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For almost 90 years, the 1928-built Loblaw Warehouse stood as a fixture at Toronto's Bathurst and Lake Shore intersection, but the heritage four-storey warehouse fell into disrepair in its later years, and by the start of the 2000s, was ripe for redevelopment. Plans for the site were finally put into motion in 2016, with the start of work on a mixed-use complex called West Block Est. 1928. It will include a new Loblaws store wth other retailers, a office space, and two condominium towers.
The seven-storey commercial component at the south end of the site—designed by architectsAlliance with heritage work overseen by ERA Architects—will involve the rebuilding and expansion of the former warehouse, making use of roughly 100,000 bricks reclaimed from the heritage structure when it was dismantled. The project by Loblaw Companies, Choice Properties REIT, Wittington Properties Limited, and the condo towers by Concord Adex, began with the dismantling of the warehouse facades in 2016, followed by structural demolition, shoring, and excavation later that year.
By the start of 2017, the excavated pit had bottomed out at a depth of three storeys, paving the way for the start of upward construction. A year and a half later, forming has progressed quite a bit, with the commercial component now rising three storeys. Once the fifth floor slab is poured—matching the roof height of the former warehouse—work will begin on the building's three upper levels, stepped back and sheathed in glass.
The commercial component's lower levels will eventually be clad in a reconstitution of the former Loblaws warehouse façades, and contain a new 50,000 ft² Loblaws flagship supermarket, an 11,000 ft² restaurant, and 88,000 ft² of additional retail. The upper levels—with their modern exterior designed to not compete with the rebuilt heritage facades—will house new office space.
North of the commercial component, the project's two-tower residential component will soon rise to heights of 37 and 41 storeys. Known as The LakeShore and The LakeFront, the IBI Group-designed towers will respectively bring 396 and 444 condominium units to the CityPlace/Fort York neighbourhood.
Additional information and renderings can be found in the project's database file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.
