Below grade construction is progressing for Camrost-Felcorp's Cumberland at Yorkville Plaza. The condominium is being built on the Avenue Road site that was occupied by the podium of the former Four Seasons Yorkville hotel from 1972 up until its demolition in 2012. The footprint of the two-storey, brutalist-style podium is now in the process of being replaced with a new 40-storey, WZMH Architects-designed tower which will add 363 condominium suites and hundreds of new residents to the vibrant Yorkville area.

Below-grade construction at the site of Cumberland at Yorkville Plaza, image by Jack Landau

At the time of our previous visit to the site three weeks ago, concrete forming work was well under way on the 2nd of the building's five below-grade levels. In the time since, work has begun on the building's third below-grade level, and the rebar is now in place for that level's support columns. For comparison, here is a photo of how the site appeared around the same time last month.

Below-grade construction at the site of Cumberland at Yorkville Plaza, as seen in July, image by Jack Landau

Though the progress may seem a bit slow, this stage of construction is one of the most complex for any high-rise project as the unique layout of these below-grade levels requires the use of purpose-built, often single-use forms, which slow the construction pace. As the project reaches grade, and the building's podium begins to take shape, like below-grade construction, the forming of these unique levels is also a complicated process. The podium will likely take about a month per floor to construct before work moves on to the faster tower floors, the repeating layouts of which allow for the forms to be used again and again, allowing for a comparatively brisk pace of construction, normally of about one floor per week.

Rendering of event lounge and outdoor terrace, image courtesy of Camrost-Felcorp

Cumberland at Yorkville Plaza is offering 363 suites ranging in size from 385 to 855 square feet, and priced between $350,000 and $750,000. Residents of the development will enjoy amenity spaces appointed by The Design Agency, including an aquatic centre with an indoor pool, whirlpool spa, and a steam room, as well as spaces like a gym, yoga studio, and an outdoor terrace space with barbecues.

Additional information and renderings can be found in the dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.