April 17 2013: With the concrete frame for its podium in place, construction of the Theatre Park condo tower is set to rise above the neighbouring heritage buildings on King Street West, including the Royal Alexandra Theatre at 260 King West, left, and the Nicholls Building at 220 King West, right
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
January 10 2013: Charlie Condos (second tower from left) stands proudly on the Entertainment District skyline. Its nearby highrise condo neighbours include M5V Condos (with the bold red mechanical room box on its west side), Cinema Tower (with the construction crane) and Festival Tower (right).
February 9 201: Looking up at the 36-storey Charlie tower from King Street
Final few with a superb view: Looking for a brand-new condo with plenty of space and spectacular views — plus an immediate closing? If you’ve got $1 million or more to spend, a spacious upper-level suite at Charlie Condos could be yours today.
Four years ago, a parking lot occupied the northwest corner of King & Charlotte Streets in the Entertainment District. Today, Charlie towers 36 storeys on the site, with owners of its 314 suites gradually taking occupancy of their units as construction draws to a close.
But anyone who missed out on purchasing a suite either before or during construction still has an “exceptional opportunity” to buy a signature suite on one of Charlie’s top floors.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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.
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.
A John Street view of the full corner site, looking northwest …
… a Mercer Street view of the shoring work, also looking northwest …
… and another Mercer street view, this time looking northeast
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.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
February 20 2012: The east side of Charlie Condos soars above the Mountain Equipment Co-Op on King Street, just west of Peter Street/Blue Jays Way
January 31 2012 : Charlie Condos, far left, makes its mark on the city skyline, in this view from the Bathurst Street bridge
Nearly there: Construction crews are close to topping off work on the latest condo tower to rise on the Entertainment District skyline. When I passed by Charlie Condos on King Street West earlier this week, workers were busy building the 35th level of what will end up as a 36-storey highrise. They also were continuing to make progress with exterior cladding installation, having reached as high as the 28th floor.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
January 30 2012: Three weeks ago, crews were getting set to demolish two low-rise buildings on the northeast corner of Adelaide and Peter Streets …
... and by yesterday, a few piles of broken bricks and rubble were all that remained of the two nightclubs that formerly occupied the site
February 20 2012: Southeasterly view of the site from Peter Street
February 20 2012: A heap of bricks and broken concrete blocks on the site of what was once the popular Adelaide Street Pub
February 20 2012: Looking toward Peter Street from the southeast corner of the property. The Roosevelt Room Supper Club once occupied the 2-storey Art Deco-styled warehouse building that used to stand on this site.
Pub & club get clobbered: Over the years, countless funseekers got smashed during booze-soaked blurs of drinking, dancing and debauchery in the pub and nightclub that occupied two adjacent buildings at the northeast corner of Adelaide and Peter Street in the Entertainment District. This month, it was the buildings’ turn to get wrecked.
In January, I noticed signs for Delsan Demolition Services posted on the buildings at 328 – 340 Adelaide Street West, formerly home to the Adelaide Street Pub and the Roosevelt Room Supper Club. Two men wearing hardhats were taking notes as they wandered around the property, no doubt planning how to demolish the two low-rise structures so construction can start on the 40-storey condo tower that will take their place.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
March 29 2011: Excavation machines and equipment inside the deep pit at the Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower construction site
From the Tridel website, an artistic illustration of a southeast night view of the Three Hundred Front Street West condo building
Deep dig: An already huge hole in the ground is getting even bigger at the northwest corner of Front and John Streets, where Toronto developer Tridel is building its latest luxury condominium tower on the site of a former parking lot. Designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects, the L-shaped Three Hundred Front Street West will actually be two buildings in one. A 49-storey tower offering a variety of 1- and 2-bedroom condo suites plus spacious penthouse residences will rise from the west side of the property, while a connected 15-storey loft building will stand to the north. A grand two-storey lobby entrance will overlook a large landscaped garden gracing the southeast corner of Front & John.
