Toronto Leaside Common | 29.98m | 9s | Gairloch | BDP Quadrangle

This is very handsome and it ought to get built.

But it must be said: once you assemble a site this big, the original idea of the Avenues policy for incremental development is dead. This is a looong building. This density would be more attractive, and better for the street, if it was concentrated in a point tower.
 
I don't think anyone should have major issues with the integration along Bayview. It makes much more sense than what currently exists from a efficiency/planning standpoint. I do, however, believe the community's concerns are completely legit. If I owned a house on Mann, backing onto this development, I'd be mortified. Imagine the poor sod who's house is on Mann, backing into the middle of this proposal.

This developer has obviously assembled a number of small lots along Bayview. Why couldn't they also have assembled along Mann, thereby giving them a much deeper lot and transitioning to the neighbourhood to the West much better?
 
I don't think anyone should have major issues with the integration along Bayview. It makes much more sense than what currently exists from a efficiency/planning standpoint. I do, however, believe the community's concerns are completely legit. If I owned a house on Mann, backing onto this development, I'd be mortified. Imagine the poor sod who's house is on Mann, backing into the middle of this proposal.

This developer has obviously assembled a number of small lots along Bayview. Why couldn't they also have assembled along Mann, thereby giving them a much deeper lot and transitioning to the neighbourhood to the West much better?

#Neighbourhoodsdesignation
#YellowBelt
What @Tim1234 is trying to say is that the developer would face absolutely impossible odds of trying to do anything with any property on Mann because of the way that Toronto treats "stable" neighbourhoods, zoning-wise. Even putting in 4-storey townhouse blocks as a step-down to the single family homes on the west side of the street would be a no-go, so the City effectively leaves the homeowners on the east side of Mann without an "out" even if they wanted one, other than just selling to another owner who wouldn't mind living with the development beyond their back yards.

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Neighbourly design for new Leaside Common condo and townhome project


Oct 13, 2021


Leaside Common, at 1720 Bayview Ave., will be a nine-storey development with 200 units and is 103 metres long. It took more than a year to assemble the 17 properties that comprised the one-acre site. Then came the approval process.

“Midrise is death by a thousand cuts,” says Gairdner. “Highrise towers are far easier to get approvals for. Midrise is far more nuanced, challenging and personal. You’re working with neighbours and in closer proximity to an established neighbourhood. With any midrise, it’s important to have it feel like it fits and doesn’t have an adverse affect on the neighbourhood.”

Gairdner has established a reputation as a design-savvy developer of midrise buildings that respect their neighbourhoods. The company’s 383 Sorauren, in Roncesvalles, won the 2017 Toronto Urban Design Award of Excellence for midrise. Its Junction Point condos took this year’s BILD Project of the Year for mid/highrise. With Leaside Common, architect Heather Rolleston, of BDP Quadrangle, has created a structure with a modern masonry interpretation, with input from Gairdner.

“Design has always been important to me, from the sneakers I bought as a kid,” he says. “I have an attraction to esthetically pleasing things. I would have no interest if these buildings became commodities. Good design helps to brand buildings and make them stand out.”

It also results in premium prices for resale units and those units are more sought-after than other condos in the same markets, he adds. “People understand the focus on details. We want to continue the trend of finding desirable neighbourhoods we know intimately and designing tasteful buildings where people want to live, work and play.”

Gairdner says he is outspoken about the design he is aiming to achieve and it’s about striking a balance between giving the architect autonomy yet staying true to his vision. He and Rolleston have a long working relationship. “What brings us together is a shared sense of what good design is and we having a meeting of the minds.”

Rolleston says as Gairdner kept assembling land along Bayview and the site kept getting longer, they thought about cities in Europe — such as Barcelona and London — that have long blocks of buildings with a similar façade. “That doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting, but they are quiet and calm and you appreciate them as you are walking and driving by,” she says.

There is a block of 10 heritage quadplexes across the street from the site and arched roads to the east. While Rolleston and Gairdner wanted something clean and community-facing, they were inspired by the heritage houses and wanted to use masonry with a lot of texture. The local community’s reaction was resoundingly positive.

“Bill’s projects are about craft and this will have hand-laid masonry done in an interesting way,” she says. “This one has an accordion feel and a rhythm along the length. There is interesting detail around window openings.”

