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Nicholas Residences by Jerry Eberts images courtesy urban capital property group / pb marketing R ising 35 storeys into the air, the Nicholas Residences in Toronto will offer an attractive blend of traditional and modern. Located on the 19th-century streets of Nicholas and St. Mary, the building is close to Bloor, Bay and Yorkville – a neighbourhood of boutiques and shops, �ine restaurants, cafes and entertainment. "The development will total 35 storeys, including two �loors for mechanical equipment and �ive levels of below- grade parking. When completed in fall 2014, the tower will house 307 units, including 67 studios, 175 one-bedroom or one-bedroom-plus-den and 66 two-bedroom or two-bed- room-plus-den units," says Mark Reeve, partner at Urban Capital Property Group. There will also be retail space at ground level, helping to keep this lively and historic corner of the neighbourhood a shopping destination. Owner/developers of the project are Urban Capital Property Group and Alit Developments. Architect Babak Eslahjou, a founding principal with Core Architects Inc., was involved from day one. "There were a lot of community meetings," says Eslahjou. "We wound up keep- ing three historical buildings so we would preserve some of the history of the area. We are giving new life to the old build- ings and we tried to keep everything in the proper scale. The streets are very quaint, with pavers. "This project is a good example of trying to integrate the older parts of the city with older buildings that people still love, and main thoroughfares – where the city wants to develop highrises." With Tucker HiRise serving as construction manager for the Nicholas Residences, the project began in April 2011 with the demolition of the previous buildings on the site. "Like all proj- ects, there are many challenges at the beginning. Site logistics was a challenge as the footprint of the site did not permit a large staging area for equipment and/or materials," says Scott Carroll, project manager for Tucker HiRise Construction. "Because of the site logistics and the fact that we are build- ing property line to property line, we anticipated that it would be a slower process to bring the building out of the ground. Which it was," says Carroll. "Working in the downtown core has also been a challenge with deliveries – and with the use of large heavy-duty equip- ment. Another challenge has been the weather. We have tried LOCATION 15 St. Mary Street, Toronto, Ontario OWNER/DEVELOPER Urban Capital Property Group / Alit Developments ARCHITECT Core Architects Inc. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Tucker HiRise Construction Ltd. STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Jablonsky, Ast and Partners MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Able Engineering INTERIOR DESIGN Cecconi Simone Inc. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Ferris & Associates Inc. TOTAL AREA 350,000 square feet TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST $42 million very hard to keep with the schedule while dealing with the weather," adds Carroll. Dominic Ta r i, a pa r t ner w it h Jablonsk y, A st and Par t ners, was structural consultant for the Nicholas Residences project. Tari was involved in the undertaking from the start. "Because of the shape of the site and having to dig down to create the park- ing levels, we advised the team on how deep we could dig – among other con- siderations," says Tari. "The subsurface conditions in that area meant we could have some water problems – which get worse the deeper down you dig. We had to �ind the right level. "Five levels of underground parking was right. Six would have been into the water. This also meant we couldn't use a simple shoring method. The shoring had to actually be embed- ded within the foundation walls themselves." Handling both mechanical and electrical engineering duties, Able Engineering had two consultants on the ground: Scott Orenstein and Peera Butrsingkorn. Speaking about the project in general, mechanical engineer Orenstein praised the entire team and the way everything has fallen into place. As for the look and style of the new building's exterior, "Core Architects incorporated some characteristics of a pre- vious historic building on this site," says Carroll. "Core has designed a brick facade at the southwest cor- ner of the building from the ground to the third �loor. Core requested we use the reclaimed bricks from the previous building. This unique feature keeps with the look of the adja- cent historic row-houses south of the Nicholas project on a new, modern structure." The exterior of the building certainly has a historic, old-timey �lare, with brick on the �irst three �loors around the entire building. Standard window-wall assemblies are installed in the residential tower starting at the fourth �loor right up to 35, as well as the two levels of the mechanical penthouse. The interior of the building, overseen by Gail Krieger of Cecconi Simone Inc., offers plenty of light with high ceilings and large glass panels. The chic kitchens feature stone countertops and walnut- veneer backsplashes designed to complement the framed wooden cabinetry. The spa-inspired bathrooms feature sinks set against beautiful walnut veneer panels. "The �inal pro- posed design will be similar to the '60s and'70s era of exposed concrete with wood accents throughout the public/common areas," says Carroll of the interior spaces. "The designers are incorporating the different elements and materials to enhance and/or attempt to bring the old and new together." Common amenities in the Nicholas Residences include a gym, a large theatre room with cinema seats, a party room with cocktail bar, a game room and meeting facilities. Most spectacularly, the building boasts an indoor-outdoor lounge with a re�lecting water feature on the fourth �loor terrace. Double-sided �ireplaces and various seating areas will make this a favourite spot to unwind and watch the sun set over Toronto. ■ APRIL 2014 /65 Nicholas Residences p64-65_NicholasResidences.indd 65 14-04-03 9:08 AM