The crane is climbing into the sky at Backstage On The Esplanade and the  L-Tower by Cityzen Development GroupFernbrook Homes and Castlepoint Numa. The neighbouring high-rise condominium developments are currently remaking the Yonge Street gateway to Downtown Toronto.

Backstage (foreground) and L Tower (background), viewed from Yonge and Lake Shore, image by Jack Landau

When we last checked in on the 36-storey Backstage in late-October, work had reached the 23rd level of  the Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed building. Construction now has progressed up to the 32nd floor slab, with just four more residential levels left to pour before work gets under way on the mechanical penthouse level above.

Backstage on The Esplanade standing 32 storeys tall, image by Jack Landau

Cladding installation has also progressed quite a bit since our last visit, and much of the concrete superstructure is now sealed off from the elements by the dark-tinted window wall cladding and white spandrel accents.

Cladding on the south side of Backstage, image by Jack Landau

Across the street to the north, the Studio Daniel Libeskind and Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed L-Tower has now been topped off for several months. While the development's tower crane is still fixed to the east side of the tower awaiting final equipment for the window maintenance unit, move-ins are under way for the tower's first residents.

L Tower and Backstage under construction, image by Jack Landau

Work currently covers finishing up details of the exterior at ground level, including sidewalks around the perimeter, interior work on unfinished suites, and the final panels of cladding where the crane is still attached.

Work under way on the sidewalks surrounding L Tower, image by Jack Landau

The two developments share a parking garage, located both above and below ground in the Backstage podium. Backstage's parking will be located on the podium's above ground levels, while L Tower's parking lot is located below-ground.

P1 level of L Tower's parking, below ground at Backstage, image courtesy of ltowerconstructioninfo.com

The L Tower garage is connected back to that building by a pedestrian passage which was dug by a tunnel boring machine during the excavation phase of Backstage's construction. Below, a shot of the tunnel as it appeared still in the rough during a November 2013 hardhat tour.

Tunnel connecting L Tower and Backstage, as seen in November of 2013, image by Jack Landau

Looking for more information on L Tower and Backstage? Additional details including building facts, renderings, and floor plans can be found in our dataBase files, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or add your voice to the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.

Related Companies:  Castlepoint Numa, CCxA, CFMS Consulting Inc., Milborne Group, Rebar Enterprises Inc