Toronto RBC WaterPark Place III | 140.2m | 30s | Oxford Properties | WZMH

so the second last parking lot on QQ-W gets developed, would anyone else be surprised if they tried to get a QQ address instead?
 
It would be nice if Oxford could stick with the same design of its previous phases (without the granite..lol)..back in 2003 the original plan was to build a 20 storey 106 meter structure, now at 30 storeys it could easily be well over 150 meters..Definitely more good news in the Toronto office market.:)

Looking at the video it seems to be slightly taller than Waterpark I, making it around 120m-130m in height, so it would have somewhat below average floor heights for an office building. As was suggested in an earlier post, the client is demanding a 'budget' office building.
 
I hope we see something much better than this massing study (at least I hope that's all that was.)

Talk about boring and uninspired. Yuck.
 
I hope we see something much better than this massing study (at least I hope that's all that was.)

Talk about boring and uninspired. Yuck.

Nope, that's the design. It already resembles a WZMH tower and the new tenant has made it very clear they want a budget building for back office operations. Hey at least these jobs are going on the downtown waterfront and not Markham.
 
Here's a video flythrough of the new Oxford tower at Waterpark Place III. Apparently they have or are very close to signing a major financial tenant for the space.
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Great video! I like how they have included other projects under construction such as Ice and Shangri La and that Tridel Tower beside CBC. A good representation of what the skyline will look like in just a few years.:)

As for the tower itself - I think that the developer is not maximizing the full potential of the site. It sounds like they are confident of securing tenants for a 30 storey office tower. In our current climate we know that 50 storey condo's in prime locations are easy to sell out and the location doesn't get much better than this. Why not propose a mixed use office / residential tower of at least 80 stories - if not taller:confused: Such a tower could exceed 1000 feet and become Toronto's first "super-tall".

I think a super-tall tower at this location would help to mitigate the deadening effect that the Harbor Square Condos have on the skyline.
 
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Looks like the Path connection is a go.:cool:

85 HARBOUR ST

Site Plan Approval 11 220406 STE 28 SA Ward 28
- Tor & E.York Jun 16, 2011 --- --- --- Henstock, Sarah
416-392-7196

Site Plan Approval for pedestrian connection (Path) from Waterpark Phase III site over Harbour St road Allowance, through 90 Harbour over LakeShore Blvd W and connecting to 40 Bay Street (ACC)
 
Kind of disappointing, and definitely is "no-frills". I don't like the placement of it either. Its longest side should be running east/west like the other towers, and I think there should be two as well.
 
In our current climate we know that 50 storey condo's in prime locations are easy to sell out and the location doesn't get much better than this. Why not propose a mixed use office / residential tower of at least 80 stories - if not taller:confused: Such a tower could exceed 1000 feet and become Toronto's first "super-tall".

I think a super-tall tower at this location would help to mitigate the deadening effect that the Harbor Square Condos have on the skyline.

As much as like tall buildings....I dont know about a supertall for that location, you will probably see much taller structures proposed and built (180-200 meters) just north on the lands of 90 and 120 Harbour street.
If we are ever to get a supertall down there, i think we will see it at the Toronto Star lands at the foot of Yonge st..and just maybe at 45 Bay street, but then again that Bay street parcel of land is designated by the city for office use... and i doubt we will see any 300+meter office constuction in Toronto for at least 10 years.
 
The design is blocky. The base looks to be quite massive. If the orientation and the massing of the building were a bit different, there could have been a remaining chance to play with the north-south ground-level sightline from Queen's Quay into into Union Square, but that looks unconsidered here. The size of the base also finalizes the land use here - no expanded park, no specialized cultural facilities.

There's some standard assurance to see this going ahead, though, even if the design isn't exciting. The long glassy front along Queen's Quay looks to be a real asset, along with the widened sidewalk / plaza. Maybe they're echoing the long mass of the Harbour Square base across the street - as sold,working infill to yoke Harbourfront to the city.

I think what Peepers suggested as to it being mixed office-residential use is a great idea, though I wouldn't go supertall, not quite at this locale. You could set an extra twenty storeys on it at least though, to liven up and slim it's profile. Even with that extra height it would not be in conflict with the heights of Pinnacle or Ice.
The fact that it is bringing ostensibly bringing the financial core further into the Harbourfront area is, I think, good news.
 
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I think what Peepers suggested as to it being mixed office-residential use is a great idea

I agree, but proposals for the large stand-alone office building/condo building concept is not working well with developers here in the core of Toronto....
Dont get it, no one is taking those chances...we would have had a supertall here in Toronto by now if that was the case.
 
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I think its fine for this site, it will blend in and mostly wont been seen from shots from the harbour, or from most other perspectives. It is a block filler and will bring increased office to the area that isn't perhaps likely to attract that AAA office building even if some in the area are striving for LEED gold which I think it great...
 
This is a fine addition to the area. Keeps the banking jobs downtown. Amazing how much new office space has come to town in the last five year.
 

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