Design-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will bring a bit of Big Apple appeal to downtown Toronto. “I was inspired by the classic skyscrapers of the modern era to create a structure that is timeless and elegant,” Wallman explains in a video presentation on the Tridel website. Three Hundred Front Street West, he adds, will be “a unique and elegant addition” to the neighbourhood, complementing the new Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel and condo tower one block to the east, as well as the new Festival Tower and TIFF Bell Lightbox buildings two blocks north at John and King. Interior designer Alex Chapman of Chapman Design Group says Wallman has conceived a “Manhattan-style” tower that is “totally reminiscent of many of the famous complexes” in New York City. Unfortunately, I haven’t been to Manhattan yet, so I can’t draw any comparisons myself. But I do think that, with its soaring height and its striking silver and charcoal grey glass exterior, Three Hundred Front Street West will become a landmark commanding attention both in its immediate area and on the city skyline. The neighbourhood is dominated by office and condo towers with similar green glass exteriors, so Three Hundred Front Street West’s unique silver and grey tower accents should provide a refreshing visual break from the rest as well as an attractive addition to the skyline.
Amenities-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will be a contemporary condo offering the look and feel of an exclusive, upscale boutique hotel. The airy two-storey lobby off Front Street will be “a sophisticated urban arrival space” with a lounge atmosphere, Chapman says, while a 13,500-square-foot recreational center on the 15th floor will feature a “professional-level” exercise area. The rooftop of the loft wing will look like a chic “urban resort” with its infinity pool, sundecks, Roman fountain and barbecue. Interior recreational amenities will include a party room with south views, a private dining room with a catering-size kitchen and its own “cocktail balcony,” a poker room, billiards room and lounge. I’m jealous; with the exception of a ground-level swimming pool, all of the amenity areas in the downtown condo where I live are windowless basement spaces with all the sophistication of a recreation room from a 1970s-era suburban house.
Overall, I think Three Hundred Front Street West will significantly enhance the streetscape in one of the city’s most popular tourist areas, particularly since it will block many sightlines of the Windsor hydroelectric station on Wellington Street. And with plans in the works for John Street to get a major makeover in the next several years, Three Hundred Front Street West’s main entrance park will become a classy southern gateway to the Entertainment District’s main north-south street. The only downside to the development, that I can see, is the block full of ugly power transformers on its north flank. But since Wallman’s design means all of the loft suites face south, their residents will still enjoy good views and won’t get stuck overlooking electrical equipment.
Below are photos I’ve taken of recent construction activity at Three Hundred Front Street West, along with several artistic illustrations provided by Tridel that suggest how the tower, its street-level exterior, and its landscaped park will appear. Additional artistic illustrations of the building exterior, lobby and amenities, as well as floor plans and brief video presentations by Rudy Wallman and Alex Chapman, are available on the Three Hundred Front Street West website.
November 28 2010: Signage on hoarding around the construction site
November 23 2010: North-facing view of the 300 Front West site
November 23 2010: A tall shoring machine at work on the condo excavation site
November 23 2010: Northeast view of the condo construction site. The building with the red window frames is the CBC broadcasting headquarters on the southeast corner of Front & John Streets.
November 23 2011: Northeast view across the 300 Front Street West condo site
January 14 2011: The ramp leading from Front Street into the excavation
January 14 2011: Some of the hydroelectrical equipment at the Windsor Station on the north side of the 300 Front Street West site. Thankfully, the condo will block views of the hydro station from most parts of Front and John Streets.
February 18 2011: A view of the crane recently installed on the site
March 29 2011: Excavation machines inside the pit at 300 Front West
March 29 2011: Looking toward the northeast corner of the excavation
March 29 2011: Excavation machines at the bottom of the deep pit
March 29 2011: The supporting wall on the north side of the excavation
March 29 2011: Excavation activity at the eastern half of the site
March 29 2011: Considerable excavation work remains on the west side of the site
March 29 2011: Looking toward Front Street from the site’s NE corner
March 29 2011: Slick white hoarding protects pedestrians on Front Street
From the condo website, an illustration of the landscaped SE corner park
Website illustration of the lobby exterior, viewed from the condo park
Website illustration of the Three Hundred Front West lobby exterior
Website illustration of the Three Hundred Front Street West lobby interior
Another illustration of the Three Hundred Front Street West lobby interior
A rendering, from the King Charlotte condo project website, of the 32-storey tower proposed for Charlotte Street in the Entertainment District.
