Progress is being made at the construction site of Cloud9 Condominiums, a new 260-suite development in Rexdale by the Lash Group Of Companies and Carttera Private Equities. Designed by Richmond Architects, the 12-storey development makes use of underutilized green space surrounding mid-20th century 'tower-in-the-park'-style rental apartment buildings, a common feature in suburban areas which were built out during Toronto's postwar era. Replacing parts of the expansive lawns and surface parking lots of these properties with new development brings revitalization to neighbourhoods, supports local retailers and services, and encourages public transit use when located on TTC lines, as Cloud9 is.

Construction just below grade at Cloud9 Condos, image by Jack Landau

Construction on the project kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony this past September, and in the time since, Cloud9 has been excavated down and built back up to just below grade. Before work on the ground floor's walls and columns can begin, crews must construct a load transfer slab, which is necessary for the 12-storey structure to sit atop the three levels of underground parking built for residents of the development.

Concrete being poured and surfaced at the Cloud9 construction site, image by Jack Landau

At the southwest corner of the site, a large stormwater retention tank sits in the ground. The rainwater collection system, one of the many green initiatives being implemented by the developer of the project, will utilize collected water in its sprinkler system among other functions.

Stormwater retention tank at Cloud9, image by Jack Landau

Along the south and east sides of the site, where the tower is set to rise, work is still ongoing on the final below-grade level. In the images below, we can see the concrete columns which will transfer the load of the floors above down to the bedrock below.

Cloud9's P1 level under construction, image by Jack Landau

Cloud9's P1 level under construction, image by Jack Landau

Further below grade level, work is under way on outfitting the building's parking garage for future residents. In the image below, the building's parking ramp is visible with supports in place for the concrete's curing process.

Cloud9's parking ramp, image by Jack Landau

The lowest level, P3, is the current site of the tower crane's base. The crane can be seen mounted to its original footing which was poured early on in the construction progress. As work progresses and the building rises, the crane will be jacked up to a higher position, affixed to recently cured floors. The hole left for the crane is filled in with concrete after the crane has been moved up and out of the way.

Cloud9's crane base seen on P3, image by Jack Landau

We will be keeping a close eye on the construction of Cloud9 Condominiums, currently slated for completion in 2015.

Construction just below grade at Cloud9 Condos, image by Jack Landau

In the meantime, additional information and renderings can be found in our Cloud9 dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided at the bottom of this page.