Construction work on Park Road has reached a milestone with the installation of the crane, while a renewed application seeks to increase the development's height to 28 storeys. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects for Capital Developments, the project is located in Toronto's Yorkville neighborhood and occupies a narrow, wedge-shaped site that forms an “island” between Church Street, Colliers Street and Park Road.
Looking east at the latest iteration of Park Road in Toronto, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects for Capital Developments
Park Road, located at 717 Church Street, was originally proposed in 2020 as a 30-story tower, with city planners raising concerns about the building's height and its impact on the low-rise Rosedale neighborhood to the north. The developer reached a settlement that reduced the building height to 27 stories, which was later approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in 2022.
A new planning approval application from earlier this month will now add one storey while reducing the final height slightly from 98.97m to 97.43m. This was achieved by lowering the height of several floors, including levels 2 and 3. The number of residential units has increased from 300 to 303 with the introduction of three new units on the 28th floor, previously intended as lounges.
Other revisions include a slight increase in the building's gross floor area (GFA) from 17,310 m² to 17,624 m². Other smaller changes include a corresponding increase in bicycle parking spaces from 304 to 308.
Previous design by Diamond Schmitt Architects for Capital Developments
UrbanToronto's last update from early 2024 covered demolition and site preparation work. The project broke ground in August 2024 and has made rapid progress since then.
Back in June 2024, several steel I-beams were driven into the ground at the eastern end of the site to form the retaining walls. These beams, called beam piles, serve as primary support at intervals along the perimeter, with wooden formwork incorporated between them to retain the surrounding earth.
Looking northwest at soldier poles erected prior to groundbreaking and excavation, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Benito
Two months later, with excavation in full swing, the retaining walls in the southeast corner are supported by rakes – steel struts that provide additional stability by pushing back the walls. At the west end there is a yellow excavator as planned. Below, more excavators are partially hidden by the rakes. On the north side on the right there is a staging area at ground level, while on the left the facade facing Church Street is hidden behind wooden fences.
Rakers installed on the retaining walls at the east end, image by UrbanToronto Forum staff rbt
Preparations for the crane began at the beginning of the month. Layers of rebar were arranged and then concrete was poured to create a thick base. To the right of it there is a green base frame waiting for the mast that will form the crane. In addition to the rakes, tiebacks can be identified by the rebar protruding from the wall; a few of them halfway up the wall on the right and many more further up the wall on the left; Tiebacks anchor the retaining walls in the ground behind them.
The tower crane base constructed at the southern end of the site, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Skycandy
Now the recently installed crane stands at a great height with its boom pointing east. Now that the construction and excavation for the two levels of the underground car park have been completed, Park Road can now lead upwards from the bottom of the pit. The property is just a short walk from Bloor-Yonge Station.
Looking east at the recently installed crane, image from UrbanToronto Forum contributor Citylights
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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