 314 luxury condos, lofts and penthouses “loaded with the amenities and services of a top-tier hotel” — along with access to the Thompson Hotel on the other side of Stewart Street to the south. As such, it will be the polar opposite to the former motor hotel that once occupied the site at 621 King Street West.

For this project, Freed chose Saucier + Perrotte Architectes of Montreal, whose design for the 12-storey Residences (actually, two separate buildings situated parallel to each other) is described at length in a February 18 2010 Globe and Mail column by John Bentley Mays. But Freed had to battle the City for approval to build as high as it planned. City zoning permitted a maximum height of 20 meters for the site, but the Thompson Residences buildings will stand 36 and 40 meters tall, respectively. The height dispute wound up at the Ontario Municipal Board, which sided with Freed, and now the project is proceeding.  (A short online story in the Toronto Star described the dispute and its outcome, as did a more extensive February 25 2011 Globe and Mail article available to online subscribers.)

Below are several photos showing the Thompson Residences site while the property was occupied by the condo project sales centre after the motel was demolished, and with recent pictures showing some preliminary site preparation and excavation activity.

 

Thompson Residences King Street West Toronto

From the Thompson Residences project website, an artistic rendering of the condominium, designed by Montreal’s Saucier + Perrotte Architectes

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

March 11 2010: The Thompson Residences site on King east of Bathurst Street. The Thompson Hotel complex at 550 Wellington Street stands at rear left.

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

November 23 2010: Sandwich board sign outside the showroom

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

January 14 2011: The Thompson Residences showroom reflects buildings on the north side of King Street in this view, looking east along King

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

January 14 2011: The old motel sign was re-purposed for the condo project

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

June 21 2011:  Looking west along King Street at the Thompson Residences site

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

June 21 2011: Preliminary site preparation work is underway

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

June 21 2011: An excavating machine digging at the west end of site

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

June 21 2011: Marketing signs on hoarding along the east end of the property

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking across King Street toward the Thompson Residences site

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

July 17 2011: Looking toward the west half of the construction site

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

July 17 2011: Excavation work continuing at the west end of the property

Thompson Residences Toronto

July 17 2011: Two excavation machines at work on the site

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

July 17 2011: The Thompson hotel and condo complex on Stewart Street is visible across the Thompson Residences site

 

Thompson Residences Toronto

July 17 2011: A mound of demolition rubble at the east end of the property

 

 

City Scene: South view of the Ritz-Carlton tower

Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel and condo tower

 

Rooms at the Ritz: Toronto’s newest five-star hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, opened to guests last month. The hotel boasts 267 luxurious rooms on the bottom 20 floors of the 53-storey skyscraper. The tower’s upper floors, seen above, are private condo suites still under construction. Below is a closer view of the southwest corner condo suite with canary-yellow walls.

 

Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel and condo tower

 

Keeping tabs on …. 400 & 500 Wellington West

400 Wellington condo

400 Wellington condo construction progress on February 17 2011

 

Windows on Wellington: After I walked down Wellington Street West more than a month ago, I reported that construction at the 400 Wellington condo building had reached the fifth floor — almost halfway to its final height. Since then, construction workers have made considerable progress: eight floors have been poured, and windows are being installed on the lower levels. But just a short stroll down the street, the 500 Wellington West condo development didn’t look much different than it did in January. Photos of both projects, below, will let you judge for yourself how quickly these two new condo buildings are coming along.

 

400 Wellington condo

Southeast view of 400 Wellington condo construction on Febuary 17 2011

 

400 Wellington condo

Construction viewed from the south side of Wellington Street

 

400 Wellington condo

Window installation on 400 Wellington’s south facade

 

400 Wellington condo

Another view of 400 Wellington’s new south walls and windows

 

400 Wellington condo construction

400 Wellington construction viewed from the southwest

 

500 Wellington West condo constructio

Southeast view of 500 Wellington West construction on February 17 2011

 

500 Wellington West condo construction

Upper southview floors of 500 Wellington West condos

 

500 Wellington West condo construction

Middle south-facing floors at 500 Wellington West

 

500 Wellington West condo construction

The building boom at 500 Wellington West

 

 

 

Mid-rise condo taking shape at 400 Wellington

400 Wellington condo construction on January 14 2011


Nearly halfway there: With five floors poured and the sixth in the works, the 400 Wellington condo development is already making its presence felt on Wellington Street West.

