Westbank Corp and Allied Properties REIT are moving ahead with the redevelopment of 19 Duncan Street in Toronto's Entertainment District. The 58-storey mixed-use tower is designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects. It will include a health club a half storey below ground, a restaurant and lobbies at ground level, and nine storeys of offices above before residential rental apartments continue to the top. The five-and-a-half-storey 1908-built Southam Press Building was de-leased over the summer and the building has since been fully abated. The preservation of its south and west walls has been planned by ERA Architects.

The Southam Press Building in August, seen from the east, by UT Forum contributor ProjectEnd

Plans for the tower's construction have been divided into 4 phases. The Phase 1 preparatory work can start as of October, 9 when the City is allowing the closure of the southmost lane on Adelaide beside the building, and the curb lane on Duncan. Barriers and hoarding will be constructed in the closed lanes so that first stage work can soon begin behind. It will consist of drilling, shoring, and installation of steel structure to support the heritage facade of the Southam Press Building. Phase 1 is expected to take 6 months to complete.

Podium at 19 Duncan, image courtesy of Westbank Corp

Phase 2 work is targeted to begin in April, 2018. Expected to take 18 months, it includes the interior demolition of the Southam Press Building, excavation of the site for a four-storey underground garage, and construction of the 9-storey podium. 

Looking southwest to 19 Duncan, image courtesy of Westbank Corp

If construction is running on schedule, Phase 3 will happen in October and November 2019, when 6 weeks will be required to remove the steel structure used to keep the Southam Press Building facade in place. Finally, construction of the tower from level 10 to the top is expected to take 24 months, with an opening of the building currently targeted before the end of 2021.

Skyline at 19 Duncan, image courtesy of Westbank Corp

Westbank and Allied submitted Site Plan Approval documents to the City of Toronto in May of this year, and followed with some revisions in August. Images in this document represent the design now seeking its final approvals. UrbanToronto will keep you up-to-date on work here. If you want to know more now, you can look through our database file for 19 Duncan, linked below. If you want to talk about it, you can get in on the discussion in our associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.