Mirror image: Windows in the Royal Ontario Museum’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal (above) reflect an image of the Museum House on Bloor condo tower under construction across Bloor Street. Below is a view of the Museum House condos building from Philosopher’s Walk to its south, on the University of Toronto campus. Both photos were taken on April 1, 2011.
Tall, sleek & slender: It’s the tallest tower in Yorkville, yet the Four Seasons Hotel & Residences hasn’t even topped off at its full 55 floors yet. But the sleek glass skyscraper and its 26-storey condo sibling have literally brightened up the east block of Bay Street between Scollard Street and Yorkville Avenue. When sunshine glints off the curtain glass walls of the East and West Residence towers on a clear day, it’s almost blinding. And even though the two-tower construction site is still surrounded by hoarding and scaffolding, and covered in dust and grime, it feels like it has significantly classed-up the corner at Bay & Yorkville already. I’m loving the look of these shiny towers, from all angles, and think the complex will be a stunning addition to the streetscape once construction is complete.
The five-star Four Seasons Hotel & Residences was designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance, and is being built by Menkes Construction Ltd. The West Residence is a mixed-use tower featuring a 253-room Four Seasons Hotel on the first 20 floors, and 101 private condominium residences on the upper 35 storeys. The East Residence will have 103 condominiums, and is linked to the west tower by an elevated pedestrian walkway about eight floors above the ground.
I previously published photos of the Four Seasons construction in a January 26 post; below is a series of photos from February, March and today which show how much progress has been made since then.
February 10 2011: Construction of the Four Seasons towers (and, to the right, the Florian condo tower) viewed from Yonge St. near Roxborough St. in Rosedale
February 23 2011: East view of the towers from Yorkville Avenue
February 23 2011: Southwest view of the East Residence condo tower
February 23 2011: Yorkville Avenue view of the two towers
February 23 2011: Looking way up the south side of the West Residence tower
February 23 2011: The southeast corner of the West Residence tower
February 23 2011: Construction elevator on the West Residence tower
March 16 2011: The Four Seasons Hotel & Residences complex viewed from the northwest corner of Bay and Scollard Streets
March 16 2011: A health club, spa, swimming pool, ballroom and conference centre will be situated in this eight-storey wing at the corner of Bay and Scollard Streets
March 16 2011: The Four Seasons complex shines in the late afternoon sunshine
March 16 2011: The West Residence tower viewed from Bay Street
March 16 2011: Looking up the West Residence tower from Bay Street
March 16 2011: The southwest corner of the West Residence tower
March 16 2011: The south side of the West Residence Tower
March 24 2011: The towers viewed from Hazelton Avenue at Scollard Street
March 24 2011: The towers viewed from Hazelton Avenue at Scollard Street
March 24 2011: From Avenue Road, a view of the “old” Four Seasons Hotel, right, and the new tower rising two blocks to the east on Yorkville Avenue.
March 24 2011: The West Residence tower rises on the Yorkville skyline in this view from the intersection of Yonge and Wellesley Streets
April 1 2011: Southwest view of the West Residence tower
April 1 2011: Bay Street view of the West Residence tower
April 1 2011: A construction elevator rises up the side of the West Residence
April 1 2011: The West Residence tower seen from Avenue Road near the Museum subway station entrance outside the Royal Ontario Museum
The 83-year-old St Basil’s Catholic School building, site for the 36 Hazelton luxury boutique condo project, seen on March 24 2011…
…and on March 25, after a huge black banner was removed from the facade. The building sits on the west side of Hazelton Avenue just north of Scollard Street
This rendering, from the 36 Hazelton website, suggests how the luxury boutique condo complex will look once it is built on the St Basil’s schoolhouse site.
School’s out, condo’s coming: Exclusive VIP sales previews started last year, but a general sales presentation centre should be opening soon for 36 Hazelton, an exclusive seven-storey, 19-suite boutique condo building to be constructed on the site of the historic St Basil’s Catholic School in Yorkville. A project of Alterra Group and Zinc Developments, the 36 Hazelton development sparked considerable controversy in the Yorkville community when the proposal to redevelop the school property, a designated heritage site, was filed with the city several years ago. Area residents were alarmed by the developers’ plan to demolish most of the 83-year-old schoolhouse while retaining only its neo-Gothic facade on Hazelton Avenue. Residents worried that the height and density for the proposed 8-storey condo complex would look out of place on a street noted for its charming two- and three-storey Victorian houses. They also feared that City approval of the project would set a precedent that could endanger the Yorkville heritage district and put other historic buildings at risk of demolition and redevelopment.
In a March 2 2009 report to the Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC) and the Toronto Preservation Board, city planners recommended that the developer’s application to alter the St Basil’s School building be rejected. And in a March 30 2009 report to the TEYCC, planners described the development plan as “inappropriate and out of context,” and recommended that it be refused. When the developers presented a revised proposal, the TEYCC deferred consideration of the refusal report at its meeting in April 2009, and asked city planners to review the new plan. In a June 12 2009 final report to the TEYCC, planners recommended that the revised building application be approved. The TEYCC was supposed to consider that report at its June 2009 meeting; however, that meeting was cancelled after municipal employees went on strike. In July 2009, the developer filed an appeal with the Ontario Municipal Board, but the dispute got resolved when the TEYCC, and then city council, approved the revised 7-storey project in the fall of 2009.
With a project sales centre set to open soon, a construction start is possible later this year or early in 2012. As 36 Hazelton goes up, it should quickly become apparent if area residents were correct in claiming that the project wouldn’t be an appropriate redevelopment for the location — and, of course, if it will be too big, and look too out of place, on the leafy, quiet street. I’ve walked around the area numerous times recently, trying to get a sense of how 36 Hazelton might change the neighbourhood. Hazelton Avenue is one of my favourite downtown streets, and I’d be sorry to see its character destroyed by development. But since most of the new condo building will be set back from the street, occupying what is currently a parking lot, it’s quite possible it could fit in rather nicely, especially since it’s situated at the north end of the tony Hazelton Avenue retail strip (rather than being plunked farther down the block between semidetached two-storey brick houses). However, even if 36 Hazelton does wind up being a suitable and attractive addition to the streetscape, I really would hate to see further development of low- or midrise condos elsewhere on the avenue. Below are photos I’ve taken of the St Basil’s School and other buildings and homes in its immediate vicinity, along with condo illustrations that have appeared on the 36 Hazelton website and an illustration, from a city planning report, showing the new building’s east elevation.
