744 Dundas St |?| 3fl| Completed 2022 (Indwell)

jammer139 · #1 Posted **Nov 16, 2019, 2:06 PM**

The Urban design brief plan is up for this affordable housing project. Sadly only 3 floors it appears.

https://www.london.ca/business/Plann...das-Street.pdf

ssiguy · #2 Posted **Nov 16, 2019, 10:24 PM**

Nothing wrong with 3 stories. Usually itès smaller buildings that blend in best with the overall urban landscape, have the least resistance from local residents, and created a more inimate pedestrian feel. Tall buildings, outside the downtown areas, often can ruin the character of an area while low mid-rise density ones often enhance it.

jammer139 · #3 Posted **Nov 17, 2019, 2:30 PM**

It's sad because the affordable housing crisis would be helped more if this added more floors. This is a affordable housing project after all.

Djeffery · #4 Posted **Nov 17, 2019, 2:47 PM**

They aren't a big rich builder who can afford to put up a massive apartment block either. And if they were, they could put it up on a more suitable piece of land. I know it goes against this website's favoured opinion of every road at least 5 lanes wide and every building at least 30s, but this project looks good, and suits the surroundings.

jammer139 · #5 Posted **May 6, 2020, 11:15 AM**

City Hall providing 4.5M loan to Indwell for this project. Also expected to start soon with completion by 2022.

ssiguy · #6 Posted **May 6, 2020, 8:27 PM**

I think 3 stories is the ideal height. Large low-income projects tend to be rather sterile looking and become a bit of an urban slum as opposed to part of the community at large. Cities learnt that the hard way by building such complexes in the 1960s. This is why most low-income housing is now built to these standards except when geared exclusively to seniors.

jammer139 · #7 Posted **Jun 5, 2020, 11:48 AM**

They plan to call this building Embassy Commons and are still fund raising.

https://indwell.ca/projects/744-dundas/

jammer139 · #8 Posted **Jul 30, 2020, 12:04 AM**

Ground breaking ceremony today - https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...-a957470ecb2f/

ssiguy · #9 Posted **Jul 30, 2020, 2:58 AM**

This really is a great project. Besides providing affordable housing, it fits well into the community and fills one of the biggest gaping holes in the Old East urban fabric.

jammer139 · #10 Posted **Sep 9, 2020, 9:33 PM**

With the demand over 5000 units it's a shame this one didn't have a few more floors. Not sure they have started construction due to Dundas St rebuild.

Todays LFP article speaks to the high demand for units and long waiting lists. Small 3 floor buildings with 50-60 units each isn't going to put much of a dent in the waiting lists. Even if we built 10 of these projects a year we would only add ~600 units. And we're are only adding 2-3 per year.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/...-f2b389172b5b/

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

It's sad because the affordable housing crisis would be helped more if this added more floors. This is a affordable housing project after all.

jammer139 · #11 Posted **Sep 12, 2020, 3:28 PM**

They have removed a couple of feet of soil on the lot. There doesn't appear to be any basement level on plans so excavation should be relatively quick and easy to build foundation footings and ground floor slab. Not sure if this will be a wood framed with exterior brick or concrete and block structure.

jammer139 · #12 Posted **Nov 21, 2020, 9:39 PM**

No progress on this project. Scrapped off a couple of feet of soil and then paused. Might be waiting on Dundas St reconstruction to complete?

ssiguy · #13 Posted **Nov 22, 2020, 5:34 AM**

That would make sense to at least try to coordinate the 2.

jammer139 · #14 Posted **Dec 14, 2020, 4:02 PM**

Some of the footings have now been poured and some of the steel rebar is up for foundation walls and start of elevator and stairwell shafts.

jammer139 · #15 Posted **Jan 11, 2021, 5:01 PM**

Some of the foundation walls are now poured along the Dundas St side. Alot of digging yet to do the east, west and north side footings and foundation walls.

jammer139 · #16 Posted **Feb 4, 2021, 2:42 PM**

Have made some steady progress with pouring some more of the foundation walls and footings. Still have the west and east wings left. If they keep up the pace should complete the foundation by end of Feb. Should see backfill and the ground floor slab poured in March.

jammer139 · #17 Posted **Feb 14, 2021, 3:51 PM**

Looks like the cold temps have really slowed down progress with the foundation forming. Not much progress lately.

jammer139 · #18 Posted **Feb 28, 2021, 3:41 PM**

1st floor steel post girders now installed on the south side. Looks like they will use steel and concrete block with structural panel construction for this 3 story apartment building. Should be topped out rather quickly in that case from a structure point of view.

jammer139 · #19 Posted **Mar 4, 2021, 7:35 PM**

Forming the footings for the west wing of this 3 story this week.

johnnyhamont · #20 Posted **Mar 14, 2021, 8:20 PM**

update from the architects social media