Tag Archives: The Uptown Residences

Nicholas & FIVE condos making big visual impact on Yonge Street; 1 Bloor tower set to follow suit

November 14 2013: Construction of FIVE Condos (left) and Nicholas Residences (center rear) is dramatically changing the landscape of north downtown Yonge Street. This is a view from the east side of Yonge just below Maitland Street, one block south of Wellesley Street.

Shifting landscape: Two condo tower construction projects are rapidly changing the look of Yonge Street’s west side, between College and Bloor Streets, while a third new building will soon make a dramatic impact on views up the east side of Yonge Street.

The steadily rising concrete frames for FIVE Condos and Nicholas Residences now dominate the views up Yonge from as far south as its intersection with Carlton and College Streets. Depending upon your particular vantage point along the 10-block stretch of what city planners call “north downtown Yonge,” FIVE and Nicholas already obscure or partially block from sight several skyscrapers in the Yorkville neighbourhood — including the 51-storey Manulife Centre tower, which has been a familiar landmark indicating the intersection of Bloor & Bay Streets since 1972.

But with a long way still to go before construction of FIVE and Nicholas is complete, it’s already obvious that both new buildings will exude an even more powerful presence on the landscape once they have attained their full height. As of this weekend, construction of Nicholas has reached the 27th level on the way to 35, with cladding and windows installed up to the 13th floor so far. Two blocks down the street, construction of FIVE Condos has climbed to the 16th storey — exactly one-third of its way to the building’s final 48 floors. Installation of that tower’s cladding has not yet begun.

Meanwhile, the One Bloor condo project is poised to begin an equally remarkable transformation of views up the east side of Yonge Street. Rising at the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor Streets, One Bloor will ultimately top off at 75 floors, completely reshaping the Yorkville skyline and one of the country’s most famous crossroads in the process.

November 27 2013: Looking toward the One Bloor condo construction site from one block to the south, at the intersection of Yonge and Charles Streets.

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Neighbourhood Watch: Photos of Bloor-Yorkville area condos and construction activity (Part 2)

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May 5 2011: The 46-storey Casa condo on Charles Street West, viewed from a driveway between the Bloor Street Neighbourhood condo (left) and the St Charles Court apartment building (right)

May 5 2011: looking up at the L-shaped Bloor Street Neighbourhood condo tower

May 5 2011: Balconies on the west side of Bloor Street Neighbourhood

May 5 2011: South view toward the Casa condo tower from a driveway linking Hayden Street and Charles Street between the Bloor Street Neighbourhood condo tower and Charles Court apartments

May 5 2011: Pedestrians take a short-cut north to Hayden Street along the driveway between the Charles Court apartments (left) and the Bloor Street Neighbourhood condo tower

May 6 2011: A driveway just two vehicles wide is all that separates The Uptown Residences (left) and Crystal Blu Condos, new condo towers on Balmuto Street

May 6 2011: Construction on the exterior of The Uptown Residences is complete — except for the condo tower’s main entrance on Balmuto Street

May 6 2011: Construction of the Four Seasons Toronto Hotel + Residences, viewed from outside The Uptown Residences

May 6 2011: Four Seasons Toronto Hotel + Residences viewed from Balmuto Street

April 30 2011: Four Seasons Toronto Hotel + Residences tower viewed from the northwest corner of Bloor and St Thomas Streets

May 5 2011: Four Seasons Hotel + Residences Toronto construction viewed from Church Street near Park Road

April 23 2011: Looking south at the excavation progress for the Milan condo tower under construction at Yonge & Church

April 23 2011: View toward the southeast corner of the Milan condo tower excavation site, from the Canadian Tire store parking lot next door

April 23 2011: Deep excavation in the site’s southeast corner on Church Street

April 23 2011: Excavation activity near the Yonge subway line at the north side of the Milan condo tower construction site

April 23 2011: The Milan condo tower excavation entrance ramp off Church Street

May 5 2011: A view of the Milan excavation from the site’s southeast corner on Church Street, as a subway train passes the east side of the construction area.

May 5 2011: Church Street view through security fencing toward the northeast corner of the Milan condo tower construction site

May 5 2011: Looking north from Church Street toward the Canadian Tire store next to the Milan condo construction zone

May 5 2011: view toward the east side of the Milan site from the Church Street construction entrance ramp

May 5 2011: Church Street view of the Milan site, looking northeast

April 30 2011: Construction progress at the Seventy Seven Charles West condos viewed from Charles Street

April 30 2011: Seventy Seven Charles West condos viewed from the corner of St Thomas and Charles Streets

April 30 2011: Looking south on St Thomas Street at the Seventy Seven Charles West condos

April 22 2011: A window washer descends the south side of the 29-storey One St Thomas condo tower, which sits directly across Charles Street from the Seventy Seven Charles west condo construction site

April 22 2011: The cleaner works his way down the limestone-clad wall

April 22 2011: His job perk is a view inside some of the city’s most exclusive luxury condos

April 22 2011: The tower, which evokes highrise buildings from 1920s and 1930s-era New York City, was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects

May 6 2011: Hoarding is installed along St Nicholas Street and heavy machinery positioned on St Mary Street as crews prepare to demolish buildings where the Nicholas Residences condo tower will be constructed

May 6 2011: This building was formerly home to Regis College, the Jesuit Graduate Faculty of Theology at the University of Toronto. The interior has been gutted, and demolition of the brick exterior is imminent

May 6 2011: Nicholas will rise 35 storeys next to the Church of Scientology Toronto building, left, at the corner of Yonge & St Mary Streets

April 30 2011: Bay Street view of excavation progress at the U Condos construction site, looking northwest toward hoarding along St Mary Street. The construction crane for the Seventy Seven Charles West condo building rises behind Loretto College, the 6-storey brick building toward the upper left of the photo.

