The entertainment district, once characterized by the rhythmic pulsation of the dance floor, is now characterized by the rhythm of construction on the streets of downtown Toronto. That energy now encompasses the construction site from Forma, the team at Great Gulf, Dream Unlimited and Westdale Properties. Forma – with the vision of Frank Gehry at its core – designed by Gehry Partners and Adamson Associates Architects will stand at the intersection of King Street West and Duncan Street.
Looking southeast at Forma designed by Gehry Partners for Great Gulf, Dream Unlimited and Westdale Properties
The site, once home to the iconic Ed's Warehouse restaurant, will be transformed into a mixed-use development with residential units, ground floor retail and institutional space for OCAD University in the podium. After the demolition of the former 5-story building on site, the groundbreaking ceremony took place in June 2023. Since then, construction has begun on the first phase, the east tower. It will be 73 stories tall, just 7 feet (2.2 meters) lower than the tallest Frank Gehry-designed building completed to date, 8 Spruce in Manhattan.
In October 2023, four months after the groundbreaking ceremony, we will carry out the excavation work. Two bright green excavators – one on the flat and the other in the pit – hold their steel buckets close together to scoop and move dirt from the pit. An orange safety tarp drapes the retaining wall and is held in place by rows of tiebacks to ensure the integrity of the adjacent structures. Above, we have a clear view of the century-old hand-painted billboards on the building's wall to the north, revealed during demolition.
Looking north at two green excavators in action, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor ProjectEnd
The pit, which was fully excavated in December 2023, will pave the way for the complex's four levels of underground parking. The newly erected white tower crane protrudes from the formwork at the southern end of the pit. Crew members are on duty to the right in the southwest corner amid construction materials. The north side is home to a number of dormant green diggers.
The tower crane installed at the southern end of the excavation pit, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Red Mars
This month we see a grid of wooden formwork coming together in the middle of the site, while rebar cages are in place to create or extend reinforced concrete columns. On the other side of the street, next to the sales office, a billboard shows the two Forma towers that are currently being built.
Looking southeast at the wooden formwork in the middle of the excavation pit, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Red Mars
With its stacked volumes and the promise of distinctly shimmering glass and metal facades, the east tower is expected to reach a height of 262.8 m and bring 864 units to the street. The West Tower, which is not yet for sale, promises supertall status at 308m and new housing for 1,170 units and a hotel on the podium levels. The second phase, when completed, would be the tallest building designed by Frank Gehry.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database file linked below. If you'd like, you can join the discussion in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
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