Website illustration of the 36 Hazelton boutique condo building
36 Hazelton website illustration of the St Basil’s schoolhouse facade, which will be incorporated into the new luxury condominium complex
An illustration showing 36 Hazelton’s east elevation
January 9 2011: The St Basil’s Schoolhouse dates from 1928. Access to a large parking lot behind the building is through a laneway on the left side of the school.
January 9 2011: The condo site is literally only a stone’s throw away from Yorkville’s chic Hazelton Lanes shopping centre
January 9 2011: Condo marketing signs and banners on the St Basil’s School site
January 9 2011: Passersby examine the illustrations on the 36 Hazelton billboards
January 9 2011: A large banner blocks most of the schoolhouse facade from view
March 24 2011: The north half of St Basil’s School
March 25 2011: The banner has been removed and the full facade is visible
March 25 2011: A closer view of the St Basil’s School facade on Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: St. Basil’s School viewed from the rear parking area. The Four Seasons Toronto hotel and condo tower, visible in the background, is under construction on Bay Street, just one block to the east.
March 25 2011: Another view of the schoolhouse from the rear of the property
March 25 2011: The Hazelton Lanes complex sits to the immediate west of the parking lot behind the St Basil’s School building
March 25 2011: Northwest view from the parking lot behind the schoolhouse
March 25 2011: Looking north from the parking area behind the school
March 25 2011: Parking lot view of the back of buildings next door to 36 Hazelton
March 25 2011: Parking lot view to the south. A walkway on the opposite side of the brick building leads from Hazelton Avenue into Hazelton Lanes
March 25 2011: Apartments at 40 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: St Basil’s School and 40 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: The four-storey 40 Hazelton Avenue building next door to St Basil’s School. The 36 Hazelton condos will stand three storeys higher.
March 25 2011: The brick houses at 44, 46 and 48 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: The west side of Hazelton Avenue, looking north from outside #56
March 25 2011: Looking south on Hazelton Avenue from outside #52
March 25 2011: The west side of Hazelton Avenue below Scollard St.
March 25 2011: Homes on the east side of Hazelton Avenue near 36 Hazelton
March 25 2011: Brick houses at 59, 57, 55 and 53 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: Looking southeast toward 55, 53, 51 and 49 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: 51 and 49 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: The new Four Seasons Toronto tower looms behind the houses at numbers 53, 51 and 49 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: Numbers 45, 43 and 41 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: Yorkville’s upscale shopping district extends north to the buildings at 4, 43 and 41 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: The Toronto Heliconian Club at 35 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: The Four Seasons tower looming behind the Heliconian Club
March 25 2011: Toronto Heliconian Club and 33 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: 33 Hazelton Avenue at the northeast corner of Scollard Street
March 25 2011: The upper levels of 33 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: The northeast corner of Scollard Street and Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: Another view of 33 Hazelton Avenue
March 25 2011: Hazelton Avenue view to the northeast at Scollard Street
March 24 2011: Scollard Street, looking east from Hazelton Avenue towards the two Four Seasons Toronto hotel and condo towers under construction on Bay Street between Scollard Street and Yorkville Avenue.
March 24 2011: Construction workers are now focussed on building the two-storey 6,770-square-foot penthouse condo at Museum House on Bloor.
Condo building rendering from the Museum House on Bloor project website suggests how the glass-walled penthouse will appear once construction is complete
Puttin’ up the penthouse: Museum House on Bloor is getting its crowning jewel — a sprawling two-storey, 5,618-square-foot penthouse with an 1,152-square-foot terrace. The posh pad, now under construction, will occupy the 18th and 19th floors of the slender midrise condo building that has been rising on the north side of Bloor Street just west of Avenue Road. While I was watching workers assemble forms to prepare for a concrete pour on the penthouse levels this afternoon (from the street, unfortunately; I doubt they’d allow me onto the construction site), a line from the “Green Acres” TV show theme song kept repeating in my mind. I know that Eva Gabor was referring to New York City when she sang, “I just adore a penthouse view,” but I’m sure she would have enjoyed the skyline and scenery from the top of Museum House almost as much. Its expansive — and highly expensive — penthouse suite will overlook The Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor Street, as well as tree-shaded Philosopher’s Walk, the University of Toronto campus, Queen’s Park and the provincial Legislature buildings. Views extend to the Financial District and CN Tower in the south. But while its occupants will no doubt savour the panoramic sightlines from their glittering glass box in the sky, they might not get to enjoy it privately once the 32-storey Exhibit Residences condo tower is constructed next door. And I’m sure there will be plenty of curious people living at Exhibit who will enjoy their prime views into the Museum House penthouse just as much as the downtown skyline. Below are pics I snapped of Museum House this afternoon. Additional photos can be viewed on my January 9 2011 post about Museum House.
Museum House on Bloor condo construction viewed from the southwest corner of Avenue Road and Bloor Street on March 24 2011. At left is the Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal of the Royal Ontario Museum
The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal of the Royal Ontario Museum, left, the One Bedford condominium tower at Bloor Street and Bedford Road, center, and Museum House
Southwest view of Museum House from the Bloor Street sidewalk outside the Royal Conservatory of Music. When the Exhibit Residences condo tower is built, it will soar 32 storeys on the east (right) side of Museum House
Southwest view of Museum House from Bloor Street. I haven’t seen any renderings that show how the solid concrete west wall will be clad
The palatial two-storey penthouse is now being constructed atop the tower
Direct view of the Museum House building from the south side of Bloor Street
Upper levels of Museum House; all suites have spacious south-view terraces
Southeast view of the upper floors of Museum House
Upper east side luxury condos
Safety nets along the east side of the penthouse levels
A construction worker in a perilous position high above Bloor Street
Getting forms in place to prepare for more concrete pouring
Westerly view of Museum House from the sidewalk in front of the Royal Ontario Museum. The Exhibit Residences tower ultimately will rise where on the site of the two-storey commercial buildings next to Museum House.
Snow day: The calendar says it’s spring, but Toronto is getting another blast of winter with 5 cm. of snow falling throughout the day today. This photo, looking north from Queen Street on another snowy day earlier this winter, shows three major building sites on Bay Street. The orange construction crane is building the Sick Kids Research & Learning Tower at Elm Street; the crane in the middle of the photo is atop the Burano condo tower between Grenville and Grosvenor Streets; and the crane at the rear of the picture, on the east side of Bay, is atop the Four Seasons Toronto hotel and condo tower.
Snow motion: This photo was taken on the same day as the one above, a few blocks further north up Bay Street. It shows the Motion on Bay highrise apartment building construction site at left, along with the Sick Kids and Burano towers to the north.
Ice view: This was a view this afternoon of the Sick Kids Research and Learning Tower construction site from an ice-covered webcam high above the building.
