About two years after the arrival of shoring rigs marked the start of construction, work is well underway for the first of four condominium towers coming to 88 Queen Street East in Downtown Toronto. The first phase of the multi-tower project by St Thomas Developments is a 27-storey, IBI Group-designed condo tower known as 88 North. Ascending into the air on the northern third of the 10,000 m² site facing Shuter Street, the tower is the beginning of the end for the area's largest remaining surface parking lot.

Looking northeast to 88 North, image by Forum contributor drum118

Following shoring and excavation, work began on below-grade forming, with concrete and steel reaching grade in May 2018, roughly a year after the start of construction. Forming of the building's podium wrapped up in the Fall of 2018, followed by the start of the tower floorplates above. When we last checked in on the project back in November, the building stood 8 storeys above Shuter Street. In the months since, the building has climbed to 16 storeys.

Looking southeast to 88 North, image by Forum contributor drum118

The building is being finished in a window wall cladding with full-floor height glazing framed in dark mullions. White aluminum banding covers slab edges between the floors to form horizontal accents.

Cladding on 88 North, image by Forum contributor drum118

Once construction wraps up, 88 North will bring 400 new homes to the area. The first phase tower will be followed by the three towers of 88 Queen East to the south. Set to rise to heights of 27, 28, and 49 storeys, the trio of additional towers will bring almost 1,150 new residential units to the fast-growing area in the coming years. 

88 North, image via submission to City of Toronto

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.

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