Tag Archives: Yonge Street

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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Construction of Ryerson’s Student Learning Centre starts climbing into view at Yonge & Gould

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July 25 2013: A man walks past a wall taking shape at the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre construction site at the northeast corner of Yonge & Gould Streets. The circle on the architectural rendering below shows this particular wall’s location along the east side of Yonge.

Click on the image to view a full-size version. The rendering, by project architects Zeidler Partnership Architects of Toronto and Snøhetta of Oslo and New York City, is one of several on the Ryerson University website.

Above grade: Now that construction has climbed into view above street level, people passing by the intersection of Yonge & Gould Streets are getting a glimpse of some key design elements of the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre.

From Gould Street as well as from Yonge Street just south of Gould, passersby can now clearly see construction crews working on the steps that will lead to an elevated entrance plaza on the south side of the university building. Meanwhile, construction forms for the Centre’s west wall along Yonge Street have started to become visible above the Urban Umbrella scaffold protecting the sidewalk on the east side of Yonge.

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40-storey condo proposed for Yonge & Isabella

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A development application has been filed with the City for this 625 Yonge Street property at the southeast corner of Yonge & Isabella Streets. The proposal calls for a 40-storey residential tower with retail shops and offices to take its place.

October 10 2012: The 625 Yonge building, viewed from the southwest

October 10 2012: Looking north on Yonge from Irwin Street. The 625 Yonge development site (white building with the yellow and black YSFC banners) has the cachet of being situated only three blocks south of the prime Yonge & Bloor intersection.

Condos on the corner: News that a rezoning application had been filed with the city for a commercial property on the corner of Yonge and Isabella Streets left the nearby neighbourhood rife with rumours and speculation yesterday about what is in store for the site. Not surprisingly, most people expected an announcement would be forthcoming that a condo tower project is being proposed.

Word spread quickly that an entry for 625 Yonge Street had been added to the development projects page in the planning department section of the City of Toronto website. For most of the day, the website entry listed only the municipal address for the development application, its file number, and contact details for the city planner responsible for the file. It did not provide any specifics about how big or how tall the development would be, or whether it would be condos, offices, retail or a mix of all three. The absence of further information led to considerable conjecture about the owner’s plans for the property. (When I checked the entry late yesterday afternoon, it still lacked details; this morning, someone called my attention to additional information that finally had been added sometime during the evening.)

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49-storey condo tower proposed for east block of Yonge Street between Dundonald & Gloucester

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August 25 2012: A 49-storey condo tower has been proposed for this block on the east side of Yonge Street, between Dundonald and Gloucester Streets

New proposal: As Torontonians and tourists enjoy the Celebrate Yonge festival on south Yonge Street between Gerrard and Queen Streets, some city residents are beginning to wonder if there will be anything left for them to celebrate along the north downtown section of Yonge, between Bloor and Wellesley Streets, by the end of the decade.

News that a 49-storey condo tower has just been proposed for the bourgeoning east side of Yonge, between Dundonald and Gloucester Streets, has left many area residents fearing that Yonge is on the verge of becoming another dark and drab condo canyon like the one on Bay Street. Residents are also worried about the overall impact that several more highrise condo projects nearby will have on the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood.

The latest skyscraper proposal involves properties from 587-599 Yonge Street, as well as adjacent business properties at 2 and 4 Dundonald Street, as well as 7 and 9 Gloucester Street. A search on the City’s development applications webpage shows that a redevelopment plan for the block-long site proposes a 49-storey tower with 514 condo units, street-level retail shops, and underground parking. 593 Yonge is the street address indicated for the application.

(The city’s website entry does not provide any further information about the proposal, and does not identify either the developer or the date on which the 593 Yonge rezoning application was submitted to city planners. The city overhauled its development webpage this summer, and entries no longer provide proposal submission dates. Prior to the format change, webpage entries provided more detail, as well as contact information for the city planner responsible for the file.)

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L-evating and adding colour: Cladding installation commences as The L Tower climbs to 23 storeys

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January 30 2012: The L Tower, seen here looking south from the NW of Yonge & Front Streets, has climbed 23 storeys on its way to 57

More photos and information follow on the next page.

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Public meeting tomorrow for Ryerson University’s Student Learning Centre development plan

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An illustration of the new Ryerson University Student Learning Centre appears on this sign at the building site at the NE corner of Yonge and Gould Streets

Statutory public meeting notice at the development site

Ryerson ready to roll: Construction of the new Ryerson University Student Learning Centre could begin within weeks if the development plan gets approval, as is widely expected, during two key meetings at Toronto City Hall this month. The university’s proposal is being reviewed by Toronto and East York Community Council tomorrow morning and, depending upon what’s decided there, could get the final go-ahead from City Council at its meeting on November 29.

City planners have recommended approval for the municipal zoning bylaw amendments that would be required to permit the project to proceed. In an October 12 2011 staff report, they wrote that the new Student Learning Centre will provide “a unique architectural contribution to Yonge Street, and a gateway to Ryerson University, increasing its presence and visibility on Yonge Street. It will revitalize a section of Yonge Street currently the site of a vacant lot, provide necessary student space to a growing student population, add minimal new shadow to Yonge Street and provide retail space in accordance with Official Plan Policies.”