Snowy Aura: Although it’s not on Bay Street itself, Aura condos is part of the College Park complex that occupies the entire eastern block of Bay between Gerrard and College Streets. This is a webcam view of the Aura condos construction site earlier this afternoon.
March 16 2011: Newly-installed windows are visible on the 5th floor
Glass going in: Window installation has commenced at The Florian highrise condo tower on Davenport Road in Yorkville. When I walked past the construction site the other day, I noticed a row of new windows on the south side of the fifth floor, along with frames for upcoming curtain wall installation on the tower’s southwest corner. Below are several pics I snapped of construction progress to date; there’s many more building photos in my February 12 post about The Florian.
March 16 2011: South-facing windows on The Florian’s fifth floor
Frames for the curtain wall to be installed on the tower’s southwest corner
The sharply pointed east corner of The Florian’s podium on Davenport Road
Lower levels of The Florian, viewed from the south side of Davenport Rd.
A long look up the south side of The Florian
Earth mover in the muck at the Milan condo tower excavation
Church Street view of the Milan condo excavation, looking northeast
Canadian Tire parking lot view of the Milan condo excavation, looking south
Messy mass of muck: At a property on the north end of Church Street, where the road makes a long sweeping curve to the northwest as it approaches Yonge Street, crews spent the entire winter digging out — literally. And they’re nowhere near finished yet. But it isn’t snow they’ve been shovelling; Toronto didn’t get much of the white stuff over the winter. Instead, the workers have been moving muddy brown earth by the truckload as they excavate the site where the Conservatory Group’s 37-storey Milan condominium tower will be built.
Designed by E.I. Richmond Architects Inc., the condo complex will occupy a wedge-shaped parcel of land bordered by the Canadian Tire store to the north and west, Church Street to the south, and the Yonge subway line to the east.
Below is a tower rendering from a billboard outside the Milan condo sales centre, along with another rendering — from the Milan website — suggesting how the condo’s podium rooftop terrace will look. There’s also a series of photos I’ve taken at the Milan site over the past three years, along with recent pics of some of Milan’s neighbours.
This rendering of the Milan condo tower appears on the exterior of the sales centre on Yonge Street. The condo tower will rise from a long podium that will stretch along the north side of Church Street.
Architectural rendering of Milan’s podium rooftop terrace
December 3 2008: Milan condo site viewed from Church Street looking north
December 3 2008: Milan billboard on the condo tower site
December 3 2008: Milan condo location viewed from Church Street looking north. A pay parking lot occupied the site until construction commenced
This notice, seen in September 2008, was posted next to the Milan site on Church Street for several years. If I recall correctly, stiff neighbourhood opposition to the two buildings originally proposed by a developer led city council to approve construction of only one taller tower instead
This sign also stood on Church Street next to the Milan site. My understanding is that, in the early 2000s, developers proposed building a complex of several condo towers and townhouses on the lands occupied by the big Canadian Tire store as well as on the parking area where Milan currently is under construction. However, Canadian Tire ultimately decided to retain and renovate its Yonge Street store instead, and sold off the parking lot property. Now only one tower is being built
December 3 2008: The Milan condo sales office in the two-storey building at left, and the Canadian Tire gas bar at the corner of Yonge & Church
December 3 2008: Milan will rise on the gas depot’s right side
July 25 2010: The parking lot has been closed and fenced off so the site can be prepared for excavation and construction of the condo tower
July 25 2010: Rubble remaining from structures demolished on the condo site. The Canadian Tire store and its parking lot are visible to the north
July 25 2010: Northeast view of demolition activity. A subway train can be seen passing the property (upper middle of the photo) along the Yonge subway line
November 1 2010: Preliminary site excavation work has begun
November 1 2010: Preliminary excavation work at the site’s northeast corner
November 1 2010: Pile driving and excavation equipment at work
November 1 2010: Eastward view toward the Milan site from a new parkette in front of the Lotus condo tower on Davenport Road at Yonge Street
January 9 2011: Eastward view of the Milan condo tower excavation
January 9 2011: Southeasterly view of the Milan condo excavation
January 9 2011: Snow-covered excavation at the west end of the site
March 16 2011: Excavation progress at the southeast corner of the site
March 16 2011: Excavation progress at the southeast corner of the site
March 16 2011: A sea of mud stretches all the way to the west end of the site next to the gas bar on Yonge Street, visible at the top left
March 16 2011: From Church Street, the Milan property slopes toward the TTC subway tracks and Aylmer Avenue in the Rosedale ravine
March 16 2011: The excavation is deepest on the north edge of the site
March 16 2011: The subway tracks run along on the other side of the wall
March 16 2011: Milan site looking northeast toward Rosedale
March 16 2011: Truck ramp from Church Street to the bottom of the pit
March 16 2011: Boots box in a muddy pit
March 16 2011: The ramp from the Church Street construction entrance
March 16 2011: Machines and equipment at the bottom of the ramp
March 16 2011: The deep pit below the Canadian Tire gas station
March 16 2011: The Milan excavation, looking south toward Church Street
March 16 2011: Foundation building machine at the bottom of the pit
March 16 2011: An earth mover in a muddy pool of water in the pit
March 16 2011: The entrance to the subway tunnel leading to the Bloor-Yonge subway station can be seen at the top left corner
March 16 2011: Canadian Tire view toward the Milan location
Milan’s neighbours to the south and east include several condo and apartment buildings, as well as The Bay and CIBC office towers at Yonge & Bloor (rear right)
March 16 2011: Canadian Tire southeast view of the Milan location
The Toronto Reference Library is situated directly across Church Street from Milan; the office towers at Bloor & Yonge are just a short walk south
March 16 2011: Davenport Road view toward the Milan site. The 37-storey condo tower will dominate this view once construction is complete
March 16 2011: One of Milan’s neighbours will be the MTV studios in the historic Masonic Temple building on the corner of Yonge Street and Davenport Road
Milan’s neighbours to the west are the two Four Seasons Toronto hotel and condo towers currently under construction (left), and the Lotus condos (right)
Now you see it … the Uptown tower sports a rooftop crane on March 1
Now you don’t … The Uptown on March 8 after its crane was removed. The crane boom poking out from behind the Casa condo tower (right) is building the new Four Seasons Toronto hotel & condo in Yorkville.
Condo craniotomy: The YWCA Elm Centre wasn’t the only major downtown construction project to lose its crane this week.
In my “Yorkville awaits the Uptown girl’s grand entrance” write-up a week ago, I posted photos of The Uptown Residences, and described how construction of the 48-storey Yorkville condo tower is winding down. I also mentioned that a small construction crane still had to be removed from the condo tower rooftop.
