Toronto Minto Midtown | 160.01m | 52s | Minto Group | Zeidler

Given the east/south description, I'd say it would have to be. Nothing else in the general area. I'd love to see a pic to get a sense of the scale.
 
from cp24.com

sep0806-sinkhole.jpg

garbage truck driver got the fright of his life early Friday when his truck was swallowed up by a sinkhole near Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave.

It was a normal night on the job for the driver until the ground gave way on Holly St. in the midtown neighbourhood. Fortunately the driver managed to get out of the vehicle without being hurt, but the challenge of removing the Wasteco truck has become a bigger one than first expected.

The vehicle has reportedly sunk another two inches since the road first caved in at about 3am, and there's word two unknown rivers have been discovered underneath the area. Ministry of Labour officials and engineers are at the site trying to determine how the sinkhole occurred and whether they can safely bring in heavy equipment to move the truck.

It could be some time before that area of Holly St. is reopened to traffic.
 
Yes, this is right up against the Minto site (and no doubt a result of all the water that has been drained away for the last year. They are going to have to do some major repairs to prevent the back of the project from suffering problems in the short and long run).
 
Let me take this opportunity to express my ongoing delight at the fact that I live in a city where the garbage trucks are labelled, in giant block letters, 'WASTECO'. It's perfect! I mean, if you were making a Batman movie, and you needed the garbage trucks of Gotham City to be labelled, what would put on them? WASTECO!
 
Well back in the 60s, the official waste contractor for Toronto was "Disposal Services", which had a logo (CN-inspired, maybe?) that disconcertingly anticipated Toronto Unlimited...
 
From the Post:

City warns firm over sinkhole
Garbage truck swallowed near condo project

Katie Rook, National Post
Published: Saturday, September 23, 2006

The city has warned Minto Midtown Inc. it will be on the hook for costs if construction of its condominium development near Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue is found to have contributed to a sinkhole that swallowed a garbage truck on Sept. 8.

A letter to Minto, obtained by the National Post, confirms a city investigation into the partial collapse of a public laneway bordering the construction site of two condo towers -- the development of which neighbours protested.

The investigation, expected to conclude next week, will determine if ground water levels and soil conditions were altered by construction and contributed to the collapse, said Raffi Bedrosyan, a city engineer investigating the incident.

"One possibility is because of construction activities," he said. "That's what we're trying to investigate ... if [the sinkhole] is related to construction activities or [if] it's a natural phenomenon.

"If we conclude that the collapse is due to the construction activities, we're putting them on notice," he said. "To recover costs."

The letter, which the Post did not receive from Mr. Bedrosyan, also stated Minto does not have "clearance to proceed with the proposed storm sewer work in the subject laneway" until the investigation is complete and all precautions to protect private and public property have been taken.

Minto vice-president of development Bob Blazevski, to whom the city's letter was addressed, would not confirm receipt of the Sept. 15 document.

"There are sinkholes all over the city; they are fairly common," he said. "I am surprised there is a [media] follow-up on it."

The hole has been back-filled and Minto is co-operating with the city's investigation, he said.

"Our engineers are advising there is no impact to us so we're co-operating with the city if there is anything they need from us."

Mr. Bedrosyan, who wrote the letter, said it was only issued to Minto.

During an afternoon garbage pick-up on Sept. 8 a 27,000-kilogram Wasteco vehicle became lodged in the pavement of a laneway running parallel to Holly Street. Six of the truck's back wheels sank into the 2.5-metre deep, seven-metre long and three-metre wide hole.

Bore holes were being drilled yesterday, while the rat-tat-tat from other nearby construction sites echoed between several low-rise condo buildings and offices overlooking the laneway.

City engineer Maurizio Barbon told insidetoronto.com that further examination of area soil showed the earth about 20 feet below the surface was loose and sandy.

"We're now looking deeper and trying to determine the state of the soil beyond 20 feet and why the soil's in a loose state," he said.

"There might be a void in there and we're trying to figure out what needs to be done. It may require grouting to fill the loose areas with something more solid."

At least one neighbourhood ratepayers association contested the development of 53-storey and 39-storey towers.

Residents have continued to oppose noise levels created by construction.

Chris Sellors, executive assistant to Councillor Michael Walker, said residents had in the past complained of a smaller sinkhole in the area.

The investigation is limited to the laneway, Mr. Bedrosyan said. He does not know of any city investigation into sinkholes in that area.

krook@nationalpost.com

© National Post 2006

AoD
 
Re: Even more pics!

Great pics! I'm in Ottawa and this is a great way to see the building go up. BTW, there's a webcam pointed at the construction site on the TVO Kids webpage.
 
Re: Even more pics!

Hello, InOTT, and welcome.

Thanks for the update, Alklay. Those first panels hang forlornly like a certain curtain wall test section I once knew...

IMG_50061.jpg


Notice how the podium sorta-but-not-quite matches the bank in the background. A pity it doesn't actually line up, but I guess the Met has raised my expectations that way...
 
Re: Even more pics!

Years ago Mr Man (I think) posted the plan for the entire area. It showed two more Minto Towers, one to the north where the sales centre is and one replacing the building with the TD offices. That might even things out.
 
Re: Even more pics!

i think i remember that plan. it was related to the eglinton bus station redevelopment
 
Re: Even more pics!

18 Yorkville magically appears at Y&E on page 27 of that report.
 

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