Bay-Yorkville Developments Ltd.—a joint-venture between Menkes Developments Ltd., Lifetime Urban Development Group and Alcion Ventures—celebrated the official groundbreaking of the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Toronto with aerial acrobats and a pyrotechnics show Tuesday. Aerialists from Circus Orange performed while local officials, including Alan Menkes of Menkes Development Ltd.; Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale Councillor Kyle Rae; Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Jim Watson, and Isadore Sharp, chairman and founder of the Four Seasons Hotels, posed for photos at the construction site.
“It is a source of pride for me that Toronto, the birthplace of Four Seasons, will soon have such an impressive presence for the company,” Sharp said of the project, located at the corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue. “This project celebrates the past and reflects the evolution of Four Seasons as it nears its 50th year of history.”
The Four Seasons project, designed by Peter Clewes of architectsAlliance of Toronto, will be a mixed-use development featuring two towers. The west residence will be a 55-storey building including a 253-room hotel on the first 20 floors and 101 private residences above. The 26-storey east residence will include 103 private residences. An elevated pedestrian bridge will connect the two towers and the two buildings will share a courtyard designed by landscape architect Claude Cormier.
The interior design house Yabu Pushelberg is designing the hotel and private residence lobbies, the 28,000-square-foot spa and health club, the ballroom and conference facilities, and the hotel rooms. Brian Gluckstein of Gluckstein Design Planning is designing the suites. The $500-million project is slated to open in late 2011.
“It is a source of pride for me that Toronto, the birthplace of Four Seasons, will soon have such an impressive presence for the company,” Sharp said of the project, located at the corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue. “This project celebrates the past and reflects the evolution of Four Seasons as it nears its 50th year of history.”
The Four Seasons project, designed by Peter Clewes of architectsAlliance of Toronto, will be a mixed-use development featuring two towers. The west residence will be a 55-storey building including a 253-room hotel on the first 20 floors and 101 private residences above. The 26-storey east residence will include 103 private residences. An elevated pedestrian bridge will connect the two towers and the two buildings will share a courtyard designed by landscape architect Claude Cormier.
The interior design house Yabu Pushelberg is designing the hotel and private residence lobbies, the 28,000-square-foot spa and health club, the ballroom and conference facilities, and the hotel rooms. Brian Gluckstein of Gluckstein Design Planning is designing the suites. The $500-million project is slated to open in late 2011.
Performers at the Four Seasons groundbreaking
Photo: Paul Casselman
Aerial acrobats from Circus Orange performed at the groundbreaking ceremony while officials posed for photographs on the construction site.
Photo: Paul Casselman
Performers put on a pyrotechnics display during the groundbreaking ceremony.
Photo: Paul Casselman
