unimaginative2
Senior Member
In general, it's alright. The height is good for Queen. I'm not so crazy about that concrete wall on the Portland side, though.
Toronto Queen & Portland Loft & Condominium Residences | ?m | 9s | Tribute | Turner Fleischer
Are we sure that's concrete? Could it be glass or metal cladding? The triangles cut out of it are interesting.
The 7 stories won't be noticeable from Queen - it won't seem to loom so much as a quick description would indicate.
42
unimaginative2
Senior Member
Yeah, I'm not worried about the height on Queen. The wall looks like the same material as the Ryerson Business Building.
marcus_a_j
Senior Member
I like it. It will be nice when it goes up and blocks the view from Queen of that boring office building on Richmond.
To me it looks like the Ryerson Business School. I hope not.
rather_draconian
New Member
It's strange to have a home depot and bars like the Bovine and Funhaus within a block or two of each other...this development is quite a departure from the gritty feel of Queen St. between Spadina and Bathurst
Blixtein
Active Member
On one hand I like the fact that this parking lot's days are numbered, but on the other this building is bound to look cheap and sterile on this part of the street. At least it's not going up at Soho.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Adam Vaughan's newsletter is talking about brick and glass for the building:
RioCan Project at Portland and Queen
Councillor Vaughan hosted this meeting to discuss RioCan’s development proposal at the south-west corner of Queen Street West and Portland Street, on a site that is currently a parking lot. The proposed development is for a mixed-use building containing commercial and
residential uses. This was the third public meeting on this proposal, and about 40 people were in attendance.
The proposal presented at the meeting was for a building with three storeys on Queen, with an additional four storeys of residences (109 units) developed by Tribute Communities on the south side of the building facing Richmond Street.
The proposal included the following:
Queen Street frontage:
First floor: series of 5 retail units divided into recessing bays, and residential lobby
Second floor: larger retail use (single user)
Third floor: residential use with terraces
Richmond Street frontage:
First floor (west to east): underground parking entrance, service bay, receiving entrance, retail or gallery use, residential amenity space, residential lobby (at corner with Portland)
Total of seven floors (three floors of commercial use, with four floors of residential above)
The proposed building would also include three levels of underground parking, with two levels dedicated for commercial parking and the bottom level for residents of the building. The Richmond Street loading bays would be closed and provide internalized vehicle access for retail loading and unloading, as well as residential garbage pick-up.
Because the proposed building would stretch from Queen to Richmond Streets, the proposal must respond to both the Queen Street West Heritage Conservation District (on its Queen frontage) and the King-Spadina Plan (on the Richmond side) in its appearance and structure.
This resulted in requirements for retail uses at grade on Queen, a certain proportion of brick and glass on its Queen façade, while the design of the Richmond frontage relates to the more industrial character of the King-Spadina area.
No agreements have been signed with any commercial tenants for the building, however RioCan has been negotiating with a variety of potential tenants, including Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Loews, Starbucks, Sobeys, Longo’s, several banks, and it has also been
contacted by local retailers.
The ownership of a laneway running through the site was discussed extensively at the meeting.
City maps show that it is city-owned, however some adjacent property owners have said that it belongs to them. The developer has asked the laneway to be conveyed to them; however Councillor Vaughan has asked for any discussions of this laneway to be held off until seeing the
proposal for the site, as it can be used as a bargaining chip with the developers to negotiate possible community benefits and certain changes to the building.
Feedback from residents attending the meeting included concerns that a large retailer like Home Depot would occupy much of the building. Councillor Vaughan said that based on thesite’s zoning, a single-storey big-box Home Depot would be a permitted use on the site and
there would be little way to stop it. He said he would work to ensure that the development agreement for the project would sustain separate retailers on Queen, and maintain the pedestrian realm and streetscape.
Another concern that was raised was around the lack of street-friendly uses on the Richmond Street façade. Some residents expressed concerns about only one unit of retail or gallery space on Richmond, surrounded by the loading bay and parking entrances. Other concerns about the loading bays were that the speed of the traffic on Richmond would make it difficult for trucks to
enter. City staff responded that entrances on Richmond worked better than Portland or Queen fronts of the building, as Portland would not be wide enough to accommodate trucks’ turning radii, Queen is a busy street with streetcar tracks, and that service entrances on Queen would compromise Queen Street retail uses.
