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Two years following its ground breaking ceremony, The Capitol has steadily progressed to rise above grade in Midtown Toronto. The development retains the heritage walls and marquee facade of the locally iconic Capitol Theatre along Yonge Street, which has been a neighbourhood cultural landmark since its debut in 1914. Designed by Turner Fleischer Architects and Hariri Pontarini Architects (with the former as Architect of Record and the latter as Design Architect) for Madison Group and Westdale Properties, the heritage restoration is being overseen by GBCA Architects.
In April, 2024, a Minor Variance application was submitted to the Committee of Adjustment, seeking permission to increase the building’s height from 14 to 15 storeys. This was approved in June, 2024, paving the way for additional residential units for the development at 2500 Yonge Street, just an 8-minute walk from Eglinton station.
Looking northeast in July, 2023, one year after the ground breaking ceremony, the excavation is fully prepared for the tower crane that would go up in August. Tiebacks can be seen securing the north and east shoring walls. Above on the right, the original theatre walls are shielded by a protective tarp, and supported by a sturdy steel scaffold along Yonge Street. To the left, a translucent tarp covers the retained heritage wall of the neighbouring property. An excavator is parked in the pit.
This drone photo from April, 2024, showcases the installed tower crane and the project at grade level. The centrally positioned crane is surrounded by extensive formwork. To the west, an organized staging area holds construction materials, placed to facilitate efficient access. The theatre’s heritage wall is seen in full view, curving around the intersection of Yonge and Castlefield Avenue. To the far right, we spot the ongoing excavation for a separate project at 2444 Yonge Street.
Captured in July, 2024, this street-level view looking east shows two concrete mixer trucks on Castlefield Avenue delivering fresh mix, with a red boom pump actively pouring concrete at the south end, attended by construction crew members. On the west and south elevations, structural framework has advanced. On the south side, the ground floor has been formed, while concrete work extends upwards for another two floors on the north side.
Looking west across Yonge Street, we focus on the north end of the site. The view captures light streaming through an ad-wrap, with shadows tracing the scaffold that holds up the heritage walls behind it. Four levels have been formed, with the concrete framework for the fifth floor underway. Within this section will be a new arched entryway as seen in the renderings, offering a visual connection to the adjacent heritage property. The right-most and upper volumes here will feature white cladding, contrasting the brick masonry of the preserved heritage walls.
This month, we look northwest across the intersection of Yonge and Castlefield. The south elevation along Castlefield Avenue displays two fully formed levels, with active formwork laying the groundwork for the third level. A blue concrete boom pump is seen just to the left of the tower crane. Above the heritage facade along Yonge Street, formwork is spotted rising above the ad-wrap.
The recent approval from the Committee of Adjustment has bumped The Capitol’s final height from 56.35m to 60.35m, while also increasing the number of residential units from 146 to 163.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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