CIRCA 1+2 (Markham Ctr, Tridel/Dorsay, 2x 16s, Turner Fleischer)

[scarberiankhatru]

Judging by these photos, Markham's new "Centre" is off to a poor start. I have few qualms about anything two floors and up, but the street presence is brutal. It flabbergasts me that suburban planners and developers still do not get the basics of good urban form. Perhaps the continued economic meltdown and the likely collapse of the domestic auto industry will knock some sense into them and force a rethink of this project's future stages.

Markham does some thing right and some things wrong...the inconsistency is baffling since it takes a real effort to get things right in the suburbs. It's true that Markham Centre is just a random collection of sites being developed, but Downtown Markham should be better...too bad it's isolated and disconnected from the Hwy 7 bits of Markham Centre.

I think that Markham planners understand quite clearly how to make a building properly meet the street, but they correctly realized that this model won't work on Highway 7. Imagine what it would be like as a pedestrian, store owner, or resident of this building if all that separated it from Highway 7 was a 3 metre wide sidewalk. It just wouldn't work.

It's regrettable that the new downtown is not on any main street, because in order to visit you have to divert your trip rather than pass through naturally. However, Highway 7 is an insurmountable barrier to any urban built form, and fortunately Markham, unlike Vaughan, recognized that and shifted their downtown area a bit south.

Why is it insurmontable? Stores and townhouses along Hwy 7 won't work as long as they retreat from the wide ROW even further, hiding behind even more grass and concrete and fences. Hwy 7 is only 5 lanes wide here and the total ROW is probably not much wider than something like University Avenue. Why can't a real boulevard be built here, adding landscaping and breaking up the perceived width, possibly adding a transit line down the middle? There was also the opportunity to take all the land north and south of Hwy 7 and build absolutely anything as urban as Markham's heart desired...quaint alleyways full of rowhouses or pedestrian malls or anything like that. Instead, the urbanity was ghettoized off to Downtown Markham, whose small size and isolation will then compromise the urbanity. Downtown Markham could have been built along Hwy 7, easily.

 

[Irishmonk]

I think that Markham planners understand quite clearly how to make a building properly meet the street, but they correctly realized that this model won't work on Highway 7. Imagine what it would be like as a pedestrian, store owner, or resident of this building if all that separated it from Highway 7 was a 3 metre wide sidewalk. It just wouldn't work.

It's regrettable that the new downtown is not on any main street, because in order to visit you have to divert your trip rather than pass through naturally. However, Highway 7 is an insurmountable barrier to any urban built form, and fortunately Markham, unlike Vaughan, recognized that and shifted their downtown area a bit south.

Perhaps I was a bit harsh in my previous post. I had a look at the Markham Downtown render in one of the other threads and certainly it appears, on the surface, to be a improvement over most 905 sprawl and has some pleasant features like the pedestrian promenade.

However, the finished product of Circa manifests the inevitable "suburban creep" that plagues these master planned "new urban" projects. Perhaps future stages can correct this blemish but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[taal]

One thing to note .....

This isn't really part of downtown markham ... there are other threads if you want to judge that.

Downtown Markham is really east of Warden ... not this.

Solaris has posted pictures of the first few projects completed in downtown Markham already.

 

[Irishmonk]

It's true that Markham Centre is just a random collection of sites being developed, but Downtown Markham should be better...too bad it's isolated and disconnected from the Hwy 7 bits of Markham Centre.

My bad. I didn't realize that Markham "Centre" was something apart from the "Downtown" master plan.

I wonder why they couldn't have integrated that entire region into a single urban zone, rather than fragment it into component parts. I also feel that leaving Highway 7 as it is, represents a lost opportunity.

 

[taal]

Hi-way 7 is a lost cause for a very very long time ... they're focusing on development in Markham center i.e. East of Warden ... the rest of Hi-way 7, to the west is a parking lot of cars.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

My bad. I didn't realize that Markham "Centre" was something apart from the "Downtown" master plan.

