August 2011

George Brown College Construction Update

The waterfront campus for George Brown College is taking shape with construction crews soon laying the last beam of the eight-storey building.

Construction crews have completed the supports for all eight floors of the building and will next begin construction of the building envelope. The electrical work, masonry and sprinkler systems have been completed for the three-level underground parking garage, and the masonry and electrical work for the above-grade portion of the building will soon begin. You can watch the construction progress on the George Brown College website.
 

To celebrate that the campus will welcome students in one year, George Brown College hosted their orientation for Health Sciences students on August 30 at Sherbourne Common. Photograph courtesy of George Brown College.

Monde Website Launch

Great Gulf has launched its website for Monde, the first residential development to be built in the new East Bayfront community.  

Monde will feature a variety of suite types, ranging from one to three bedrooms; an outdoor pool; generous terraces and balconies; beautiful gardens and vibrant ground floor retail, all steps away from Lake Ontario. The development will also be part of Waterfront Toronto’s ultra-high speed broadband network.

Sure to set new standards for design excellence on Toronto’s waterfront, Great Gulf assembled a world class team for Monde that includes internationally-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, award-winning interior design firm Cecconi Simone and leading landscape architectural firm Janet Rosenberg & Associates.

Following a competitive process, Great Gulf was selected to be the first residential developer in East Bayfront for its ability to deliver Waterfront Toronto’s vision of a vibrant, mixed-use, green waterside community. Other Great Gulf residential projects include One Bloor, X2 Condos and 18 Yorkville.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012 with completion expected for 2015.

Watch for the official sales launch for Monde this fall.
 

Monde Condominiums reimagines waterfront living in downtown Toronto. International architecture. Pure design. Versatile space. Intelligent living. Life inspired by nature, on Toronto’s new blue edge. Register today.






 

Sherbourne Common Receives Accolades

Last month’s opening of the completed Sherbourne Common has drawn accolades from people across the city and in the media. This unique waterfront park blends art and innovation, providing opportunities for skating, water play and a variety of activities for people along the waterfront.

You can view the official ceremony with Canada’s Minister of the Environment, Peter Kent; Ontario’s Minister of Research and Innovation, Glen Murray and Toronto’s Chair of the Parks and Environment Committee, Norm Kelly by clicking here, or join Christopher Hume of the Toronto Star for a virtual tour of the features of Sherbourne Common.

 

Check out the views of children in The Grid’s article on the park.

East Bayfront Sanitary Sewer Construction Update

Construction of the sanitary sewer for the East Bayfront community continues along Jarvis Street from Wilton Street to Lake Shore Boulevard. Construction has begun on The Esplanade at Scott Street and crews are excavating the area and creating a trench that will follow east along The Esplanade. The majority of the work will be done using this open trench method but a certain amount of the work will be done with underground tunnelling to minimize disruption to the surface.
 

Construction image of the sanitary sewers.

Don River Park Construction Update

Extensive work continues on the iconic Don River Park as park services including water lines, storm sewers, and sanitary sewer system are complete. The park's pavilion is almost complete as well.  The final piece of the pavilion, the sliding wind-break system sheltering the outdoor fireplace, will be installed by the end of September.

Sub-soils to support the park’s planting are being installed and tree planting has begun.  More than 700 varieties of deciduous and coniferous trees native to southern Ontario will create large forested pockets throughout the park. The extensive marsh area is also taking shape.  Marsh plantings have been installed and water levels have been raised to final level.  The marsh boardwalk deck and curbs are complete.  The boardwalk handrails will be installed shortly.  

Work continues to progress in the play areas.  The layout is almost complete in the wet play area; the concrete slab is poured, which will be followed by the installation of equipment and rubber surfacing. In the dry play area the layout is also complete.  The installation of playground equipment has begun and will be followed by slides and sand.  
In River Square, the park’s urban square, stormwater services have been installed and sub-grades finalized. Light pole bases will be installed at River Square, after which planting and soil installation will follow.

Watch the construction progress of Don River Park through the West Don Lands webcam.
 

West Don Lands Stormwater Infrastructure Update

Construction is steadily progressing on the stormwater treatment and management system Waterfront Toronto is constructing in the West Don Lands.  Once complete, the system will service the West Don Lands and the future North Keating portion of the Lower Don Lands.

At the main shaft, located at 480 Lake Shore Boulevard East, concrete forming and pouring of the walls is complete which has allowed the tunnel boring machine to be installed. Excavation has begun on the tunnel from the main shaft to the outfall in the Keating Channel.  It is expected to take approximately a month to dig this tunnel, after which work will begin on the tunnel north of the main shaft tunnel to the smaller shaft north of the rail line.

A tunnel boring machine is a large machine used for excavating through a variety of materials, including soil and rock, to create tunnels below grade.  Tunnel boring machines bore through the earth by cutting into the bedrock at the tunnel face using disc cutters mounted in the cutter head at the front of the machine.  The excavated rock, known as muck, is transferred through openings in the cutter head to a belt conveyor where it runs through the back of the machine to muck cars on rails for removal from the tunnel.  

A tunnel boring machine is being used on this project because it limits the disturbance to the surrounding ground, is much more efficient than other methods and is more suitable in heavily urbanized areas such as this one.  

The marine contractor, engaged to construct the storm sewer outfall portion of the system at the Keating Channel, has mobilized.  Work has started on the removal of the top section of dock wall. Concrete coring for the removal of the balance of the dock wall is ongoing. Inland the coffer dam structure is complete to within 1.5 metres of the back of the dock wall, and forms part of the dock wall bracing structure.
 

Mill Street Construction Update

The Mill Street extension on the east side of Cherry Street is almost complete.  In mid-August, the final lift of asphalt was installed above the base coat asphalt and concrete road-base.  Streetlights, Silva Cells, and sidewalk construction are complete. Boulevard grading is the only remaining work and is expected to be complete in early September.


 

Mill Street extension.

Mimico Waterfront Park Construction Update

Great progress has been made on Phase Two of Mimico Waterfront Park since the official groundbreaking in July. Site preparations are complete and the access route to the shoreline is underway to prepare for the arrival of material that will be used for the lake-filling process along a narrow section of the existing shoreline. The next steps include continuing to layout and shape the shoreline and install a floating silt curtain to protect silt from impacting the lake and endangering fish species and habitat.    

Phase Two extends the park created in Phase One with an additional 500 metres of linear park enabling Torontonians to enjoy the lakefront west of Humber Bay Park West for the first time.  When complete in 2012, the park will provide 1.1 kilometres of linear waterfront park space between Norris Crescent Parkette and Humber Bay Park West.
 

Watch the official video from the park's groundbreaking.

York Quay Construction Update

Bulk excavation required for the construction of the parking garage on the Harbourfront Centre property is approximately 90 per cent complete and detailed excavation required for the footings is about to start.

Installation of the waterproofing has started. This process will allow the forming required for the footings which will be installed over the next month. The tower crane has been erected and is already being used to offload the rebar that will be used for the footings. Foundation and drainage permits have, with a great deal of help from City of Toronto staff, been issued allowing the project to continue construction up to grade. You can watch the construction progress online.
 

Construction image of the parking garage.