Tag Archives: Scotia Plaza

Hotel open, but work continues atop Trump Tower

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

March 15 2012: How the top of the Trump International Hotel + Tower appeared in this zoom view from my balcony this morning …

 

Toronto Financial District skyline

… and how it appeared in this wider view of the Financial District skyline

 

Nearly there: It has been six weeks since the hotel section of the Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto held its “soft” opening, but work on the exterior of the skyscraper’s uppermost levels still isn’t finished. But it’s getting there.

The Trump Hotel Toronto began receiving guests on January 31 even though considerable work remained to be done on the building’s exterior, and particularly on the condo section of the 65-storey tower. But the hotel’s clientele have probably been too busy relaxing in their spacious, swanky suites, or savouring the $48 veal chops in the Trump’s Stock Restaurant & Bar, to even notice that construction is continuing. (Globe and Mail restaurant critic Joanne Kates reviewed the veal — and other menu items — in a March 2 2012 column, in case you’re interested in reading how Stock’s appetizers “taste as unexciting as they sound, and the mains are close behind.”)

 

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Checking in on the new 5-star hotel/condo towers: The Trump International Hotel + Tower

Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto

August 1 2011: The Trump Toronto Tower viewed from Adelaide Street West near the Living Shangri-La Toronto (left), another new skyscraper I will profile in an upcoming installment of “Checking in on the 5-star hotel/condo towers”

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The north side of Trump Toronto, looking up from Adelaide Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The tower’s west side, viewed from Bay Street

 

 

Putting up the penthouse:  Shouldn’t be too much longer before construction tops off on the Trump International Hotel + Tower Toronto.

From my balcony, I’ve been able to watch the penthouse levels of the 60-storey tower gradually take shape during the past two weeks, climbing into view above the top of the Bay Adelaide Centre. I expect completion of the mechanical floors above them to follow soon. And once its signature “quarter onion”-shaped turret has been built to cap the tower’s northwest corner, and in turn is topped with a spire, the Trump Tower Toronto will become the city’s second-tallest building, after First Canadian Place.

Designed by Toronto’s Zeidler Partnership Architects, the Trump Toronto will rise more than 900 feet on its compact site at the southeast corner of Bay and Adelaide Streets. According to the project website, the building will include 261 luxury hotel rooms on its lower levels in studio, 1- and 2-bedroom configurations, along with five Trump Executive suites. There also will be 118 condominium suites from floors 33 to 60, accessed via a Sky Lobby with concierge on the 31st floor. Condo residents will enjoy “full access” to the hotel’s amenities, including room service, housekeeping, concierge and valet. A five-star restaurant will occupy the 30th floor, while there will be an entire floor of executive meetings rooms in a “high-tech business centre.” A full-service spa with gym, exercise studios and swimming pool will occupy two levels of the building. The ground floor will feature a “sophisticated” lobby bar, while floors 2 through 7 will contain a valet-operated parking garage.

The Trump Hotel Collection website is currently accepting online reservations for Trump Toronto beginning November 1 of this year. Today, the site’s reservation system showed seven suites available for the night of Nov. 1; the lowest available price was $485 (plus tax) for either a superior king or superior double room, each 550 square feet in size. A 1,000-square-foot grand deluxe 1-bedroom suite with panoramic views was available for $885 (plus tax), while a 1,650-square-foot grand deluxe two-bedroom suite with city views and a kitchen was going for $1,785 (plus tax).

Below is a series of Trump Toronto photos I shot during the summer.

 

Toronto Trump Tower

June 6 2011:  The Trump Toronto crane stands prominently on the skyline

 

Scotia Plaza Trump Toronto and Bay Adelaide Centre

June 20 2011: Looking up at Scotia Plaza, the Trump Toronto, and Bay Adelaide Centre (right) from the sidewalk on Adelaide Street West

 

Trump Toronto Tower

June 20 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the University/ Adelaide intersection

 

Trump Tower Toronto

June 26 2011: Trump Toronto’s ascent to the upper echelons of the Financial District is seen from Broadview Avenue above Riverdale Park

 

Trump Tower Toronto

June 26 2011: Another Broadview Avenue view of the Trump Toronto and other Financial District skyscrapers

 

Trump Tower Toronto

June 26 2011: A Broadview Avenue view of, from left, Commerce Court, CN Tower, TD Centre’s TD Bank Tower, Scotia Plaza, First Canadian Place, Trump Toronto and the Bay Adelaide Centre

Toronto Trump Tower

June 29 2011: My balcony view of Trump Toronto rising on the skyline

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 1 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from Shuter Street to the northeast

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 1 2011: Trump Toronto begins climbing above the 51-storey Bay Adelaide Centre (right), but won’t stand as tall as 72-storey First Canadian Place (rear)

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 1 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the TD Centre Plaza off King Street

 

Toronto city skyline viewed from the west

July 3 2011: Trump Toronto joins the ranks of the tall bank towers in this city skyline view from the Humber Bay area

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 3 2011: Another view of Trump Toronto making its mark on the skyline

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 8 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from Nathan Phillips Square

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 13 2011: Spotlights on the Trump Toronto construction crane at sunset

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the SW corner of King & Bay Streets

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011:  Southwest view of the Trump Toronto from King Street West

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: Southwest view of the tower’s upper floors. At this point, the Trump Toronto has reached 57 storeys

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011:  Southwest view of the tower’s middle section

 

Trump Tower Toronto

 July 20 2011: A closer look at forms midway up the tower’s south side

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: The external construction elevator rises up the green glass curtain wall on the building’s south side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: A closer look at the exterior construction elevator