The university has already applied for shoring and excavation permits, and expects them to be approved in December. Construction could then quickly commence on the 9-storey, 155,464 square foot building, which will rise on the northeast corner of Yonge and Gould Streets (the official municipal address is 341-355 Yonge Street). The university hopes will be completed and ready for occupancy during the winter of 2014. Designed by Toronto’s Zeidler Partnership Architects and Snøhetta of Oslo and New York City, the facility will cost an estimated $112 million. The Ontario government is providing $45 million, while the university is kicking in another $45 million itself. Fundraising will seek to top up the $22 million balance.

‘A bold step in city building’

Ryerson unveiled artistic illustrations of the Student Learning Centre to much fanfare in April of this year. At the time, the university said its “stunning new building” will not only “provide Ryerson students with an outstanding environment to study, collaborate and discover,” but also will be “a transformative, bold development and an important step forward in city building.”

Although the university received considerable praise for Zeidler and Snøhetta’s daring and dazzling design, the contemporary architecture drew its share of criticism. As city planners noted in their October 12 report, the design received a mixed reaction from residents and neighbourhood business owners who attended a May 4 2011 community consultation meeting, “with some liking it and others feeling that it did not fit into the context of Yonge Street even if they approved of the overall design. The principal objections were to the size and location of the retail space. Many felt that the amount of retail provided at-grade was not sufficient and that the below-grade retail would not function as desired. Other issues raised were the height and massing of the building, especially as it relates to context and shadow impacts, lack of parking, a discussion on the location of the second TTC exit from Dundas subway station, and encroachments upon the City laneway.”

Insufficient retail space?

Planners also received five letters that outlined opposition to the Ryerson proposal, generally on the grounds that “that the design was not compatible with Yonge Street, and that the provision of retail was insufficient. Some felt that the design was interesting and would support it in another area of the City. The Downtown Yonge BIA, in particular, sought a significant redesign of the proposed structure to bring it into conformity with the existing zoning bylaw and supply significantly more retail.” On the other hand, Cadillac-Fairview Corporation, owner of the Toronto Eaton Centre just one block south on Yonge Street, sent planners a letter “which lauded the design and the development of a vacant parcel of land on Yonge Street.”

For their part, city planners concluded that the proposed retail component for the Student Learning Centre actually does satisfy official city policies. “The primary purpose of this building is to function as a learning, meeting and research space for the student body and an important public building,” they pointed out. “Retail, although the primary function along Yonge Street, is a secondary function of the proposed building.”

‘Landmark architecture’

Moreover, “the Official Plan encourages the creation of landmark buildings through the Yonge Dundas Redevelopment project,” the planners noted. “The Ryerson Student Learning Centre qualifies as a landmark architectural building and the changes brought to the area place a new emphasis on Gould Street as the entrance to Ryerson. Although the plan encourages that buildings respect the traditional built form characteristics of Yonge Street, it directs any specific change to the Yonge and Dundas area. The Ryerson Student Learning Centre represents a rational extension of the Yonge and Dundas redevelopment as it is in close proximity to the AMC Theatre complex formally known as Toronto Life Square, separated only by an empty parcel of land which once contained the Empress Hotel.”

But the planners were quick to caution that since the Student Learning Centre has a special status “given the important investment in public infrastructure this building represents,” their recommendation to approve the project should not be viewed as suggesting that the City is opening the door to similar contemporary development along Yonge Street.

‘No precedent for further redevelopment’

“The Ryerson Student Learning Centre represents an important institutional investment for Toronto and Ryerson University. It provides a gateway to Ryerson University, a unique architectural experience and much needed reinvestment. By providing retail at grade, the Ryerson Student Learning Centre will also help animate Yonge Street as well as providing space for students. Due to its proximity to Yonge and Dundas Square, its institutional use, the lack of significant shadow impact, the location as a gateway to Ryerson University and the built form context, this unique building should not be considered a precedent for further redevelopment on Yonge Street. City Planning Staff find that the proposed building and the rezoning required for its construction is in the public interest and constitutes good planning.”

The Student Learning Centre project is one of numerous items on tomorrow’s agenda for the Toronto and East York Community Council. The public meeting starts at 10 a.m. in Committee Room 1 at City Hall.

Below are photos of the Student Learning Centre site this morning as well as a rendering, from the Ryerson University website, suggesting how the centre’s retail facade on Yonge Street will look. Renderings of the building interior can be viewed in my April 8 2011 post about the project, while earlier photos of the building site — including the iconic Sam the Record Man store that previously occupied the property — can be viewed in my February 15 2011 post.

This rendering depicts the building’s retail facade along Yonge Street. The rendering is by Labtop USA Corp / Zeidler Snøhetta.

November 1 2011: Ryerson Student Learning Centre site viewed from Gould Street at O’Keefe Lane, looking northwest across Yonge Street

November 1 2011: The Ryerson property is close to two other major construction sites. Cranes for the new SickKids Research and Learning Tower on Bay Street are visible at left rear, while cranes for the 75-storey Aura condominium tower at Yonge & Gerrard Streets are visible at right.

