By Fr. Santo Arrigo, C.Ss.R.
Seven months down….four more to go (more or less). It’s official, time is flying by in the construction zone at St. Patrick’s. Over the last couple of months, we have seen significant changes in the “zone”, despite the return of winter weather to Toronto. The last few years have been relatively snow-free for the city, especially downtown Toronto. But this has not slowed down construction, especially construction outside in the damp winter chill.
The new garage which has room for one vehicle, garbage bays, and grounds storage is now standing in the midst of the air conditioning chillers. The garage has been reduced in size from the previous building as we needed space for the electrical vault to have access by Toronto Hydro. As with any renovation, especially on a heritage site, we are limited to the available spaces and locations to place new utility services. At least the previous garage wasn’t listed as heritage!
Other outside work over the last couple of months has included the construction of the handicap ramp that will provide full access to the building through the existing basement door right on McCaul Street. The main entrance to the building is also being reconfigured as the stairs on McCaul Street leading to the Reception area were treacherous at the best of times.
As you can see by the photos, work on the interior continues with the sound proofing insulation being installed, along with the installation of the fresh-air ducts throughout the building. Kelly, our architect and project manager is so happy about the work of the ducts and electrical conduit she feels that it is a shame that we are covering it all up. No worries, we have convinced her otherwise! That being said, much of the dry wall is up and patching and prepping for paint is well underway.
The week of March 4th will see the opening of the “model suite” that will serve as a sample layout for the Confreres to see. While the colours of the finishings, trim, tile for washrooms and flooring have been pre-determined for this model suite, we hope that these finishings will be well received by the Confreres. There will be three options for paint colours for the bedrooms. At present, based on feedback from the Confreres, they can select from either the “off-white” colour, green or blue. The shades and tones of these colours will be selected and will be on display in the model suite for selection.
There will be a viewing time for Confreres to come and see the model suite and we will have elevator access for our seniors to reach the 3rd floor room, and guaranteed safe access in the construction zone. If Confreres are not able to attend that day, or if other Confreres are wishing to preview the room at another time, they can make arrangements for an appointment with me, as visitors to the site can only gain access with supervision and with proper safety protocols with steel toe shoes/boots and hard hat.
