As it prepares to fully open to the public, a fire has torn through a portion of The Well.
Videos shared on social media show flames engulfing a balcony on one of the development’s three residential towers. Firetrucks can be seen lining Front Street West, outside the southern portion of the mixed-use development.
Marc Sammons, Vice President of Customer Care and Warranty Services at Tridel, told STOREYS that the cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but that there is early speculation it was caused by a discarded cigarette, with "some debris transferring to a small number of other balconies."
Teams are in the process of conducting a detailed assessment of the fire damage, Sammons said. At present, it appears that only balcony glazing and contents were affected, and there was no damage within any of The Well’s residential units. There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire.
"We would like to thank our teams and the Fire Departments for their quick response and remind residents of all high-rise buildings to not discard cigarettes from balconies," Sammons said.
A decade in the making, The Well is a 7.75-acre mixed-use development spanning the west side of Spadina Avenue from Wellington to Front Streets West. In addition to 1,700 new residential units, the seven-tower site brings an array of new office, retail, and dining options to the King West neighbourhood, including Adidas, Sephora, Sweat and Tonic, and Mandy’s Gourmet Salads.
Tridel and DiamondCorp oversaw the development of the residential portion of The Well, while Allied Properties and RioCan took charge of the office and retail components, respectively.
Sammons noted that "the phase of The Well where the fire occurred is just over 50% occupied, and it will be more than a year before the entire community is completed."