April 30 2011: Looking from Bay Street toward excavation machinery at the northwest corner of the U Condos construction site

April 30 2011: A shoring machine on the U Condos construction site

April 30 2011 A steel I-beam sunk into the ground to help shore up the huge U Condos site for excavation and foundation construction

April 30 2011: Southward view from St Mary Street of excavation progress on the U Condos construction site

April 30 2011 St Mary Street view toward the southeast corner of the U Condos construction site

April 30 2011 St Mary Street view toward the southwest corner of the U Condos construction site

April 30 2011: A shoring machine in the SW corner of the U Condos site

Neighbourhood Watch: Photos of Bloor-Yorkville area condos and construction activity (Part 1)

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April 30 2011: The Crystal Blu condo tower (left) and Uptown Residences Condo tower (right) soar skyward above Balmuto Street

High neighbours: As residents gradually move into the new 35-storey Crystal Blu condo tower at 21 Balmuto Street, buyers of luxury condos at The Uptown Residences anxiously await their own move-in dates. Exterior construction activity on the 48-floor Uptown Residences tower at 35 Balmuto has been finished for a few months, but finishing touches are underway and the front entrance is still being built. Information and photos of The Uptown Residences are provided in my March 2 2011 post about the project; below are several more pics I took of it and Crystal Blu last month.

April 7 2011: A work crew applies finishing touches halfway up the west side of The Uptown Residences condo tower

April 7 2011: A closer view of the workers on their swing stage

April 22 2011: The Uptown Residences front entrance at 35 Balmuto Street

April 22 2011: The Uptown Residences front entrance features a revolving door

April 22 2011: The Crystal Blu Condos front entrance isn’t 100% finished yet

April 30 2011: The Manulife Centre across the street reflects in The Uptown’s shiny black and grey granite podium…

…while a worker performs finishing touches on the lower southwest corner

April 30 2011: A long look up the north side of The Uptown Residences

April 23 2011: The 36Hazelton luxury condo project location and presentation centre opening this month at 36 Hazelton Avenue

Exclusive enclave: The presentation centre for 36Hazelton is being readied for an opening expected sometime this month. Only 18 residences will be available in the boutique condo development, which will rise seven storeys above the historic St Basil’s Catholic School at 36 Hazelton Avenue. Prices for the posh condominium suites, which will boast spacious outdoor terraces overlooking the quiet tree-lined street, range from $1.6 million to more than $10 million. See my March 26 2011 post for further information about 36Hazelton as well as numerous photos of the project site.

April 23 2011: 36 Hazelton will incorporate the facade of the 83-year-old St Basil’s schoolhouse into the boutique condo building

April 23 2011: Exterior brickwork and window installation on the east side of The Florian Residences of Upper Yorkville condo tower on Davenport Road

Florian facade fills out: Brickwork and window installation at The Florian Residences of Upper Yorkville continues to climb higher up the 25-storey condo tower. My February 12 2011 post describes The Florian project and includes numerous building photos, while my March 18 2011 post provides further construction pics. Below are several more photos from last month, along with a pic showing The Florian’s location before construction of the condo tower commenced.

April 23 2011: Another view of The Florian’s brick and glass exterior

April 23 2011: A view of the western point of The Florian’s long curved podium along Davenport Road (at the top of Bay Street)

August 14 2008: An Infinity car dealership and a Premier Fitness gym previously occupied the site where The Florian is presently under construction

April 23 2011: Toronto Reference Library new main entrance construction

Corner cube: The dramatic new entrance “cube” for the Toronto Reference Library is gradually taking form on the northeast corner of Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue. That, plus an expansion of the library’s Yonge Street facade, are among the highlights of a five-year, $34 million makeover scheduled for completion next year. Construction photos and an architectural rendering of what the library will look like post-renovation can be viewed in my January 27 2011 post; additional photos and another rendering are provided in my March 24 2011 update post. Below are several recent photos of a construction worker atop the giant steel frame for the cube.

April 23 2011: The steel frame for the library’s glass entrance cube

April 23 2011: A construction worker sits astride one of the steel beams

April 23 2011: The entrance cube will stand about three storeys tall

April 23 2011: The library’s website explains that the bold glass entrance is intended to encourage “a dynamic interface” between the library and the community, “connecting the interior more directly to the street.”

April 30 2011: A billboard advertising the One Bloor condo tower sales centre

Number One: I’m still waiting on tenterhooks, figuratively speaking, for shovels to hit the ground at the One Bloor condo tower site on the southeast corner of Yonge & Bloor. Since my January 10 2011 post, the project developer has opened a new sales centre for the much-anticipated condo skyscraper right next door to the building site, at 33 Bloor Street East. But I haven’t yet seen any preliminary construction activity on the property, which remains a rubble-strewn vacant lot. Below are some pics of it from earlier this week.

April 30 2011: Colourful marketing banners adorn security fencing around the One Bloor condo tower location at Yonge & Bloor

May 1 2011: The One Bloor Condo tower site, looking southwest toward the corner of Yonge and Hayden Streets

May 1 2011: The One Bloor site viewed from the west entrance to the Xerox building at 33 Bloor Street East

May 1 2011: Northwest view of the One Bloor condo tower site

Yorkville awaits the Uptown girl’s grand entrance

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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.