Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

[dt_toronto_geek]

I can't believe I've lived downtown for so long, but didn't realize that College Park was ACTUALLY a park (is there an emoticon for embarrassment?) Walked around there for the first time yesterday. It needs some love, but has so much potential! This project is sure to add to it. The park itself does need to be more welcoming from Bay or Yonge though, as many will be oblivious it, just as I have all these years.

Don't be embarrassed, a friend of mine has lived in the Lexington condos (across the street from Maple Leaf Gardens/Holiday Inn) since about the late 80's & she didn't know it existed until three summers ago when I lead her there to sit, relax and enjoy a coffee! When I suggested meeting in the park she got all frustrated because she didn't know it was there hence didn't know what I was talking about - and she's lived one block away for 25 years!
Check out the park June through August, it looks so much nicer with all the perennials in bloom and leaves on trees. To be sure it needs some TLC, I can't wait to see what they do to improve the park as it's one of my favorates in the area.
I took these photos in early May (2009), too early to capture the leaves on trees & perennials, but you get the idea - http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/9123-Toronto-Parks/page2.

 

[Johnzz]

There’s so much potential for this park, I feel giddy.

Perhaps we can initiate some type of international design competition?

 

[Automation Gallery]

There’s so much potential for this park,

Yeah, which most likely will be patronized by the hundreds of people living in this complex

 

[ahmad.m.atiya]

I like Aura. I like it quite a bit. It's going to have a strong presence on Yonge St. I think the reality of it will be neither terrible nor stunning - it'll fall somewhere down the middle. Regardless of how it looks once it's build out, I reckon the sky will not fall.

That said, I would like to call for a moratorium on that cliched, tired old word, "beast." That would be fahhhh-bulous.

I dislike the word "beast" as well, but I was using it to object thedeepend's self-gained right to censor this thread by personally attacking members. This isn't the first thread he has hijacked either :/

There’s so much potential for this park, I feel giddy.

Perhaps we can initiate some type of international design competition?

I agree. I think it would be really cool to have a covered, indoor park so that people can enjoy some green space year round. Somebody posted a few pictures of Sony Park? in Germany not long ago, but it is only covered on top (there are no walls). I think it would be really neat to have glass for the roof and walls. Imagine being able to take the subway to College Park and step out into a green park, where you can enjoy an afternoon stroll...in the middle of winter!

 

[vatche]

There’s so much potential for this park, I feel giddy.

Perhaps we can initiate some type of international design competition?

I just hope they don't mess it up!! And that they keep it clean, simple, elegant!!!
I used to love the open space in front of cafe Balzac in the distillery district!! I think they ruined it by adding that huuuuge sculpture. They took away the open space, cluttered it up and for me, it doesn't look good.
Things have to be done tastefully.

 

[taal]

Do we know what there plans are for the park exactly anyway ?

I'm surprised they haven't started working on it yet.

 

[Tewder]

It is a little disappointing that the retail is going to be full of big chains. I guess this is the way of the world today, but it's too bad there can't be a good independent restaurant instead. I guess the developers want a sure thing.

I'd be less concerned about the big chains here than on Queen or King. If ever there is a fitting place in the city for big-ass commercialism it is Yonge-Dundas. Bring it on!

 

[BrianSolo]

I'd be less concerned about the big chains here than on Queen or King. If ever there is a fitting place in the city for big-ass commercialism it is Yonge-Dundas. Bring it on!

I couldn't agree more. I'm surprised that so many members seem to want Yonge (from Bloor south) to remain a bunch of little shops, sort of like the main street of a small town in Ontario. This is the heart of a major city. Bring on the big guys!

 

[LowPolygon]

I dislike the word "beast" as well, but I was using it to object thedeepend's self-gained right to censor this thread by personally attacking members. This isn't the first thread he has hijacked either :/

Look, I’ll put a very fine point on this. Someone who says stuff like:

It's just a block of dated stores with a history no more important than my next door neighbour's house. What's the point of saving these buildings? The facade is not even close to what it looked like in the early 1900s, never mind when it was built in ~1850. The exterior (most likely the interior as well) is extremely dilapidated and is a seriously diminishes the rejuvenation of that neighbourhood. Even if it were to be cleaned up as part of this development, I would still rather see something more modern built in its place. The fact is that these "heritage" buildings did very little to create an openness to pedestrians. The reason likely being that the technology to build large windows that sufficiently expose the interior to the outside simply wasn't available.

about this site:

Is NEVER NEVER NEVER going to be taken seriously by someone like me. its just NEVER going to happen.

Further, I believe it was you, as recently as earlier this month, that was banned because of the tone of your responses to other members of this forum.

I realize that calling people ‘idiots’ and ‘morons’ is common amongst people who don’t know how to defend their half-baked and uninformed opinions, but you’d do well to "try to think"--at least a little bit, before you post--lest you end up spouting witless inanities like this:

This building has been such a pleasant surprise. It looks great! Cladding is really nice, the massing works really well. It's one of the few buildings going up right now that really emphasizes Toronto's emergence as a world class city

Aura's cladding (even the tower portion) is about 100 times better than L tower. With a much more distinctive shape, you'd think these idiots would've put a nice finishing touch with some nice cladding, but I guess not -.-

 

[drum118]

April 07,
It starting to peak in the skyline and more so by the end of the month.

 

[Red October]

I realize that calling people ‘idiots’ and ‘morons’ is common amongst people who don’t know how to defend their half-baked and uninformed opinions, but you’d do well to "try to think"--at least a little bit, before you post--lest you end up spouting witless inanities like this:

This is the definition of "your opinion is different than mine and is therefore wrong."

 

[Tulse]

It starting to peak in the skyline

Isn't that the Sick Kids building?

In any case, when Aura is finished it is really going to dominate that part of the prospect from Broadview.

In general I am amazed at how much this perspective on the skyline is going to change in just a few years.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

I realize that calling people ‘idiots’ and ‘morons’ is common amongst people who don’t know how to defend their half-baked and uninformed opinions

"you'd think these idiots would've put a nice finishing touch with some nice cladding" Is a generalized statement, not one aimed at any specific person. When you say he's calling 'people' idiots or morons you seem to be suggesting that he's directly attacking other forum members but the evidence you've posted does not support that claim. In any case, all I'm saying is tone down the rhetoric.

 

[BrianSolo]

Is Aura taller than the Delta Chelsea yet?

 

[drum118]

Isn't that the Sick Kids building?

In any case, when Aura is finished it is really going to dominate that part of the prospect from Broadview.

In general I am amazed at how much this perspective on the skyline is going to change in just a few years.

Sick Kids 2 cranes to the left and the others are Aura to the right.

I have some shots from a few years ago and you can see the changes from then. 7+ new buildings in the skyline since then.

You got 6 new ones that will break into the skyline by 2014 that have holes in the ground now, plus this one.