Other feedback included concerns about the impact of the building on the alley running south of Queen between Spadina and Bathurst, the look of the building, and the impact of the building (through construction, lighting, traffic) on neighbouring residents. One suggestion was to
maintain the lane through the building, and use it as the entrance for service, loading and parking.
Because the project is very close to meeting the height restrictions on Queen and Richmond, and is in compliance with the Queen Heritage Conservation District, the project does not require an extensive approval process in order to go ahead. The project requires some variances to the
zoning by-law, which will be considered at the Committee of Adjustment in the New Year.
Subject to the decision of the Committee of Adjustment, the project would start construction in summer or fall of 2008, and take 18-20 months until completion.
Councillor Vaughan concluded the meeting by requesting 4-5 representatives to meet and focus the concerns about the building, in a meeting without the developers in attendance. These people will also serve as the communication point for the neighbourhood.
http://www.adamvaughan.ca/AV-newsletter/newsletters/Vaughan-E_Newsletter - 2007 12 20.pdf
AoD
RioCan Project at Portland and Queen
Councillor Vaughan hosted this meeting to discuss RioCan’s development proposal at the south-west corner of Queen Street West and Portland Street, on a site that is currently a parking lot. The proposed development is for a mixed-use building containing commercial and
residential uses. This was the third public meeting on this proposal, and about 40 people were in attendance.
The proposal presented at the meeting was for a building with three storeys on Queen, with an additional four storeys of residences (109 units) developed by Tribute Communities on the south side of the building facing Richmond Street.
The proposal included the following:
Queen Street frontage:
First floor: series of 5 retail units divided into recessing bays, and residential lobby
Second floor: larger retail use (single user)
Third floor: residential use with terraces
Richmond Street frontage:
First floor (west to east): underground parking entrance, service bay, receiving entrance, retail or gallery use, residential amenity space, residential lobby (at corner with Portland)
Total of seven floors (three floors of commercial use, with four floors of residential above)
The proposed building would also include three levels of underground parking, with two levels dedicated for commercial parking and the bottom level for residents of the building. The Richmond Street loading bays would be closed and provide internalized vehicle access for retail loading and unloading, as well as residential garbage pick-up.
Because the proposed building would stretch from Queen to Richmond Streets, the proposal must respond to both the Queen Street West Heritage Conservation District (on its Queen frontage) and the King-Spadina Plan (on the Richmond side) in its appearance and structure.
This resulted in requirements for retail uses at grade on Queen, a certain proportion of brick and glass on its Queen façade, while the design of the Richmond frontage relates to the more industrial character of the King-Spadina area.
No agreements have been signed with any commercial tenants for the building, however RioCan has been negotiating with a variety of potential tenants, including Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Loews, Starbucks, Sobeys, Longo’s, several banks, and it has also been
contacted by local retailers.
The ownership of a laneway running through the site was discussed extensively at the meeting.
City maps show that it is city-owned, however some adjacent property owners have said that it belongs to them. The developer has asked the laneway to be conveyed to them; however Councillor Vaughan has asked for any discussions of this laneway to be held off until seeing the
proposal for the site, as it can be used as a bargaining chip with the developers to negotiate possible community benefits and certain changes to the building.
Feedback from residents attending the meeting included concerns that a large retailer like Home Depot would occupy much of the building. Councillor Vaughan said that based on thesite’s zoning, a single-storey big-box Home Depot would be a permitted use on the site and
there would be little way to stop it. He said he would work to ensure that the development agreement for the project would sustain separate retailers on Queen, and maintain the pedestrian realm and streetscape.
Another concern that was raised was around the lack of street-friendly uses on the Richmond Street façade. Some residents expressed concerns about only one unit of retail or gallery space on Richmond, surrounded by the loading bay and parking entrances. Other concerns about the loading bays were that the speed of the traffic on Richmond would make it difficult for trucks to
enter. City staff responded that entrances on Richmond worked better than Portland or Queen fronts of the building, as Portland would not be wide enough to accommodate trucks’ turning radii, Queen is a busy street with streetcar tracks, and that service entrances on Queen would compromise Queen Street retail uses.
Other feedback included concerns about the impact of the building on the alley running south of Queen between Spadina and Bathurst, the look of the building, and the impact of the building (through construction, lighting, traffic) on neighbouring residents. One suggestion was to
maintain the lane through the building, and use it as the entrance for service, loading and parking.
