Immediately east of Toronto's iconic Maple Leaf Gardens, construction is well underway at Axis and at Stanley Condominiums on Church Street, between Wood and Carlton. Both condos are being built on a former low-rise sites, previously occupied by a parking lot and low-rise commercial building respectively. Seen below, Axis Condos' deeper excavation pit has taken shape at the north end of the block, while work on Stanley Condominiums' is underway on a narrower site to the south.
Axis (left) and Stanley Condos (middle) under construction, image by Forum contributor steveve
Since our last report, construction has progressed fairly rapidly at Axis Condos, where excavation work is already nearing completion. Pile-and-lagging shoring wooden walls have been installed as the pit grows deeper.
Excavation work underway for Axis Condominium, image by Forum contributor steveve
A project by CentreCourt Developments, Axis Condominiums is set to rise 38 storeys at 400 feet (122 metres) with 541 residential units. The mixed-use condo is designed by Page+Steele/IBI Group Architects and will feature a six storey-storey podium with retail at grade.
Rendering of Axis Condominium, image courtesy of CentreCourt Developments
Moving south, construction on Stanley Condominiums has also progressed significantly since our last update. Unlike the wood-based pile and lagging system used at Axis, concrete caisson wall shoring frames the site to the south. The slightly more time-consuming caisson system may be preferred due to more challenging soil conditions compared to the neighbouring site.
Excavation work underway for Stanley Condominiums, image by Forum contributor Benito
Developed by Tribute Communities, the the 37-storey Core Architects-designed building features a seven-storey box podium—similar in height to its historic hockey arena neighbour to the west—with rooftop amenities on top, and the curvaceous tower rising beyond that. Retail will be situated at street level, while 490 residential units will spread throughout the remaining podium levels and the tower. Rising to 411 feet (125 metres), Stanley Condos will be—at least for now—one of the tallest buildings in the surrounding context.
Rendering of Stanley Condominiums, image courtesy of Tribute Communities
The two projects will contribute to the drastic transformation of the Church and Carlton neighbourhood. In recent years, Church Street has been a hotspot for new development projects in which several are still awaiting City approval, while others are under construction. South of Carlton, the neighbouring 365 Church and Alter condominiums are already towering presences.
Rendering of Axis (left) and Stanley Condos (right), image courtesy of CentreCourt Developments
We will keep you up-to-date as construction carries on. In the meantime, you can find additional information and renderings in each of the projects' associated dataBase files, linked below. Want to share your thoughts on Axis or Stanley Condos? Feel free to leave a comment in the field provided on this page, or join in the conversation in either of the associated Forum threads.