In April 2015, the southeast corner of Downtown Toronto's Bay and Gerrard intersection was home to a surface parking lot. Over the course of the 34 months since then, the corner has become home to GWL Realty's The Livmore, a 43-storey, IBI Group-designed luxury rental tower set to begin occupancy later this year. With just a few remaining areas of forming to complete on the roof level, developer GWL and builder PCL hosted a topping off party yesterday afternoon, celebrating the completion of forming, and congratulating the various trades and contractors that worked to make the project a reality.

The Livmore viewed from the east on Gerrard Street, image by Jack Landau

The Livmore's construction involved 7 months of shoring and three months of underground service work in advance of the tower crane's December 2015 installation. Next, 7 months of below-grade forming was required to reach ground level, followed by four more months to reach the 5th floor, and another 12 months to reach the top. From level five to the roof, the average speed of forming hit an impressive pace of 6.8 days per floor. 27,000 m3 of concrete was used to form the building, enough to pour a sidewalk from the project’s Downtown construction site all the way to Guelph and back. Breaking these numbers down further, the 715 working days for the project equalled a total of 329,100 person-hours. One construction worker doing an eight-hour day would have taken 41,100 work days—or 112.6 years—to build the structure.

The Livmore viewed from the west on Gerrard Street, image by Jack Landau

Yesterday's topping off party was held in appreciation of all this hard work. Crews gathered in the project's underground parking garage, where they thanked for their efforts by project principals, and treated to a hot meal and a raffle.

Workers treated to meal at topping off party, image by Jack Landau

Following the festivities, we headed for the top, where forming for The Livmore's roof level is currently wrapping up. Here, construction crews are braving the cold to form the last few feet of the tower's 455-foot height. 

Construction on the roof of The Livmore, image by Jack Landau

Clouds of water vapour emanating from the nearby Enwave Walton Street Steam Plant blew across the upper levels of the tower, providing an unexpectedly photogenic treat for our tour group.

The Livmore's tower crane, image by Jack Landau

Taking in surroundings from the roof offers a glimpse into the views awaiting residents of the upper floors, mostly unobstructed by nearby buildings. Similar panoramic views will be available to residents of all floors via a 26th-floor amenity space, which we'll take a closer look at below.

South-facing view from The Livmore, image by Jack Landau

North-facing view from The Livmore, image by Jack Landau

Having enjoyed the views, project principals and representatives of the associated companies gathered for photo-ops commemorating the event. The image below includes (L-R) John Bannock, ‎Director Development at ‎GWL Realty Advisors Inc.; Arnie Kalnins, Residential Manager for PCL Constructors Canada Inc.; Sue Spicer, Manager of Development for Eastern Canada at GWL; and Andrew J Hollins, VP of Development for Eastern Canada Development Group/GWL.

Topping off at The Livmore, image by Jack Landau

Posing below are (L-R) Todd Nishimura, Director of Marketing and Leasing at GWL's Vertica Resident Services branch; Todd Spencer, Senior Director of National Operations at ‎Vertica; and Craig Hatt, Director of Asset Management at Vertica.

Topping off at The Livmore, image by Jack Landau

One of the ways The Livmore will set itself apart from existing rental housing stock will be the luxury interiors by Cecconi Simone. Still in a raw state, the common areas include the double-height, sawtooth-window-edged grand lobby space along Gerrard Street.

Lobby at The Livmore, image by Jack Landau

Amenities will be found on the 5th and 26th floors, and will include a podium-top terrace, a 3,000 ft² fitness centre, a yoga/aerobics studio, a party room with kitchen facilities, a theatre/screening room, a game room, plus a dog spa and outdoor dog run.

Sky lounge at The Livmore, image courtesy of GWL/Vertica

Meanwhile, across the street to the north, a new leasing centre is being built into the base of 44 Gerrard Street East. Designed in the style of luxury condominium presentation centres, the space will include interactive features that help prospective tenants visualize life within the tower.

New leasing centre being built across the street from The Livmore, image by Jack Landau

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the field provided at the bottom of this page.