I wonder why they couldn't have integrated that entire region into a single urban zone, rather than fragment it into component parts. I also feel that leaving Highway 7 as it is, represents a lost opportunity.

"Markham Centre" is basically everything between Woodbine and Kennedy but "Downtown Markham" is just Remington's master-planned bit between Warden and the GO line. The area and its projects are very poorly branded in addition to not integrated.

Hi-way 7 is a lost cause for a very very long time ... they're focusing on development in Markham center i.e. East of Warden ... the rest of Hi-way 7, to the west is a parking lot of cars.

Hwy 7 didn't have to be a lost cause, they *chose* to ignore it. The area west of Warden has seen more development than the area to the east of Warden, although the east is finally ramping up construction.

 

[Solaris]

Constructed Delayed

courtesy of TWM .... thanks

Tentative occupancy was revised today on the Tridel website from Fall 2009 to Summer 2010. A letter was sent out Feb 6. to purchasers about the revised occupancy which is due to the construction schedule and not perceived market conditions (there are enough sales to start construction and construction is fully financed for Circa):
Quote from a recent email to homeowners:
"As timing is a highly variable and sensitive element in the creation of your new home and after current analysis of the construction schedule we have confirmed that it is necessary to readjust your occupancy date. ... Construction having finished the excavation for your community, have completed the pour of the parking garage and have now reached the ground floor. With concrete being poured on the ground floor we are now able to start the installation of sprinkler lines and fixtures for the underground garage."

Tentative occupancy can be followed by purchasers by logging into their website account on MyTridelHome. They can also review all the letters and documents that get sent out to them.

Tridel introduced some new Circa Diamond Collection suites this week with the renovation of the Presentation Centre and the new model suite.

Purchasers with any questions should contact ask@tridel.com or the call centre line (416) 661-9394 which is staffed by our customer care reps.

this delay is no suprise at all given the pace of construction, the original Fall 2009 estimated occupany seemed a little unrealistic considering this site started ground level only in mid-December 2008

 

[Solaris]

March 19 2009 update

this is one massive structure (horizontally)

Circa 2 (south side) - now on the 4th floor

Circa 2 (north side) - Circa 1 seen at the left

 

[Solaris]

April 14 2009 update

CIRCA 2 rising to the 6th floor ~ its going at a pretty good pace given this building has one LARGE footprint ... at last check 4 weeks ago it was on the 4th floor

South Elevation

North Elevations

 

[Solaris]

May 5 2009 update

South View - CIRCA 2 quickly rises to the 8th floor

 

[Solaris]

June 4 2009 update

CIRCA 2's on the 10th floor ~

however, I am very disappointed that they are using GREY brick paired with the BEIGE stucco precast which look very pale ... they could have easily matched phase 1 and apply the same the RED brick with BEIGE stucco precast which formed nice contrast

Phase 1 colours


Phase 2 Today

 

[Solaris]

June 5 2009 update

View today from the south side ~

I must say ... with all the construction happening in Town Centre West Precinct Area, there's certainly a lot more density on South Town Centre Boulevard now ... Majestic Court, CIRCA, and NOA combined begin to create a decent streetwall ~

 

[Amnesiac]

Solaris,

In response to your post earlier

however, I am very disappointed that they are using GREY brick paired with the BEIGE stucco precast which look very pale ... they could have easily matched phase 1 and apply the same the RED brick with BEIGE stucco precast which formed nice contrast

The end product WILL match Phase 1. These are precast pieces simulating brick. The precast will be colour matched at a later date.

 

[Solaris]

thanks Amnesiac ... I didn't realise there are such things as precast pieces simulating brick before, I always just accepted brick as we know it ... everthing can be precasted nowadays !!

so Tridel will have to paint these 'bricks' later? I wonder if that is going to cost more to maintain/repaint in the future compared with real 'brick' construction (like Majestic Court)

 

[ProjectEnd]

Solaris,

In response to your post earlier



The end product WILL match Phase 1. These are precast pieces simulating brick. The precast will be colour matched at a later date.

Why wouldn't you/they have gone with real brick from the start? Too expensive?