Toronto Ïce Condominiums at York Centre | 234.07m | 67s | Lanterra | a—A

I like the towers, but the base doesn't do much for me. It's unfortunate it won't match the height of the MLS base across the street.

The smaller base in height is probably designed to make these towers look sleek and tall from the streetscape. The only disadvantage i see with this podium is the Gardiner Expy overhanging it, but then again who nows what is the fate of the Gardiner. One thing for sure is that this development if built will be left standing way after the expressway.
 
I love the tubes which appear along the podium, but I agree the podium does need something more. I just don't know how they could change/create the podium without changing the overall look too much.
 
Height no barrier. Development fees frozen! No reasonable offers refused.

That is the message that came out of City Hall a couple days ago, as councillors moved to keep alive the condo building boom in downtown Toronto.


This development might fall in this category, and in todays doom and gloom economy the City is not taking any chances in this project getting caught in their red tape.
This is a time where this cash straped city needs the money, and some of these proposed developments will get fast tracked even though they dont meet certain requirements.
Well I for one hope the city sticks to its guns when it comes to demanding high standards for development. And that includes ensuring that there's enough non-residential space in this development. It's not red tape - if the developer proposed something that met the intent of the Official Plan they could get approval a lot faster.
 
I echo the sentiment of some here in not loving the podium or crown. They don't seem worthy of the towers, which are quite nice as far as I can tell. The sexy curves here will make a nice contrast to all the boxy butch architecture around. I just hope there will be a redesign to the problematic elements. I'm all for a crown but one that continues the upward rounded sweep of the towers rather than the existing 'caps'. A better podium will also anchor the towers in a more urban way to the street. A nice project but still a 'little' work to be done, imo.
 
This podium and these crowns are so different from what we normally encounter that I find it harder to judge their merits. So much of what we like or dislike about something new is based upon comparison to other things we already have opinions on, and somehow the podium and crown details are far enough outside of my architectural experience that I am unwilling to write them off in advance. Mind you, if they are built as proposed and experience with the completed objects is not so great, well then I'll be joining this chorus late in the game. I feel similarly about the new proposed base for the L Tower. I just dunno at this point. Building these things is an expensive way to discover whether ones ideas have any real artistic merit or not, but that's the chance everyone involved takes when doing something outside the norm.

In the end, once built, we'll all filter what we see through our own experience with the buildings, and come to our own conclusions regarding the success or lack thereof of these elements. Right now they look whimsical to me in the renderings, and I'm not willing to write them off yet.

42
 
Well I for one hope the city sticks to its guns when it comes to demanding high standards for development. And that includes ensuring that there's enough non-residential space in this development. It's not red tape - if the developer proposed something that met the intent of the Official Plan they could get approval a lot faster.

This is not the first and wont be the last developer that has asked the city for a variance in the application from commercial to residential. The city of Toronto with a surplus of office space at the moment, and for the next couple of years, most likely will approve this request.There is nothing wrong with breaking a couple rules once in a while, especially when a developer is still proposing to pour over a half billion dollars into the area and still supply an efficient amount of office space.
Lets hope that when times get better they can build a 50-60 storey office tower on the 45 Bay St. site to make up for this loss.
 
Actually, this is a rezoning not a variance, and there is still the office component. The City will not approve rezoning from office to residential especially if it's in an employment area, in which case the applicant would not even be allowed to appeal it at the OMB. The increase in vacancy rates that is happening and will continue for the next couple of years (most likely) will not change the City's decision of taking away lands for commercial/office use for residential. As has been said, it would be terrible planning to do such a thing. It's called long term, something that must be considered regardless of the current situation.
 
ditto to marcus_a_j comments

in the Province's Growth Plan and Toronto's Official Plan, there is specific prohibition against 'employments lands' coversion, which this proposal is seeking ...
 
I don't think Ice will rezone. They're going to have a hard time even selling the second tower at the rate pre-construction sale are going. There might be a better chance to rent office space than sell residential at the current market.

Anyhow, there's still a lot of office land left I think. Aren't they building an office tower beside 18 York? Also there's a large piece of land at 60 Harbour Street. And to the right of ACC and beside 18 Yonge, they're going to build an office tower there too.

There's also parking spaces left to the west and east side of the financial core. You'll notice RBC expanded to the west end already and I see a lot of parking lots available around the area.
 
There was a Notice of Public Meeting in the Star yesterday for a request to amend the official plan.
Details: April 21, 10:00 a.m., Committee Room 1, 2nd Floor, City Hall.

The application to amend proposes:
-a 31-storey office building with a gross floor area of 74,106 sq. m.
-a retail area of 1,436 sq. m.
-PATH connection of 808 sq. m.
-a 65-storey condo building with 687 dwellings
-a 55-storey condo building with 578 dwellings
-Total floor area of 162,452 sq. m.

How's that different from before?
 
this is from the report on the first page, not sure if things changed between then and now

This application proposes a
-31-storey office building with a gross floor area of 73,725 square metres
-retail area of 1,823 square metres,
-PATH of 2,561 square metres, a
-65-storey residential condominium building with 593 dwelling units,
-and a 55-storeyresidential condominium building with 503 dwelling units at 16 York Street.
-In total, the gross floor area proposed is 160,891 square metres (1,731,873 square feet).
 

Back
Top