Toronto Bay Adelaide Centre | 217.92m | 51s | Brookfield | KPMB

[vatche]

too bad this tower wasn't 60 + stories because then it would actually be exciting. why are all the office towers in toronto being built so short. cmon there must of been like 4-5 office towers built in the last 3-5 years, couldn't they just join forces and build a monster that all torontonians could be proud of?

I've always thought the exact same thing johnwood.

 

[Mike in TO]

Interesting hearing complaints that our office towers in this boom are "too short" - you all should have been on this forum a few years ago during the AreBe Centre era when it was suggested by a prolific former UT member that Toronto would never again see office towers over 20 floors built for a variety of reasons.

Until BAC1 & the RBC tower were built, it was nearly two decades where the only office towers built downtown were the Maritime Life Tower and the Canada Life - both at about 20 floors.... as noted earlier without large corporate tenants it is very difficult to get a very large tower off the ground - the downtown office construction boom currently underway is nothing to sneeze at - in fact it is pretty spectacular considering strong economic headwinds throughout North America and Europe.

 

[Edward]

A third one was the Rogers campus expansion during the same time. I'm with you Mike in TO. The current boom in office space is great.

 

[Silence&Motion]

Description: Proposal for relocating, restoring, and re-cladding the facade from 2 Adelaide St W to 132 Yonge St and interior renovation to 132 Yonge St and 22 Adelaide St W. Relocation of generator. See related permit 13-104149.

That's going to lead to some interesting "then and now" photos a couple decades from now when everyone forgets about this development.

Have there been any other facade relocations of this size before? I know they've picked up entire houses and moved them, and rebuilt the facades of larger buildings, but have they actually reoriented anything this large before?

 

[AndreaPalladio]

The facade that's inside the BCE Place Galleria was moved from elsewhere, I think. Possibly also the old Wood Gundy facade that's now on the north side of Scotia Plaza.

 

[canarob]

Interesting hearing complaints that our office towers in this boom are "too short" - you all should have been on this forum a few years ago during the AreBe Centre era when it was suggested by a prolific former UT member that Toronto would never again see office towers over 20 floors built for a variety of reasons.

Until BAC1 & the RBC tower were built, it was nearly two decades where the only office towers built downtown were the Maritime Life Tower and the Canada Life - both at about 20 floors.... as noted earlier without large corporate tenants it is very difficult to get a very large tower off the ground - the downtown office construction boom currently underway is nothing to sneeze at - in fact it is pretty spectacular considering strong economic headwinds throughout North America and Europe.

I think people forget how much downtown's total office space grew during that period from warehouse conversions. If the zoning hadn't of changed, we might have had more office towers go up.

AreBe was certainly right about how much companies want their name on a building in bright lights! I've always seen the southcore office buildings as being slightly taller "AreBe Centres."

 

[SP!RE]

I can actually see this being a very sleek design without the notched corners but I just had the random thought about "What if..." they were to use the same colour scheme as BA Centre West, but used the fritted pattern used over at the new Sick Kids building on Bay Street (as opposed to the crisp lines differentiating the spandrel from the vision glass.) Eh? Ehhh?

 

[pw20]

I think people forget how much downtown's total office space grew during that period from warehouse conversions. If the zoning hadn't of changed, we might have had more office towers go up.

AreBe was certainly right about how much companies want their name on a building in bright lights! I've always seen the southcore office buildings as being slightly taller "AreBe Centres."

That assumes that a lot of the tech and ad companies which reside in those converted loft would want class AAA space in BCE place. My assumption would be that they don't.

I actually think we've developed an incredibly healthier office market over the last decade with sub-cores within the core.

MINT - will continue to be prestige office space
SouthCore - has been able to attract tenants that perhaps can't afford MINT (Telus for example), the RBC building
The Allied Terrotires - start-ups, ad agencies, PR firms

As for the "let's all smush" 3 40 story buildings into one super structure - the world doesn't work like that.

And for those who are concerned about our lack of construction of tall towers - its really a north american thing. In North America - only 15 office only buildings have been built in the last fifteen years above 700 M (including Bay Adelaide).

Height Floors Year Title City
1,200 (366) 54 2009 Bank of America Tower New York City
1046 (319) 52 2009 New York Times Building New York City
975 (297) 57 2007 Comcast Center Philadelphia
844 (257) 52 2012 Devon Energy Tower Oklahoma City
806 (246) 54 2005 Bloomberg Tower New York City
781 (238) 42 2003 Goldman Sachs Tower Jersey City
764 (233) 48 2009 Duke Energy Center Charlotte
755 (230) 47 2001 383 Madison Avenue New York City
749 (228) 44 2009 Goldman Sachs World Headquarters New York City
745 (227) 35 2007 RSA Battle House Tower Mobile
743 (227) 54 2010 Blue Cross Blue Shield Tower Chicago
740 (226) 44 2010 200 West Street New York City
724 (221) 49 2004 Times Square Tower New York City


Those are all in the States - in Canada there's the Bow and B/A.

 

[Atlantis]

Thanks for putting together that list, it really puts the last decade into perspective!

I think you may have missed one tower though, Seven World Trade Centre completed in 2006 standing at 225m.

 

[jozl]

Does anyone know how extensive the below grade construction will be? I assume it's basically built but I'm wondering if construction at street level will begin immediately.

 

[AHK]

Does anyone know how extensive the below grade construction will be? I assume it's basically built but I'm wondering if construction at street level will begin immediately.

Well, given the information in post 506, above, the city had yet to start the construction permit application review process as of December 20. Soooo, given the reduced staffing levels currently in place, I suspect it will be a while before the building permit is issued, and construction actually starts. The days of the Famous Players building on Bloor Street I suspect are long gone. (BTW - Kudo's to anyone aware of what is meant by the Famous Players building reference.......)

Post 506 - December 20:

Application: Building Additions/Alterations Status: Not Started

Location: 40 ADELAIDE ST W
TORONTO ON M5H 4E3

Ward 28: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 12 296750 BLD 00 BA Accepted Date: Dec 20, 2012

Project: Multiple Use/Non Residential Multiple Projects

Description: Proposal to construct a 44 sty office addition (including a new 7 sty podium)+ mech penhouse addition over existing 4 level below grade parking garage and 1 concourse level, and selective interior work on existing commercial building at 132 Yonge St. Future address - 22 Adelaide St W. BAY AELAIDE EAST TOWER.

 

[Jasonzed]

 

[Atlantis]

Feb 3, some more shots of the ongoing demolition.

 

[thecharioteer]

From above last Friday:

The Yonge/Adelaide corner in advertising 1934:

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Addition Elle is moving up to Queen and Yonge at the end of the month.