Located within a 15-minute walk of Main Street subway station in East York’s Taylor-Massey neighbourhood, construction of Phase 1 at Bela Square, two purpose-built rental apartment buildings, has been advancing steadily over the past three years. From DBS Developments and Preston Group, UrbanToronto recently covered a proposal for Phase 2 at the north end of the same Tower-in-the-Park development site. Both phases flank various side of an existing apartment building on the site, and are designed by Arcadis.

Looking southeast to Bela Square Phase One, designed by Arcadis for DBS Developments and Preston Group

Phase One includes a seven-storey rental building to the west of the existing building, for which a crane was raised in January, 2022. Looking to the south, below, the excavation site for a 35-storey building to the north of the existing building, is in the throes of shoring operations, with a yellow CAT shoring rig in operation seen at the base of the existing building.

Looking south to the tower crane for the mid-rise and excavation for the high-rise to the left, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Northern Light

By September, 2022, the mid-rise structure rose to six storeys. In the foreground, however, we see rebar and formwork below grade, being prepared for the rise of the 235-storey tower, for which a second tower crane is hoisting materials.

Looking southwest to the tower crane for the high-rise and the mid-rise above grade, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Northern Light

Taking to the skies in May, 2023 for a view to the southwest, the seven-storey building is topped off, mostly clad and glazed, its facade of white precast concrete standing out despite it being in shadow. In the foreground, the taller tower's construction was progressing above grade into its podium levels.

An aerial view of the 35-storey tower above-grade with formwork progressing for the podium, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Branden Simon

A south-facing view from December, 2023 shows the high-rise now towering over the site at approximately 24 storeys. The tower's north elevation showcases the white precast cladding installed halfway up. Behind to the west, the seven-storey mid-rise building, now complete, features a vibrant green roof, contrasting the charcoal brick cladding of the first two storeys.

An aerial view of the high-rise's north elevation, and the topped-off 7-storey building to the right, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor TwinHuey

Now as of June, 2024, the tower has topped off in this view to the northwest. The cladding envelops most of the south and east elevations with only the upper storeys are the mechanical penthouse to complete. Installation of glass balcony guards follows a few storeys behind.

Looking northwest to the topped-off 35-storey tower, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Natika33

Phase 1’s buildings both now rise to heights of 24.99m and 112.47m. Upon completion they will bring a total of 480 residential units to the neighbourhood. They are set to be joined by Phase 2’s 40-storey tower which would rise to 132.7m and supply another 546 units to the area at the south end of the site.

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.​​​​​

Related Companies:  Arcadis, Bousfields, DBS Developments, Grounded Engineering Inc., Groundwater Environmental Management Services Inc. (GEMS), Kramer Design Associates Limited, Preston Group, Rebar Enterprises Inc