Well, it’s gone now — it was disassembled and removed from the building yesterday. And even though I had been expecting the crane to disappear at any time, I wasn’t quite ready to see The Uptown Residences sporting a naked roof. I had an unsettling feeling while snapping photos of the crane-less tower shortly before sunset yesterday, and I kept thinking something about the Yorkville skyline just didn’t look right.
From my balcony, I have watched cranes working on The Uptown’s roof since the late fall of 2009, and during some of those 18 months The Uptown’s crane stood higher than any other structure in the Yonge & Bloor area. It became such a familiar sight on the skyline, I was bound to miss its presence.
But there are two other cranes I can see soaring above Yorkville from time to time — those atop the Four Seasons Toronto towers currently under construction at the corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue. Unfortunately, they’re largely blocked from view by the 46-floor Casa Condominium tower, but I do get an occasional glimpse as their booms swing toward the office buildings at Yonge & Bloor.
Below is a series of pics showing the Uptown’s crane during various stages of the condo tower’s construction — since October 2009 when I was first able to see the crane from my balcony, until its last day on the job this week.
August 6 2008: The Uptown’s crane stands only two storeys above street level during construction of the luxury condo tower’s foundation.
October 25 2009: My first glimpse of The Uptown’s crane, as the tip of the boom pokes above a nearby apartment building. The crane at left is atop The Uptown’s next-door neighbour, the Crystal Blu condominium tower.
November 2 2009: The Uptown’s crane still has a ways to go to catch up to the height of Crystal Blu’s and ultimately reach above the nearby towers.
December 21 2009: The Casa condo tower crane has been removed, Crystal Blu condos is climbing higher, and The Uptown’s crane is more visible on the skyline.
January 21 2010: The cranes on Crystal Blu and The Uptown Residences appear synchronized, both pointing in the same direction at the same angle
February 1 2010: The Casa condo tower nears completion, but The Uptown Residences tower still hasn’t come into view.
March 15 2010: The crane cab’s tinted windows stand out against the cloudy sky
March 29 2010: Now that the Crystal Blu condos crane has been removed, the Uptown Residences crane is the tallest in the Yorkville area
March 31 2010: The white boom looks bright against the blue morning sky
April 4 2010: The crane’s boom glows orange in the sunrise at 6 a.m. Easter Sunday
April 6 2010: White crane against a deep blue sky shortly before 8 a.m.
April 8 2010: The crane’s striking silhouette during a gorgeous sunset
May 10 2010: Another sunset silhouette of the crane and Yorkville towers
June 20 2010: Uptown Residences construction crane at sunset
June 20 2010: With its crane, the Uptown is the tallest structure in Yorkville
June 20 2010: The crane and another spectacular sunset
July 1 2010: The crane and nearby towers during an awesome Canada Day sunset
July 9 2010: The Uptown and its crane get upstaged by a fiery sky at sunset
July 17 2010: The crane and yet another brilliant July sunset
July 20 2010: The crane points to clouds glowing in another wonderful sunset
August 17 2010: The Yorkville skyline and another dramatic Toronto sunset
September 8 2010: Thick, dark storm clouds approach the tower
September 10 2010: The crane points straight up on a partly cloudy summer day
October 29 2010: Stormclouds advancing toward Yorkville
October 29 2010: The tower’s top southeast corner cladding cannot be installed until the construction crane has been removed from the roof.
November 28 2010: A storm front pulls over Yorkville like a thick woolly blanket
December 7 2010: A small red temporary crane has been assembled on the roof of The Uptown Residences tower to begin removing the larger crane
December 8 2010: The two cranes tower above the Yorkville neighbourhood
December 11 2010: The red crane pulls the last segment of the big white crane through the top of the Uptown Residences roof
December 15 2010: The big white crane has been completely removed
December 15 2010: A gaping hole in the wall and roof marks the spot where the large white crane had been positioned
December 21 2010: South view of the temporary red crane atop the tower
January 2 2011: Patching up the gaps where the white crane used to sit
January 18 2011: The Uptown’s rooftop cladding is nearly all in place
February 23 2011: North side of Uptown Residences (right) viewed from the roof of a Yorkville Avenue parking garage
March 2 2011: The temporary crane just days before its removal from the roof
March 8 2011: Uptown Residences condo shortly after the crane was removed
The Uptown Residences condo tower on Balmuto Street February 23 2011
Deco darling: She’s waiting patiently for the installation of her main entrance, and the shiny black granite facade of her six-storey podium needs some polish and a few finishing touches. A small crane must be disassembled and removed from her rooftop, and concrete traffic barriers cleared off the street out front. But the belle of Balmuto Street looks like she will be ready for her big reveal to the Yorkville condo community very soon.
She is The Uptown Residences and, with her impressive 48-storey height and her elegant Art Deco-inspired design, she has already been cutting a distinctive silhouette on the city skyline for the past eight months. Now that her construction is winding down, I’m eager to see how she’ll look once she’s fully occupied and lit up at night. That shouldn’t be much longer.
Work has nearly finished on the exterior of the gracefully tapered tower, and tradespeople are inside, putting together the posh private residences and luxurious building amenities. From all accounts, the interiors will be opulent. But unless I win a lottery, or someone I know holds a lucky ticket, I’ll have to be content admiring this exclusive enclave from the outside.
However, I probably wouldn’t want to live there even if I could afford it. I like space and views, and The Uptown Residences is situated far too close, to my liking, to other condo and office towers.
The recently-constructed Crystal Blu condo building sits right next door to its south, with a service lane merely two vehicles wide separating the podiums of the two towers. The 51-storey Manulife Centre stands directly across the street to the west, the Yonge & Bloor office towers are one block to the northeast, and the 70-storey One Bloor condo tower will be built only one block away to the east.
But maybe it’s just me who doesn’t like living in such close quarters. Since almost all of The Uptown’s 300 suites have been sold (a few upper-level units are supposedly still available), there’s obviously plenty of people who don’t mind having company close by.
A project of The Pemberton Group, The Uptown Residences was designed by Toronto’s Burka Architects Inc.
Below are some of the photos I have taken of the tower during the past two and a half years of construction.
