Another office tower has started construction in Downtown Toronto. Following the closure of a surface parking lot to the east of the current LCBO headquarters on Queens Quay at Cooper, shoring rigs have arrived to start work on new offices for the provincially-owned alcoholic beverage distributor: the LCBO Tower is designed by B+H Architects and will be 25-storeys tall. It is the first phase of a redevelopment of the 11.5 acre "LCBO Lands" site being undertaken by Menkes Developments, which the company purchased in 2016 for $260 million.

Facing southwest across the LCBO Tower site, image by Jack Landau

Crews have already torn up the parking lot's asphalt and removed its lighting. Shoring rigs were delivered and began work in November. Now, work on the earth retention system is well underway, with retaining walls being built around the perimeter of the site. Excavation for the tower's two-level underground garage will come next.

Shoring rigs in action at the LCBO Tower site, image by Jack Landau

The LCBO Tower will add 763,000 ft² of Class “AAA” LEED Platinum office and retail space to the west edge of the East Bayfront, of which the LCBO will occupy approximately one third of. At ground level will be the liquor retailer's new flagship location.

Shoring rigs in action at the LCBO Tower site, image by Jack Landau

The office building will be followed by five mixed-use towers, primarily residential with retail and school use in the podiums. Along with a stand-alone retail pavilion, those buildings are working their way through the City's planning approvals process. On the site's northeast quadrant, 64 and 70 storey residential towers are proposed, reaching respective heights of 716 ft/218.35 m and 755 ft/230.16 m. On the site's northwest quadrant, plans call for a 90-storey, 978 ft/298.13 m tall west tower, and an 87-storey, 949 ft/289.13 m tall east tower. The retail pavilion would border a new park on the southwest quadrant of the site.

Base of the LCBO Tower, image via submission to City of Toronto

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.