Another jewel in Clewes’ crown: It’s only two blocks long, but Charlotte Street has been getting more than its share of attention from architects and condo developers. The little north-south street, which links Adelaide and King Street in the Entertainment District, already boasts two condo buildings — Glas Condominiums and The Charlotte — and is getting a third, with Charlie Condos currently under construction. The sales centre for a fourth — Langston Hall — has been open several years; however, that development seems to have stalled, with no signs that construction might start anytime soon. Now, Lamb Development Corp. and Niche Development have proposed a fifth condo project for the street — King Charlotte.
Designed by Peter Clewes of Toronto’s architectsAlliance, King Charlotte would rise at 11 Charlotte Street, a three-storey brick warehouse building that has been converted into offices. A 32-storey point tower (including six-storey podium) soaring 114 metres high, King Charlotte would offer 232 residential units in 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom configurations, plus four levels of underground parking. Part of the ground-floor level would be used for “community space.” A 33rd floor rooftop terrace will be an “entertainment oasis” with an outdoor pool and all-day sun “that will blow your mind,” Lamb Development CEO Brad Lamb promises. The tower design is basically a series of different-sized boxes stacked playfully atop each other. “The retail box protrudes from the podium box, the tower box appears to teeter and overhang the podium box, and the oversized rooftop amenity box actually does overhang the tower box,” Lamb explains on the King Charlotte website.
Full details of the proposed project are provided in a February 28 2011 city planning department preliminary report which recommended a community consultation meeting be held to gather local input. That recommendation was approved in a March 22 2011 motion by the Toronto and East York Community Council; that public meeting should take place sometime later this spring. (Local councillor Adam Vaughan has already held one constituency meeting, in January, to discuss the project with area residents.) If approved by the City (which appears highly likely), King Charlotte would match Charlie Condos in floor count (32) and tower above the street’s existing condo buildings: Glas, a 16-storey midrise at 25 Oxley Street on the southwest corner of Oxley and Charlotte, and The Charlotte, a 14-storey condo completed in 2002 on the northwest corner of Oxley and Charlotte. (If Langston Hall ever proceeds, it will have 12 storeys plus a penthouse.)
Meanwhile, the King Charlotte website has been launched, signs advertising the project have been affixed to the exterior of 11 Charlotte, and a marketing sales campaign is in full swing. A “coming soon to King & Spadina” King Charlotte Condos flyer I received in the mail this week says prices start at $241,900 for a 1-bedroom unit, $327,900 for a 1-bedroom with den, $435,900 for a 2-bedroom, and $558,900 for a 3-bedroom suite.
Looks to me like Lamb and Clewes have another winner on their hands. Charlotte Street is an in-demand area for condo buyers (a friend of mine sold his condo on the street in mere days, for a hefty profit), and I’m sure this project will be another Entertainment District sales success. Below are photos, taken at various times over the past three years, of the King Charlotte site and its neighbours.
King Charlotte Condos development proposal sign
King Charlotte Condos website rendering of the outdoor swimming pool and terrace on the tower’s 33rd floor amenities area
November 29 2010: A view of 11 Charlotte Street; the CN Tower and the new condo M5V condo tower stand in the background. The King Charlotte building would, of course, block this Charlotte Street view of the CN Tower.
March 29 2011: A view of 11 Charlotte from the west side of the street
March 29 2011: The Mountain Equipment Co-Op store on King Street West will be King Charlotte’s next-door neighbour to the south.
March 29 2011: King Street view of the 11 Charlotte Street condo development site; the Mountain Equipment Co-Op store on King is the brick building at right.
March 11 2010: King Street West view toward Charlotte Street. The King Charlotte condo site is the white building with the turquoise sign on its roof (in the middle of the photo). The construction crane is building Charlie Condos at the corner of Charlotte and King; the Glas condominium midrise stands to its immediate north.
November 23 2010: Charlie Condos construction site and Glas Condos
March 29 2011: The Charlie Condos construction site, left, Glas condos, center, and The Charlotte condos on the west side of Charlotte Street north of King.
March 29 2011: Looking north on Charlotte Street toward Adelaide Street from outside the King Charlotte condo development site (right).
September 26 2008: The Langston Hall condo sales centre at the northwest corner of Charlotte Street and Adelaide Street West
September 26 2008: Adelaide Street West view down Charlotte Street towards the Langston Hall condo sales centre, The Charlotte Condos, and Glas Condos.
March 29 2011: The Capitol Building at 366 Adelaide Street West (also known as the Hobberlin Building, from 1920) faces directly down Charlotte Street.
