Toronto 629 King Residences (was Thompson Residences) | 53.34m | 15s | Freed | Saucier + Perrotte

You are wrong Automation Gallery.

The developer presently has permission to proceed with a 12 storey building on King Street and an 11 floor building fronting on Stewart Street as per an OMB decision in early 2011. Before this, the developer was made aware that the city would not accept its original proposal due to the additional height and the absence of set-backs as per the Secondary Plan. Moreover, Freed was also already quite aware that the city would refuse its additional height request long before 621 Kings had even been switched from being a hotel to a residential condo.

After the C of A refusal, and his OMB win, Freed proceeded with the 12 and 11 floor plan (which he had intended all along). He took a gamble to go ahead while the city appealed to Divisional Court. The city lost that appeal. But as Freed was already moving ahead on what it always intended to build, it really wasn't an issue. Freed is now going back to the OMB on May 22 to challenge a city zoning amendment refusal to further increase the height from 12 to 15 floors (going from 44.2 metres to 50.3 metres to the top of the mechanical room) for the King building.

Prior to this, the developer already had a demolition permit in place, and subsequently received permission for excavation. If there were no excavation permit in place, the builder would be breaking the law. Presently, excavation is moving very slowly at 621 King. That is what was being referred to in this thread.

As there are no changes to the five levels of underground parking and 296 parking spaces, nor are there any changes to the 11 storey Stewart Street building, construction of the underground can proceed. In fact, there is nothing stopping the developer with moving full-steam ahead with its 12 and 11 floor buildings that it has been granted the right to proceed with by the OMB. But now they want more.

If you want to blame approvals, variances and the OMB, look first to the developer who initially fought against the community, the secondary plan and the city, and then opted to approach the OMB. Freed made itself late by fighting the city every step of the way. You can't blame the processes themselves. The developer knows how these work. All that being said, the excavation is slow.

And as per my original comment, Freed projects are always late. I've owned in a Freed project and it was late. I have friends in three other Freed projects, and those were all late.
 
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The OMB seemed smitten by the developer's lawyers last time...Ii guess there isn't much reason to expect different this time.
 
The OMB dude was smitten by Freed's paid "expert" who went on endlessly about how pretty and absolutely appropriate 2800 square metres of dark cladding would be for King Street, and how she would wish to see it be much taller.
 
cell phone shot from today
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What a joke! The slowest moving project ever! I walk by here daily and 2 or 3 people max working on the site. I would never by Freed - average is 5 years wait time and this one will probably break his own record.
 
While I agree it is taking a long time, I don't think it will take nearly as long as Fashion House (though they had their reasons).

I do actually like the absence of setbacks, however I do not like the fact that the garage entrance will be on King.
 
Automation Gallery said:
Why should they hurry up, i believe they dont have full approvals on this one yet.
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Oh I don't know maybe for the individuals who have a down payment on the original design that they viewed at the Presentation Centre on this site how along now. As mentioned above Greed could continue getting the underground done as that isn't changing if he gets the approval for more floors...
 
cmcint01 said:
What a joke! The slowest moving project ever! I walk by here daily and 2 or 3 people max working on the site. I would never by Freed - average is 5 years wait time and this one will probably break his own record.
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Ya, I had the same feeling when I was observing Six50 King. I signed in Sep 2007 and they didn't put a shovel in the ground until January 2010...which was actually the "official" date of occupancy in the contract.
I was one of the first to move in (2nd floor) and it wasn't until January 2012. The Bathurst tower has yet to be populated and I don't expect anyone moving in until the fall.

The 5 year wait is a guarantee..watch out Sixty Colborne!
 
Illy said:
Ya, I had the same feeling when I was observing Six50 King. I signed in Sep 2007 and they didn't put a shovel in the ground until January 2010...which was actually the "official" date of occupancy in the contract.
I was one of the first to move in (2nd floor) and it wasn't until January 2012. The Bathurst tower has yet to be populated and I don't expect anyone moving in until the fall.

The 5 year wait is a guarantee..watch out Sixty Colborne!
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60 Colborne will be a 10 year wait...for entirely different reasons altogether.
 
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