Another month of Toronto city-building, transportation, and real estate talk is now behind us, so we are looking back at what were the hottest stories, project Database files, and Forum discussions from December, 2021. 

Our Top Ten News Stories

We start off our top 10 news stories with #15, a mass timber building now going up at Centennial College in Scarborough. Still a rarity, the sustainable construction method is just beginning to gain ground.

15. First Mass Timber, Net Zero Carbon Institutional Building in Ontario Coming to Scarborough

Many of the spots in our Top Ten are taken by announcements of new (mostly) residential developments going up on sites where there are either smaller residential buildings already or that are currently other uses and are being converted to mixed-use (#s 10, 9, 5, 4, 3, and 2). Transportation also made a mark.

10. Plaza Partners Propose Redevelopment of Low-Rise Don Mills Site

9. QuadReal's Assembly Park Community in Vaughan Growing with Menkes

8. Top 8 Most Active Developers of Purpose-Built Units Under Construction

7. Catching Up With Metrolinx's Davenport Diamond Grade Separation Work

6. Looking Ahead to the Upper Floors of Mizrahi's The One

5. Slate Asset Management Proposes a 49-Storey Tower at 1 St Clair Avenue West

4. Liberty Development Proposes Multi-Tower Six Points Plaza Redevelopment in Etobicoke

3. Three-Phase Development Proposed Around Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke

2. 39-Storey Tower With Public Park Proposed at 101 Spadina

This month, our most popular story was about new VIA Rail trains that were recently unveiled. The story was published on the last day of November, and while it didn't make the top ten list that month, its high readership on following days propelled it into the top spot on our December list! 

1. VIA Rail Unveils Their New Trains

A new VIA Siemens Charger Locomotive, image by Reece Martin

Our Top Ten Database Files

First, at #18, we have Central Condos, jumping in interested as it is now rising quickly in Toronto's Entertainment District. The Concord Adex project is located at 38 Widmer, and is to be a 46-storey tower. 

18. Central Condos

Half a block from #18 is the Theatre District Residence & Riu Plaza Hotel complex at #11, also located on Widmer. These two, and all of the actual Top Ten are within Downtown Toronto, where so much of what grabs people's attention the most is focused.

11. Theatre District Residence & Riu Plaza Hotel

10. 252 Church

9. CIBC SQUARE

8. Nobu Residences Toronto

7. Sugar Wharf Condos Phase 1

6. 160 Front West

5. Concord Sky

4. 49 - 51 Yonge

3. The Well

2. Pinnacle One Yonge 

As always, it seems of late, our #1 database file is…

1. The One

The One designed by UK-based architects Foster + Partners with Toronto's Core Architects for Mizrahi Developments

Our Top Ten Threads

We start off our top 10 list with T3 Bayside, two 10-storey office buildings (with retail at ground level), the first of which is now under construction on the southeast corner of Queens Quay East and Merchants' Wharf in Toronto's East Bayfront area. This building, like the Centennial College building profiled in our #15 story above, is a mass timber building.

13. T3 Bayside

Like with our Top Ten Database Files, all of the Top Ten Threads this past month were for buildings under construction in various parts of Downtown Toronto.

10. Nobu Residences Toronto

9. Union Station Revitalization

8. Sugar Wharf Condominiums

7. Lower Don Lands Redevelopment

6. Concord Sky

5. The Well

4. 160 Front West

3. CIBC SQUARE

2. Pinnacle One Yonge

Maintaining its #1 spot is The One, which recently saw the first steel hangers installed on site over the holiday break. The column-free corners of the building will be held in place by the steel members.

1. The One

The One designed by UK-based architects Foster + Partners with Toronto's Core Architects for Mizrahi Developments, image by UT Forum contributor Benito

We will be back at the beginning of February for a recap of January's top news stories, Database files, and Forum threads!

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