A project of DesignSorbara, the complex actually is two buildings in one: a 10-storey building in the front, and a 12-storey sibling to its rear. It’s also a mix of two distinct architectural styles. The front building’s design was inspired by the various reddish-brown warehouses in the neighbourhood, while the rear structure features  “a mid-1900s-inspired horizontal layout of windows and masonry,” according to the 400 Wellington website. Together, the buildings will provide a “contrast of traditional and modern, of horizontal and vertical, of glazing and masonry,” housing 102 residential units.

Contemporary penthouses with large windows will overlook the rapidly-growing Wellington and King Street West area from the tops of each building. Penthouse V, for example, will offer two bedrooms and a den, 2 and a half bathrooms, 1,531 square feet of living space, and a 205-square-foot balcony.

The building is rising quickly: When I walked past in March, excavation was still in its early stages. As of last week, the building already is almost halfway to its projected height.

Below are photos of 400 Wellington from last March and November, as well as from last week, plus an architectural rendering from the website.

 

Billboard on construction hoardings at 400 Wellington


400 Wellington construction site on March 11 2010


400 Wellington construction site on March 11 2010


CN Tower view of 400 Wellington construction on November 2 2010


400 Wellington construction on November 23 2010


400 Wellington construction on November 23 2010


400 Wellington construction on January 14 2011


400 Wellington construction on January 14 2011


400 Wellington construction on January 14 2011


400 Wellington construction on January 14 2011


400 Wellington construction on January 14 2011


Architectural rendering from 400 Wellington website


Luxury lofts put on a pretty face as brickwork and big windows are installed at 500 Wellington West

As this photo shot on Friday afternoon shows, 500 Wellington is beginning to look a lot like an artistic rendering suggests the finished luxury loft building will appear.


Fast riser: It wasn’t all that long ago — March 11, 2010, to be precise — that I saw excavation equipment in the early stages of digging the foundation for 500 Wellington West. Now, just 10 months later, the 10-storey condo loft development already has a striking presence on the streetscape, as brickwork and windows are being installed on its facade.

The building was getting considerable attention on Friday afternoon, when numerous passersby stopped to take long, close looks at the progress of construction. (The comments I overheard were all positive, by the way.)

A Freed Developments project, 500 Wellington West is a small building offering big — really, really big — luxury condo lofts. There will be only 17 units in the complex, ranging from a spacious 2,500 square feet to mansion-sized 6,000 square-foot, full-floor residences. (As you’d expect, the asking prices for all that space are really big, too: from $1.5 to $5 million.)

The building was designed by  Core Architects Inc., with ultra-luxe interiors by Burdifilek and landscaping by gh3 Designs, all of Toronto.

Below are some of the photos I’ve taken at the site since August 2008.

 

500 Wellington West marketing billboard viewed in August 2008


500 Wellington construction site viewed on March 11 2010


500 Wellington West excavation progress on March 11 2010


500 Wellington West excavation progress on March 11 2010


500 Wellington West viewed from Victoria Memorial Park on Nov 23 2010


500 Wellington Street West on November 23 2010


500 Wellington Street West on November 23 2010


500 Wellington West construction viewed on January 14 2011


500 Wellington West construction viewed on January 14 2011


500 Wellington West construction viewed on January 14 2011


500 Wellington West construction viewed on January 14 2011


500 Wellington West construction viewed on January 14 2011


500 Wellington West construction viewed on January 14 2011


500 Wellington West construction viewed on January 14 2011