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Since the last update on Westbend Residences, Mattamy Homes' mid-rise condominium development under construction just east of High Park, significant progress has been made in shoring. The site, once home to a low-rise commercial building, has seen the transformation from demolition to early construction — and now, the shoring and excavation process is adding another layer to the story of this development.
Designed by BDP Quadrangle, the 12-storey building will eventually stand 44.08m and be home to 174 residential units at the northwest corner of Bloor Street West and Indian Road. The mixed-use site will also feature three new retail units to the West Bend neighbourhood.
Looking back to late June, a flurry of activity has taken place as the crew has moved from shoring work on the Bloor Street side to the north side of the site. The work on the site is dominated by a towering blue shoring rig. Its drilling arm is busily creating boreholes for the north-side retaining wall. On the east side, a red shoring machine is standing by. In the foreground on the west side of the site, thin steel piles await their turn to be driven into the ground, adding to the robustness of the shoring wall.
A month later, a unique perspective from a subway train passing the site offers a glimpse into the ongoing excavation. From this vantage point, we can clearly see that the excavation has reached one level below ground. The red shoring machine and a truck are positioned in the southeast corner of the site. A white construction trailer on the west side and construction materials scattered across the site give a clear indication of the hive of activity of the construction site.
A closer look at the red shoring machine in the southeast corner gives us more insight into the ongoing work. Partially obscured by bags of construction materials, a compact orange excavator machine is also visible, hinting at the multi-layered nature of the construction process. Wooden walls delineate the excavation perimeter around the site, ensuring the safety of the site and barring pedestrian access.
As the shoring process continues to unfold, future stages of the shoring project will include further excavation to make way for the building's underground levels. The project also entails drilling for boreholes to install a sustainable geothermal heating and cooling system, with piping that will reach approximately 275m below ground.
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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