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Queen W & Portland fire

I hope the city keeps it word and streamlines the process of rebuilding the area, providing that what is proposed for the area is good.

Hopefully in the near future there will be some proposals and renderings coming forward.
 
Dukes Cycle update

Was just checking the Dukes Cycle website for any new info and they have a update posted:


"We're very happy to announce that we have settled on some new retail space and with luck, we'll have the doors open on April 1, 2008.

And yes... we're still in the neighbourhood. Our new shop [until we re-build on Queen Street] will be located at 452 Richmond Street West, just west of Spadina. Just a couple of block away from our old location. Once we have a final confirmation on the official opening - we'll post it here."


Nice to hear some positive news, I hope they can rebuild on the same location.
 
Good news. Does anybody know which building that is?

Judging by the number, it's on the north side of Richmond. The thing about that is that that stretch of Richmond is all residential as far as I can remember. There's a condo, a parking lot, then some houses and finally Portland.
 
March 28

National Sound's new location.
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Duke's Cycle new temporary location is being prepared on Richmond west of Spadina.
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urbandreamer said:
Check out the Fram development in Port Credit. Quite nicely done. Otherwise, Toronto sucks at recreating redbrick 3-4 story retail units. Maybe Clewes to the rescue yet again?
Click to expand...

Clewes has designed some pretty lousy low-rise retail units. Spire, 11 Yorkville, etc. I know a tenant in one of the retail areas he designed, and she says it's not a very congenial space.
 
I really don't think that most of the developers hiring Clewes are cheap. I have no doubt aA is one of the more expensive firms out there. It's more a design issue. Another major problem are the restrictive requirements on the lease (no patios, no signs, etc.) that prevent organic retail from developing. I'm guessing that's either the developer or the condo board.
 
I was on the Danforth today (near Chester) and noticed a couple nice buildings that did not look like they were too old, that would fit in nice in the Queen Portland block. They were two stories, and the brickwork would fit in nice with the Queen area.

On a side note, does anyone know if the Shopper Drug Mart going up on the Danforth is going to take up the whole area that is being built up???

I really hope not....
 
You mean Carrot Common?

Unfortunately, too early-80s a solution. Or rather, it's unfortunate that such a solution's deemed too early-80s, i.e. insufficiently faux...
 
And in that light, what to make of the quote - posted earlier - from Adam Vaughan: "The hope here is to recreate not just the physical architecture in a way that's sensitive to heritage but also, the social architecture that's here." It suggests an attempt to recreate the exact look of what was lost, rather than employing good contemporary architects to capture and express that same spirit with contemporary forms.
 
Will taxes prevent Dukes from ever opening again at the same site? Because the building has been in the Dukes family's ownership for a long time, its taxes were based on old assessment. According to the Globe and Mail, they were currently paying $15,000 per year. If that property was was to be rebuilt it would have to pay the new rates. $90,000 per year!

Anyone who has been to Duke's would shake their head and wonder how they, or any other small business can afford to operate in Toronto.


Even at the end of the tax reduction plan they still face a tax bill huge tax bill. It is funny how Toronto wants to stop Walmart from building in the city while at the same time having a tax climate that only such large stores can afford. I would even go so far as to say that the high tax burden has some benefits for such large stores. By helping kill off small businesses and limiting competition they have the market to themselves.

While local councillor Adam Vaughan, is working on an abatement for Duke's what about all the rest of the city? Further to that, even at half the new rate, which would be $45,000 per year, is it still worth it for the family?


Toronto a city becoming a shift hole.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080425.FIRE25/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/
 
Duke's et al. Destroyed by Fire - Vanquished by Taxes

Much has been made of the $48,000 demolition bill that Duke's was given by the city. Something even more ominous hangs over the head of Duke's and the other stores, lost in the Queen West fire.

Any new building constructed will face the uncapped tax rate. For Duke's , it is reported that that property tax is going to climb from $15,000 to $90,000 per year. That amounts to $7,500 per month in taxes. Of course that is completely absurd. No one would pay that amount of tax on top of rent.

I predict what will happen on Queen West is what happens all around this city. Developers will try to build as much residential footage and as least commercial as possible. Yawn, more condos with ground floor dry cleaners / conveince stores and sub shops.
 
I doubt that this specific location will see a large-scale condo development along with the all too typical dry-cleaner. That being said, however, I also doubt the return of Duke's due to the aforementioned uncapped tax rate (unless they can actually afford it). What I think we will see retail, but only retail stores that can bear such rates.

The face of Queen will continue to change.



The $48,000 demolition bill is painful.
 
Queen Bathurst fire (Dukes Cycle)

Just wondering if it was ever revealed the cause of the massive fire in the winter???

And does anyone have any news of any redevelopment plans for the area??

I know of the condo going up at Queen and Portland. I have heard that Dukes plan to rebuild on the original site.
 
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