November 13 2007: The “Uptown girl” billboard on the building site
August 6 2008: Construction of the tower foundation is well underway
September 28 2008: A south view of the side-by-side foundations under construction for The Uptown Residences, left, and Crystal Blu
March 15 2010: The crane that built The Uptown Residences
July 20 2010: A sunset view of the crane atop The Uptown Residences
November 2 2010: CN Tower view of The Uptown Residences
December 5 2011: The Uptown Residences on the Yorkville skyline
January 24 2011: The Uptown and its shorter neighbour, Crystal Blu
January 24 2011: Southeast view of The Uptown’s upper floors
January 24 2011: The Uptown and some of its highrise neighbours
January 29 2011: West view of The Uptown and Crystal Blu
January 29 2011: From this unusual perspective on the west side of Bay Street, the Manulife Centre towers (left and right) appear to completely dwarf The Uptown Residences and Crystal Blu condo towers
January 29 2011: Balconies under construction on the tower’s west side where two external construction elevators had been installed
January 29 2011: Southwest view of The Uptown Residences
January 29 2011: North side of the tower viewed from Yorkville Avenue. Not quite sure why, but I find the tower’s north profile to be considerably less attractive than its east, south and west sides.
January 29 2011: Some of the west side balconies under construction
January 29 2011: The tower’s top floors catch some late afternoon sunshine
February 12 2011: Bloor Street view of the Uptown Residences podium
February 12 2011: Yonge Street view of Crystal Blu and The Uptown Residences
February 12 2011: Another Yonge Street view of the condo tower’s east side
February 15 2011: Sultan Street view of the condo tower’s west side
February 23 2011: Balmuto Street view of the granite-clad condo tower podium
Another view of the six-storey black and grey podium
February 23 2011: Facade still needs some finishing touches
The Manulife Centre building on Bloor Street reflects on the Uptown’s facade
February 23 2011: A construction worker literally at the end of his rope!
February 23 2011: Some gaps on the granite facade
February 23 2011: The Uptown Residences and Crystal Blu condo tower
February 28 2011: The podium viewed from the northwest side of Balmuto Street
March 2 2011: The crane atop the tower will be disassembled and removed soon.
March 2 2011: Construction workers building the main entrance on Balmuto St.
March 2 2011: I have read that the entrance will have a revolving door
March 2 2011: Another view of The Uptown Residences and Crystal Blu towers
West view down Charles Street from Church Street on February 23 2011. The Casa condo (rear left, 46 floors) and the Bloor Street Neighbourhood (BSN) condo (right, 32 storeys) soar high above all other buildings on the block.
A developer purportedly has plans to build a 64-storey condo tower on this location at 42 Charles Street East, currently a YMCA child care centre.
Too many towers? According to an old proverb, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. That’s supposed to describe the weather for a month that begins in the dead of winter but ends with the welcome arrival of spring. According to some Toronto real estate agents, however, there won’t be anything sheepish about this month at all. They’re fully expecting March to come in with a giant roar and keep on roaring — all the way through spring and for many months beyond. But the king of beasts whose arrival they are anxiously anticipating isn’t an animal, and doesn’t have anything to do with stormy weather. Instead, it’s a highrise building project for which the realtors are forecasting a fast and fierce storm of sales to condo-craving buyers eager to pounce on what’s being aggressively promoted as an incredible not-to-be-missed investment opportunity.
The project: a 64-storey condo tower that’s supposed to launch sometime early this month with spectacular gala preview sales events for VIP purchasers. The location: 42 Charles Street East, a property occupied by a nine-storey office building currently home to a YMCA child care (some years ago, it was more famous as the location of CTV headquarters and broadcasting facilities; back in the 1990s a developer — Harry Stinson, if I recall correctly — even proposed converting the building into condos, but that project never got off the ground). The developer: Cresford Developments, already a highly familiar presence on this block, having just recently built the Bloor Street Neighbourhood condo tower right next door at 38 Charles St. E. as well as the critically-acclaimed Casa Residenza Condominio tower across the street at 33 Charles East.
Interestingly, the city hasn’t approved a 64-storey tower for the site; in fact, as of this morning, the city’s development application and planning website didn’t even show any listings for 42 Charles East. But residents of Casa and Bloor Street Neighbourhood (BSN) have been buzzing about the condo tower project for weeks — especially BSN owners with east-facing suites who are pissed at the prospect of losing their views if a skyscraper gets built right next door. And dozens of “in the know” real estate agents have been hyping the project on their blogs and websites and even in videos posted on youtube.com, urging interested buyers to contact them ASAP for “exclusive” invitations to upcoming “preconstruction” VIP sales extravaganzas. Those agents have been quick to point out that units in Chaz on Charles, a 39-storey condo tower that’s going to be built directly across the road at 45 Charles East (currently the site of an eight-storey office building), have been selling briskly, and already earning impressive investment returns for their buyers. That’s great news for those agents and their lucky clients, of course. But is a 64-storey tower on the north side of the block, along with the new Chaz highrise on the south, going to be good for Charles Street, too? Will four towers crowded so close together in the middle of the block improve the immediate neighbourhood and nearby streets? Or could they encourage even more tower proposals for elsewhere on the block, ultimately creating a condo canyon on Charles?
I admit I’m not happy that Charles Street will be developed more densely. Although I’m not fond of BSN’s design, I’m glad it’s an L-shape that accommodates the charming Charles Court apartment building below it. On the other hand, I love Casa; it’s been one of my favourite downtown condo towers since it started construction in 2007 and then opened for occupancy last year. Its striking design is simple yet sophisticated, and I find it fascinating to watch how its streamlined windows and glass balconies change colour and texture under different sunlight and sunset conditions. But those two towers are enough for this block of Charles Street. Two more will be too many. Frankly, I’m not looking forward to seeing Chaz become Casa’s neighbour because I believe its close proximity will detract from Casa’s appearance, and I’m even more dismayed by the prospect of an even taller tower rising right behind them. Although the skyscraper cluster would undoubtedly create an impressive skyline, I fear a row of tall towers will spoil the streetscape and ruin what is presently a pleasant downtown residential street.
Since BSN and Casa were built, I’ve noticed a sharp increase in the volume of pedestrians and vehicles on the one-way road; the street feels particularly congested around the two condos because of the additional traffic from service, delivery, resident and visitor vehicles. Even the sidewalks feel too narrow. The tight feeling will only get worse once Chaz is built because its podium, regrettably, has been designed to “synch” with Casa’s, “adding significantly to the street wall,” to quote from the Chaz project website.
“Street wall?” Ugh. Sounds as bad as it will probably look and feel once it’s constructed. One of the redeeming features of the office building that Chaz will replace is its generous setback from the street; a taller new building with a podium closer to the sidewalk will likely make strolling down Charles Street as appealing as walking down Bay Street in the heart of the Financial District; in other words, not something you’d really want to do unless you had to do it. The skyscraper planned for 42 Charles will only make things worse. And if other developers jump on the “let’s build Charles Street” bandwagon, I think the low-rise apartment buildings and post office on the eastern half of the block will become targets for future highrise development. Last thing the neighbourhood needs is for Charles Street to become a busy, narrow and shadowy wind tunnel. Below are some of my photos of 42 Charles East and its neighbours which, I think, will help put the proposed developments and my comments about them in context. What do you think?