March 29 2011: Adelaide Street view of the east side of Charlotte Street. The 8-storey brick building at left is the MacLean Building at 345 Adelaide Street West, a city-listed heritage property dating from 1914.
March 29 2011: This 4-storey brick warehouse building sits at 19 Charlotte, next to the King Charlotte site. It’s home to a billiard hall, restaurant and offices.
March 29 2011: 19 and 11 Charlotte Street, viewed from across the road
March 29 2011: Front view of the King Charlotte development site
March 29 2011: South side of the King Charlotte development site. A laneway runs between the building and the Mountain Equipment Co-Op store to the south.
With construction up to its second level, Charlie Condos on King West is no longer hidden from view by the hoarding around the building site.
Name blame: When I was snapping some pics of construction progress at Charlie Condos on King Street West a few weeks ago, a bicycle courier rushed toward me, a furious look on his face. I thought he was angry at me, perhaps thinking I’d been taking his photo (I wasn’t; he was standing far off to the side of the construction gate I was photographing at the time). Turned out he was actually pissed at Charlie’s developer, Great Gulf Homes, and its builder, Tucker HiRise Construction, instead.
Jabbing his index finger toward signs on the construction site hoarding, the courier yelled: “These guys should get their asses sued off for copyright infringement!” Totally surprised and confused, I asked, “What guys? Why?” Face turning beet red, he bellowed: “Tucker HiRise! They have no right to use Chris Tucker’s name for their company! And they have no right to use Charlie Sheen’s name for their condo, either! I happen to know a thing or two about copyright law, and I know for a fact that Charlie and Chris could take these guys to the cleaners for trying to make money off their name!”
He proceeded to explain that the developer and builder were running afoul of civil law because, in his expert legal opinion, they were misleading people into purchasing condominiums in the belief the two Hollywood actors were somehow connected to the building. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing; this fellow was dead serious, yet he knew absolutely diddly-squat about trademark law.
Just as quickly as he had come running towards me, he flew into another tirade, this time raging about the fact Charlie is being built on a site that used to be a parking lot. “Where are all the cars supposed to park now?” he shrieked. “I guess they’ll have to buy a condo if they want to park here,” I replied. “That’s exactly what those bastards want!” he exclaimed, once again gesturing toward the hoarding signs before quickly stomping away.
Below are some pics I took of Charlie after receiving my Trademark Law 101 lecture on the street corner.
To view pics of the parking lot that once occupied the site, as well as building renderings and photos of the early stages of Charlie’s construction, check out my first Charlie progress post on January 31.
Construction forms rise above the hoarding on February 17 2011
A construction worker atop one of the ground-level wall forms
Arranging the rebar rods before concrete is poured in the form
Charlotte Street view of the construction on February 17 2011
Charlie Condos construction viewed from a laneway to the north
Laneway view of Charlie Condos construction, looking to the southeast
M5V Condos on King is the tower with the bold red stripe behind Charlie
This way to the next level of construction
The crane lifts a bucket of concrete into place for pouring
A 40-storey condo tower will replace the two-storey warehouse-style nightclub, pub and office buildings that occupy this corner location
Sayonara, supper club: An Entertainment District corner perhaps best known as the location of the upscale Roosevelt Room Supper Club could be the site of a 40-storey condo tower in several years.
The northeast corner of Peter and Adelaide Streets presently is home to the Adelaide Street pub, at 340 Adelaide Street West. The Roosevelt Room is right next door, occupying the main floor of the two-storey Art Deco-style warehouse building at 328 – 338 Adelaide Street West. Upstairs is the Launch Pad “workspace hub” of office rental space. But the street-level pubbing and high-end dining will have to give way to high-up condo wining and dining instead.
A developer has plans to redevelop the site into a mixed-use building with an 11-storey podium topped with a 29-storey tower. The ground floor would be retail space, while the second and third floor would be offices. The rest of the tower would be condo, with 330 residential units. According to the ONE Development website, the tower “will include many innovative ‘green’ design features, targeting a LEED Gold rating. At-grade retail will reinforce the street front; office uses will complement the neighbourhood’s converted ‘brick and beam’ warehouses; and a slim residential tower will rise above a mid-level landscaped roof garden to provide light-filled open units with stunning city views.”
Although work on the building design continues, ONE Development says “[m]odern open space with high ceilings, generous natural daylight and high quality finishes will distinguish the building.”