November 1 2011: Looking north across the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre site from the southwest corner of Yonge and Gould Streets

November 1 2011: The Student Learning Centre will have underground and above-grade connections to the existing Ryerson University Library building (right)

September 3 2011: Looking north from Gould Street at the strip of retail shops along the west side of Yonge Street, opposite the Student Learning Centre site

March 7 2011: Looking east along Elm Street toward the Student Learning Centre site. The new 9-storey building will dominate this sightline, rising directly in front of the concrete Ryerson University Library building. Like the library, the centre will be 51 meters tall (including mechanical equipment).

Going …

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May 31 2011: Demolition is underway at the FIVE Condos site on St Joseph Street…

… where this unsightly rear addition to a late 1880s-era Yonge Street heritage building is being destroyed…

… as part of the extensive FIVE Condos block redevelopment and condo tower building project at Yonge & St Joseph Streets, depicted in this illustration provided courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects in Toronto

Falling for FIVE: Wrecking crews have been busy on St Joseph Street, where this week they began knocking down parts of buildings that presently occupy a site where the 45-storey FIVE condo tower will ultimately rise. The structures being demolished sit to the rear of several 1880s-era historical buildings at the southwest corner of Yonge and St Joseph Streets, which will be preserved and restored as part of the FIVE Condos at 5 St Joseph redevelopment project.

First to go was a tacky two-storey rear addition to the charming building right at the corner of Yonge & St Joseph; a sports bar once occupied the upper level, while the ground floor was part of a Timothy’s coffee shop during the late 1990s and early 2000s and, most recently, a shawarma shop. Just to the immediate south, a boxy three-storey brick structure is also being pulled down. The good news is that six old brick buildings with storefronts along Yonge Street will be restored and incorporated into the FIVE Condos development, as will be the case with the facade of the former Rawlinson Cartage warehouse building on the corner of St Joseph and St Nicholas Streets. A senior city planner, Michael Hynes, has publicly described the FIVE Condos development as “the largest heritage building protection project in the country.”

FIVE is a team project by MOD Developments Inc., Graywood Developments Ltd., Tricon and Diamondcorp, along with Hariri Pontarini Architects, Cecconi Simone Inc. interior design, and Janet Rosenberg & Associates landscape architects. FIVE was a bigger winner at the 2011 BILD Awards, presented in late April by the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). It won four major awards, including High-Rise Project of the Year, Best High-Rise Building Design, Best High-Rise Sales Office, and Best Model Suite.

Below are several photos showing demolition activity at the FIVE Condos project site this week. Additional information, photos and architectural renderings of the project are provided in my April 28 2011 post, while there are a few more pics of demolition equipment at the site in my May 12 2011 post.

May 31 2011: Hoarding extends along Yonge Street outside the old buildings that will be incorporated into the FIVE Condos development

May 31 2011: Construction and demolition equipment outside the former Rawlinson Cartage warehouse building on St Joseph Street

May 31 2011: Demolition activity at the FIVE Condos site on St Joseph Street

May 31 2011: The structures being demolished sit at the rear of the historic buildings being preserved on the Yonge Street flank of the FIVE Condos site

May 31 2011: This former warehouse is quickly being reduced to rubble

Developer proposes two 58-storey condo towers to replace retail/restaurant strip at 501 Yonge Street

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May 13 2011: The 501 Yonge Street strip of retail shops and restaurants, viewed from the southwest corner of Yonge & Grosvenor Streets

Going big & tall on Yonge: In my Ripe for Redevelopment post on April 14 2011, I wondered what Lanterra Developments was planning to do with the 501 Yonge Street strip of restaurants and retail shops it had recently purchased — as well as when it was going to announce its plans. When I walked past 501 Yonge last week, I knew something was imminent because three of the former retail tenants have moved out, leaving suspiciously empty storefronts. Now I know what’s happening with the property — or should I say, what the developer hopes will happen.

The company has filed a development application with the city to build a mixed-use complex that would include two 58-storey condo towers and an entirely new retail strip along Yonge. The towers would soar 190 meters from a 7-storey podium featuring retail space at street level plus five levels of parking above that. The complex would contain 960 condo units, 302 residential parking spaces and 58 parking spots for visitors. Lobbies for the condo towers would sit at opposite ends of the block: the north tower lobby would be on Maitland Street, while the south tower lobby would be on Alexander Street. The city’s development application notice says that driveway and service access to the complex would be from Maitland Place; however, that’s clearly a mistake because Maitland Place is a one-block street two blocks east, between Homewood Avenue and Jarvis Street. They must have meant Maitland Street.

The city received the application only on May 5, so no community consultation meeting has been scheduled yet, nor has the developer publicly released renderings of its proposed towers. But I’m sure there will be strong opposition to the towers’ sheer height from some area residents, particularly those in the 18-storey Cosmopolitan condo building at 25 Maitland Street, which would be absolutely dwarfed by the 501 project. Will keep you posted on further news about this project. Below are two more pics from this afternoon, showing the vacant storefronts.

May 13 2011: Looking northeast toward the vacant retail outlets at 501 Yonge

May 13 2011: A body piercing shop is bookended by empty retail space; the 18-storey Cosmopolitan condo building on Maitland Street is visible at left rear

Ripe for redevelopment: What’s Lanterra going to do with the 501 block on Yonge Street?

