Toronto Manulife Centre Podium and Streetscape Renewal | 9.75m | 2s | Manulife Real Estate | MdeAS Architects

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Application: Zoning Review Status: Not Started

Location: 55 BLOOR ST W
TORONTO ON M4W 1A5

Ward 27: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 14 205901 ZPR 00 ZR Accepted Date: Aug 13, 2014

Project: Non-Residential Building Addition

Description: To construct a retail addition to the first and second floor of the Bloor Street E, Bloor Street and Balmuto Street Frontages of the Manulife Centre at 55 Bloor St W.
 
Correct it is Bay
 
Interesting - I'm trying to visualize how this would work and look. I think the Manulife is create little retail mall = so I hope this works.
 
On the Bay Street side, an addition could move the Starbucks in Indigo to the street that would animate that side better (and it would make the other Starbucks about 500 ft away at Charles seem even more absurd). In fact, I can see work here being a huge plus for the neighbourhood.
 
Yes, and the current split level and moat isn't really the greatest arrangement either. Maybe they will finally redo the stretch of Bloor to the landscaping standards of the entire stretch?

AoD
 
Edward said:
Hopefully they will create something sympathetic to the existing design.
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That too, but it will be hard to see them wanting to replicate the concrete aesthetics. The Indigo addition (and Bretons before that) certainly didn't go that route. I can see them going with the FCP type of aesthetics instead (assuming they follow the design cues for the interior reno).

AoD
 
Edward said:
Hopefully they will create something sympathetic to the existing design.
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With the exception of the lobby on the Bloor St side, I don't think there's much to be concerned about in terms of being sympathetic to the existing design. There's nothing to write home about here.
 
ProjectEnd said:
Wait, so you like the 'monstrous carbuncle' on Bloor St.? And Manulife is 'nothing to write home about??'
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Yes, I like the Bloor St side. And the nothing to write home about part was referring to the general ground level around the building. I should have been more clear. The Manulife buildings are among my favourite buildings in the city.
 
Does this mean they plan to push the retail closer to the streets? What exactly do they mean by retail additions to the 1st & 2nd storey?
 
Benito said:
Interesting. I live across the street from the Manulife so I'm very interested in seeing what they're proposing.
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I live *in* the Manulife and I too am interested in what they have planned.

As noted, the moat needs to go (and I've seen some hardhats poking around the property recently). The Balmuto frontage is pretty bleak, but I'm not sure what else you could do as that street gets very little foot traffic so I don't see retail fronting onto there. It's mostly used for deliveries and as a shortcut to get onto Charles (which is a disaster as it's being rebuilt). On the Bay side, another resto/pub/patio would be welcome. My fear though is another big Ashley-type box addition to the Bloor side. Now that Jacob is on its way out we'll see what they do with expanding that side, although the Birks entrance may be a problem.
 
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