A shoring rig has made its way onto the site of Bijou on Bloor, which will be the first stage in the next part of the process for the Plaza project in Toronto's West End. While we haven't yet seen materials for the shoring walls arrive — steel I-beams for the piles or timber slats for the lagging — various other construction machines are present on the property, including a couple of diggers and bobcats which will be used to flatten the edges of the site sufficiently for the shoring rigs to move safely around the perimeter. While the old Humber Cinemas building was being taken down at the east end of the site, the west side of the site was levelled and compacted, so that area is ready for the shoring process to start. 

Shoring rig on the site, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Ottawan

The cinema that once sat in Bloor West Village just west of Jane subway station, recently saw its final day, after being cleared out over the last few months before its structure was officially demolished and removed in mid-January. The former movie house was taken down to make away for the new condominium and retail project, which is scheduled for completion in 2025.

Where the former Humber Cinemas sat, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Ottawan

The last of the debris from the demolition has recently been taken away from the site on dump trucks, as has the hoarding that shielded the sidewalk from demolition debris. With the cinema having been the final structure that needed to be removed from the multi-property site, crews can begin the process of excavating the fenced site, digging a pit that will create the space for the building's 3-level underground garage. 

Looking north to Bijou on Bloor, designed by BDP Quadrangle for Plaza

Upon completion, the BDP Quadrangle-designed condominium development will rise a total of 12 storeys, and be comprised of 20% retail and 80% residential use, with 195 condo suites. 

More information on the development will come soon, but in the meantime, you can learn more from our Database file for the project, linked below. If you'd like, 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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Related Companies:  BDP Quadrangle, Counterpoint Engineering, Live Patrol Inc., Myles Burke Architectural Models, NAK Design Strategies, o2 Planning and Design, Patton Design Studio, Plaza, Rebar Enterprises Inc