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February 20 2011: Restaurants and shops along the 501 block of Yonge Street, viewed from the southwest corner of Yonge and Breadalbane

February 20 2011: Looking north toward the 501 block of Yonge Street from the southeast corner of Yonge & Grosvenor Streets

Lanterra land: I wasn’t surprised when a city planner told a neighbourhood association meeting I attended nearly a month ago that Lanterra Developments had purchased the entire 501 block of Yonge Street, from Alexander Street at the south to Maitland Street at the north. I live only a few blocks away and for years have been wondering, each time I have walked past, why someone hasn’t redeveloped the long two-level building with either a bigger retail complex or a condo or office tower. Parts of the block have had a rather shabby and almost run-down appearance for years and, since it’s only two storeys tall on a prime section of the city’s main strip, it looks like it’s practically begging for someone to replace it with something bigger and better.

I always thought it might be impossible to build a larger, taller structure on the site because the Yonge subway line passes beneath part of the property between the Wellesley and College stations. However, the city planner said that while the subway tunnel presents a challenge for redevelopment, it’s not insurmountable. It likely means there would be a very limited amount of space available for underground floors and parking, he said, but above-grade parking levels would solve that problem nicely.

Lanterra hasn’t yet filed a development application with the city, nor has it publicly announced any plans for the site. But I’m keen to see what changes it envisions for 501 Yonge. The upside to redevelopment here is that a Lanterra building would greatly enhance Yonge Street by classing up what is basically a tacky, cheap-looking retail strip. Any civic and private effort to revitalize Yonge between College and Bloor Streets certainly would get a huge boost if Lanterra improved this particular block. The downside is that small independent businesses, like many of the shops and restaurants currently operating here, probably couldn’t afford the significantly higher rents that would be charged for commercial streetfront space in a new development. As much as I’d like to see this section of Yonge Street spruced up, and even though I don’t care for most of the businesses along this block, I would probably regret seeing them replaced with outlets for ubiquitous international retail chain stores, fast food franchises and coffee shops. There’s already enough of those establishments elsewhere on Yonge and throughout the downtown core. More of them here would detract from Yonge Street’s quirky character and the strip’s unique look and feel.

Below is a link to an online album with a few dozen photos showing all four sides of the 501 Yonge block, the block on the opposite side of Yonge Street, and other nearby buildings.

Editor’s Note: I regret that access to the online album is no longer available. The album had been available on Webshots.com; however, on December 1 2012 the Webshots site was shut down by the company that owns it.

Mucking around at the Milan condo tower site

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Earth mover in the muck at the Milan condo tower excavation

Church Street view of the Milan condo excavation, looking northeast

Canadian Tire parking lot view of the Milan condo excavation, looking south

Messy mass of muck: At a property on the north end of Church Street, where the road makes a long sweeping curve to the northwest as it approaches Yonge Street, crews spent the entire winter digging out — literally. And they’re nowhere near finished yet. But it isn’t snow they’ve been shovelling; Toronto didn’t get much of the white stuff over the winter. Instead, the workers have been moving muddy brown earth by the truckload as they excavate the site where the Conservatory Group’s 37-storey Milan condominium tower will be built.

Designed by E.I. Richmond Architects Inc., the condo complex will occupy a wedge-shaped parcel of land bordered by the Canadian Tire store to the north and west, Church Street to the south, and the Yonge subway line to the east.

Below is a tower rendering from a billboard outside the Milan condo sales centre, along with another rendering — from the Milan website — suggesting how the condo’s podium rooftop terrace will look. There’s also a series of photos I’ve taken at the Milan site over the past three years, along with recent pics of some of Milan’s neighbours.

This rendering of the Milan condo tower appears on the exterior of the sales centre on Yonge Street. The condo tower will rise from a long podium that will stretch along the north side of Church Street.

Architectural rendering of Milan’s podium rooftop terrace

December 3 2008: Milan condo site viewed from Church Street looking north

December 3 2008: Milan billboard on the condo tower site

December 3 2008: Milan condo location viewed from Church Street looking north. A pay parking lot occupied the site until construction commenced

This notice, seen in September 2008, was posted next to the Milan site on Church Street for several years. If I recall correctly, stiff neighbourhood opposition to the two buildings originally proposed by a developer led city council to approve construction of only one taller tower instead

This sign also stood on Church Street next to the Milan site. My understanding is that, in the early 2000s, developers proposed building a complex of several condo towers and townhouses on the lands occupied by the big Canadian Tire store as well as on the parking area where Milan currently is under construction. However, Canadian Tire ultimately decided to retain and renovate its Yonge Street store instead, and sold off the parking lot property. Now only one tower is being built

December 3 2008: The Milan condo sales office in the two-storey building at left, and the Canadian Tire gas bar at the corner of Yonge & Church

December 3 2008: Milan will rise on the gas depot’s right side

July 25 2010: The parking lot has been closed and fenced off so the site can be prepared for excavation and construction of the condo tower

July 25 2010: Rubble remaining from structures demolished on the condo site. The Canadian Tire store and its parking lot are visible to the north

