Downtown Toronto is a busy place, and the block bound by Queen, Shuter, Mutual, and Dalhousie streets might just be one of the busiest in the city right now. Previously home to a huge surface parking lot of about a hectare in area, the 27-storey first phase IBI Group-designed condominium tower known as 88 North from St Thomas Developments has been completed for over a year now, while construction continues to advance on the next three towers. The new phases are to rise 27, 28, and 51 storeys with designs by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Architect of Record Turner Fleischer. The tall south tower – 88 Queen – is a condominium building for St Thomas, while the two central towers – The Elm and The Ledbury – are rentals from Fitzrovia Real Estate.

Our last update on the project was a year ago, when two cranes had been added to the original two that had been installed after the four-level pit had bottomed out in late 2020. The two additional cranes were then used as part of the forming process for the underground garage. Today, that underground garage has been fully formed, and three levels now rise above grade fronting onto Queen Street East, albeit supported by a slue of red shoring poles while fresh concrete cures. 

88 Queen, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Turner Fleischer Architects for St Thomas DevelopmentsLooking northeast to 88 Queen, image by UT Forum contributor Northern Light

The podium of the building will eventually be five storeys tall, and include retail and office space. The tower itself will rise a total of 51 storeys on the corner of Queen and Dalhousie streets.

Looking to the centre of the site are the rising towers of The Elm and The Ledbury, with two Fitzrovia-labelled cranes standing above them. Both currently working on forming their podium levels, The Elm — featuring the curved corners that we can see on the left, below — has reached the fifth level of its seven storey podium, while The Ledbury to its right is currently working on the third level of its eight storey podium. 

The Elm and The Ledbury, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Turner Fleischer Architects for Fitzrovia Real EstateLooking southeast to The Elm and The Ledbury, image by UT Forum contributor Northern Light

The formed podium levels here continue to be supported by grey shoring poles as well, while fly forms in place on the top levels of each podium. Once they are no longer needed to support the new concrete slabs, they will be pull out and then "flown" up a level, used to form the next one above. 

The Elm will eventually rise to a height of 27 storeys, with its podium clad with grey coloured masonry, while The Ledbury will be similarly clad — but with red coloured brick — and rise to 28 storeys. The towers of both buildings will feature curving-edge balconies, and reflective, punched-window exteriors fronting onto Mutual and Dalhousie streets. 

The Elm and The Ledbury, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Turner Fleischer Architects for Fitzrovia Real EstateLooking southeast to The Elm and The Ledbury, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Turner Fleischer Architects for Fitzrovia Real Estate

The pair of purpose-built rental towers will bring a combined 542 homes to the site upon their targeted completion sometime this year, while over 575 units are to be built within the condominium of 88 Queen.

88 Queen, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Turner Fleischer Architects for St Thomas DevelopmentsLooking northwest to 88 Queen, Toronto, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Turner Fleischer Architects for for St Thomas Developments

More information on these developments swill come soon, but in the meantime, you can learn more from our Database files, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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Related Companies:  Arcadis, CCxA, Cecconi Simone, Citi-Core Group, Egis, Figure3, Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc., Gensler, Hariri Pontarini Architects, Isotherm Engineering Ltd., Kramer Design Associates Limited, L.A. Inc., Live Patrol Inc., NAK Design Strategies, Peter McCann Architectural Models Inc., Rebar Enterprises Inc, Turner Fleischer Architects, Unilux HVAC Industries Inc.