A plan dating back to 2013 to intensify the site of two existing rental apartment buildings in Midtown Toronto is now being realized, as the early stages of construction progress at Plaza Midtown. The project from developer Plaza is introducing a pair of Quadrangle-designed 27 and 34-storey condominium towers to the site half a block south of Eglinton Avenue, and bounded by Holly Street and Dunfield Avenue to the west and east, and Soudan Avenue to the south.

Work on the site began roughly one year ago with clearing activity, followed by arrival of drilling rigs and excavators. In the time since, the site's caisson wall shoring system was formed, allowing work to begin on the current phase of construction. 

Looking south across site of Plaza Midtown, image by Forum contributor WislaHD

The new condo towers will abut the two existing 14-storey rental buildings, with the 34-storey tower to rise to the north of the existing east tower, and the 27-storey tower to rise to the south of the existing west tower. To make way for a new extended parking garage that will meet with the existing towers' below-grade levels, crews are excavating a single S-shaped pit that carves around and below the bases of the rental buildings.

Looking northeast across site of Plaza Midtown, image by Forum contributor WislaHD

The current state of excavation progress, roughly two storeys below grade, reveals some of the equipment and infrastructure supporting a safe excavation, including rows of tiebacks that anchor the shoring walls to the surrounding soil, and a network of de-watering pipes, indicating the presence of a high water table being actively managed by work crews.

Excavation at site of Plaza Midtown, image by Forum contributor WislaHD

At the site's southeast corner, the former footprint of a pair of single-family homes demolished last year has been backfilled and currently sits idle. This unexcavated portion of the site will eventually be home to a 1,550 m² (16,686 ft²) City park fronting onto the northwest corner of Soudan and Dunfield.

Future park site at Plaza Midtown, image by Forum contributor WislaHD

Once complete, Plaza Midtown will bring another 545 new homes to a rapidly-growing neighbourhood.

Looking northwest over Plaza Midtown, image courtesy of Plaza

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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