The Entertainment District is home to a dense concentration of condominium towers, most of which have appeared in just the last decade. The current, ongoing building boom gave this area its first major infusion of density back in 2010 with the completion of the TIFF Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower. At a height of 157 metres, Festival Tower proved to be a precedent-setting tower for the neighbourhood, with several subsequent development proposals building to similar heights. A June, 2011 view facing west from the multi-level parking garage at 211 Adelaide Street West showed Festival Tower standing alone on the Entertainment District skyline.

Looking west from 211 Adelaide West, 2011, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

Not even a full decade later, a view from the same parking garage captured in January, 2020 is hardly recognizable. The view now includes (left to right) Theatre Park, The Mercer Condos, King Blue Condos, Festival Tower, 87 Peter, an overlapping cluster that contains the rising PJ Condos and the complete Pinnacle on Adelaide and Cinema Tower and Peter Street Condominiums. To the right of that cluster, we can see The Bond Condominiums, and Tableau Condos. At the far right in the foreground, the crane behind the heritage facade retention marks the location of where 19 Duncan is under construction.

Looking west from 211 Adelaide West, 2020, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

Future additions to this view will substantially change the landscape in the coming years. The rise of 19 Duncan in the right foreground will obscure much of that part of the view, while the massive Mirvish+Gehry complex is planned to rise left of centre in this view, and would include the new tallest building in Canada.

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto. In the meantime, you can submit your own Throwback Thursday comparisons in our dedicated Forum thread for your chance to be featured in next week's edition.

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