Toronto 30 Merton Street | 125.3m | 37s | QuadReal | Sweeny &Co

[Wysiwyg]

Water was shut down for a good part of Friday for the city crew to repair the watermain. Let’s see how long before they break it again as they drive right over the same spot again now.

This picture was taken today at 7:45am, but work began at 7:17am (they started moving their equipment at 7:03]. This is despite saying heavy/noisy work won’t start until 8am. I feel this demolition company (Orin) doesn’t follow rules very well. And I won’t even go into the number of safety issues I observe….

I’m now expecting telecommunications to go down at some point since their Utility boxes are buried somewhere in the rubble. (Can’t imagine how Rogers or Bell can access them during a service call!)

 

[idlesongs]

Demolition progress over the last three days, vantage from the adjacent apartment building on Balliol.

 

[rbt]

Parking garage all gone.

 

[3Dementia]

Would love to know why a 37 storey building requires a mechanical penthouse the size of a small mid-rise building. Multi-level squash courts or SMR containment perhaps?

Expect better from Sweeny + QuadReal.

30 Merton

 

[rbt]

Here we can see the zookeeper bathing the young excavator family as they nibble on what remains of their concrete meal.

https://imgur.com/Nqe4JOw

 

[Wysiwyg]

I haven’t posted an update for quite a while. Here’s a view taken minutes ago.

Some developments:
- Concrete barriers were installed recently on Al Green Lane. This now prevents trucks from maneuvering into loading docks, so they just block the entire lane sometimes for hours at a time. That must affect those living at 18 Merton since it blocks their garage ramp.
- They are removing the protective paneling on the sidewalk. Hopefully they will be reinstalled on Merton (in lieu of the parking spaces) and this mitigate some of the noise from those drunks leaving Tamasha at 2:30am on weekends. (Notice the parking sign totally gone)
- Heavy work continues to start right at 7am now, totalling ignoring their claim that it wouldn’t begin until 8 (just moving equipment can start at 7)x

 

[Wysiwyg]

Rogers Internet went out at 35 Merton around 11am today. It was a matter a time. Rogers was dispatched and arrived at 12:55. Technician looking at box (fully enclosed with plywood and gravel/garbage) so not sure how to proceed. It looks like this could take a while.

 

[Wysiwyg]

They cleared the box! Now Rogers can access it and fix the internet. I predicted this would happen back in July. Glad it occurred on a weekday and not a weekend when the demolition crew is not present.

 

[Wysiwyg]

Crew worked all evening and into the night (with flashlights). Appears to be a a cable cut after all, but I can’t confirm. I just saw them work/lay new cabling on the northern side of the site (near the medical centre entrance). Ironically, this is where the majority of the demolition work was taking place yesterday.

Internet back this morning.

Edit … walked by site this morning on my way to work. This was indeed a cable cut. Looks like they ran some new lines overnight and they are just sitting there on top of the dirt and on the side of the lane way at risk of being cut again. Also noticed what looks like a generator hooked up to the grey Rogers box.

To be continued…

 

[artyboy123]

New renderings are updated in the database. The total unit count changed from 323 units to 322 units. And total parking space count changed from 317 parking to 318 parking.

Renderings are taken from the architectural plan via Site Plan Approval:

 

[3Dementia]

I posted elsewhere that (regarding the previous renderings) that the towering mechanical penthouse was not what I would expect from Sweeny&Co.

I speculated that perhaps it contained squash courts or maybe a micro-nuclear reactor to power the street.

These latest revisions suggest part of the mech penthouse might be a rooftop amenity space (?), replete with diving platforms or balconies. A bit less fugly now with some patches of glazing but, this inquiring mind continues to wonder.

 

[Wysiwyg]

The TESLA truck has been draining the Lysol filled pond

 

[Wysiwyg]

Haven’t posted a general view of site for a little while. Here’s how it looks right now.

 

[Wysiwyg]

It appears like the south end of Al Green lane is preparing to be blocked off.

edit….. it looks like they are just assembling in the lane to increase the height of the protection. Vehicles can still drive through (expect delays though)

I remember seeing on one rendering that the lane would be covered at some point to provide protection to pedestrians walking near the construction site.

edit 2: it looks like this could be part of the rehabilitation project at 18 Merton and unrelated to the 30 Merton project.

 

[Wysiwyg]

Orin has wrapped up their demolition yesterday. All is quiet now and they are ready to leave.

Next step will be the actual construction. That can get really noisy as well, especially in the early stages when they hammer in the steel poles…