Portions of the 1911-built Deer Park United Church on St Clair Avenue just east of its intersection with Avenue Road in Midtown Toronto, are living on in the base of a new condominium development from Camrost-Felcorp. A few years into construction, work has moved into the later stages at Blue Diamond Condos and Foxbar Towns at Imperial Village, with the complex's 28-storey, Diamond Schmitt Architects-designed condominium tower now topped out and largely enclosed in cladding.

The building topped out 88 metres above St Clair Avenue at the start of the year, with installation of the window wall building envelope rising to the top of the 24th floor by the end of January. In the months since, cladding has enclosed all but the vertical strip of north facade where exterior construction hoists remain active. The window wall details were joined in March by the first panels of glass for balconies, which have been installed up to the 22nd floor.

Looking east to Blue Diamond Condos, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

Sandwiched between two prime examples of Modernist architecture—the 1967-built Ministry of the Environment building and the 1957-built Imperial Oil Building (recently converted by Camrost-Felcorp into a condo tower known as Imperial Plaza)—the building's minimalist design takes a background role to its flanking neighbours, and its heritage base.

Looking southeast to Blue Diamond Condos, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

The preserved sections of Deer Park United Church along the tower's St Clair frontage will provide new spaces for both residents and passersby. The south end of the remaining structure, formerly the church sanctuary, has had its nave roof removed to create an open-air courtyard framed by the sanctuary's former walls. To the north, the former chancel and apse spaces are expected to become a restaurant, separated from the courtyard by a large glass wall.

Preserved church section at Blue Diamond Condos, image by Forum contributor AlbertC

The complex is also set to feature a set of six three-storey townhomes along Foxbar Road to the south of the tower, marketed as Foxbar Towns. Though obscured in the most recent construction images, the towns are already well under construction, with their concrete structures completed and finishing work in progress.

Blue Diamond Condos, image courtesy of Camrost-Felcorp

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.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insider here.