Toronto 7-15 Fraser Avenue | 29.26m | 7s | SvN

[ChesterCopperpot]

http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentAp...ion=init&folderRsn=4055825&isCofASearch=false

New office proposal north of the rail lines south of Liberty Village. the older buildings along Fraser will be refurbished as part of the project and it looks like they are going to building parking underneath the existing one storey building.

 

[innsertnamehere]

This proposes to put the parking under the laneway they will create.. but that has been designated as a part of the Liberty Village new street. Interesting how the developer seemed to have missed that one, the city almost certainly won't allow parking underneath of a public street.

 

[ProjectEnd]

It is an odd miss on their part. With no Planning Rationale, it's hard to get an idea of their approach.

Preferred alignment from the EA:

Proposed Site Plan:

 

[ProjectEnd]

And a few site photos:

 

[likefunction]

If you refer to section 2.4 of the Transportation Impact Study you'll see that they know about the road and are now just proposing parking below it. Great idea.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Is it Green P parking or privately owned? I believe green p has a few lots underneath streets (one at university and front comes to mind), but I can't imagine the city accepting a private garage underneath the street.

 

[maestro]

Isn't there a garage under Temperance? (Bay Adelaide)

 

[steveintoronto]

The lack of parking on "New Street" is mentioned in a number of City and community reports by area citizens and workers, but until some details get clarified to discuss further (pending), here's how more progressive cities view an opportunity like this (and Copenhagen is also using a situation like this for water run-off amelioration, something very green, and you'd think this would appeal to the City, but we'll see) The architect's proposal could also be used elsewhere along the 'New Street' to utilize parking space for other proposed developments.
See Below

[...]
We also need to have a conversation about where we should park. It is accepted convention to park cars largely on private property. Why? We have so many roads (Los Angeles County has 527 miles of freeway and 382 miles of conventional highway, and there are 7,000 miles of streets in the city of L.A.), we should experiment with creating car parking underneath our streets while still driving on top of them. While this may sound prohibitively expensive, there are cities that are already experimenting with this kind of parking infrastructure.

The city of Munich has a test installation for parking facilities below the street. First the street was excavated, and now cars now park in a fully automated parking garage underneath the same street.

A below-right-of-way garage on Donnersbergerstrasse, in Munich. The garage entry lifts on the right, and the fully automatic 284 car parking garage is under the street's driving lanes. (Image via Google Streetview)

It should be our shared goal to minimize the space, either on the surface or in the volume of excavation, required for parking. Automated parking can do this more effectively than any other method. West Hollywood recently opened a large, public, and fully automated car storage facility, right behind its city hall. There is another fully automated facility under construction in Culver City, in the Helms Bakery complex. Hopefully there soon will be many more. The advantages are clear: they are using less space than conventional parking.

Which leads to the last parking proposal: Why burden individual properties with parking at all? We could treat parking as a public utility, like water, electricity, or transit. For any new development project it would then be the obligation of the community or a parking utility company to provide, and for the developer to buy, required parking as a service, similar to existing utility arrangements for water and power.

If we eliminate parking on the surface of the TOC, we would gain a lot of area for better uses. Less obviously, we would also have new freedom to design and build better buildings.

When we make it an obligation of a new development to provide suburban parking on site, in effect, we are favoring large, corporate developments over smaller, context-sensitive infill buildings. Development groups commonly aggregate parcels into a larger footprint for several reasons, but one of them is how much easier it becomes to provide parking for a giant project rather than for several smaller ones. [...]

http://www.planetizen.com/node/85584/better-parking-better-cities

Large-scale Copenhagen cloudburst mitigation plans
Less flooding and more blue and green recreational areas. This is the ambition for the cloudburst mitigation plans in the Danish capital. The innovative plans provide a view into the future for cities around the world, says expert.


Two years ago, Copenhagen experienced the worst and most destructive cloudburst in the city’s history. Water poured into basements and stock rooms, resulting in damages of approximately EUR 800 million. Now the city is ready to invest heavily in safeguarding against future extreme weather, while at the same time exploiting positive aspects of the restructuring.

