1.6K 
Empire Communities threw a topping-off party on Friday at Beyond The Sea condos, their three-tower complex designed by E.I. Richmond Architects on Lake Shore Boulevard in Etobicoke. Beyond The Sea is comprised of a 27-storey north tower, a 37-storey south tower, and now a 44-storey last phase dubbed Star Tower. The complex sits at the mouth of the Mimico Creek where it empties into Humber Bay across from Toronto's growing skyline.
Topping-off parties are for everybody who has had a hand in creating these buildings, so they are timed to happen just before the concrete formers' work is done. Great November weather here in the GTA has meant that the date planned for this event a few weeks ago was pretty much spot on, and that the last concrete forms above the 44th floor penthouses are essentially done. In the shot above from the beginning of the month, Star Tower has reached the setback at the 40th floor, and the 41st floor is mostly formed. Below is an acute angle looking up at the tower now.
Beyond The Sea features a four-storey podium running west along Lake Shore Boulevard from the Mimco Creek to Legion Road. Retail units will make up grade level, while offices make up the second storey. Residential condominium units make up the third and fourth floors of the podium.
Below, concrete mixing trucks line up to deliver their wet material to the site in early November.
Inside the podium is where the party took place. On hand to cut the cake was Tim Murphy - Co-CEO, Empire Communities, Daniel Guizzetti - President and Co-CEO, Empire Communities, Mark Grimes - Councillor, Ward 6 Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Andrew Guizzetti - Executive Vice President and CFO, Empire Communities, and Mike McCart - Planner, City of Toronto.
Enough with the ground level viewing though, topping off means heading skywards to admire the views, and Friday November 25, 2011 was a gorgeous day to do just that! Here's the construction hoist, just having let out at the 40th floor.
So, now that we're up here, let's head straight to the big-ticket item; the view across Humber Bay to Toronto's skyline.
Let's zoom in a little.
That would be some spectacle in the evening, if only we'd bought a unit… Regrets aside, here's the more southerly view across the Humber Bay Parks. This green and blue panorama will never be cut off the Beyond The Sea:
South and east are not the only directions worth looking in from up here. There's also north and west, and a myriad number of points in between if you are a keen observer of the city: there's lots going on 'round here!
The view above provides an update for this bi-coastal part of Etobicoke: while a continent separates the real South Beach from the real California, in Etobicoke it is the Mimico Creek that does it. Amexon's second and final tower at its South Beach project is now over two thirds of the way to its final height, while Camrost Felcorp's California Condos has topped off itself, kitty corner across the creek and the train tracks. Yup, that's a VIA train heading for Union.
The greenspace seen above in the left foreground will become public park someday, while a number of other projects are in various stages of planning and constuction on the east side of the Mimco south of South Beach, including the Times Group's Key West and Onni's Westlake. Meanwhile, the west view takes in Marilyn and her unnamed sister, aka Cityzen and Fernbrook's Absolute World towers by Square One in Missisauga. You can just make out the Niagara Escarpment in the haze on the horizon to the left, too!
Let's pull in a bit again, and scope out the rest of Beyond The Sea from our lofty perch in the third tower. All three of the towers have a peaked roofed meant to evoke a sail. Star Tower is still to get its peak, so even though the pouring of the concrete is finished, the tip top of the building is not close to done yet. Here's what the completed peak looks like on the 27-storey north tower though (which is now being occupied):
Are here's the view down between the north and south towers to the podium, where the roof terrace is partway through being landscaped. Residents will be enjoying the space as of Spring 2012.
If we look up from this same spot we see the south tower, the sweep of Lake Shore Boulevard, and Lake Ontario.
So that, for now, is your tour of vistas from Beyond The Sea. We'll close off with a vista looking back at the complex from the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat earlier in November.
UrbanToronto's dataBase entry for Beyond The Sea has many renderings showing what to expect of the final product, and has lots more info including links to take you to the official website if you might be interested in one of the remaining suites here. You can also join in on the dicussion about this project by choosing one of the associated Forum threads links below.
