b'Its a fairly big site, so were just coming to grade now, reports Brian Endacott, construction manager with EllisDon and newly elected TCA chairman. We are working with a large excavation that includes a king pile structure to support the neighbouring property to the east as we had to excavate down for four parking levels.Notably, the project includes the development of a self-contained central co-gen plant that will service all buildings in the complex. This micro-grid will enable the six-building complex to satisfy its power and thermal requirements onsite instead of relying on more carbon-intensive utility networks. A key component of the project includes retrofitting a number of heritage buildings on the site for commercial use, including aTHE PROJECT AIMS TO PRESERVE THE SPIRIT OF THE daycare, small business spaces and other retail outlets. Final plansFORMER HONEST EDS, A TORONTO RETAIL ICONalso call for the development of a central public marketplace that will serve to bring community members together for community and public gatherings and musical and cultural events. The key toSo in the finished product, Markham Street will retain much reinvigorating the property is harnessing this diversity and exploringof its unmistakable, pre-existing character, including the former synergies between uses, notes DeCarli. Thats why the masterplanDavid Mirvish Books, the gallery space at 569 Markham and the has been designed with a multiplicity of users and experiences inVictory Cafe building, says DeCarli. But beyond the physical mind. We like to think of it as an urban laboratory, comprised ofaspects of the project, we also want to preserve the cultural numerous distinct parts, all coming together to create an authenticessence of the neighbourhood. This will be accomplished by and vibrant community. ensuring that art, music, entrepreneurialism and community are stitched into the fabric of the re-imagined Mirvish Village Westbank is also in talks with A Different Booklist Cultural Centre,through various programming and partnership arrangements. an independent and multicultural bookstore, to situate their futureThe objective is to create something innovative and new, but at home on Bathurst Street within the project. Adds DeCarli, This isthe same time familiar.just one example of the overarching thesis of the project. This new development should celebrate the cultural history of the communityA project of this scope is undoubtedly prone to challenges. while giving new life and dimension to the neighbourhood. For one, says Endacott, the site requires special shoring considerations: One of the existing properties actually juts into UNUSUAL SITE the hole, which means you cant just trim the line, so we had to Crews are taking considerable lengths to preserve the spirit ofdo king piles, structures, and the like. That obviously made it a the former Honest Eds home. Prior to construction, Westbankvery challenging job to install as youre going down because we collaborated with ERA Architects to take careful inventory of thewere trying to stabilize all of the buildings that were remaining in heritage assets on the property and identify every opportunity tothe adjacent areas.conserve heritage features of historical and cultural interest. Crews have also taken extra care to integrate the existing heritage sites into Westbanks modern plans. Very meticulous work is being done on these dwellings for their structural integrity and to repurpose them from single or multi-use dwellings into their new uses in the commercial and retail space, Endacott adds.Of course, like any project underway in Toronto, the Mirvish Village redevelopment has been subject to strict COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. These social distancing and worker safety rules have not stalled work, but they have tasked EllisDon and its trades to use more stringent onsite health and safety procedures and infection-mitigation strategies.All told, however, DeCarli reports that Westbank and its partners are seeing these challenges through: There are hundreds upon hundreds of dedicated professionals working on various aspects of Mirvish Village every day. Its really inspiring to see so many different people, each working on unique aspects of the job, discovering their own deeply personal connections to Mirvish Village and the surrounding community. It really does take a village, he adds.THE MASSIVE PROJECT WILL INCORPORATE A COMPLETE COMMUNITY THAT WILL INCLUDEMore information about The Mirvish Village / Honest Eds site RENTALS, A PUBLIC PARK AND MARKETPLACE redevelopment project can be found at www.mirvish-village.com.BUILDERSDIGEST Quarter 2 202019'