Excavation is now in full swing in Toronto's "Av & Dav" area at the site of Metropia and Diamond Corp's AYC Condos, where a 27-storey tower and two blocks of 3-storey townhouses designed by TACT Architecture are replacing part of an under-used parking garage at 250 Davenport, a 25-storey TCHC apartment block.

Named for its location where The Annex and the Yorkville neighbourhoods meet (AYC = Annex-Yorkville Connection), the project is being built on the west half of the property that used to have a massive lawn facing Davenport Road, but which was fenced off from it. Sale of the west half of the property allowed TCHC to revitalize the apartment tower. When we last checked in on the project in May, the landscaped area was gone, and demolition was clearing west part of the garage. In the months since, demolition has wrapped up and much of the shoring phase has been completed, allowing excavation to begin.

Excavation at the site of AYC Condos, image by Forum contributor Benito

Crews are now digging down three storeys for the site's new parking garage and foundations. The first few feet of excavation has revealed the pile and lagging shoring system being implemented to support a safe excavation. Additional steel piles and timber lagging can be seen at the site's north end, where shoring work continues. A horizontal drilling rig is visible near the centre of the site, and will be installing tiebacks to secure the shoring walls to the surrounding soil.

Tieback rig at site of AYC Condos, image by Forum contributor Benito

Once complete, AYC will introduce 281 new condominium units to The Annex, in a mix of 48 one-bedroom units, 148 two-bedroom units, and 85 three-bedroom units. This unit mix is a notable departure from the norm in Toronto, with the area's family appeal resulting in more multi-bedroom units being included. This addition of residential density will be anchored to the Davenport and Bedford intersection with 211 m² of retail space at the tower's base.

AYC Condos, image courtesy of Metropia/Diamond Corp

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 threads, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.