Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
EllisDon assistant site superintendent Alberto Robles recently took this image showing construction progress of The Well at Front and Spadina in Toronto, a massive complex on 7.8 acres of land that had formerly been the Globe and Mail’s press building.
The mixed use development will transform the neighbourhood, featuring a variety of retail stores, restaurants, six high rise residential condominium and rental buildings and a commercial office tower.
“It’s definitely the largest and most high profile project I’ve ever worked on,” EllisDon senior project manager Jeff Murkar was quoted as saying in an company project profile.
EllisDon is building the commercial office tower, Building G, the largest of The Well development’s towers. This structure on a five-storey podium will rise 39 storeys, which will be primarily commercial office space. The P2 level, ground and second floors will be occupied by retailers, while the 38th floor will be a restaurant, complemented by a roof-top patio.
EllisDon also says it is also building the podium portion of Building F, with 400,000 sq. ft. six levels below ground and six levels above grade. “Upon completion of the podium, EllisDon will turn over a transfer slab to Delterra who will build a 46 storey residential rental building, featuring 613 units, while EllisDon completes the commercial office space below,” EllisDon says. “The co-ordination and logistics planning between the co-construction managers started in 2017 and continues as work progresses onsite.”
EllisDon worked with the owners and design team to fast-track the procurement process, onboarding concrete, formwork, rebar, curtain wall, elevator, mechanical and electrical trades as the design was still being developed, Murkar was quoted as saying.
“This method of procurement allowed us to secure the key trades ahead of the current surge in the Toronto construction market,” he said. “It also allowed us to expedite the start of construction as we worked through the finalization of the design with the consultants and co-ordinated the sequential release of IFC (Issued for Construction) documents to complement our construction schedule.”
The buildings are scheduled to be completed in 2021.