July 25 2010: Northeast view of demolition activity. A subway train can be seen passing the property (upper middle of the photo) along the Yonge subway line

November 1 2010: Preliminary site excavation work has begun

November 1 2010: Preliminary excavation work at the site’s northeast corner

November 1 2010: Pile driving and excavation equipment at work

November 1 2010: Eastward view toward the Milan site from a new parkette in front of the Lotus condo tower on Davenport Road at Yonge Street

January 9 2011: Eastward view of the Milan condo tower excavation

January 9 2011: Southeasterly view of the Milan condo excavation

January 9 2011: Snow-covered excavation at the west end of the site

March 16 2011: Excavation progress at the southeast corner of the site

March 16 2011: A sea of mud stretches all the way to the west end of the site next to the gas bar on Yonge Street, visible at the top left

March 16 2011: From Church Street, the Milan property slopes toward the TTC subway tracks and Aylmer Avenue in the Rosedale ravine

March 16 2011: The excavation is deepest on the north edge of the site

March 16 2011: The subway tracks run along on the other side of the wall

March 16 2011: Milan site looking northeast toward Rosedale

March 16 2011: Truck ramp from Church Street to the bottom of the pit

March 16 2011: Boots box in a muddy pit

March 16 2011: The ramp from the Church Street construction entrance

March 16 2011: Machines and equipment at the bottom of the ramp

March 16 2011: The deep pit below the Canadian Tire gas station

March 16 2011: The Milan excavation, looking south toward Church Street

March 16 2011: Foundation building machine at the bottom of the pit

March 16 2011: An earth mover in a muddy pool of water in the pit

March 16 2011: The entrance to the subway tunnel leading to the Bloor-Yonge subway station can be seen at the top left corner

March 16 2011: Canadian Tire view toward the Milan location

Milan’s neighbours to the south and east include several condo and apartment buildings, as well as The Bay and CIBC office towers at Yonge & Bloor (rear right)

March 16 2011: Canadian Tire southeast view of the Milan location

The Toronto Reference Library is situated directly across Church Street from Milan; the office towers at Bloor & Yonge are just a short walk south

March 16 2011: Davenport Road view toward the Milan site. The 37-storey condo tower will dominate this view once construction is complete

March 16 2011: One of Milan’s neighbours will be the MTV studios in the historic Masonic Temple building on the corner of Yonge Street and Davenport Road

Milan’s neighbours to the west are the two Four Seasons Toronto hotel and condo towers currently under construction (left), and the Lotus condos (right)

Raising L : Daniel Libeskind-designed condo tower begins climb above Yonge St. hoarding

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Construction crews at the south end of the L Tower site on March 7 2011

Construction is now higher than the hoarding along Yonge St.

Rebar pokes above hoarding along the tower’s Yonge Street perimeter

Raising L: For the past three years, hoarding has hidden most of the construction progress for the 57-storey L Tower condominium going up on Yonge Street, between Front Street and The Esplanade. But now that construction is climbing higher than the hoarding, passersby are finally getting a glimpse of the controversial Daniel Libeskind-designed skyscraper. The big question now is: will people like it? When the condo tower project was announced in 2005, its original L-shaped boot-shaped design drew considerable criticism and downright blunt derision. The funky-looking “foot” and “heel,” actually an eight-storey podium, was originally intended to be a $75 million cultural facility dedicated to arts and heritage awareness. Since the podium “toe” would have extended over the roof of the city-owned Sony Centre for the Performing Arts next door, some people thought the image of a “boot” stomping on the Sony Centre looked ridiculous. However, as architecture writer John Bentley Mays explained in an Oct. 29 2009 column in The Globe and Mail, that project hit the skids when the federal and provincial governments refused funding, and no corporate sponsors could be found to step in and foot the bill. With the cultural centre axed, the much-maligned podium was chopped from the design and the resulting tower, to use John Bentley Mays’ words, “is half a Libeskind, a shaft without a strong base.”

(I always thought the boot would have been an excellent site for a Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the famous neon signs saved from the long-defunct Sam the Record store at Yonge and Gould Streets. Some of you might recall that, around the time the L-Tower was unveiled, plans were announced to build a Canadian Music Hall of Fame in the Metropolis entertainment complex being built opposite Yonge-Dundas Square. Those plans ultimately got derailed, while Metropolis itself encountered turbulence in its efforts to obtain construction financing. The complex did eventually get built, and was officially called Toronto Life Square after the owners of the local magazine with the same title purchased naming rights. But Toronto Life ended its affiliation with the building several years ago and the complex, which is home to AMC cinemas, restaurants and retail stores, is now known simply as 10 Dundas East.)

But the L Tower’s problems continued beyond the cancellation of the podium museum project. Funds from the condo tower development were going to be used to revitalize the 50-year-old Sony Centre (originally called the O’Keefe Centre, and more recently the Hummingbird Centre.) The Sony Centre’s desperately-needed interior upgrades were supposed to begin in 2007; however, the renovation work got pushed to the fall of 2009. Part of the delay was due to difficulties in arranging financing during the global recession, while it also took time for the developer to resolve various outstanding issues with the city. In an Oct. 21 2009 story in the National Post, former Toronto Mayor David Miller is quoted as saying: “You’re building a very significant new condominium building above a heritage building. That’s complicated, the financing is complicated and the neighbourhood consultation was complicated… There were 27 public meetings.”