The project application was originally filed with the city last August; full details were outlined in a November 4, 2010 preliminary report from the city planning department to Toronto and East York Community Council. The condo tower plan got positive feedback during community consultation meetings held last July and in January. When the Community Council failed to deal with the application within the required four-month period (things were delayed because of summer break and the municipal election that followed), the developer appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board.
But at its February 8 meeting, Toronto City Council adopted a motion supporting the project application, based on a settlement proposal that had been reached with the developer. Under that agreement, the developer will pay the city $1.5 million to be used for various public benefits, including improvements to John Street, parks and public housing, along with 500 square feet of “community space” in the new tower for the Toronto Arts Council. In addition, the developer has agreed to design at least 10% of the units in the condo building as three-bedroom suites.
Below are some photos I’ve taken of the tower location, along with elevation and site plan drawings that appeared in the planning department reports. The ONE Development website says “construction is slated to begin in 2014.”
The Adelaide Street pub seen on January 14 2011
Condo development proposal sign on the wall of the Adelaide Street Pub
South view from Peter Street of the proposed condo tower location
Southeast view from Peter Street of the proposed condo tower location
East view of The Adelaide Street pub building at 340 Adelaide Street West
Condo site viewed from the south side of Adelaide Street West
Northwest view of the Roosevelt Room and Launch Pad office location
A laneway called Drummond Place runs to the east and north of the condo site
South and west elevation drawings for the proposed condo tower
Site plan drawing for the proposed condo tower
Tower rendering from the Theatre Park condo project website
Planning drama: I suppose it was only fitting that high drama ensued when an application to built a condo tower next to the Royal Alexandra Theatre was filed with city hall back in early 2009. Especially since the rapid pace of condo development in Toronto’s popular Theatre/Entertainment District has become a hot-button topic with area businesses, residents and City Hall.
It just wouldn’t have seemed right if the city had simply told Lamb Development Corp. and its partner Niche Development to go ahead and “break a leg” with its plans to build a striking 45-storey point tower at 224 King Street West, a site which has been occupied by a parking lot for the past 40 years. Just as one might have expected, though, city planners balked at the Theatre Park proposal. They were concerned that the building would be far too tall for the neighbourhood, and they feared that approving the project could set a dangerous precedent that ultimately could encourage other developers to demolish historical low-rise buildings in the area and construct towers in their place.
It didn’t seem to matter that a handful of highrise buildings already were under construction within a two-block radius, including the 53-storey Ritz-Carlton and 65-storey Living Shangri-La hotel/condo towers, and the Boutique and Festival Tower condos (35 and 41 storeys tall, respectively).
When the city rejected the application, the developers decided to challenge the decision at the Ontario Municipal Board. However, the parties reached a settlement allowing construction of a tower that would be slightly shorter, but would have 47 floors instead of 45.
Background about the planning and political drama behind the project, as well as some details about the proposed tower, were outlined in a November 11 2010 story in the National Post. Less than two weeks later, the Theatre Park project received rather robust attention during an advance sales event for VIP agents and brokers.
The building design, by Toronto’s architectsAlliance, is destined to get plenty of attention, too, though it remains to be seen if it will receive rave reviews from the critics once it is finally constructed. The Theatre Park website heralds the tower design as “audacious” and “iconic,” and I think those descriptions are apt. The slender tower will have a dramatic, bold presence on the Entertainment District skyline, while its open street-level plaza next to the Royal Alex should enhance the King West streetscape (particularly since the sidewalk along the north side of King always feels too narrow, and gets claustrophobically crowded both before and after performances at the Royal Alex and the Princess of Wales Theatre a few doors west).
Below are several architectural renderings that appear on the Theatre Park website, along with some photos I snapped recently of the condo project site and its famous next-door neighbour. The website has additional renderings, floorplans, and a four-minute animated video that suggests how Theatre Park will look on the skyline.
Artistic rendering of the Theatre Park penthouse
A website rendering of the tower podium and plaza on King Street West
Artistic impression of how Theatre Park will appear at street level
Another website illustration of the condo plaza fronting on King Street
Promotional billboard at 224 King Street West last November
Theatre Park site viewed from the south side of King Street on January 3 2011
A billboard with a tower rendering, seen here January 3, replaced the first sign
The Theatre Park billboard was gone when I passed the site on Thursday
The Royal Alexandra Theatre, seen here on Thursday afternoon
View toward the Theatre Park condo tower site on February 18 2011. Only one block to the north are the Boutique condo tower, left, and the Living Shangri-La Toronto hotel/condo complex, with the pink signs and construction crane.
