Toronto B.streets Condos | 29.26m | 9s | Lindvest Properties | Hariri Pontarini

Observer Walt

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This property is located on the east side of Bathurst, a few steps south of Bloor. It is the former location of Loretto College, a Catholic girls' high school. The school relocated to the Dufferin and St. Clair area a couple of years ago. The Catholic District School Board has sold the property to H&R Developments for $6,970,000. At 33,600 square feet, this is equivalent to $207.44 per square foot of site area. Expect to see an application for a new condo soon.
 
Please tell me this is that horrible, windowless, concrete bunker that blights Bathurst...I've been praying for years for it to be destroyed.
 
It is indeed that suffocatingly windowless brick monolith. Behold the monstrosity at "street view" on googlemaps, if you dare. There are others nearby, but it's a start...
 
It is the brick one. I suspect Towered might be thinking of the concrete storage outbuilding at Central Tech, a little further south?
 
I think that Towered was using the expression "concrete bunker" simply in the post-war cold-war sense of a faceless seamless "block" - not specifically that it was actually made of concrete. If I'm mistaken, T will correct me, but I think it was a common expression at some point to refer to anything windowless as as concrete bunker.
 
It is the brick one. I suspect Towered might be thinking of the concrete storage outbuilding at Central Tech, a little further south?
You are correct, Ad Hominem. The concrete bunker referred to by Towered is an annex to Central Tech. I'd be glad to see it gone. It is a poor representation of brutalism. The property in this sale (former Loretto College) is red brick, and is IMO slightly, just slightly, more attractive. I won't shed too many tears to see it demolished.
 
You are correct, Ad Hominem. The concrete bunker referred to by Towered is an annex to Central Tech. I'd be glad to see it gone. It is a poor representation of brutalism. The property in this sale (former Loretto College) is red brick, and is IMO slightly, just slightly, more attractive. I won't shed too many tears to see it demolished.

Actually, Central Tech's Brutalist addition has received favourable press in Concrete Toronto, and other publications. Compared with the brick bunker, the Bathurst facade of Central Tech has some flair, with staggered cladding and windows topped with those unusual concrete canopies.
 
Though the critical "heritage part" is Macy DuBois' art school to the east--the lower-rise stuff t/w Bathurst is a few years later, superficially similar but not of the same calibre (and I'm not sure whether it's also DuBois or not)
 
Yes, I meant the concrete bunker that fronts right on to Bathurst, just south of the school in question. What a pity this proposal isn't for that THING.
 
Though the critical "heritage part" is Macy DuBois' art school to the east--the lower-rise stuff t/w Bathurst is a few years later, superficially similar but not of the same calibre (and I'm not sure whether it's also DuBois or not)

Adma's post reminded me that there are actually two concrete buildings facing Lennox Street along the north edge of the Central Tech property. I had completely forgotten about the one to the east (not visible from Bathurst St.), which actually is a good-looking building which I would be happy to see retained. It's the one to the west, immediately adjacent to Bathurst, which is cringe-inducing. (Not sure, but I think it houses a swimming pool.)

Going back to the original topic, the acquisition of the Loretto College site by a developer, I wonder if they will also try to acquire the Midas Muffler shop on the northeast corner at Lennox Street? It would give them more space for their development, and remove an eyesore from the immediate environs.
 
OPA, rezoning and site plan approval applications have been submitted to the city for a 9s residential condo with ground floor retail space. The proposal includes 196 residential units and 147 parking spaces in 2 levels of underground parking. Access to the garage will be located off rear laneway.
 
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Thanks for pointing this one out. I'll be interested in seeing how this progresses. This site just doesn't even exist in my imagination, it's like I just block out that huge brick wall in my mind.
 
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Architect is Hariri Pontarini

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