Construction eventually did commence on a revised tower design. As described by John Barber in an Oct. 3 2008 column in The Globe and Mail, “the revised plan…shows a plain, generous plaza on the [Sony] Centre’s Yonge Street frontage, where the boot was meant to come down. The handsome limestone cladding of the centre’s western elevation remains largely unmolested, as does it roof.” But while the Sony Centre lost a new cultural attraction, the condo tower gained a great new place for some of its facilities. “Such amenities as an indoor pool, fitness facilities, spa and a party room were moved above ground from basement level. The development also includes a landscaped outdoor plaza running north to Front St. that will be open to the public,” Paula Kulig wrote in a Nov. 7 2009 article in the Toronto Star.

Below are renderings of the L Tower’s original and revised designs, along with photos I’ve taken at the condo construction site over the past three years.

A rendering of the much-criticized original “boot” design for L Tower, left, compares with a rendering of the revised footless condo building, right

September 3 2008: Original development proposal sign for the L Tower condo tower, seen here outside the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

September 3 2008: L Tower billboards on hoarding outside Sony Centre

The building under construction behind the Sony Centre is the London on the Esplanade condo complex, another project by the same developer as L Tower.

Sept 22 2008: CN Tower view of the L Tower site (circled)

April 25 2009: Original L Tower design rendering on a billboard on the hoarding along the Yonge Street side of the construction site

November 8 2009: L Tower condo tower marketing sign, featuring the revised building design, propped on a sidewalk on The Esplanade

March 9 2010: Demolition and early excavation work at the L Tower site

March 9 2010: Excavator digging at the south end of the site near The Esplanade

March 9 2010: North view of demolition and excavation activity

March 9 2010: Hoarding along the Yonge Street sidewalk next to the L Tower construction site; note that exterior work has finished on the nearby London on the Esplanade condo building behind the Sony Centre

November 2 2010: CN Tower view of cranes at the L Tower construction site

November 2 2010: Another CN Tower view of the L Tower construction site

November 9 2010: L Tower construction site viewed from The Esplanade

November 9 2010: L Tower foundation building progress viewed from Yonge St.

January 3 2011: L Tower construction site viewed from The Esplanade

January 3 2011: Above-grade construction viewed from Yonge St.

January 3 2011: Rebar for wall forms extend one storey above street level

January 3 2011: Foundation construction forms viewed from Yonge St.

February 3 2011: Floor building forms for L Tower construction are stored on the future Esplanade location of the Backstage condo tower

February 3 2011: A crane hoists an L Tower building form into the air

February 3 2011: Construction progress viewed from The Esplanade

February 3 2011: Building forms for L Tower’s street level along Yonge Street

February 3 2011: Street-level construction viewed from Yonge Street

March 7 2011: Yonge Street view of construction crews on the L Tower site

March 7 2011: Building forms viewed from the west side of Yonge Street

March 7 2011: L Tower construction viewed from the west side of Yonge Street

March 7 2011: Two tall cranes are being used to build the 57-storey condo tower

March 7 2011: Workers and the crane at the south end of the construction site

March 7 2011: The construction is most visible at the south end of the site

March 7 2011: Workers put metal bars in place for construction of the next level

March 7 2011: Northeast view of the site from the nearby GO bus terminal

March 7 2011: Construction viewed through the southwest truck entrance

March 7 2011: Construction viewed from the south side of The Esplanade

Once it reaches its full 57-floor height, L Tower will block most of this view, from The Esplanade, of these Financial District skyscrapers

March 7 2011 view north, from The Esplanade, of the L Tower construction site

March 7 2011: First level of above-grade construction viewed from The Esplanade

Aura condo tower foundation reaching street level

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The Aura webcam captured this view of the construction site this morning

This February 15 photo shows construction workers atop foundation forms level with Yonge Street near the north end of the condo tower construction site…

…while this February 20 photo shows street-level forms in the middle of the site

Street view: Foundation construction activity for the 75-storey Aura at College Park condo tower has reached street level at the north end of the project site, while underground floors continue to take shape at a slower pace on the southern two-thirds of the property. When I passed Aura on February 15, construction crews were working atop street-level foundation forms between the north (orange) construction crane and the hoarding that protects the pedestrian entrance to the College Park mall. On February 20, forms extended farther south, creeping toward the white construction crane near the Gerrard Street side of the Aura property. Meanwhile, the southwest construction zone — on the west side of the truck ramp leading from Gerrard Street into the underground College Park loading docks — has considerable catching up to do. This area, where a third construction crane operates, is basically still a deep pit with just one underground level poured, far behind the progress achieved elsewhere on the Aura building site. Below are some of my recent photos of construction progress on the tower foundation.

February 15: Street-level foundation work at the north end of the site

February 15: Street-level foundation forms extend to the first crane

February 15: Northeast corner of site viewed from Yonge Street

February 15: Another north view of the site from Yonge St.

