Tag Archives: BBB Architects

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

Picasso on Richmond condos

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

 

Studio on Richmond condos

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

 

The Yorkville condos

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

 

X2 Condos

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

 

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

 

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Shoring work for The Mercer adds to daily din of Entertainment District condo construction

The Mercer condo

October 1 2012: A construction worker walks past foundation drilling machines on The Mercer condo tower site. Click on the photo to view a larger image.

 

The Mercer condo

October 1 2012: Tall shoring machines on The Mercer condominium tower site. This view is from John Street, looking west. Click on the photo to view a larger-size image.

 

The Mercer condo

A John Street view of the full corner site, looking northwest …

 

The Mercer condo

… a Mercer Street view of the shoring work, also looking northwest …

 

The Mercer condo

… and another Mercer street view, this time looking northeast

 

CN Tower view of The Mercer condo location

September 25 2012: The white circle indicates the The Mercer’s approximate location in this CN Tower view of the Entertainment District. Six more condo towers have been proposed just for the one block area to The Mercer’s west, while double that number are either already under construction or have been proposed for its immediate vicinity.

 

 

Shoring the site: The area is formally known as the Entertainment District, but as intensification of the bustling west downtown neighbourhood continues its breakneck pace, Torontonians might soon start calling it the Condominium Construction District. It seems residents and tourists can’t stroll more than a block without encountering drilling, dust, dump trucks and the constant cacophony of construction work — or development proposal signs heralding more highrises still to come.

The Mercer, a 33-storey tower set to rise on the northwest corner of John and Mercer Streets, is the latest condominium project adding to the incessant daytime din of building activity that permeates the neighbourhood.

 

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Backed by TV and radio ads, The Mercer is latest condo project to launch in Entertainment District

The Mercer

Architectural rendering of The Mercer tower, from the condo website


Ad vantage?: For months, I have seen ads for The Mercer practically every other time I’ve passed a TV tuned to the CP24 news and informational channel. I’ve heard spots for The Mercer almost every time I’ve turned on the radio, too. The ads always catch my attention, and it’s not just because they feature three long-legged female models imitating the Beatles crossing Abbey Road while a singer croons “Mercer Mercer Me” in a retooled version of the Marvin Gaye hit record. They stand out because I never see or hear TV and radio ads for any other condo projects. I find plenty of condo ads in local newspapers and magazines, of course, and receive condo brochures and postcards in the mail regularly, but I can’t think of a single other downtown building project that has advertised so heavily on radio and TV.  (If there have been others, I’ve missed them.)

With The Mercer holding its grand opening tomorrow morning, I’ll be keen to see if the ads draw lineups of eager buyers outside their sales office at the corner of John & Mercer Streets. One of many condo projects either recently launched or being proposed for the rapidly-growing Entertainment District, The Mercer will be a 33-storey condo tower (down from the 38 floors originally planned) with 299 units, street-level retail, and four underground parking levels.

The building will rise on a site currently occupied by two parking lots and a small four-storey brown brick office building on Mercer Street, and will become a new neighbour to the trendy Le Germain boutique hotel.

The Mercer is designed by architect Brian Brisbin of Toronto’s BBB Architects. Full project details are available on The Mercer’s website.

Below are some recent photos of the condo project’s location, along with a website rendering of the building’s frontage on Mercer Street.

The Mercer Condos

The Mercer Condos location at Mercer and John Streets January 14 2011


The Mercer Condos

The Mercer Condo tower will rise on this site along Mercer Street


The Mercer Condos

Original development application sign for The Mercer Condos


The Mercer Condos

The Mercer Condos will rise above this parking lot on Mercer Street


The Mercer Condos

Rendering of The Mercer Condos frontage on Mercer Street