673 
Behind the walls of a former 19th-century warehouse in Toronto’s Moss Park, ROQ City has progressed above grade as construction transitions from its podiums to its towers. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects (with Graziani + Corazza as Architect of Record) for Tricon Residential, the development at 261 Queen Street East will house 24- and 33-storey towers above the retained heritage walls of the former buildings on the site.
Since UrbanToronto’s last update in November, 2023, a second crane was erected for the south tower. Earlier this year, a minor variance application was approved to reconfigure podium levels, replacing office space with residential units — the unit count goes from 795 to 859 (planned office to residential space conversions are an increasing trend in Toronto developments) — with 20% of the new residential floor area designated as affordable housing.
The aerial view above shows the green heritage retention scaffold continuing to support the warehouse walls, above which the taller tower will rise. The shorter tower will rise fronting Queen Street East in the back.
Construction reached grade around the start of this year, seen below looking south in February, 2024. Rebar protrudes from concrete slabs. The heritage walls are wrapped in white weatherproofing on their interior-facing side. In the foreground, construction materials, including stacked shoring posts, are staged for future use.
In this aerial view from July, 2024, the podium levels have advanced above grade. Concrete walls and columns surround the southern tower crane. Toward the north, near Queen Street, the first storey is formed, while scaffolding and formwork are visible along the emerging second storey at the northeast corner. The retention system envelopes the concrete on the east side, adjacent to the red brick of the heritage walls.
This street-level view from Queen Street East in November, 2024 highlights the four storeys of the podium for the north tower, with its stepped massing taking shape. The northwest corner features a triangular roof-like concrete slab above the first floor, while the curved second-floor slab defines the corner. A step-back above the second floor creates space for an outdoor terrace along Queen Street, with an additional step-back above the third floor providing further terrace areas at the centre and east elevations. To the right, paving and landscaping designed by CCxA will connect to the central public park.
Meanwhile, the northeast corner features a step-back in the massing, creating a recessed space at the first two storeys.
This month, the south tower's fourth level features concrete walls surrounding the crane, with formwork columns extending northward and crews preparing decking for the fifth level along the east side. On the west and south elevations, forms line the edges above the preserved heritage masonry. The north tower in the background stands at five storeys, with scaffolding supporting the fourth level, forms and tarps in place on the fifth, and active formwork for the sixth level visible to the east. A red concrete boom pump arm extends near the north tower crane.
ROQ City’s 24 and 33-storey towers will rise to final heights of 88.5m and 113.48m.
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, UTPro, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe — 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.
