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May 13

No easy way to get good shots of the hole and will have to wait until it hits grade.
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www.theglobeandmail.com

In Toronto development, heritage retention is a team sport

Fragments of the past are carefully retained as the city expands skyward
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

At Wellesley St. just west of Yonge St., we are able to see a steel retention frame holding up numbers 10 to 16. These two-and-a-half storey, bay windowed, Second Empire houses were built as speculative housing by Thomas Bryce of Bryce Brothers Construction in 1876 and, according to GBCA’s Heritage Impact Assessment, are the “first and only buildings to have ever stood on this site.” Unfortunately, these little gems were covered over in stucco decades ago (a 1972 photo shows their brick detailing).

“So the intent is to remove it and have a look,” explains Mr. Ghattas. “And we did do some exploratory openings, and we found that the brick was in fair condition, but I need to look more to see what we can do.”

For now, however, these façades will hang over the excavation from the frame that was custom built for them – since each façade is a different weight, length, height and made of different materials there aren’t off-the-shelfers – until the 55 storey tower can be tucked in behind (in partnership with Bazis). The development will also incorporate 7 St. Nicholas St., which once housed the legendary 1960s coffee house The Bohemian Embassy.
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As much as I like this building (at least from the renderings), I will be sad to see that cool wall from the building beside get covered up/blocked off.
 
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