Another high-rise development is preparing to rise in Toronto's Entertainment District, as the initial stages of construction unfold at the site of Peter and Adelaide by Graywood Developments. The project will bring a 47-storey BBB Architects-designed building to the northwest corner of the intersection for which it named, wrapping around an existing two-storey heritage building at 342 Adelaide West and the Templar Hotel.

Panorama of Peter and Adelaide site, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

The first signs of site activity were seen in September, 2019, when the site was fenced off to be readied for construction. Demolition activity followed shortly after, with the existing buildings largely removed by the end of October. Late November then saw a ground breaking celebration attended by various project team members and marking the official start of construction.

November ground breaking at Peter and Adelaide, image by Geoff Fitzgerald

Things began to heat up at the start of December, when the first drilling rigs arrived to begin work on the site’s shoring system—below-grade perimeter walls that will hold back the surrounding soil during excavation. The shoring system is now largely in place, with a single drilling rig working away on the last of the shoring system's underground walls as excavation kicks into gear.

Excavation at Peter and Adelaide site, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Excavation activity was first spotted in January, and this task has been gradually increasing in speed as work on the shoring system nears its conclusion. The site's excavation has progressed a few metres below grade, revealing both the caisson wall as well as pile and lagging shoring systems being used. Over the next few months, crews will dig down four storeys to create space for the tower's foundations and underground garage.

As excavation reveals more of the shoring piles, a horizontal drilling rig has been brought on the site to begin work on installing the site’s tiebacks, a series of anchors drilled into the surrounding substrate that brace and stabilize the shoring walls against horizontal pressure.

Tieback drilling at Peter and Adelaide site, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

The project will rise 152 metres into the Entertainment District skyline, and bring almost 700 new homes to the area upon completion.

Peter and Adelaide, image courtesy of Graywood

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.