February 15: Foundation work is still below grade south of the orange crane

February 15: Foundation forms begin filling in the south half of the tower site

February 15 : Workers on top of foundation forms at the north end of the site

February 18: Yonge-Gerrard view of the three cranes at the Aura site

February 20: Gerrard Street view of the east side of the construction site

February 20: Basement level construction beneath the truck ramp that leads from Gerrard Street into the underground loading docks for the College Park complex

February 20: Underground levels on the east side of the site

February 20: Gerrard Street view toward the elevator block construction

February 20: The elevator block takes shape below the orange crane

February 20: Gerrard Street view of the south half of the construction site

February 20: Construction progress along the Gerrard Street flank of the site

February 20: Gerrard Street view of the southwest corner of the project site

February 20: Foundation work at the southwest corner of the site

February 20: North view of the site from corner of Gerrard and Yonge

February 20: Street-level foundation work viewed from Yonge Street

February 20: Northwest section of the site, looking toward Yonge Street

Yonge St. site ready for excavation … but when will Ryerson reveal student learning centre design?

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Ryerson University sign at the corner of Yonge and Gould Streets

Site’s all set: It was a year ago this week that Ryerson University announced it had selected the architecture team for the new 10-storey Student Learning Centre (SLC) it plans to build at the corner of Yonge and Gould Streets on the former site of the famous Sam The Record Man store.

During the past couple of months, I have seen small contracting crews on the SLC site, clearing rubble and doing what appeared to be minor pre-construction site preparation work. This afternoon, the property was empty, virtually clear of debris, vehicles and heavy machinery. The site looks like it’s all set for excavation, so I’m wondering if the university may soon reveal the SLC design, and start digging.

I’m sure the whole process has been held up by events during the last two months on the south side of Gould Street, where the historic Empress Hotel building at 335 Yonge Street burned down in a fire that investigators determined was caused by arson. I’m pissed that 335 Yonge was neglected and allowed to languish, and I’m even more angry that the building had to be demolished because of the irreparable damage it suffered both from the fire and subsequent investigation procedures. Now that the beautiful heritage building is gone forever, I hope the property lands in Ryerson’s hands, so the site can be developed into an impressive Yonge Street gateway to the university’s downtown campus. (I definitely don’t want to see 335 Yonge’s owners get city approval to build a condo tower there.)

It was on February 10 last year that the university said it had picked Zeidler Partnership Architects of Toronto and Snøhetta of Oslo and New York City to be co-architects for the 160,000 square foot learning centre, a high-tech library and learning environment connected to the university’s existing library building. Ryerson is hoping the SLC can also be linked to the Yonge subway line by its own on-site entrance to the Dundas subway station.

According to the university, “[t]he state-of-the-art Student Learning Centre will provide the latest technology and will be designed to accommodate different learning styles and teaching practices. The SLC will feature bright, open, technologically rich, barrier-free spaces for individual and collaborative study. A variety of learning environments, digital support and academic services will promote student learning success and help foster a culture of collaboration and creativity.”

Below are pics I’ve taken of the SLC site over the last few years, followed by a couple of photos showing how the site looked this afternoon.

September 26 2008: The iconic Sam the Record Man store seen shortly before its demolition. The building to its left once housed a popular A&A record outlet; after it closed, a Future Shop store occupied the spot for several years.

Another view of the famous Sam the Record Man store before its demolition

September 26 2008: The future SLC site viewed from south of Gould Street

February 15 2009: Demolition of Sam the Record Man store is almost complete

A graffiti-covered wall along O’Keefe Lane is all that remains of the Sam’s store

May 2 2010: Sam’s is long gone, but demolition hasn’t begun on the A&A site

November 23 2010: The former A&A/Future Shop building is finally coming down

December 21 2010: A light layer of snow covers the cleared SLC site

December 21 2010: Site viewed from O’Keefe Lane, looking west to Yonge St.

December 21 2010: The SLC site, looking southwest from O’Keefe Lane

January 5 2011: Site viewed during demolition at the 335 Yonge St. fire scene

January 8 2011: Gould Street during the 335 Yonge fire investigation

February 15 2011: The SLC site viewed from the west side of Yonge at Gould St.

February 15 2011: Vacant SLC site viewed from the corner of Yonge & Elm Streets

Will entrance cube, street-level windows and café improve facade for Toronto Reference Library?

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A new three-storey glass entrance cube will welcome library visitors

One for the books: I love books, but I have never liked the 34-year-old Toronto Reference Library on Yonge north of Bloor. In fact, I could count on one hand the number of times I’ve been inside the place, but for me that has been enough. The library’s soaring central atrium always impresses me at first, but within minutes something about the look and feel of the interior makes me uncomfortable and downright depressed. I can’t put a finger on what bothers me, but once I’m inside I can’t wait to get out.

I’m not a big fan of the library’s vast brick fortress-like exterior, either. Although the building looks interesting and cool from some angles, it looms over a full block of Yonge Street with a hulking, brooding presence. I’ve never enjoyed walking past what feels to me like a prison for books; at street level, the facade is unwelcoming — dark and dreary, with nothing inviting to encourage passersby to enter and explore the literary treasures inside. But I’m hoping that will soon change with ambitious renovations currently underway to the entrance and facade — part of a five-year, $34-million “revitalization” program that’s supposed to finish in 2012.