The Bloor-Yorkville skyline on April 4 2010. The Casa condo tower — still under construction, with the developer’s Cresford.com banner on its east penthouse level — already dominates the area. The BSN condo building stands at Casa’s right, blocking most views of The Bay office tower at Yonge & Bloor.
On this photo, shot today, I’ve marked my “guesstimate” of where Chaz and the 64-floor tower proposed for 42 Charles St. E. will stand on the skyline.
February 23 2011: This view from Charles Street West shows BSN and Casa towering above Charles Street just east of Yonge Street. The tower at center rear is the X Condo building at the northeast corner of Jarvis and Charles.
December 3 2010: Charles Street view of the south and west sides of BSN
November 1 2010: A west view of BSN and the YMCA building at 42 Charles Street East. If the rumoured 64-storey skyscraper goes up, it will soar high above BSN.
February 28 2011: Charles Court apartments and Bloor Street Neighbourhood
January 9 2011: BSN’s streetscape presence
February 12 2011: BSN and 42 Charles Street East
February 12 2011: 42 Charles Street East
December 3 2010: Looking up Casa’s sleek 46 storeys
December 21 2010: Southwest view of BSN and Casa
November 1 2010: BSN’s image reflects off Casa’s lobby facade
November 1 2010: Northwest view of Casa’s podium and the brick building that houses the Sanctuary Toronto ministry, to its immediate west
November 1 2010: Casa’s glass facade along Charles street, looking west
April 19 2010: A sidewalk-level perspective of Casa’s presence on Charles St.
November 1 2010: BSN reflects in Casa’s main entrance
October 3 2010: Casa’s facade reflects images of 42 Charles and BSN
August 29 2010: Another Casa reflection of 42 Charles and the BSN condos
February 28 2011: 42 Charles Street East
February 28 2011: Charles Street postal station next to 42 Charles St. E.
February 12 2011: Northwest view of the proposed condo tower site
February 23 2011: Hayden Street view of the rear of 42 Charles Street East and the east side of BSN. I don’t know if this parking area, used by the postal station next door, is part of the property on which the 64-storey tower may be built.
Another Hayden Street view of the rear of 42 Charles & BSN
February 23 2011: This brick house on Hayden Street sits in the northwest corner of the lot directly behind 42 Charles Street East and BSN.
January 10 2011: Hayden Street view of Casa, left, and BSN. Part of the building at 42 Charles is visible in the bottom left corner of the photo.
February 28 2011: The Chaz on Charles condo site at 45 Charles Street East
Another view of the Chaz site at 45 Charles Street East
January 29 2011: Isabella Street view of the Chaz condo site at 45 Charles St. E.
The 39-storey Chaz on Charles will tower above The Bromley apartment building on Isabella Street, seen here January 29 2011
February 28 2011: The Charlesview apartment building next door to the Chaz site
February 28 2011: An apartment building next door to the Charlesview
February 28 2011: The heritage houses at 62 and 64 Charles Street East
February 28 2011: The house at 66 Charles St. E., left, dates from the late 1880s
February 28 2011: The Manhattan apartments at the corner of Charles and Church
February 23 2011: Looking west on Charles Street from outside the Town Inn Suites at the southwest corner of Charles & Church
February 23 2011: This middle section of the block could become a virtual condo canyon once the Chaz on Charles condo highrise is constructed on the left, followed by another tower where the YMCA building sits on the right.
A 26-storey condo tower with three floors of restaurant & retail space might replace this drab office building at the corner of Bellair and Cumberland Streets.
Development proposal sign posted at 94 Cumberland Street
Arrivederci, Lettieri? Java junkies could lose one of their favourite Yorkville coffee shop hangouts if a developer gets the green light to redevelop a drab, non-descript office building at the northeast corner of Bellair and Cumberland Streets.
The Lettieri espresso bar and café at 94 Cumberland — directly across the street from Yorkville’s famous Sassafraz restaurant — is one of the most popular coffee joints in the neighbourhood, especially in summer when its sun-soaked corner patio is constantly packed with people-watching patrons. But the European-style café could disappear from that busy location if MintoUrban Development Services Inc. gets city approval to construct a condo tower in place of the 9-storey office building in which Lettieri is a ground-floor tenant.
MintoUrban wants to redevelop the site by constructing a mixed-use commercial and residential building that would stand 26 storeys tall. A 23-floor tower with 105 residential units (29 one-bedroom and 76 two-bedroom) would rise from a three-storey podium with restaurant and retail space; the podium roof would have space for an outdoor restaurant patio. There would be five levels of underground parking; access to the garage, service and loading docks would be from Genoa Street behind the building.
Site plans and drawings filed with the city planning department suggest that, unlike the boring, boxy office building it will replace, the condo tower’s design could include a curved wall above the Bellair-Cumberland corner. With an interesting design, along with three full floors for retail and restaurant space, the new building could enhance the corner considerably, and perhaps even help brighten the short block between Bellair and Bay Street which always looks and feels dark because it sits in the shade most of the day. So I’m not upset that 94 Cumberland could get a date with a wrecking ball in the future.
However, approval of the project isn’t in the cards just yet. Last month, the Toronto & East York Community Council requested that a consultation meeting be scheduled to gather community input about the proposal; there’s no word yet on when that meeting will take place, but it should be sometime soon.
Below are some pics of 94 Cumberland, along with a site plan drawing and south-view building elevation illustration that were presented in a city planning department report to the Community Council in January.
94 Cumberland viewed from the SW corner of Cumberland & Bellair
Bellair Street view of 94 Cumberland, looking east toward Bay Street
The popular Lettieri espresso bar and cafe at 94 Cumberland
The 100 Yorkville condo, left, and 94 Cumberland, right
West side of 94 Cumberland viewed from Bellair Street, looking SE
Bellair-Cumberland intersection viewed from the south at Bloor Street
Site plan illustration for the proposed residential tower
Illustration of the south elevation for the proposed building
Architectural building rendering from the 77 Charles West condo website …
..and a photo of construction progress on the first two floors February 15
Going Up: Passersby can finally see the Seventy Seven Charles West luxury condo building taking shape, now that construction is reaching above ground on the first two floors.
This is an interesting and unique project, and not just because its 77 Charles Street West address occupies an enviable prime location with the sprawling University of Toronto campus to its west and south, and the posh Yorkville neighbourhood to its north. Seventy Seven actually is two completely different buildings in one: a 13-storey condominium complex with very expensive large suites up top (prices start at a mere $1.2 million dollars), and Kintore College, a three-storey residence and educational facility for devout female Catholic university students down below, each with their own private entrance.