Because the project is very close to meeting the height restrictions on Queen and Richmond, and is in compliance with the Queen Heritage Conservation District, the project does not require an extensive approval process in order to go ahead. The project requires some variances to the
zoning by-law, which will be considered at the Committee of Adjustment in the New Year.
Subject to the decision of the Committee of Adjustment, the project would start construction in summer or fall of 2008, and take 18-20 months until completion.
Councillor Vaughan concluded the meeting by requesting 4-5 representatives to meet and focus the concerns about the building, in a meeting without the developers in attendance. These people will also serve as the communication point for the neighbourhood.
http://www.adamvaughan.ca/AV-newsletter/newsletters/Vaughan-E_Newsletter - 2007 12 20.pdf
AoD
H
Hydrogen
Guest
Potentially yet another Starbucks. Imagine that.
Conrad Black
Senior Member
Hopefully they are feeling the same thing here as in the US.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) said on Wednesday it is closing 100 underperforming U.S. stores and slowing domestic openings in the face of a likely consumer recession and "cannibalization" from overbuilding.
The coffee chain, whose shares dropped about 2 percent after the news, also said it was pulling much-hyped hot breakfast sandwiches from stores, despite the cost of reducing sales, because customers complained that the smell was overwhelming the aroma of coffee.
Starbucks, which posted a higher quarterly profit, is turning its focus to international markets and revamping U.S. plans. It has been battered in recent months by slower consumer spending, higher milk and labor costs and concerns it may have saturated the U.S. market.
"There's a macroeconomic headwind that we're all facing that strongly suggests that the (U.S.) consumer is in a recession," Starbucks recently-returned Chief Executive Howard Schultz said in a telephone interview.
Starbucks cut its forecast for 2008 U.S. store openings to 1,175 from 1,600. Meanwhile, it plans to increase international store openings by 75 outlets to 975.
"We believe having less openings at this point in time, in addition to the economic environment, gives us an opportunity to have less cannibalization and better use of capital," Starbucks Chief Financial Officer Peter Bocian, said on a conference call.
Executives said they will discontinue guidance for fiscal 2009 and beyond and cease to issue same-store sales results, saying those will not be effective indicators of the business during the turn-around period.
Seattle-based Starbucks said it now expects earnings per share in fiscal 2008 to grow in the low double-digits by percentage. Starbucks' previous forecast was for earnings per share of between $1.02 and $1.05 in fiscal 2008, which would mark a 17 to 21 percent increase in earnings per share.
"Their outlook is pessimistic for 2008. It's going to be a tough year," said James Walsh, an analyst at Coldstream Capital Management in Bellevue, Washington.
McAdams Wright Ragen analyst Dan Geiman said the guidance was predictably conservative.
Starbucks had fiscal first-quarter net income of $208.1 million, or 28 cents per share, compared with net income of $205.0 million, or 26 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter ended December 31. Consolidated net revenue rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion.
The result topped analysts' average call for a net profit of 27 cents per share and revenue of $2.76 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
The company said total quarterly same-store sales grew 1 percent, while U.S. same-store sales fell 1 percent, hurt by a decline in traffic. International same store sales were up 5 percent.
Executives said they would consider discontinuing other products. It will end breakfast sandwiches by the end of 2008. Starbucks announced major breakfast sandwich expansion plans in 2006 and until now has been rolling out the product, which is in somewhat under 4,000 stores and added about $35,000 in revenue each.
For 2009, Starbucks is targeting about 1,000 international store openings, a goal that would mark the first time that overseas openings outpaced those in the United States.
"They're focusing on international operations, which is what we really want to see with them. Their growth opportunity is really overseas," said Walsh, of Coldstream Capital Management.
Starbucks faces new competition from fast-food giant McDonald's Corp (MCD.N), which is expanding its selection of coffee-based drinks.
Starbucks brought back founder and Chairman Schultz as chief executive earlier this month and said it would pare aggressive domestic expansion plans, close underperforming U.S. outlets, improve performance at existing stores and speed up international growth.
Schultz, who was chief executive from 1987 to 2000, bought Starbucks Coffee Company in 1987 and transformed the small Seattle outfit into one of the world's most recognized brands. It now has more than 15,000 locations worldwide, including 10,000 U.S. locations.