Revitalization will connect the library to the street

According to a library website announcement detailing all the renovations and changes, the revitalization aims to create “a dynamic interface between the library and its community, connecting the library’s interior more directly to the street, and the public to the services inside.” The three biggest changes to the building exterior will include construction of a three-storey glass entrance “cube,” a glass wall running the full length of the library’s facade along Yonge, and a street-level library retail store and cafe.

Opening up that dark facade to let light into the library while adding some life and energy to the sidewalk sounds terrific to me; those renovations should address my biggest beefs about the building. Many significant changes are happening inside, too; they’re all outlined at the website link above. Will they improve the atmosphere I find so oppressing? Guess I’ll have to wait and see.

As for the exterior, I was happy to see hoarding erected around the library’s ground level in late 2010, a sign that the facade improvements were finally beginning. However, I have walked past at least three times since it went up, and haven’t yet heard any construction noise. The first time, a friend and I were halfway down the block before we realized we were walking under scaffolding; sadly, it didn’t feel much different than before the facade was boarded up. I have noticed that brickwork on some parts of the facade has been removed, though, so I’m hoping the project is proceeding on schedule. And you can bet I’ll be looking forward to the day the hoarding comes down and the new facade is revealed.

The architect behind the project is Ajon Moriyama of Toronto’s Moriyama and Teshima architects. Since Ajon is the son of Raymond Moriyama, the library’s original architect, it will be interesting to see how he improves on his dad’s design. Below is an architects’ rendering of the entrance cube and street-level glass facade, along with some photos I took recently of the building exterior.

Architectural rendering of Toronto Reference Library facade renovations

Toronto Reference Library Yonge Street facade November 11 2010

Toronto Reference Library Yonge Street facade January 9 2011

Toronto Reference Library main entrance under renovation January 9 2011

Toronto Reference Library Collier Street facade January 24 2011

Toronto Reference Library entrance cube construction January 24 2011

Another hotel/condo tower proposed for Yorkville

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A condo/hotel project is planned for the Ridpaths location on Yonge St.

Two towers: Toronto’s in the midst of a hotel building boom. As I mentioned in a recent post, the brand-spanking-new five-star Ritz-Carlton is scheduled to open next month, while three more high-end hotel/condo skyscrapers — the Four Seasons in Yorkville, the Living Shangri-La on University Avenue at Adelaide Street, and the Trump International Hotel and Tower at Bay and Adelaide Streets — are under construction and changing the city skyline already. The newest Le Germain boutique hotel opened at Maple Leaf Square a few months back, while a handful of other hotel properties (smaller and less expensive than the five-stars) are in the works for several downtown locations.

Now, another hotel/condo complex is being proposed for Yorkville near the new Four Seasons, on the site of the venerable Ridpaths furniture store on Yonge Street across from Canadian Tire. A developer wants City approval to build a 35-storey hotel/condo tower that would “partially” retain the existing Ridpath’s building on Yonge Street. A second tower — a condo building with 28 storeys — would be constructed on what is now a customer parking lot behind Ridpaths, accessed from McMurrich Street.

The complex would have 206 residential units; however, the application (as described on the City’s development applications website) does not indicate how many hotel rooms are planned.

In a November 2010 update on its website, The Greater Yorkville Residents’ Association (GYRA) said it plans to meet with Ward 27 councillor Krystyn Wong-Tam “to suggest a working group be formed for residents and other members of the Bloor-Yorkville Community to be actively engaged throughout the application approval process.”

I’m curious to know if the developer plans to keep only the Tudor-style Ridpaths facade, or part of the actual store. If Ridpaths could somehow remain in operation on the premises (unlikely, I know), condo purchasers would get to enjoy furniture shopping only an elevator ride from their apartments. Imagine the decadent convenience of not needing to bundle up in warm winter coats and boots when you want to go browsing for a new bedroom set or coffee table in the middle of February!

Below is a pic of the zoning application sign outside Ridpath’s, and a shot from McMurrich Street of the parking lot where a condo tower would rise.

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Tag Archives: Yonge Street

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

Construction of Ryerson’s Student Learning Centre starts climbing into view at Yonge & Gould

40-storey condo proposed for Yonge & Isabella

49-storey condo tower proposed for east block of Yonge Street between Dundonald & Gloucester

L-evating and adding colour: Cladding installation commences as The L Tower climbs to 23 storeys

Public meeting tomorrow for Ryerson University’s Student Learning Centre development plan

Going …

Developer proposes two 58-storey condo towers to replace retail/restaurant strip at 501 Yonge Street

Ripe for redevelopment: What’s Lanterra going to do with the 501 block on Yonge Street?

Mucking around at the Milan condo tower site

Raising L : Daniel Libeskind-designed condo tower begins climb above Yonge St. hoarding

Aura condo tower foundation reaching street level

Yonge St. site ready for excavation … but when will Ryerson reveal student learning centre design?

Will entrance cube, street-level windows and café improve facade for Toronto Reference Library?

Another hotel/condo tower proposed for Yorkville

Tracking Downtown Toronto's AmazingBuilding Boom.

Tracking Downtown Toronto's Amazing
Building Boom.