As construction nears completion on the site of The Rosedale on Bloor’s 55-story tower, the opening of Canada’s first Canopy by Hilton hotel is just weeks away. Gupta Group’s project on Bloor Street East, just west of Sherbourne Street, is Toronto’s newest high-rise split-floor project between hotel and condominiums, offering a mix of 188 hotel suites and 508 residential units within an aluminum clad IBI Group – designed tower.
With the first hotel bookings available as early as mid-February, construction will be completed on the lower levels while the final stages of interior work continue on the residential levels above. Tracking how the project made it to this point is a story that unfolded throughout 2022, so today we have a recap of the milestones from the last 12 months.
Looking south at the Rosedale on Bloor, weeks before the hotel opens, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo
A little over a year ago, on January 5, 2022 to be precise, The Rosedale on Bloor already fulfilled its promise to add a new presence to the East Downtown skyline. The building has nearly doubled the height of the neighboring Post Media building to the west, and is pictured with siding about two-thirds the way up to the top. More formwork work is pending and will continue while the cladding follows closely.
Looking east at the project rising above Bloor Street East in January 2022, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Gregv
Around the same time, interior work was progressing on the south section of the project on Selby Street – where most of the hotel rooms will be located – after the exterior had been completed months earlier.
Looking north of the building’s southern extension with siding, image by Northshorecity, contributor to the UrbanToronto Forum
Formwork work on the tower’s final floors continued as usual over the next few months, with little visually changing on the project apart from continued growth towards the sky. In the early summer, the forms for the tower crown became apparent and were completed in July, the ceremonial conclusion of the project after more than 3 years of formwork work. The image below also shows us that the building envelope was less than 10 stories from sealing the entire tower at this point.
Looking northwest of the tower peaking in July 2022, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Rascacielo
The next milestone was the dismantling of the tower crane, which took place at the end of September when the cladding process was nearing completion. The image below shows how two derricks were temporarily set up to help lower various pieces of equipment from the roof while the crane was being dismantled. The construction elevator—the elevator pictured in the lower right of the building—remained in operation for several months to help move materials and workers.
Looking east as the crane is removed from the roof of the project, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Benito
Jumping into December 2022, with completion on the horizon, things began to improve on the ground floor, preparing the pedestrianized area for the hotel’s upcoming opening. The process of repaving the Bloor Street Sidewalk began, while a similar effort was also taking place at the south entrance. The south side image below shows the result of the landscaping process for the new entrance, which will double as a POPS (Privately Owned Public Access Space).
Landscaping began in December at the south entrance to complete the public area prior to the hotel opening, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Saynotofaux
Finally, we arrive in January 2023 for the latest update. Extensive cladding has been installed on the podium in recent weeks, finishing off the base of the building with slabs of dark graphite stone. The main entrance to the building on Bloor Street is shown in the image below with the doors installed, framed by the recently installed Canopy Hotel sign above. Around the signage, an orange soffit adds a touch of color to the atmospheric exterior.
Cladding of the north face of the podium took place this month, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor Benito
Less than a month before the arrival of the hotel’s inaugural guests, the top priority will be to clean up the grounds and make things presentable while work discreetly continues on the residential floors above. Still a long way off, the completion of the entire project – which will tie the knot for a construction process that has been ongoing since site clearance began in 2017 – will also result in a significant skyline addition for the eastern edge of downtown Toronto as well as increasing the Liveliness of the pavements in Bloor and Selby.
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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UrbanToronto has a research service, UrbanToronto Pro, that provides comprehensive data on metro Toronto development projects from concept to completion. We also offer instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from inception.