Developed by Concord Adex just to the west of Downtown, Toronto's largest master-planned community is taking shape on a 45-acre site that 15,000 people will eventually call home. Concord CityPlace's newest additions, 39-storey high Spectra and 41 storey Quartz reached a milestone in their construction process when the last fences surrounding the site were taken down recently, opening the surrounding sidewalks to pedestrians. 

A general view of Quartz and Spectra looking west, image by Jimmy Wu

The towers' distinctive slanting rooflines—conceived by RAW Design to hide each tower's mechanical penthouse floors—along with the now completed mostly white facades, clearly stand out in the urban landscape created by the other buildings around them, predominantly composed of blue or green glass walls. Splashes of colour applied to both buildings also add some vitality to the edifices. While some coloured stripes run on the facades from top to bottom with a higher concentration on the podiums, it's an eye-catching artwork called Gardiner Streams by Katharine Harvey that gets all the attention.

Gardiner Streams, by Katharine Harvey, on the south side of the Prisma Club, image by Craig White

Named after the busy expressway it faces, this giant painting covers part of the towers' shared recreation centre's south exterior wall. The detached building—called the Prisma Club—houses the amenities for residents from both developments and includes a game room, guest parking, a guest suite, gym, movie and party rooms, a roof deck, a sauna and a swimming pool which is creatively disguised from the exterior by Harvey's work.

General view of the Prisma Club, image by Tuscani01

With the completion date approaching, some details are emerging concerning the kind of shops that will fill the extensive commercial spaces situated at the base of the towers. Along Fort York Boulevard, 8,588 sq feet of retail divided into 6 units will soon see their first tenants moving in.

A view of the sidewalk at the base of Spectra along Fort York Boulevard, looking east, image by Tuscani01

Unit 1 is to become Rose's New York Style Pizza and Sandwiches, and will reinforce the selection of restaurants in the neighbourhood. Most importantly, it will include an outdoor space, bringing more life to the curbs during warm days.

Unit 1 will become Roses new York Style Pizza and Sandwiches, picture by Tuscani01

Unit 6, by far the largest of all, at the corner of Fort York and Dan Leckie Way is also set to become a restaurant, even though no further details are available for now as it still houses the construction office for the site. 

Leasing diagram for Spectra, image courtesy of Concord Adex

Further south on along Dan Lackie Way, Quartz's podium will feature a 2,760 sq foot commercial unit that will directly face the park.

Leasing diagram for Quartz, image courtesy of Concord Adex

As Spring arrives, so will landscaping, further public art, and more retail news. We will return to witness that progress, but for now, additional information—including building facts and renderings—can be found in our dataBase files, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.