The span of the project provided an opportunity to provide visual interest for a longer period, but the city wanted a significant break in the development, so it reads like two boutique brick buildings. The break has been achieved with a glass structure known as The Nest, a shared open space on each floor that connects both sides of the building and will serve as a community hub and co-working space.


 
What @Tim1234 is trying to say is that the developer would face absolutely impossible odds of trying to do anything with any property on Mann because of the way that Toronto treats "stable" neighbourhoods, zoning-wise. Even putting in 4-storey townhouse blocks as a step-down to the single family homes on the west side of the street would be a no-go, so the City effectively leaves the homeowners on the east side of Mann without an "out" even if they wanted one, other than just selling to another owner who wouldn't mind living with the development beyond their back yards.

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I agree that assembling additional land along Mann would be complex and expensive for the developer, but I think that is exactly what they should have done. They stand to make millions on this development, so it makes sense that they should work with their neighbours who they are impacting. Chaulk it up as the cost of developing adjacent to "neighbourhoods". Sure, the folks on Mann could sell out to someone who doesn't mind the development, but it will ceratinly negatively impact the value of their homes. Basically, if you're a homeowner on Mann, you have the choice of (1.) living with a 9 storey wall in your backyard, (2.) selling your home at a reduced price (value will go down) or (3.) fight the development to try an preserve your home's livability and value. Folks call this nimbyism, but seriously, these folks have no good options.

BTW, I have no skin in this game. Live north of Broadway.
 
I agree that assembling additional land along Mann would be complex and expensive for the developer, but I think that is exactly what they should have done. They stand to make millions on this development, so it makes sense that they should work with their neighbours who they are impacting. Chaulk it up as the cost of developing adjacent to "neighbourhoods". Sure, the folks on Mann could sell out to someone who doesn't mind the development, but it will ceratinly negatively impact the value of their homes. Basically, if you're a homeowner on Mann, you have the choice of (1.) living with a 9 storey wall in your backyard, (2.) selling your home at a reduced price (value will go down) or (3.) fight the development to try an preserve your home's livability and value. Folks call this nimbyism, but seriously, these folks have no good options.

BTW, I have no skin in this game. Live north of Broadway.
Isn’t the entire point of the mid rise guidelines meant to have these buildings continually step back to provide transition, light, view and privacy for homes like the ones on Mann? Also, homes trade for over $10M on forest hill rd, with 1970’s apartments literally directly abutting their backyards. Straight up. ~20 storeys.
 
Isn’t the entire point of the mid rise guidelines meant to have these buildings continually step back to provide transition, light, view and privacy for homes like the ones on Mann? Also, homes trade for over $10M on forest hill rd, with 1970’s apartments literally directly abutting their backyards. Straight up. ~20 storeys.
Yes, certainly Tim, but this buidling is unusally wide (103M). If your home was located on Mann, close to the the center of this proposed building, I think you would have a legitimate beef. I also believe the depth of the lots on Forrest Hill Rd are deeper than Mann, giving additional setback (I could be wrong?) You make an excellent point that those properties on Forrest Hill trade in the millions, but I suspect the appartments on Avenue actually do negatively impact them.
 
Yes, certainly Tim, but this buidling is unusally wide (103M). If your home was located on Mann, close to the the center of this proposed building, I think you would have a legitimate beef. I also believe the depth of the lots on Forrest Hill Rd are deeper than Mann, giving additional setback (I could be wrong?) You make an excellent point that those properties on Forrest Hill trade in the millions, but I suspect the appartments on Avenue actually do negatively impact them.
Fair point...but if I lived on Mann Ave. (with what looks like it has an average grade at least 1.5 floors above the homes on bayview), I would've read and spoken to my Councillor and rate payer group about OPA 405 and their support for it. I would also have a hard time arguing and winning that my cocktail hour sunlight in my already treed backyard, was more important than a bunch of new housing directly beside a brand new subway station. Also, these pictures of the proposed apartment looks better than 9/10 of the buildings in this city.
 
Yes, certainly Tim, but this buidling is unusally wide (103M). If your home was located on Mann, close to the the center of this proposed building, I think you would have a legitimate beef. I also believe the depth of the lots on Forrest Hill Rd are deeper than Mann, giving additional setback (I could be wrong?) You make an excellent point that those properties on Forrest Hill trade in the millions, but I suspect the appartments on Avenue actually do negatively impact them.
World's smallest violin for people who might have to sell their home for an already massively inflated ~3 million instead of ~3.5 because of a midrise backing onto their yards.
 

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