A blue and green city with more urban quality and increased biodiversity will be created and the innovative plans are already attracting international attention from, for example, USA and Asia.

“The plans are focused on solving cloudburst challenges, climate adaptation of the sewerage systems as well as creating higher living standards in the city that will benefit local residents,” explains Christian Nyerup Nielsen from Ramboll.

The plans that are developed in close cooperation between Ramboll and the municipalities of Copenhagen are now in public hearing.

”A view into the future”
Denmark faces its most ambitious and comprehensive roll-out of safeguards against cloudbursts ever. Copenhagen’s mitigation plans show how entire neighbourhoods can be protected from the heavy rainfalls that are an inevitable part of the future.

”The plans provide a view into the future, not just for Denmark, but for cities around the world. And a number of large cities in the USA and Asia have shown great interest in the work in Copenhagen,” says project manager Jesper Rasmussen from Ramboll.

Christian Nyerup adds:

“Because of the impending climate changes, more and more cities around the world will have to make climate adaptations. They can benefit from the advanced plans in Copenhagen by finding inspiration from green solutions that will add significant value for the citizens, too”.

Image: Visualization of Frederiksberg Allé (street in Copenhagen) during cloudburst with parking under street level

Added value solutions
Ramboll has managed the process and the preparation of solutions to mitigate the effects of cloudbursts at project design level, and has created end-to-end solutions that will add as much value as possible for citizens and the municipalities.

Ramboll has been part of a multidisciplinary team of experts within project management, storm water management, hydraulic calculations, landscape architecture, urban development, traffic, nature, and socio-economic assessments. The internationally renowned landscape architectural company, Atelier Dreisetl, which is now part of Ramboll, is the sub-consultant on the project. [...]

http://www.ramboll.com/media/rgr/copenhagen-cloudburst-solutions
More here:
https://www.woehr.de/en/news-/parking-under-the-street.html

 

[steveintoronto]

If you refer to section 2.4 of the Transportation Impact Study you'll see that they know about the road and are now just proposing parking below it. Great idea.

From the Transportation Impact Study you reference:

1.2 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
[...]
Parking for the existing and proposed buildings will be provided within the underground parking garage
constructed as part of the new building, which will be accessed from Jefferson Avenue. A small amount of
parking (6 spaces) configured as lay-by parking on the new private access lane along the south edge of the
site is provided as well. The existing commercial surface parking lot and informal parking areas located on the
site will be removed as part of the redevelopment of the property.
The proposed development will also introduce a new private access lane located along the south edge of the
site that will extend between Fraser Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. The design of this private access lane
takes into account the recommendations of the Liberty New Street Municipal Class Environmental
Assessment study conducted by LEA Consulting Ltd. on behalf of the City of Toronto in July 2016. How this
interim private road connection is envisioned to be compatible with the preferred alignment, cross-section,
streetscape elements and overall character of the segment of the future New Liberty Street between Jefferson
Avenue and Fraser Avenue is discussed in Section 2.4.
[...]
2.4 FUTURE LIBERTY NEW STREET
The City of Toronto Front Street Extension project identified the need for a two-lane local street connection
within the Liberty Village neighbourhood between Strachan Avenue and Dufferin Street. Subsequently, a
Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study was undertaken by the City of Toronto to secure planning
approvals for the design and implementation of the new east-west road. The Liberty New Street Municipal
Class Environmental Assessment study was initiated in June of 2011 and completed in July of 2016. This
study identified a number of design alternatives for the new road and selected a recommended design based
on a number of criteria. The recommended design for Liberty New Street is included in Appendix C.
The implementation of the preferred alignment of Liberty New Street would require the acquisition of several
parcels of privately-owned lands, which includes the southern portion of the 7 and 15 Fraser Avenue property.
The site concept plan includes a private access lane running along the south edge of the property (within the
preferred alignment right-of-way of the future public road) that is compatible with the preferred design of
Liberty New Street as identified in the Municipal Class EA.
The proposed private access lane and recommended Liberty New Street cross-section for the segment of the
new road between Jefferson Avenue and Fraser Avenue is shown in Figure 5.
The streetscape elements identified in the recommended Liberty New Street cross-section have been
incorporated into the design of the private access lane, including:
 two 3.3-metre wide traffic lanes (eastbound and westbound);
 a 5.2-metre wide south boulevard including a 3.0-metre wide multi-use path;
 a 5.0- to 5.2-metre wide boulevard on the north side of the road, accommodating a generous
pedestrian clearway, street lighting/furniture, and tree planters; and
 a virtual 15-metre right-of-way with a building set-back of 1.6 to 4.0 metres along the north side.
Through the inclusion of the proposed private access lane connecting between Jefferson Avenue and Fraser
Avenue, it is the site concept plan’s intention to integrate a facility that serves the needs of the proposed
development. It is also in alignment with the identified preferred design of the future Liberty New Street.
It is also noteworthy that access to the proposed site’s primary loading area is located along the private
access lane. However, the loading facilities have been purposely designed so that vehicles will enter and exit
the loading area from the lane in a forward motion.