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Windows near the tower’s southeast corner

 

Trump Tower Toronto

July 20 2011: The construction entrance to the 54th floor. The exterior elevator climbs a total of 55 floors

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: The tower’s northwest upper floors reach 57 storeys here

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Upper floors await their curtain wall installation

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Windows on the tower’s southwest corner

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from the west on Adelaide Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Upper floors on the tower’s west side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 20 2011: Missing window panes and panels on the tower’s west wall

 

Toronto Trump Tower

July 24 2011: Trump Toronto viewed from Bloor Street near Varsity Stadium

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Bay Adelaide Centre and Trump Toronto viewed from the west

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Trump Toronto and Scotia Plaza viewed from the west

 

Toronto Trump Tower

 August 1 2011: Trump Toronto reflects in the Bay Adelaide Centre)

 

Toronto Trump Tower

 August 1 2011: Windows on the lower levels of the tower’s north wall. A valet-operated parking garage occupies floors 2 through 7.

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Window and cladding details on the lower levels

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The tower’s northeast corner awaits some missing panels

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: The Adelaide Street entrance to the tower’s porte-cochère

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Adelaide Street view into the porte-cochère, which features a curved public art mural made of glass, stone and ceramics

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: An Adelaide Street view of upper floors on the tower’s north side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 201: Bay Street view of the Bay Adelaide Centre and the Trump Toronto

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Lower floors on the west side of the tower, viewed from Bay Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Looking up from Bay Street at the tower’s west side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011:  Progress on the penthouse levels viewed from the west

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: Green glass curtain wall on the tower’s west side

 

Toronto Trump Tower

August 1 2011: West view of Trump Toronto and Scotia Plaza

 

 

Trump l’oeil: Eyes on Toronto’s Trump Tower

Bay Adelaide Centre Trump Tower and 302 Bay Street

Reaching skyward: In this view from the depths of the Bay Street skyscraper canyon, the 13-storey office building at 302 Bay Street (top) appears to rise almost as tall as the still-under-construction Toronto Trump Tower, which is around 50 floors high so far and climbing steadily on its way to 60 storeys.  Originally the Trust and Guarantee Building, 302 Bay was built in 1917 but received a rooftop addition in 1929. The building now bears the Bank of Montreal name above its front entrance.  On the left is the 51-storey Bay Adelaide Centre, Trump Toronto’s neighbour on the north side of Adelaide Street, built in 2009. Part of the 68-storey Scotia Plaza tower built in 1988 is visible at right and in reflection on the south side of Bay Adelaide Centre.

The Trump Tower made the news today in a Toronto Star article that gives an “exclusive peak” inside the Trump Hotel section of the skyscraper, which received an occupancy permit from the City last Friday. The hotel is scheduled to open later this spring. The newspaper article also profiles the tower’s 42-year-old billionaire builder, Alex Shnaider, and hails his “noteworthy accomplishment” of having “built the tallest residential tower in Canada — and the second tallest building in Toronto, after the CN Tower.” Seems the Star is jumping the gun: the Trump isn’t even as tall as the Bay Adelaide Centre yet, and it’s far from “built.” Moreover, when complete, it still won’t rise as high as 72-storey First Canadian Place, so Trump will have to settle for third-highest place on the Toronto skyline. Below are some pics I’ve taken of the Toronto Trump Tower this month.

Toronto Trump Tower

March 14 2011: Adelaide Street West view of Toronto Trump Tower construction

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 7 2011: Toronto Trump Tower viewed from Bay & Adelaide Streets

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 7 2011: Southwest view from Bay below Adelaide Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 7 2011: Upper-level construction viewed from the southwest

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 7 2011: Nathan Phillips Square view of the Toronto Trump construction

 

Bay Adelaide Centre and Toronto Trump Tower

March 7 2011: West view of Bay Adelaide Centre and Toronto Trump Tower

 

Toronto Trump Tower and Scotia Plaza

March 7 2011: From left are the Bay Adelaide Centre, Toronto Trump Tower, Scotia Plaza and the Bank of Nova Scotia building at 44 King Street West.

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 7 2011: Trump Tower viewed from Bay Street outside First Canadian Place

 

Toronto Trump Tower and the Bank of Nova Scotia building at 44 King Street West

March 7 2011: Toronto Trump Tower and the Bank of Nova Scotia building at 44 King Street West. The 27-storey bank building at the northeast corner of King & Bay Streets was constructed in 1951.

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 14 2011: Adelaide Street West view of Toronto Trump construction

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 14 2011: Toronto Trump Tower, Scotia Plaza and First Canadian Place

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 14 2011: When completed, the Toronto Trump Tower will stand taller than Scotia Plaza — when measured to the top of its spire. But Scotia Plaza’s roof will still be higher, as a diagram on skyscraperpage.com demonstrates.

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 14 2011: Toronto Trump Tower and Scotia Plaza

 

Scotia Plaza Toronto Trump Tower and Bay Adelaide Centre

March 22 2011: Scotia Plaza, Toronto Trump Tower and Bay Adelaide Centre

 

 Toronto Trump Tower

March 22 2011: Northeast view of the Trump Toronto from King Street West

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 22 2011: Upper-level construction viewed from the northeast

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 22 2011: King Street view of the northeast corner of the Trump Toronto

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 22 2011: Toronto Trump Tower street level view from King Street

 

Toronto Trump Tower

March 22 2011: Cement trucks at the tower’s King Street construction entrance