Yesterday, UrbanToronto attended the topping off ceremony for\u00a0Cielo Condos<\/a>, marking the completion of the 34-storey tower\u2019s structural rise above Bloor Street West in Toronto\u2019s Annex neighbourhood. Designed by\u00a0KPMB Architects<\/a> for\u00a0Collecdev-Markee Developments<\/a>, the mixed-use project at the northwest corner of Bloor and Huron streets combines new residential construction along with the heritage retentions of the Bloor Street United Church’s walls and the restored George C. Pidgeon House under the direction of\u00a0ERA Architects<\/a>. UrbanToronto’s last update on the site was in April, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n Addressing attendees under the steel framework of the soon-to-be-recreated sanctuary, Collecdev-Markee President and CEO Jennifer Keesmaat described Cielo as the culmination of years of coordination across acquisition, design, approvals, financing, sales, and construction, noting the challenges faced during a period shaped by changing market conditions and the pandemic. Reflecting on the scale of effort required to bring the development to its current stage, Keesmaat remarked that \u201cPeople forget that doing something great is mostly an act of endurance,\u201d describing the process of delivering housing in Toronto as a long-term effort involving developers, consultants, trades, and financial partners, especially when the projects are as complex as this one.<\/p>\n Keesmaat highlighted the unusual technical demands of the Cielo development, which has required construction directly around the University Line 1 and Bloor Line 2 tunnels west of St George station, while also preserving heritage architecture on the site. \u201cWe are building above critical active TTC infrastructure. We were open to the subway tunnel, and [if the concrete were cut into], you could reach out and touch it as people went by, all the while integrating and preserving these important heritage elements,\u201d she told attendees, gesturing to the walls of the surrounding church space.<\/p>\n Beyond its residential program, the project incorporates cafe, office, community, and worship uses tied to religious institutions. Keesmaat described the development as \u201creally an investment in the city as social and community infrastructure. It\u2019s not just a physical building,\u201d noting that the project will continue the longstanding community role of the site while introducing new housing above. The podium will include national office space for some Canadian Protestant denominations under\u00a0a collaborative lease arrangement<\/a>, alongside worship and gathering spaces integrated into the retained church complex. Keesmaat highlighted the ecumenical multi-faith dimension, noting the sanctuary is designed to work for both Christian services and a synagogue community within the redeveloped site.<\/p>\n Keesmaat used the ceremony to acknowledge Collecdev Markee’s partners involved in delivering the project, thanking Shiplake<\/a>, Northam<\/a>, and the Royal Bank of Canada, alongside other members of the project team. She described large-scale projects as \u201cmarathons\u201d requiring long-term coordination across development, design, engineering, and construction disciplines while supporting hundreds of jobs during a period of economic uncertainty, particularly crediting the trades and construction crews for maintaining progress through difficult winter conditions, weather delays, and ongoing logistical challenges on the active downtown site.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following the remarks, attendees were invited in groups on a construction tour of the building, beginning with a trip up the exterior hoist to the 29th floor before climbing the stairs to the recently formed 34th floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n The visit offered a firsthand look at the tower shortly after structural topping off earlier in the week, with exposed concrete floors, as yet un-demised space, temporary safety barriers, and active construction areas still visible throughout the upper levels. The current 34-storey form reflects a 2024 Minor Variance approval<\/a> that increased the tower height from the originally planned 29 storeys.<\/p>\n From the uppermost residential level, the project\u2019s position within the city became particularly apparent, with expansive views extending across Downtown, Midtown, and The Annex. To the east,\u00a0One Bloor West<\/a> stands above the skyline, while\u00a0One Delisle<\/a> is visible further north along Yonge Street. The vantage point also provided clear vistas on the density of ongoing development activity across central Toronto, while revealing the tight urban conditions surrounding the site itself, even as proximity to the University of Toronto’s mostly low-lying St George Campus ensures “forever views” from Cielo.<\/p>\n The tour also took in the second-floor amenity and office level, where attendees were given a closer look at some of the project\u2019s more complicated structural conditions. From here at the south end of the podium, tour participants got a good look over the steel framework rising beside the retained Gothic Revival church walls, within which the sanctuary will be reconstituted. Seen through the framework, a second floor balcony can be seen cantilevering. Possibly a choir loft, home for the organ? Time will tell.<\/p>\n From the north side of the building, views open toward the retained George C. Pidgeon House and the second crane installed at the rear of the site. The crane will be used to construct of the northern podium section, the structure to be cantilevered over the subway tunnel below, the concrete roof of which can be seen at the bottom of the image, with materials and equipment staged above it on the tight site.<\/p>\n Upon completion, the development will stand 130.35m and will deliver 349 residential suites.<\/p>\n UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n UrbanToronto’s research and data service,\u00a0UTPro<\/a>, provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe\u2014from proposal through to completion. Other services include\u00a0Instant Reports<\/a>, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,\u00a0New Development Insider<\/a>, that tracks projects from initial application.\u200b<\/p>\n <\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t\t![\"-\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.skyrisecities.com\/release\/img\/more-content.png?14728329498\")
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May 28, 2026 by Anthony Teles<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0
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\u00a01.6K\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\nCielo Condos Celebrates Topping Off in The Annex<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n