The intersection of Temperance and Sheppard has long been a focal point for Toronto development enthusiasts. The former parking lot which borders the historic Graphic Arts Building has been getting attention from developers and planners over the years, and construction work on the site of the long-contested parking lot is now in motion for Lifetime and CentreCourt's INDX Condos.

INDX comes after a long line of proposals tabled for the site, the first of which was the 58-storey First Toronto Tower. The development never materialized and the site was then sold to developer Harry Stinson, who planned to build a tower known as Downtown Plaza. When this project too failed to gain traction, Stinson followed up with various iterations of the "Sapphire Tower," which would have stretched 90 storeys into the Financial District skyline. The City wasn't pleased with the plans, and the project was redesigned and scaled back to 73 storeys, and then again to 62 before being scrapped entirely due to Harry Stinson's financial situation. INDX was the next proposal for the site, and with the development now under construction, we decided to take a look back at the site as it appeared in April of 2003, when advertisements for First Toronto Tower were still up on site.

Sheppard and Temperance as seen on April 1, 2003, image by Edward Skira

Fast forward over a decade, and construction of INDX Condos' ground floor is making progress. After years of inaction and ownership changes at the site, it is good to see some progress finally happening and it won't be too much longer before a completed 54-storey condominium tower sits at this site.

Sheppard and Temperance as seen on May 10, 2014, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!