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On Yonge Street north of the North York Centre Centre area of Toronto, a block-long pit is forming at the future site of Aoyuan International's M2M Condos community. Work on the five-tower Wallman Architects-designed development, named in a nod to the local postal code, has been active since last year when the former Newtonbrook Plaza and an adjacent office building were demolished to make way for the new density.
Demolition activity wrapped up last Fall, a few months after the first cuts were made into the office tower at the site's south end. Drilling activity followed around the perimeter of the site, forming the first elements of a pile and lagging shoring system—vertical steel piles bracing slats of horizontally-placed timber lagging—which holds back the surrounding soil as the pit reaches its final four-storey depth.
At the south end of the site, where the first phase towers will rise, digging has bottomed out at a 13.3-metre depth below street level. Digging continues in a south-to-north orientation, with only a section at the north end of the site yet to begin excavation. From this area, a long soil ramp extends into the heart of the pit, providing access to the base of the excavation that will eventually be replaced by a crane and sets of construction stairs.
The installation of a first tower crane will mark the next major milestone in the construction process, marking the first steps in forming for the underground garage that will span the site. The initial phase that will rise first from the south end will include 34 and 36-storey condominium towers with a total of 810 units atop a commercial/retail podium. Three additional buildings will eventually populate the remaining block to the north.
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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