Toronto Has The Most Cranes In North America — Which Means The Most Development

Changes to the Ontario Municipal Board will give more power to city councils to make their own decisions when it comes to a city's development.

It may not be a glorious sight, but the sight shows a bright future: Right now, Toronto has the most construction cranes in North America — which indicates massive development.

Toronto has an estimated 97 active construction cranes as of July 2018, according to the recent Rider Levett Bucknall Index (RLB Crane Index).

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This means the city has more than double the number of cranes of Chicago, four times as many as San Francisco, and about five times as many cranes as New York City. In fact, Seattle, which places second for the number of cranes, sits far behind Toronto at 65.

From Toronto's 97 cranes, 85 are for the construction of condos, residential buildings and/or mixed-use properties. The remaining cranes are for commercial developments.

READ: Toronto Vs. Each American State: Salary Needed To Afford An Average Home

"For the third consecutive reporting period, Toronto has the highest number of cranes of all the cities surveyed in this edition of the Index: 97, an increase over the last count of 88," reports RLB in its findings.

"The market continues to be led by the residential sector, which makes up over 86% of the total crane count."

The report goes on, "Looking ahead, Toronto is expected to see a boost in spending on infrastructure, which is anticipated to trigger an increase in construction activity.

READ: Toronto Ranked Fourth Most Expensive Housing Market In North America

"More than 400 high-rise projects have been proposed, adding to the city’s dynamic skyline."

Ultimately, this Index shows how quickly cities are growing. So, if looking at construction development, Toronto is the fastest growing city in North America.

Nonetheless, while the city continues to grow its one-bedroom condo count, its affordable housing count continues to drop.

So while Toronto may be supplying condos, it's not adequately supplying the demand for affordable housing — yet.

READ: When Affordable Housing Loses Its Meaning

Counting Cranes: Total Numbers

Toronto - 97

Seattle - 65

Chicago - 40

Los Angeles - 36

Portland - 30

Denver - 28

Calgary - 26

San Francisco - 26

Washington - 25

New York City - 20

Source: Rider Levett Bucknall

Toronto Condos & Homes

Toronto Has The Most Cranes In North America — Which Means The Most Development

Counting Cranes: Total Numbers

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The project, located at 134-226 Harwood Avenue South in Ajax, was being undertaken by LeMine Investment Group when it was placed under receivership in April 2021.

The receivership application was filed by KingSett Capital against Thind's Highline and Minoru Square projects.

The District Northwest project by Thind Properties is set for 13438 105A Avenue in Surrey and consists of two high-rise towers.