First Phases, Community Centre Emerge at Galleria On The Park

Over the past decade, Dupont Street has seen a steady increase in residential density driven by a wave of development, mostly in the middle area. However, one project working hard to advance the high-rise agenda is Galleria on the Park, the 5-building master plan community currently under construction on the site of the former Galleria shopping center at Dupont and Dufferin Streets . As the first phase of the development grows beyond the western end of the site, the next phases of the 20-acre Almadev project, including an enlarged community center, begin.

Concept image of the entire Galleria on the Park community, image courtesy of Almadev

As you check into the development’s first towers, Galleria 01 & 02, located above a common podium on the site’s western boundary, the figure of the first phase becomes increasingly apparent. Since our last report in July, the two towers designed by Core Architects have put a remarkable distance between themselves and the podium and continue to rise towards their final heights of 24 and 29 stories. With two cranes and two concrete pumps directing the forming of the towers pictured below, the creation of new floors will maintain a steady pace over the next few months.

Looking east at Galleria 01 & 02 as the concrete frames rise above the podium, image by UT Forums contributor ProjectEnd

If we take a closer look at the west elevation of Galleria 01 & 02 from ground level, we can see how the mass changes on the lower floors, with an interesting motif of ‘staggered boxes’. In the image below we can see how the various recessed sections work to create sheltered outdoor spaces, while the early stages of glazing help to further articulate these spaces. Viewing the project from this position also shows how the south tower will be set back east to follow the curve of the new road through the site to start at Dupont and cut southeast through the entire community to meet Dufferin Street.

Stacked masses make lower tiers visually evident, image by AlbertC, UT Forums contributor

Turning to the eastern elevation of Galleria 01 & 02, the details of the unconventional massing of the lower levels become clearer. After the second floor, the building assumes a C-shaped mass, created by a narrow volume that connects the north and south towers. The narrow volume rises 11 stories, at which point the towers emerge as separate volumes and continue their ascent. From this vantage point, we can also see that there are more exterior claddings on the east facade, adding glazing to the lowest three levels.

Looking west towards the unconventional podium volume of Galleria 01 & 02, image by UT Forum contributor ProjectEnd

To the south, the new Wallace Emerson Community Center can be seen in pictures of the building’s foundations taken in early November after the groundbreaking ceremony in July. Designed by Perkins&Will, the new facility replaces the current Wallace Emerson Community Center on the southeast corner of the site and offers 89,500 sq ft of community facilities including a gym, running track and water sports center.

The foundations for the new community center were first pictured in November, image by UT Forum contributor Bilboblaggins

We fast-forward to an image of the construction site taken on January 12th. We can see that the formwork has broken above the level, but it is still in the early stages. The perimeter of the future facility is outlined by a concrete wall and a network of supports has already been formed and erected in the area of ​​the floor slab, with more rebar in place for the next round of supports to be formed. However, the slab has yet to be poured to complete the first floor slab of the 3-storey building.

The first pillars of the community center frame are now off the ground as the formation continues, image by UT Forums contributor Bilboblaggins

Over at the northeast corner of the site, initial work is underway to allow construction of the next tower to come into the community, the 31-story Galleria III. Designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, the tower will deliver 427 units while featuring a prominent podium framing the pedestrian entrance to the community. Prior to construction, demolition of the detached McDonald’s began in June 2022, resulting in a vacant site ready for construction to begin in early July

The detached McDonald’s was demolished in the summer of 2022 to make way for Galleria III, image by UT Forums contributor AlbertC

Last pictured on January 11th we can see that shoring has been underway for some time and is still ongoing with the shoring equipment seen on the west side of the prospective pit in the image below. Steel piles are in place along the eastern boundary of the site, closest to Dufferin Street, but many more are needed around the perimeter of future development before major excavation of the site can begin.

Shoring work for Galleria III has begun, with piling at the east end of the pit, image by UT Forum contributor ProjectEnd

With a further three residential phases submitted for development, the Galleria will continue to be an active construction site, but the transition to a residential community will begin well before completion. The opening of the new community center, the move into the first phase and the closure of the rest of the Galleria shopping center will be interesting stories over the next few years.

UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more from our database file linked below. If you wish, you can join the discussion in the dedicated project forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

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