Towers rising: This view of Toronto’s Financial District — seen yesterday from the intersection of Adelaide Street West and Widmer Street — will change considerably in the next few months as the Living Shangri-La Toronto hotel and condo tower and Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto climb taller.
This particular block of Adelaide will look drastically different in a couple of years, too. The 43-storey Cinema Tower condo is under construction behind the red hoarding at right; another 43-storey condo, the Pinnacle on Adelaide, will be going up beside it, where the white billboard stands.
Meanwhile, a developer is seeking city approval to build a 37-storey condo and office tower where the building with the yellow awnings is situated at left. That’s currently the location of the Entertainment District’s ever-popular Alice Fazooli’s Italian Grill. Mamma Mia! Where’s poor Alice going to go?
Partially assembled crane viewed from Adelaide Street on Feb. 17 2011
Lights, camera, crane!: A work crew was busy assembling a crane in the Cinema Tower excavation when I walked past the condo construction site at the southeast corner of Widmer and Adelaide Streets this afternoon.
A project of The Daniels Corporation and a design of Toronto’s Kirkor Architects & Planners, Cinema Tower will rise 43 storeys on a site formerly occupied by a parking lot. It will be a new next-door neighbour for another Daniels condominium project, Festival Tower, and the adjacent TIFF Bell Lightbox on King Street West. And in just a few more years, it will have yet another condo tower neighbour when the 43-storey Pinnacle on Adelaide gets built on the parking lot right next door.
With three tall condo buildings crowded together on just one city block, will Cinema Tower be able to distinguish itself and stand out, or will it just blend into the skyline with its neighbours?
“The challenge for each of the neighbouring buildings,” the Kirkor architects explain on their website, “is their response to the TIFF building, especially the height, massing and scale as the City of Toronto defines the Festival Tower as the anchor to the site. The response was to create a tower that provided a facade centred towards Adelaide Street with sheer curved curtain glass resting on a podium that evokes a modern interpretation of the warehouse streetscape of the existing neighborhood.”
I’m anxious to watch Cinema Tower go up; though I’ve seen only one architectural rendering of the tower so far, I think it brings substantially more class, style and interest to the area than the boring, boxy Festival Tower.
Below are some photos of workers preparing to assemble a crane segment today, along with other pics I’ve taken at the Cinema Tower site in the past three years. There also are two excavation photos from the condo project’s website.
Cinema Tower rendering on a billboard next to the construction site
September 22 2008: CN Tower view of the TIFF Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower under construction on King Street West. The Cinema Tower site is the parking lot in the upper left corner (the two buildings have since been demolished); the Pinnacle on Adelaide will rise on the separate parking lot to the right.
September 3 2008: The parking lot that used to occupy the Cinema Tower site
Cinema Tower development proposal sign
October 20 2010: Early stages of excavation at the Cinema Tower site
October 20 2010: Widmer Street view of the Cinema Tower site. When finished, the condo building will block most of this view of the Financial District.
Cinema Tower website photo of excavation activity on the condo property
Another Cinema Tower website photo of excavation progress. The building in the bottom left corner is the Champs Food Supplies store. The parking lot on the right is the Pinnacle on Adelaide condo tower site.
November 2 2010: CN Tower view of the Cinema Tower excavation
November 23 2010: Billboards on hoarding next to the condo excavation
November 23 2010: Billboards along the sidewalk on Adelaide Street West
November 23 2010: Billboards along Adelaide Street
November 29 2010: The Champs Food Supplies Ltd store on Widmer Street will be dwarfed by the 43-storey Cinema Tower and Pinnacle condos
November 29 2011: Billboards at the Cinema Tower sales office on Adelaide Street
January 14 2011: Cinema Tower excavation viewed from Widmer Street
February 17 2011: Widmer Street closed for Cinema Tower crane installation
Work crew prepares a crane segment for assembly
Crane segment to be hoisted for assembly above the Cinema Tower excavation
Operator of the crane that will hoist the segment onto the construction site crane
Crane installation viewed from south end of Widmer Street
The partially assembled construction crane above the excavation
Architectural rendering from the Charlie Condos website
From Chaz to Charlie: Yesterday I posted about Chaz on Charles Street. Today I’m taking a look at Charlie on Charlotte Street. (Far as I can tell, they’re not siblings — their names and street locations might be similar, but they’re separate projects by totally different developers.)