A project of Aspen Ridge Homes, the dual-purpose complex at 77 Charles West was designed by Yann Weymouth of international architecture firm HOK. You can read exactly how Weymouth has integrated two separate buildings into one mixed-use structure in this informative March 16 2007 column by John Bentley Mays of The Globe and Mail, so I won’t repeat those details here. Will Weymouth’s design vision for this unusual building combination succeed? We should be able to tell if he’s managed to pull it off once Seventy Seven’s glass curtain wall starts taking form, likely later this year.
But I’m more curious about something else: How do people who have bought suites at Seventy Seven feel about other new condos that will be built nearby?
Impressive views across the University of Toronto campus
The Seventy Seven Charles condo website touts all the wonderful sightlines that its residents will enjoy from their posh pads; in fact, you can click on a rendering of the building to see views in eight directions from several floor levels. Most impressive are the unobstructed west views overlooking the U of T campus, and the south views extending beyond the university all the way to the Financial District and the CN Tower. But the 45- and 50-storey towers of U Condos (currently in early stages of site excavation) at the corner of Bay and St. Mary Streets might block some southeast views, while The St. Thomas, a 23-storey luxury condo planned for the northwest corner of Charles and St. Thomas Streets, will block some sightlines to the northwest. Of course, One St. Thomas Residences, the stylish black and white 29-storey luxury condo tower designed by New York architect Robert A. M. Stern, already blocks views immediately to the north of Seventy Seven.
However, what’s probably peeving some purchasers is the prospect of a slightly taller building going up right next door, obscuring many views entirely. Loretto College, a six-storey women’s residence that is part of St. Michael’s College at U of T, sits on St. Mary Street about 50 or so feet south of the Seventy Seven construction site. Last year, the college filed an application with the city for zoning approval to redevelop its site into a new 19-storey mixed-use building with office space, 90 student residence rooms, and 87 condominium units. If that proposal gets the green light, the new Loretto College will stand three floors taller than Seventy Seven. [Editor’s Note: A revised development application was subsequently filed with the City, proposing a 40-storey institutional and residence building. The new complex would have a 2-storey podium and 38-storey tower, and would include 115 student dormitory units, a chapel, 8 1-bedroom apartment units for chapel members, and 220 apartment units. As of January 2013, the application had not gone before Toronto City Council for approval.]
I’d feel mighty miffed myself if I forked out a fortune expecting to see skylines, old university buildings and greenery from my new designer digs at Seventy Seven, only to get views into student dorm rooms and other condos close by instead. (Residents with southwest corner suites would still get a bit of a view — through the double-driveway-width space between Loretto College and U of T’s Rowell Jackman Hall to its west.)
But maybe Seventy Seven’s buyers won’t mind. They might be too busy exploring nearby museums and cultural institutions or passing their time shopping and dining. As the condo website proudly points out, “trendy Yorkville, with its cornucopia of galleries, fashion, glamour and cuisine, is just minutes from 77 Charles.” I suppose that, for some people, gazing at the U of T grounds from a luxury balcony just couldn’t compare to window shopping at Prada and Chanel or peering into the glass jewellery display cases at Cartier. Below are several more architectural renderings from the Seventy Seven Charles West website, along with some of my pics of construction progress and the building’s current and future neighbours, which I mentioned above. More photos can be viewed in the “Bloor-Yorkville condo projects” album on the Photo Sets page of the blog.
Rendering of curved upper floors and balconies at 77 Charles West
Rendering of glass walls and terraces at 77 Charles West
August 6 2008: 77 Charles sales centre and the old Kintore College building
November 22 2009: Clearing rubble from the site before excavation
November 22 2009: Clearing rubble from the site before excavation begins
November 22 2009: 77 Charles West site viewed from St. Thomas Street
Building illustration on the hoarding around 77 Charles West
November 22 2009: Construction site viewed from the east, on Charles Street. The building to the west of the site is U of T’s Rowell Jackman Hall.
November 11 2010: construction crane on 77 Charles West site
November 11 2010: Cement truck at the east end of the site
November 11 2010 view of construction activity from the east end of the site
December 3 2010: Building illustration on the hoarding along Charles Street
December 4 2010: foundation construction has reached ground level
December 4 2010: another view of foundation construction progress
December 4 2010: Construction viewed from west side of 77 Charles West site
December 4 2010: workers repairing the construction crane
Another building illustration on the hoarding along the Charles Street sidewalk
December 4 2010: Site viewed from the east on Charles Street
December 4 2010: Crane on the 77 Charles West site viewed from St Mary Street through the driveways between Rowell Jackman Hall, left, and Loretto College
January 9 2011: construction of first floor underway
January 9 2011: another view of first floor construction progress
January 29 2011: construction progress viewed from west end of the site
January 29 2011: another view of first floor construction progress
January 29 2011: first floor kept under wraps during the cold weather
January 29 2011: The driveway in the foreground leads into the underground parking garage of Rowell Jackman Hall next door to 77 Charles
January 29 2011: building progress viewed from Charles Street
January 29 2011: round support columns for first and second floors
January 29 2011: another view of construction progress above ground
February 12 2011: construction site viewed after a light snowfall
February 12 2011: construction progress viewed from east end of the site
February 12 2011: a little more progress on the second floor
February 12 2011: construction progress viewed from the east on Charles Street
February 15 2011: Construction activity viewed from Charles Street
February 15 2011: Building activity at the east end of the condo site
February 15 2011: Construction viewed from parking lot behind Loretto College
Another view of the construction from the parking area behind Loretto College
This pic shows just how close 77 Charles West sits to the rear of Loretto College
Loretto College on St. Mary Street, immediately to the south of 77 Charles West
Loretto College site redevelopment proposal sign on St. Mary Street
Loretto College viewed from St Mary Street on December 4 2010
Rowell Jackman Hall is 77 Charles’s next-door neighbour to the west
77 Charles’s easterly neighbours are two semidetached brick houses built in 1885. They are the Charles Bird House at 63 Charles, left, and the John Briggs House at Number 65. To their left are the Bay Charles apartment towers.
The St Thomas condo highrise site and sales office on the northwest corner of Charles and St Thomas Streets, right across the road from 77 Charles West
October 3 2010 view from St Thomas Street of 77 Charles West, left, and the site for The St Thomas luxury highrise condo building now on sale
Another December 4 2010 view of The St Thomas condo site directly across the street from the 77 Charles West condo location
The One St Thomas condo highrise on Charles Street across from 77 Charles West
February 15 2011: View of 77 and its neighbours on Charles Street West. The cement truck is at 77 Charles, while One St. Thomas is the building at right. The sales office for The St Thomas condos is visible on the next block.
