The first construction stages are now underway for the latest Toronto condominium project from seasoned developer Minto Communities. Over the past several days, demolition crews have begun to clear existing buildings from the future Fashion District site of 123 Portland Street, a 16-storey, Sweeny &Co Architects-designed building set to rise at the northeast corner of Adelaide and Portland streets.

Looking northeast to site of 123 Portland, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

The first activity was spotted last year, when the site’s buildings were boarded up and fenced off in preparation for teardown. Most recently, this demolition activity began for a single-storey former Para Paints location at the northeast corner of Adelaide and Portland. Now reduced to a piles of rubble and metal scraps, the existing basement level will have to be backfilled prior to the start of shoring activity.

Looking east across site of 123 Portland, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

North of the now-demolished paint store, a pair of two-storey townhomes along the site's Portland Street frontage have also begun to be taken down. Work is progressing from east to west, with photos showing that the rears of these townhomes have already been opened up by excavators. Compromised structural conditions and a lack of heritage protection resulted in these townhouses ending up on the chopping block, unlike a similar proposal with retained towns a short distance to the north on Portland.

Existing homes at site of 123 Portland, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

Once the site has been fully cleared and backfilled, drilling rigs will be able to begin work on the site’s shoring system, used to retain the surrounding soil during excavation for the building’s foundations and parking levels. Once construction wraps up, the building will introduce 117 new condominium units to the Fashion District.

123 Portland, image courtesy of Minto Communities

You can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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Related Companies:  Live Patrol Inc., Minto Communities GTA, NAK Design Strategies, Sweeny &Co Architects Inc., U31, UCEL Inc.