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In the unique Downtown pocket where the Fashion District meets the Entertainment District on King Street West, a couple of marquee projects like The Bisha Hotel and Nobu Residences have been focus points for the area, but other projects are earning their place in the sky just the same. Take Maverick, from Empire Communities, as an example; the IBI Group-designed condo tower has shot up well beyond half of the way to its 49-storey height in the last year, and is giving more than a preview of its high-contrast building envelope, as exterior finishes continue to rise up the growing tower.
Our last report on Maverick was over three years ago, when the project gained final zoning approval from City Council in the Summer of 2019. A little less than a year later, in the spring of 2020, the site clearing process began with the demolition of two properties at the west end of the site: 327 and 333 King Street West. 327 King West was not a heritage building, while 333 King West had only the second storey of its original three-storey facade. Impractical for salvage, its architecture will be reinterpreted in the new frontage that replaces it, while the frontage for 327 King West will be more modern and act as the residential lobby entrance for the tower.
The central and eastern portions of the King Street frontage are more significant. Made up of three of four units of the heritage designated Hughes Terrace, a substantial row house development from the 1850s (the fourth unit at 319 King West is part of another property to the east), the facades of 321, 323, were 325 King West all intended to be retained in situ during the construction process, but it was determined that the structure of two of the units were not stable enough for that method of preservation. While the King Street facade of 321, the further east of the units, is being supported by a robust metal scaffold, the other two units were demolished with care taken to retain the materials so that the facades can be reconstituted with the salvaged masonry near the end of the construction process.
Fast forwarding to the Spring of 2022, over two years later, the project had advanced through the entire excavation and below grade forming process, with the forming of its three-storey podium and tower reveal also completed. The thick concrete volume that we are seeing at the top of the structure in the image below is the transfer slab, the lowest level of the tower that redistributes the load of the tower’s cantilevered north elevation onto supporting columns hidden from view below.
Moving forward again to now, February of 2023, we can see how far the project has come in less than a year. What was a simple podium just nine months ago has grown into a full scale tower, with the external finishings adding an extra punch. While a lone crane continues in use up top, assisting in the formation of repeating rectangular floor-plates of the tower levels, over a quarter of the building’s eventual envelope can be seen climbing up at an even pace across all four elevations.
The envelope system uses a matte black aluminum cladding with square, punched windows that feature a simple +-shaped black mullion to seal the majority of the tower. This reserved expression is accented by four glazing sections that wrap around both the northeast and southwest corners, delivering a more reflective, silvery surface, with further accenting coming from prominent mullions.
The tower still has a ways to go on its journey to 49 storeys, but with the pace of construction in the last year, a topping off ceremony is not out of the question for 2023. Upon completion, Maverick will deliver 318 new condo units to the area, while offering 10 rental units, subsidized at 85% of market value for 20 years, plus grade level retail.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, 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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UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer Instant Reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from initial application.
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