Catching Up with Construction at Transit City Phase 2 in Vaughan

Urbantoronto.ca
July 11, 2022

Vaughan has seen many changes over the recent years. With a new transit line has come increased high-rise development and growth overall, and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) is quite literally the centre of it all. One of the first projects to go up at VMC was SmartCentres REIT and CentreCourt's now completed Transit City Condos; three 55-storey residential towers that rise around the corner from the new multi-modal transit hub where YRT's local and Viva buses, Brampton's Züm, and the TTC subway meet.

Now, just across Millway Avenue on the southwest corner with Portage Parkway is its second phase, TC4 and TC5, along with a rental tower. Construction started on all three in the Fall of 2019, when shoring rigs appeared on the site. Taking a look now, though, the Diamond Schmitt-designed towers of the development have flown up, and are on their on the way to reaching their final heights of 35 (the rental tower), 45, and 50 storeys.

Starting from the bottom, cladding has begun to be applied to the bases of the towers, which will become home to retail units at grade, with residences above. In the image below, we are looking southeast between the 45-storey tower on the left, and the podium of the 35-storey tower on the right, with the 50-storey tower standing behind and in between them, across the central courtyard.

The buildings share a similar colour palette, with warm sandy cladding applied to the lower levels, while the upper, angled podium levels are clad with a charcoal-coloured aluminum, the on the bridge that connects the two buildings.

Looking up, all three towers are still growing, working on their last few levels and coming close to reaching their final heights. Glazing work is not far behind, currently reaching up to about two thirds of of the height of the rental tower in the foreground of the image below, and about a quarter of the height of the 50-storey tower to its right.

We can see on the lower levels of the towers where glazing has been installed, that six-storey sections have been grouped and outlined by white borders, defining these sections. This will continue up the facade of the towers, providing articulation to these elevations.

On other sides of the building, a stepped look is being built into the balconies, which can be seen above during construction, and below rendered as they will look when complete.

The three towers will all be situated around what will become a grand central park designed by Claude Cormier + Associés and fitted with seating areas and new landscaping. South of this block, a following phase will eventually be built.