7.0
[...]
The proposed development will also introduce a new private access lane located along the south edge of the
site that will extend between Fraser Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. The design of this private access lane
takes into account the recommendations of the Liberty New Street Municipal Class Environmental
Assessment study conducted by LEA Consulting Ltd. on behalf of the City of Toronto in July 2016.
[...]

http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentAp...ion=init&folderRsn=4055825&isCofASearch=false

 

[Automation Gallery]

So far nice stuff planned for the western portion of Liberty Village, whats there not to like?

7-15 Fraser Ave

99 Atlantic Ave.

80 Atlantic Ave.

2 Fraser Ave

25 Liberty st.

 

[steveintoronto]

So far nice stuff planned for the western portion of Liberty Village, whats there not to like?

Agreed, conditional on approval being given to the most thoughtful and fitting projects. Some, if not all of the buildings retain a lot of character from the past, and as much as the Heritage designation for a lot of them stymies re-purposing in some respects, and adds cost, the end result is very pleasing. They're rendered far more socially valuable.

I'm very pleased that the proposal for 7 Fraser retains the "existing heritage building". I'd seen earlier concepts that would have torn them down to put up two towers at 15, retaining only the shell of the latter. Other than the street-front section of 7, historically a later addition, which lends itself well to retail reuse with very little structural change, it's what's going on in the rest of the building that's of great social and community significance: Artists' studios are alive and thriving, some hosting musical events (by invite only due to by-law restrictions.) There's very little left in Toronto in the way of affordable artist studios. I'm aware of an 'Art Museum' elsewhere in the city that's responsible for the eviction of a number of exceptional artists, many leaving Toronto altogether, by taking over their spaces in the cause of 'revitalization' to...wait for it...celebrate art. Oh the rusting irony...

If the artists are accommodated in future plans for 7 Fraser, it will seed the neighbourhood for culture and vitality, as opposed to the usual plastic cafes, chic overpriced shopping and trendy bars. To save an already entrenched and thriving artist cluster is invaluable to a community, especially one appealing to other forms of the arts for a new home.

The City has an opportunity to promote real culture and vibrancy with the west Trinity Village area. So far, so good, if not excellent. I've seen many other 'redeveloped' areas in Toronto become sterilized in the attempt to reform them. West Liberty Village can do the opposite, and embrace a wide range of creative uses.

 

[maestro]

Unfortunate how many billboards this will take out.

The number of proposals makes me hopefully some many actually get built. Other previously have withered and die. This one is pretty boring though

 

[innsertnamehere]

sorry to reboot this thread, but looking at the plans a bit more, it turns out that the building not only has parking underneath the street, but overhangs it! The building sticks out over roughly half of the westbound lane of the new street.. I am really, really interested to see how this one end up. If that actually ends up happening, it would result in a very unique building in the city.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Also, Adgar properties is listed on the architectural plans, as well as a numbered company. Unsure whether Adgar or the numbered company are leading this project. Adgar is leading 2 Fraser, so they may only be associated somehow as they are neighbors.