Shares in Starbucks have fallen more than 40 percent over the last 12 months, wiping out roughly $13 billion in market value. In after-hours trade, Starbucks shares fell to $18.90 after closing Nasdaq trade at $19.22.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; editing by Carol Bishopric)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) said on Wednesday it is closing 100 underperforming U.S. stores and slowing domestic openings in the face of a likely consumer recession and "cannibalization" from overbuilding.
The coffee chain, whose shares dropped about 2 percent after the news, also said it was pulling much-hyped hot breakfast sandwiches from stores, despite the cost of reducing sales, because customers complained that the smell was overwhelming the aroma of coffee.
Starbucks, which posted a higher quarterly profit, is turning its focus to international markets and revamping U.S. plans. It has been battered in recent months by slower consumer spending, higher milk and labor costs and concerns it may have saturated the U.S. market.
"There's a macroeconomic headwind that we're all facing that strongly suggests that the (U.S.) consumer is in a recession," Starbucks recently-returned Chief Executive Howard Schultz said in a telephone interview.
Starbucks cut its forecast for 2008 U.S. store openings to 1,175 from 1,600. Meanwhile, it plans to increase international store openings by 75 outlets to 975.
"We believe having less openings at this point in time, in addition to the economic environment, gives us an opportunity to have less cannibalization and better use of capital," Starbucks Chief Financial Officer Peter Bocian, said on a conference call.
Executives said they will discontinue guidance for fiscal 2009 and beyond and cease to issue same-store sales results, saying those will not be effective indicators of the business during the turn-around period.
Seattle-based Starbucks said it now expects earnings per share in fiscal 2008 to grow in the low double-digits by percentage. Starbucks' previous forecast was for earnings per share of between $1.02 and $1.05 in fiscal 2008, which would mark a 17 to 21 percent increase in earnings per share.
"Their outlook is pessimistic for 2008. It's going to be a tough year," said James Walsh, an analyst at Coldstream Capital Management in Bellevue, Washington.
McAdams Wright Ragen analyst Dan Geiman said the guidance was predictably conservative.
Starbucks had fiscal first-quarter net income of $208.1 million, or 28 cents per share, compared with net income of $205.0 million, or 26 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter ended December 31. Consolidated net revenue rose 17 percent to $2.8 billion.
The result topped analysts' average call for a net profit of 27 cents per share and revenue of $2.76 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.
The company said total quarterly same-store sales grew 1 percent, while U.S. same-store sales fell 1 percent, hurt by a decline in traffic. International same store sales were up 5 percent.
Executives said they would consider discontinuing other products. It will end breakfast sandwiches by the end of 2008. Starbucks announced major breakfast sandwich expansion plans in 2006 and until now has been rolling out the product, which is in somewhat under 4,000 stores and added about $35,000 in revenue each.
For 2009, Starbucks is targeting about 1,000 international store openings, a goal that would mark the first time that overseas openings outpaced those in the United States.
"They're focusing on international operations, which is what we really want to see with them. Their growth opportunity is really overseas," said Walsh, of Coldstream Capital Management.
Starbucks faces new competition from fast-food giant McDonald's Corp (MCD.N), which is expanding its selection of coffee-based drinks.
Starbucks brought back founder and Chairman Schultz as chief executive earlier this month and said it would pare aggressive domestic expansion plans, close underperforming U.S. outlets, improve performance at existing stores and speed up international growth.
Schultz, who was chief executive from 1987 to 2000, bought Starbucks Coffee Company in 1987 and transformed the small Seattle outfit into one of the world's most recognized brands. It now has more than 15,000 locations worldwide, including 10,000 U.S. locations.
Shares in Starbucks have fallen more than 40 percent over the last 12 months, wiping out roughly $13 billion in market value. In after-hours trade, Starbucks shares fell to $18.90 after closing Nasdaq trade at $19.22.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; editing by Carol Bishopric)
JasonParis
Moderator
This gave me a chuckle.
299 bloor call control.
Senior Member
their breakfast sandwiches were good though. so much better than Tims or McD's
current
Active Member
WooWah
New Member
^ their website doesn't even list this "community."
I know one of those people in that photo too. I'll let her know that she's being stalked
I know one of those people in that photo too. I'll let her know that she's being stalked
CDL.TO
Moderator
There's another Tribute/RioCan sign in the Burroughs building. So either the sales centre is going in there or it's being converted to condos.