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
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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.
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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.
Balconies on the north side of Victory Condos, viewed from a park below
Adelaide Street West view of Victory Condos and Quad Lofts, left
Victory Condos frontage along King Street West on February 17 2011
Both sides now: My January 15 post about Victory Condos included photos of the building site and construction progress as viewed from King Street West. A few weeks ago, I took a walk down Adelaide Street West so I could get some pics of the building’s north side. Here they are.
Victory Condos viewed from Spadina Avenue on February 17 2011
Victory Condos north side viewed from a lane on Adelaide St. W.
Adelaide Street West view of Victory Condos and its two Quad Lofts neighbours. The long excavation site in the foreground, along on the south side of Adelaide, is where the Lofts 399 Condos are currently under construction.
Victory Condos viewed from a driveway beside Quad Lofts
North side of Victory Condos viewed from a driveway behind the building
Victory Condos viewed from a park between the two Quad Lofts buildings
South side of Victory Condos seen from King Street near Brant Street
The upper levels of the 12-storey condo building approach completion
King Street West view of the Victory Condos entrance area
Victory Condos facade coming together above King Street West
Another view Victory Condos from King Street West
Another view of the Victory Condos ground level along King Street West
Looking up the front of the building from King Street West
Victory Condos construction progress on February 17 2011
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
Foundation pile drilling rig at Fashion House Condos site January 14 2011
Big Red: Construction has started on what’s promising to be the most fashionable — and eye-popping colourful — digs on trendy King Street West. Foundation pile drilling crews were on the site of Fashion House Condos last week, the latest Freed Developments project to get shovels in the ground.
Situated on the north side of King between Brant and Portland Streets, Fashion House will have 334 condo suites along with ground-floor retail shops and restaurants in what the project’s website describes as “a stunning 12-storey glass and steel staircase tower” of “intricate platform design.”
The sleek glass structure will connect to the historic three-storey brick building at 570 King Street West, which will be restored.
Fashion House seems destined to become an address that will be easy to find and hard to miss, thanks to the “dashing lipstick-red window coverings on the building’s exteriors (all of which shine a crisp, clean white inside)” that will complete the building’s “fashion-forward design statement.” (That’s assuming red remains a hot fashion colour by the time construction concludes.)
The project, designed by Toronto’s Core Architects Inc., is more than 85% sold.
Below are some photos I’ve taken at the Fashion House site, along with some artistic renderings of the condo building from the Fashion House website.
Artistic rendering of Fashion House Condos
Artistic rendering of Fashion House Condos
Fashion House Condos rendering on billboard at project site
This historic brick building, seen on March 11 2010, will be restored and connected to the sleek glass Fashion House Condos tower
Fashion House Condos location viewed on March 11 2010
Fashion House Condos location viewed on November 23 2010
Fashion House Condos location viewed on November 23 2010
Fashion House Condos location viewed on November 23 2010
Foundation pile drilling rig at Fashion House Condos site January 14 2011
Foundation pile drilling rig at Fashion House Condos site January 14 2011
Foundation pile drilling rig at Fashion House Condos site January 14 2011
Victory condo construction progress on January 14 2011
Building exterior nearly done: Window, brickwork and balcony installations are giving the exterior of Victory Condos on King Street West a more finished look this week.
The L-shaped, 12-storey building is a project of BLVD Developments. It will feature 175 units, including penthouses with large terraces, 2,500 square feet of retail space on its ground level, and another 3.500 of retail shops accessed by a landscaped walkway at the west side of the property.
The building was designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects.
Below is a series of photos showing construction progress at Victory Condos. There are three shots showing the condo location in 2008 before construction commenced, a picture taken from the CN Tower in November, and several pics from just this past week.
