In our most recent construction update for Daniels Waterfront: City of the Arts from September, excavation for the commercial buildings on the south half of the site had reached approximately half its final depth. As it stands today, less than a year after The Guvernment/Kool Haus closed their doors for good, the excavation has reached its final depth of 47 feet.
Having completed the dig-down, work has proceeded quickly and a concrete footings have been poured at the north-east corner of the pit. Steel rebar (reinforcing bar) cages are also appearing for columns and walls that will soon have forms wrapped around them and concrete mix poured into them. The rebar is used to strengthen and hold concrete foundations and walls during any tension it may face.
Most noticeably, the first crane onsite has been erected at the north-east corner of the pit. It will deliver heavy materials around the site as work continues below grade on the 4 levels of underground parking, and then be raised as needed as work continues above grade.
In the new year, the remaining tenants of the building to the north of the current excavation (seen above) will move out, allowing demolition work to commence. In its place, 2 residential towers with a combined total of 900 suites will rise above a new George Brown College and OCAD U arts facility. They are expected to be complete in 2019, with the office portion at the south end opening a year earlier. The total budget for the entire project is $700 Million.
Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.