With Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station set to open as the new terminus of the TTC's University subway line in December, new developments are bringing increased density to Vaughan's emerging Downtown. Among the pioneering projects at the heart of this new urban community, Plaza Berkeley's The Met will soon add a 35-storey condominium tower and multiple blocks of townhomes to Jane Street, just north of the new subway station.

Facing northeast across the site of The Met, image by Jack Landau

Construction of the Quadrangle Architects-designed development kicked off in late 2016, with preliminary work conducted by TMG Builders and Michael Bros Excavation. Earlier this year, crews from Anchor Shoring arrived at the site to commence work on the development's shoring. With the bulk of shoring now completed, excavation has begun to dig out the project's three-storey underground parking garage.

Excavation at The Met, image by Jack Landau

The ongoing digging has revealed the pile and lagging shoring system along the southern, eastern, and western frontages of the site. This system utilizes a series of vertical piles and horizontal timber lagging to stabilize the surrounding earth and allow for a safe excavation. At the north end of the site, however, a sloped-earth shoring wall serves in place of the more complex earth retention system used on the more constrained frontages.

Sloped earth wall at The Met, image by Jack Landau

The next big change at The Met site will come once the excavation bottoms out at a depth of three storeys, and a crane base is installed to begin forming of the development's underground levels. 

Excavation at The Met, image by Jack Landau

Upon completion, the Met will add 511 residential units to Vaughan's nascent Downtown, coming in a mix of one- and two-bedroom layouts sized from 510 ft² to 875 ft², as well as 62 townhome units with sizes exceeding 1,250 ft². A number of amenities will be provided on the tower's ground floor, including party rooms with bar, a lounge space with adjacent kitchens and dining areas, a gym and spa, a theatre, a games room, and a tech lounge. 

Additional information and renderings can 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 in the space provided at the bottom of this page.