Now that she’s finally got an above-ground presence, passersby are starting to notice Charlie Condos in the Entertainment District. Up until late last year, you couldn’t see much of her. Hoarding hid Charlie from public view on King Street West, so construction of her parking garage and underground levels could be seen only through a tall chain-link fence along a back lane off Charlotte Street. Work on Charlie’s below-ground floors reached street grade in early December, and now the building is beginning to rise above the bold blue hoardings that shield the sidewalk on the north side of King.
Designed by Toronto’s Diamond + Schmitt Architects, and a project of Great Gulf Homes, Charlie will “define mile-high style” (according to her website) — even though she’ll stand only 32 stories tall. But with her clear glass windows, aluminum frame, and heritage brick foundation, Charlie will look “elegant and evocative … classic and contemporary.” We’ll have to wait until at least several floors of windows and exterior finishing treatments have been installed to judge if that’s in fact the case. But by taking the place of what used to be a parking lot, Charlie is classing up the corner and already helping to boost property values in her immediate vicinity.
A friend of mine made a very handsome profit selling his Charlotte Street condo late last year, thanks to the interest that Charlie and other nearby condo projects, including M5V across the street on King, have stirred up in the area.
Below are some of my pics of construction progress at the Charlie site.
Charlie billboard at King & Charlotte Streets on September 26 2008
Charlie location at King and Charlotte Streets on September 26 2008
Charlie construction approaching street grade on November 23 2010
Charlie construction approaching street level November 23 2010
Charlie construction approaching street level November 23 2010
Charlie construction approaching street grade November 29 2011
Charlie construction approaching street grade November 29 2011
Charlie underground levels approach street grade while the M5V condo tower nearby on King Street (left) is almost finished construction.
Charlie construction progress on January 14 2011
Charlie construction progress on January 14 2011
Charlie will block views from Charlotte Street of these nearby buildings
2011 is getting off to a foggy, soggy start in Toronto (it’s 10 degrees Celsius and pouring rain as I write), but the wet weather won’t put a damper on the frenetic pace of building activity across the downtown area. When construction gets back to full speed next week once the holiday season has wound down, numerous projects will start, approach or reach significant stages of construction. At least five towers will make a major mark on the city skyline soon. In Yorkville, The Four Seasons Private Residences and Museum House on Bloor, both of which already have a substantial streetscape presence, will be pouring their top floors during the winter. Several blocks south, on Bay Street, the Burano condo tower is quickly climbing high, while the Living Shangri-La Torontoand Trump International Toronto hotel/condo skyscrapers are adding excitement to the Financial District skyline. Market Wharf is doing the same for the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood. In the next few weeks, streetscapes in several different areas will transform as construction climbs above ground level at 77 Charles Westin Yorkville, The L Tower on Yonge Street, Charlie Condos in the Entertainment District, The Modern at Sherbourne and Richmond, and the Clear Spirit tower in the Distillery District. Not too far behind are Aura at College Park on Yonge Street, Cinema Tower on Adelaide Street West, Three Hundred Front Street West, The Residences of Pier 27 on the waterfront, ICE Condos and Infinity3 Condos in the South Financial District, and Couture Condos on Jarvis Street; foundation work and underground levels are progressing fast at all seven sites. In the area bounded by Bloor, Bay, Wellesley and Jarvis Streets, demolition and excavation work should soon get in full swing for five key developments: U Condos, Five Condos, Nicholas Residences, X2 Condos, and the long-awaited One Bloor tower. Digging will get underway in earnest for the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre at Yonge and Gould Streets, and for the Delta Toronto hotel and Bremner Tower office complex in the South Financial District. Meanwhile, construction should soon conclude at the Sherbourne Common park at the waterfront, as well as for the 18 York office tower and seven major residential structures: the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, Crystal Blu Condos, Uptown Residences, James Cooper Mansion, Lumiere Condos, M5V Condos, and the YWCA Elm Centre. I’ll be taking a closer look at each of the above-mentioned projects — and many more hot construction spots — in the weeks ahead.
