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It has been nearly two-and-a-half years since developers CentreCourt and Bazis held the virtual launch of 8 Wellesley Residences at Yonge. The 55-storey building is set to stand 182.15m by the northwest corner of Yonge Street and Wellesley Street West in Downtown Toronto. The design by Arcadis — the Amsterdam-based global firm that acquired Toronto-based IBI Group in Fall 2022 — retains and restores the heritage facade at 10 through 16 Wellesley Street West in order to be used for retail and lobby space.
Since the virtual launch, the site has been under continuous construction in this bustling area. The structure is now climbing upward on its way to punctuate the city skyline, but that journey started back at ground level in Fall 2021.
In September 2021, an image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Red Mars looking west offers a glimpse of a large yellow and black shoring rig preparing the site, signalling the onset of crews commencing excavation. Aided by heavy machinery and diligent crew members, the site transitions into a construction zone, hinting at the transformation to come. Meanwhile, the recently completed Wellesley on the Park stands over the site in the background, awaiting its new neighbour.
By March 3 2022, UrbanToronto Forum contributor Benito's northeast-facing image reveals excavation is in full swing, with a yellow excavator working on the site. Blue fencing lays strewn with with wires and pylons against protective fencing at the forefront. Construction is steadily progressing and paving the way for the coming vertical growth.
Fast-forward to this year on March 18, and UrbanToronto Forum contributor Northern Light's north-facing snapshot presents a starkly different scene from Wellesley Street. A striking white and red crane, displaying the CentreCourt logo, presides over the emerging skeletal steel structure of the building, signifying the project's transition from groundwork to vertical ascent.
In May, UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo shares a northwest-facing image, revealing the project reaching four storeys in height. The rising concrete structure now casts a shadow over the retained heritage facades, marking the juxtaposition of the city's architectural history and its future. We see yellow and grey steel shoring poles stretch from one slab to the next as the concrete cures, in preparation for further vertical expansion.
A little over a month later, on June 24, Rascacielo offers another perspective looking north from Dr. Lillian McGregor Park. The space from which Wellesley on the Park gets its namesake, it features unique artwork in the form of a family of cranes made of bent aluminum. Framed by one of the park's crane art sculptures, the building's increasing height and the construction crane in the background paint a vivid picture of the project's vertical progress. The image captures a synergy between art, architecture, and urban development.
A day later, UrbanToronto Forum contributor drum118 captures the rapid pace of construction looking east and upward. We see the complete transformation of the site in the area once home to the Segovia restaurant. Each floor is sporting grey metal fencing, a safety measure highlighting the work still in progress.
Finally, we head out to Yonge Street on July 11 for a westward perspective, another image from Rascacielo. Our eyes gaze upward as the photograph showcases the white concrete structure rising prominently from the east side of the building. The site continues to buzz with activity, with the crane overhead, and steel scaffolding with wooden coverings cloaking the heritage elements, encapsulating a dynamic dance of construction progress.
Upon completion, the development will add 600 residential units to this vibrant area. Residents will be just steps from Wellesley subway station, as well as short walks to an eclectic mix of neighbourhoods such as Yorkville and The Village.
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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