Toronto Ontario Line: King-Bathurst Station | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | HDR

[isaidso]

Correct. I had friends who lived in a dynamite loft on one of the upper floors.

 

[AHK]

March 2 - Saturday late morning. Almost nothing left of the buildings on the north side of King Street, a couple of stub walls plus a lot of debris to be cleared away. On the south side, demolition of the remaining portion of the Banknote building is proceeding quickly - a crew is even working today.

North Side:

South Side (back end of the Banknote Building)

 

[AHK]

March 2 - Late afternoon, some further demolition pictures of the south side of King Street, as of the end of the work day:

 

[royalblue]

We live across the road from the buildings on the north side of Stewart Street. While there was some business use unites in the brick buildings backing on the Banknote building, they were definitely residential or live work units there. We met some of the residents - including incidents of handling mis-directed mail and newspaper deliveries.

I do not know where you live, but sorry - you are incorrect regarding these buildings - they was definitely a residential component to them.

I live on Stewart St. - I see what you mean, I was not aware those are mixed use. But certainly would not describe them as "residential buildings" as you did.

 

[sprtn]

I live on Stewart St. - I see what you mean, I was not aware those are mixed use. But certainly would not describe them as "residential buildings" as you did.

There was about 10 live work units in the Stewart building that the previous development applications would have been required to relocate/replace in a new proposed tower. Once the expropriation happened I believe they all received termination notices to vacate.

Correct me if I am wrong but were the two semi houses on Stewart immediately adjacent also demolished? It appears they were as they were purple and I don’t see the. In the latest photos.

 

[AHK]

March 6 - and demolition activities for the King Bathurst station are moving very quickly at this point. A couple of photos from the north side of King Street first, followed by pictures of the work on the south side of King.

North Side of King Street - really not much left other than clearing out the debris. One very small piece of original structure left standing, that is all.

South Side of King Street:

Starting below grade excavation - clearing out foundation and basement components before backfilling for shoring and main excavation activities.

One final photo - as the demolition activities are completed the existing hoardings are being removed and pedestrian access to the original sidewalks is being restored. The footprint for the shoring and station construction will be a bit set back from the sidewalk, with the hoardings contained within property. The sidewalk closures and hoardings may return after the station construction itself has been completed, and the TOC buildings are constructed on top of the new station footprint.

 

[royalblue]

There was about 10 live work units in the Stewart building that the previous development applications would have been required to relocate/replace in a new proposed tower. Once the expropriation happened I believe they all received termination notices to vacate.

Correct me if I am wrong but were the two semi houses on Stewart immediately adjacent also demolished? It appears they were as they were purple and I don’t see the. In the latest photos.

The semis are still there, the previous tenants were removed (Yoga studio) and I believe they have been gutted and renovated (and I think even painted white, IIRC). I briefly scrolled through the photos and it looks like most people cut them off because they are east of the site. I can try and take a pic if I remember.

Here is the demolition site and you can see east of 60 Stewart St. is left alone.

 

[AHK]

A couple of photos of the demolition activities from above - one of the north side of King Street, the other from the south side:

 

[AHK]

Saturday, March 9 and a working day for the Ontario Line crew at the King Bathurst station, lots happening on both sides of King Street. On the north side, ongoing removal of the debris, demolition of most of what was left of the old elevator shaft (still a small stub left to go), and digging out of the basements and foundations of the former buildings. On the south side, demolition of the above ground structure has been completed.

North Side of King Street:

South Side of King Street:

 

[AHK]

March 13 - Buildings on both north and south sides of King Street are completely demolished, now it is removal of the debris and digging out the basements and foundations.

 

[Red Mars]

Mar 12 and 13, 2024

 

[AHK]

March 14: North side of King Street, the protective hoarding along Bathurst Street is in the process of being removed. The initial layer of excavation for the basements and foundations of the former structures is ongoing, and at the west (Bathurst) side of the site, backfill to establish the stable base for shoring has already started.

On the south side of King Street, ongoing removal of the construction debris, and digging out the basement and foundations of the former buildings - as can be seen below - these were very shallow structures, no below grade parking to contend with.

All detached and about to go home...

 

[AHK]

March 15:

1. North side of King Street - hoardings along both the King Street and Bathurst Street have been removed. When actual construction starts, the new hoardings will be further within the property, leaving the original sidewalks unobstructed.

2. King Street North Side - Excavation of the former buildings footings and foundations is ongoing.

3 . North side - back fill for the shoring equipment base

4. South Side of King Street, view from Stewart Street - very shallow basement and foundation excavation, with backfill at the south (near) end to create a stable base for the shoring equipment.

 

[karledice]

March 15:

1. North side of King Street - hoardings along both the King Street and Bathurst Street have been removed. When actual construction starts, the new hoardings will be further within the property, leaving the original sidewalks unobstructed.

View attachment 548614


View attachment 548613

2. King Street North Side - Excavation of the former buildings footings and foundations is ongoing.

View attachment 548609

View attachment 548612

View attachment 548617

3 . North side - back fill for the shoring equipment base

View attachment 548615

4. South Side of King Street, view from Stewart Street - very shallow basement and foundation excavation, with backfill at the south (near) end to create a stable base for the shoring equipment.


View attachment 548611

View attachment 548610

So they demolished the building where the Regulars bar used to be???
It was a beautiful building and not heritage?

 

[AHK]

So they demolished the building where the Regulars bar used to be???
It was a beautiful building and not heritage?

Yes, the former Bank of Toronto building, in its recent incarnation as home to Regulars, has been demolished. But all is not lost - the front and some side walls of the two buildings on the north side of King Street have been preserved for incorporation into the replacement structures.

Longer answer - three levels of preservation have been used. In Situ preservation, Panelization and hand take-down with saving and storage for reuse of the outside wall layer of brick.

In Situ - done for the north wall and first few feet of the side wall returns of the Banknote building front facade.

Panelization - the external wall facade was cut into sections and removed for temporary off-site storage, for incorporation into the replacement structure when ultimately built. Photo from February of panelized sections about to go for off-site storage.

The third approach, brick-by-brick removal by hand for off site storage and future redeployment in the replacement structures was used where the external walls of the buildings did not have sufficient structural integrity for panelization. This approach was used for the back walls of the buildings on the north side of King Street, and for the west and south walls of the buildings on the south side of King Street. Red Mars' photo below shows the west and south exterior walls of the Banknote building after the outer layer of the double brick wall construction has been removed by hand for reuse.

So much of the original Regulars building's external structure will return when the replacement building is built on the site.