A towering concrete giant is climbing into the sky at the southeast corner of Yonge and Gerrard in downtown Toronto, with plans to become one of the tallest buildings in all of Canada.
Known as Concord Sky, the 85-storey skyscraper will soar to a height of 300 metres, surpassing all currently completed buildings in the country as of July 2025. While it won’t break national records—due to two even taller towers underway—it is set to become one of the most dominant fixtures of Toronto’s skyline in the months ahead.
But the story behind Concord Sky is as dramatic as its scale. What now appears to be a massive concrete column was once a stalled dream mired in financial collapse and development uncertainty.
A Long Road to the Sky
The project first launched in 2017 under the name YSL Residences (Yonge Street Living), an ambitious 98-storey tower from Cresford Developments. Pre-construction sales were wildly successful, and by 2019, construction had begun.
However, just a year later, the pandemic and internal financial struggles hit Cresford hard. Reports of a looming “cash crisis” turned out to be true, and in 2020 the developer went into receivership. Construction stopped abruptly, leaving a massive excavation pit behind, flanked by preserved heritage façades from historic Gerrard Street buildings.
Concord Adex Steps In
After years of inactivity, Vancouver-based developer Concord Adex purchased the project and brought it back to life with major changes to both design and scope. Rebranded as Concord Sky, the building was scaled back from 98 to 85 storeys and redesigned by world-renowned firm Kohn Pedersen Fox in collaboration with Toronto-based architects—Alliance.
Despite the revised plans, progress was far from smooth. In May 2025, Concord Adex issued a notice to investors warning of delays due to a labour strike. The “First Notice of Unavoidable Delay” explained that critical dates and occupancy timelines would be affected by disruptions on the construction site.
Back on Track and Rising Fast
Following the resolution of the strike, construction has surged forward. The building has now surpassed the 17-storey mark, and the concrete podium levels are giving way to smaller, faster-built tower floorplates above.
The tower’s bold architectural feature—a dramatic slope that culminates in a knife-edged peak on its north face—will soon start to take shape, setting Concord Sky apart visually from Toronto’s other mega-towers.
This summer, the first pieces of its unitized curtainwall system—a sleek, reflective glass skin—were installed just above the base. These modern glass elements contrast with the preserved lower façades of historic buildings like the Gerrard Building and the Yonge Street Mission. Heritage architecture firm ERA Architects is overseeing the delicate blend of new and old.
A Tower That Will Change Toronto’s Skyline
As Concord Sky continues its vertical climb, it’s quickly becoming one of the most talked-about developments in Canada. Set to dramatically alter Toronto’s downtown skyline, the skyscraper is both a symbol of resilience and a glimpse into the future of high-rise urban living.
What began as a stalled dream is now becoming a concrete reality—one floor at a time.