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This week's Throwback Thursday takes us to 400 Wellington Street West in Toronto's Fashion District, comparing two views of the massive construction site of The Well captured over two years apart. Back in April, 2018, a south-facing view from a few floors above ground showed the future site of the massive mixed-use project, The Well, being excavated. A number of buildings—including a former headquarters for The Globe and Mail and a Toyota dealership—were taken down on the block bounded by Spadina, Front, and Wellington streets to make way for the office, commercial, and residential complex. At the far east end of the site, obscured by an office building not included in the development parcel, the first tower crane had been installed for the complex's tallest building, a 36-storey office tower rising toward a 174-metre height. At the far right of the image, construction was underway at the Bathurst and Front site of Minto Westside.
Over two years later, and the complex is now rapidly progressing above grade. The office tower at the site's east end is now well over halfway toward its final height, as cladding encloses the lower floors along with distinctive futuristic detailing. To the west, six residential buildings, including a 46-storey rental tower and five condominium buildings, are now in various stages of progress, with the easternmost buildings having progressed the furthest. The two westernmost residential buildings are still having their underground levels formed, and will soon rise above grade. Between the taller towers on Front Street to the south and the shorter buildings along Wellington to the north, a large commercial component will carve across the site, linking all buildings to a central multi-level corridor of shops and restaurants. At the far right, Minto Westside is complete and home to hundreds of new residents.
The project's seven buildings are being led by a team of different developers and architects, with details about associated companies included in the project's database, linked below. Once complete, the community will contain over 1,800 new homes, along with a major introduction of office and retail space west of Spadina.
We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto. In the meantime, you can submit your own Throwback Thursday comparisons in our dedicated Forum thread for your chance to be featured in next week's edition.
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