 

[steveintoronto]

sorry to reboot this thread, but looking at the plans a bit more, it turns out that the building not only has parking underneath the street, but overhangs it! The building sticks out over roughly half of the westbound lane of the new street.. I am really, really interested to see how this one end up. If that actually ends up happening, it would result in a very unique building in the city.

From an earlier posting:
1.2 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
[...]
Parking for the existing and proposed buildings will be provided within the underground parking garage
constructed as part of the new building, which will be accessed from Jefferson Avenue. A small amount of
parking (6 spaces) configured as lay-by parking on the new private access lane along the south edge of the
site is provided as well. The existing commercial surface parking lot and informal parking areas located on the
site will be removed as part of the redevelopment of the property.
The proposed development will also introduce a new private access lane located along the south edge of the
site that will extend between Fraser Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. The design of this private access lane
takes into account the recommendations of the Liberty New Street Municipal Class Environmental
Assessment study conducted by LEA Consulting Ltd. on behalf of the City of Toronto in July 2016. How this
interim private road connection is envisioned to be compatible with the preferred alignment, cross-section,
streetscape elements and overall character of the segment of the future New Liberty Street between Jefferson
Avenue and Fraser Avenue is discussed in Section 2.4.
[...]
2.4 FUTURE LIBERTY NEW STREET
The City of Toronto Front Street Extension project identified the need for a two-lane local street connection
within the Liberty Village neighbourhood between Strachan Avenue and Dufferin Street. Subsequently, a
Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study was undertaken by the City of Toronto to secure planning
approvals for the design and implementation of the new east-west road. The Liberty New Street Municipal
Class Environmental Assessment study was initiated in June of 2011 and completed in July of 2016. This
study identified a number of design alternatives for the new road and selected a recommended design based
on a number of criteria. The recommended design for Liberty New Street is included in Appendix C.
The implementation of the preferred alignment of Liberty New Street would require the acquisition of several
parcels of privately-owned lands, which includes the southern portion of the 7 and 15 Fraser Avenue property.
The site concept plan includes a private access lane running along the south edge of the property (within the
preferred alignment right-of-way of the future public road) that is compatible with the preferred design of
Liberty New Street as identified in the Municipal Class EA.
The proposed private access lane and recommended Liberty New Street cross-section for the segment of the
new road between Jefferson Avenue and Fraser Avenue is shown in Figure 5.
The streetscape elements identified in the recommended Liberty New Street cross-section have been
incorporated into the design of the private access lane, including:
 two 3.3-metre wide traffic lanes (eastbound and westbound);
 a 5.2-metre wide south boulevard including a 3.0-metre wide multi-use path;
 a 5.0- to 5.2-metre wide boulevard on the north side of the road, accommodating a generous
pedestrian clearway, street lighting/furniture, and tree planters; and
 a virtual 15-metre right-of-way with a building set-back of 1.6 to 4.0 metres along the north side.
Through the inclusion of the proposed private access lane connecting between Jefferson Avenue and Fraser
Avenue, it is the site concept plan’s intention to integrate a facility that serves the needs of the proposed
development. It is also in alignment with the identified preferred design of the future Liberty New Street.
It is also noteworthy that access to the proposed site’s primary loading area is located along the private
access lane. However, the loading facilities have been purposely designed so that vehicles will enter and exit
the loading area from the lane in a forward motion.

7.0
[...]
The proposed development will also introduce a new private access lane located along the south edge of the
site that will extend between Fraser Avenue and Jefferson Avenue. The design of this private access lane
takes into account the recommendations of the Liberty New Street Municipal Class Environmental
Assessment study conducted by LEA Consulting Ltd. on behalf of the City of Toronto in July 2016.
[...]
http://app.toronto.ca/DevelopmentAp...ion=init&folderRsn=4055825&isCofASearch=false