Bloor Street West's path through the Yorkville area is fast becoming Toronto's own "billionaire's row" thanks to a growing list of ultra-tall developments in the pipeline.

While the upper reaches of these luxury condo towers are typically reserved for the wealthiest of the bunch, one of the next huge towers for this stretch is planning to dedicate a slice of the sky to all of its residents through the creation of a new private observation deck.

A massive condo tower was first proposed for 83 Bloor West in late 2021, seeking to tear down a group of existing buildings from 83 to 95A Bloor Street West — currently home to clothing retailer COS, jeweller APM Monaco, fashion accessories store MCM, leather goods store m0851, as well as spaces formerly occupied by Brooks Brothers and Victorinox.

An updated plan for the proposal emerged in February, with Parallax Development Corporation introducing an observation deck as a residential amenity in its latest revisions.

The plan from architects Arcadis has changed slightly, now a few metres shorter than first proposed, but with an increased floor count thanks to a reduction in floor heights.

What was previously proposed as a 79-storey tower rising 274 metres has been adjusted to an 82-storey plan rising just over 269 metres. Despite the reduction in height, added levels have allowed the developer to pack in a few extra units, now proposing 1,147 residences.

Other changes to the plan include a slashed underground component, reduced from five down to three below-grade levels. The elimination of two underground levels comes with a slight drop in the vehicle and bike parking components. Plans for the garage show off a fancy car elevator that would shuttle resident vehicles to and from ground level.

The standout change in the 2024 update is the addition of an 82nd-floor observation deck, a 240 square-metre space within the tower's mechanical penthouse with windows that will offer impressive views to the south and west.

However, the space appears to be reserved as an amenity for condo residents, with no indication that public access will be offered.

Residents would disembark the high-rise elevators at the 80th floor, then board an amenity elevator carrying them up to this exclusive space.

This is just the latest in a string of proposals that would offer observation decks, albeit a notable outlier that will be designated a condo amenity space.

Other notable buildings that would feature observation levels include the under-construction megatower known as The One, and the proposed office tower at 191 Bay Street in the Commerce Court complex – though these spaces would be accessible to the public.

Several other observation decks have not withstood the test of time, or more specifically, competition from the CN Tower. Past generations of Toronto residents and visitors had plenty of selection of soaring vantage points, perhaps most famously, the opulent gargoyle-lined observation deck that now sits abandoned atop the Commerce Court North tower.

The Commerce Court complex's west tower was also briefly home to an observation deck in the 1970s, converted into office space after the CN Tower's opening lured away the masses.

Many Toronto residents are familiar with the shuttered observation level atop City Hall, though there is also a lesser-known closed observatory within the clock tower of Old City Hall. Other closed observation decks in Toronto include spaces within the Manulife Centre, TD Centre, and the Canada Life Building.

Demolition permits were filed for the existing properties in January, bringing this massive new addition to the skyline a step closer to reality.