The Florian’s long sweeping podium hugs the curve on Davenport Road
Ship shape: When I view The Florian from certain angles, I sometimes feel like I’m looking up at the prow of a tall, grand Cunard ocean liner, like the Queen Mary 2.
That’s the visual impact, on me, of the long, curved podium that draws to a sharp point at the east and west ends of the 25-storey luxury condominium complex currently under construction on Davenport Road, at the northern tip of Bay Street. It won’t be crossing any oceans, but from its berth along the big bend on busy Davenport Road, The Florian will overlook a steady stream of traffic flowing past. Away from the street, The Florian’s crescent-shaped site will be a sea of tranquillity, with lush secluded gardens and landscaped rooftop terraces.
And like a Cunard liner, The Florian will exude class and sophistication: though it’s more than 80% sold, suites are still available at prices ranging from $1 million to more than $3 million.
A project by Diamante Development Corporation, The Florian was designed in a joint venture by Toronto architects Young + Wright / IBI Group Architects and David Pontarini of Hariri Pontarini Architects.
Below is a rendering of the condo entrance, from The Florian website, along with a series of photos I shot recently. More renderings can be viewed at this link on the Hariri Pontarini website.
The podium’s west tip reminds me of a ship’s prow
The Florian condo tower viewed from the northwest tip of Bay Street
Upper floor construction at The Florian on January 29 2011
Safety netting and construction forms protrude from the upper floors
Billboard outside The Florian condo presentation centre
The Florian condo presentation centre on Davenport Road
Looking up at The Florian tower from south side of Davenport Road
South side of The Florian condo tower faces Bay Street
The Florian’s lower levels along Davenport Road
Graceful sweeping curve of the podium on Davenport Road
Looking up the southwest corner of The Florian tower
Brickwork on The Florian facade above Davenport Road
Another view of the west point of The Florian podium
Balconies on The Florian’s southeast corner
Columns at street level on The Florian’s long curved podium
The Florian and the new Four Seasons towers viewed from Davenport Road
Another view of The Florian and Four Seasons Toronto towers
Gracefully curved balconies on The Florian condo south side
The Florian condo podium bends with the curve of Davenport Road
Main entrance to The Florian will be under this point on the east side
Website artistic rendering of The Florian condo entrance
The Florian condo tower viewed from the east on Davenport Road
Davenport Road (near Bay Street) view of new towers being built in Yorkville
Growing up: Construction activity is apparent in practically every corner of downtown, and the Yorkville neighbourhood is no exception.
Pedestrians and drivers approaching Bay Street along Davenport Road are greeted by this view of three highrise towers currently under construction: The Florian condo building (left) and the two towers of the new Four Seasons Toronto Hotel and Private Residences.
Meanwhile, just beyond the bend in the road, east of Bay, there’s more construction in progress. Excavation is underway for the Milan condominium tower on Church near Yonge, while in a few years’ time there could be as many as three towers rising right behind The Florian on McMurrich Street.
Architectural rendering of 2-storey sky lounge at Chaz on Charles condos
Watch me watch you: It’s been about five years since a developer announced plans to build a residential tower on the site of a Brutalist-style office building at 45 Charles Street East. Since then, I’ve been waiting patiently to see what the highrise that will replace it will look like. My wait is over.
Designed by Sol Wassermuhl of Toronto’s Page + Steele IBI Group Architects, Chaz on Charles will be 39-storey condo tower featuring a five-storey limestone-clad podium topped by a sleek glass tower with recessed balconies. To fit nicely on the current streetscape, the podium will be “synched” with that of the 46-storey Casa condo tower right next door (to its west).
Chaz will be so packed with appealing amenities, its residents probably won’t want to spend much time in their own units. Heck, they won’t need to. According to the Chaz on Charles website, the main floor will boast not one but two lobbies “literally brimming with activity.” One will be “a living room-style lobby lounge,” while the other will offer “a series of smaller spaces” that include a living room, wet bar, dining room with full catering kitchen, and a billiards room — all of which will open onto an outdoor landscaped terrace.
Chaz will have top of the line fitness and recreation facilities, of course, along with not one but two theatres (a movie screening room and sports viewing room), meeting room facilities, guest suites for overnight visitors, and a pet spa. Yes, no longer will you have to endure the embarrassment and humiliation of leading your muddy, smelly mutt through the lush lobby and elevators anymore, since there will be a special wash and blowdry room where you can give Fido a quick freshening-up after a walk in the grimy neighbourhood streets.
But wait, there’s more! What’s really going to put Chaz on the map — and instantly make it a midtown “landmark” (according to the website’s copywriters) — is the signature architectural detail that will appear three-quarters of the way up the south side of the tower. I’ll let the people at Chaz describe it in their own words: “Jutting out from the 31st and 32nd levels on the south side of the building is a two-storey cantilevered box, framed in white concrete and illuminated at night. This is the Chaz Club, a lounge and dining space for the building’s residents, and it is a dazzling architectural gesture. From miles around, Torontonians will look up to see residents of Chaz, and their guests, enjoying cocktails on the club’s spacious terrace or relaxing inside this glass box in the sky.”
Yes, without a doubt, jealous people throughout downtown Toronto and from points miles afar will spend their evenings staring at the lucky, privileged few who will get to call Chaz home. If they can even see them, that is. With all the other highrises and towers planned for the immediate vicinity, views of the Chaz Club will likely be blocked from most sightlines. But not from mine! So in just a few years’ time, I’ll be able to sit back, relax and enjoy a nice glass of wine on my balcony while watching Chaz residents looking back at me while they sip cocktails in their chic, comfy glass box in the sky. Some things are worth waiting for, n’est-ce pas?
Below are some photos I’ve taken of the Chaz location during the past four years.
Chaz on Charles development zoning sign outside 45 Charles St. E. in late 2007; the city subsequently approved a tower with six more floors.
This office building at 45 Charles East will be demolished to make way for the Chaz condo tower
Chaz condo sales office on August 29 2010
Chaz condo sales office on August 29 2010
Chaz condo sales office on August 29 2010
45 Charles St. E. and the Casa condominium tower next door
45 Charles St. E. and the Casa condominium tower next door
Chaz on Charles will tower above The Bromley apartment building to its south on Isabella Street, seen here on January 29 2011
Isabella Street view of Chaz on Charles condo site on January 29 2011
Another Isabella Street view of the site where Chaz on Charles will rise