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Following the bittersweet closure of Toronto's iconic Honest Ed's store at the end of 2016 and the May 2017 removal of some of the retailer's glittering signage, structural demolition work has officially begun for Westbank's ambitious Mirvish Village community at Bathurst and Bloor. A new set of photos shared in our Forum thread for the project how how things looked earlier today.
The first shot, looking northeast across Markham Street, shows the hole left where the 30-by-60 foot Honest Ed's sign was on Markham Street, while the building itself is now fenced off. The sign is now in the hands of Pattison Sign Group, the team that originally installed it back in 1984. They are restoring it at their facility in Orillia in preparation for its re-installation at the Ed Mirvish Theatre on Victoria Street.
Further south along Markham Street, views show that a converted two-storey home immediately adjacent to Honest Ed's has been demolished, while interior gutting continues for the row of Victorian Homes that will be incorporated into the new development.
The former footprint of the converted house now offers a temporary mid-block view from Markham over towards B.streets Condo on Bathurst Street, while providing a peek at the ongoing structural demolition at the south end of the former Honest Ed's.
The structural teardown work for the former department store officially kicked off on November 1st following a period of interior gutting, with the first cuts made into the south end of Honest Ed's by crews from Rafat General Contracting. This stage of work will continue over the next few weeks, clearing the way for where excavation for the Bloor Street buildings of the multi-tower rental community will eventually happen.
The current demolition activity follows an earlier abatement and site prep phase, and will next be followed by shoring. Following excavation will be the forming of tower footings and foundations, the installation of waterproofing, and work to build a "Neighbourhood Energy System". That phase is expected to take 18 months from the completion of phase 1. Phase 3 of construction will involve above-grade forming beyond the 4th floor, the installation of precast and glass cladding, the start of interior work, and the first elements of the site's park, landscaping, and market component. That phase of work to build the Henriquez Partners Architects-designed development is anticipated to take an additional 9-10 months. Diamond Schmitt Architects are architects of record for the project.
The completed development will introduce over 800 new rental units to the Bathurst and Bloor area, with tower heights of 13, 19, 24, 25, and 26 storeys.
Additional information and renderings of the project can be found in our Mirvish Village database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
