7.1K 
Since Collecdev began the process of bringing their Cielo Condos project to life in the Spring of 2022, all eyes have been on the demolition crew, and their approach to the dismantling of the historic Bloor Street United Church. To their credit, the crew following a plan drawn up by heritage specialists ERA Architects has been very deliberate in their efforts thus far. To be mindful of the built history they are dealing with, their cautious preparatory work has allowed for the most significant demolition seen to date here to take place over the last few weeks.
Beginning with a look at the west wing, this area has been a focus point in recent months because it is one the volumes of the original 19th century building and its additions slated to be removed to make way for the impending mixed-use development. Up until the end of January, things were moving slow here, as the crew worked to secure the defining components that express the building’s heritage value, and salvage those pieces for future reuse.
Earlier this month, however, it was confirmed by Collecdev that all the salvaged materials — other than the sections that will remain in place during construction— had been safely transported to a storage facility where they will await their reintroduction to the site closer to the completion date. With the delicate work now completed, the stage was set for demolition in the more traditional sense to begin. Based on the images Collecdev has shared with UrbanToronto, we can see that the west wing is now more rubble than not, with only a small section of the western volume still standing.
The west wing also included a larger 3-storey volume that occupied a significant portion of the building’s footprint on the northwest portion of the site. The image below shows that dismantling of that section had been ongoing for some time, but until recently the bulk of the structure’s mass was still intact.
Looking at Collecdev’s more recent images, we can see on the right edge of the frame the line where the two volumes — the main church and the west wing — were separated, but aside from that, the only evidence that the west wing was there is a pile of bricks on the ground.
The absence of the west wing creates a significant gap between the remaining structure of the Church and Tartu College, the neighbouring building to the west, a space that is slated to be filled with a new-build, four-storey structure housing grade level retail and new office space for the United Church’s administration.
Collecdev also provided some of the first images from inside the sanctuary that we have seen in months, offering a snapshot of the work taking place within the historic walls. With the majority of the interior demolition completed, the main focus has been on completing the assembly of the steel facade retention structures that will support the Church’s south and east walls throughout the construction of the tower. Pictured below is the east wall, now fully retained, while assembly began for the south side structure earlier this month.
The KPMB Architects-designed project has been the recipient of a mittfull of awards over the last year, earning praise for the stylish expression of the 29-storey tower as well as the integration of mixed-use programming in the lower levels. With shoring set to begin in less than two months, the first traces of the tower’s foundation could be coming by the end of the summer.
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.
* * *
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.
