Toronto Five St Joseph | 160.93m | 48s | Five St. Joseph | Hariri Pontarini

[Irishmonk]

This is one of the classiest projects to have emerged in awhile, and it will do wonders for an area that needs all the help it can get. I just hope that another 5 or or 10 floors get added in the sales period; I really think that as far as downtown is concerned Toronto is a 50+ story city now and there's no point in settling for anything less.

 

[old boy]

This is one of the classiest projects to have emerged in awhile, and it will do wonders for an area that needs all the help it can get. I just hope that another 5 or or 10 floors get added in the sales period; I really think that as far as downtown is concerned Toronto is a 50+ story city now and there's no point in settling for anything less.

For what has seemed a very long time we had the tall bank buildings clustered downtown and then a marked dropoff, which left the cityscape looking kind of unfinished and abrupt. As a statement for Toronto as the financial city of the country the symbolism is stark and effective. Thankfully, what we are seeing now is something altogether different. New hotels and condos built and planned downtown are softening the look, and telling us something different about the remarkable metropolis. I agree with Irishmonk's desire for taller structures downtown. The fine architects and builders in Toronto can find ways to finance them, ( lest forget Toronto prices are still seen as a bargain compared to other world cities).

 

[Johnzz]

I've felt (for a few years now) that Toronto's next "hot spot" would likely be Yonge Street, between Queen and Bloor.

I love articles like the one below, as they support my views (and investments!):

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...yonge-on-the-road-to-recovery/article1646785/

After decades of stagnation, the city’s longest street could be turning a corner.

Consider the signs: Four substantial high-rise projects are going up along Yonge Street between Bloor and Gerrard streets. A major commercial real-estate firm, Primaris, has bought property on both sides north of Dundas Street, although the company isn’t yet revealing its plans. And Ryerson University is moving aggressively to carve out a presence around the intersection of Yonge and Gould Street.

What’s more, a growing number of residents, businesses and local politicians are talking openly about wider sidewalks, bike lanes and reducing Yonge south of Bloor to two lanes – especially at Dundas, which has become one of Canada’s busiest pedestrian crossings.

 

[myfive]

I've felt (for a few years now) that Toronto's next "hot spot" would likely be Yonge Street, between Queen and Bloor.

I love articles like the one below, as they support my views (and investments!):

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...yonge-on-the-road-to-recovery/article1646785/

Johnzz...thanks for posting. Nice to see all this investment coming into the area. I agree wholeheartedly with your vision of the next hotspot and i too am positioned accordingly. I'm just surprised it hasn't happened already, but can see that they've moved the masses to straddle the Gardinder and to King west. I think they had to go in this direction as the land was available in those locations. As they note in the article, it's more scarce up Yonge. I like the comment about the subway hampering tall buildings on the east side of Yonge due to the subway. I had suspected this as well and it gives me some comfort my west view out of CASA will not get blocked significantly.

I too am very excited about Five and picked up a one bedroom there that i will likely rent out. I strongly believe many of the deep downtowners will eventually make their way up Yonge street to get out of the hecticness of the core and into the marvelous infrastructure already in place up Yonge street. If they build them they will come!

 

[Traynor]

... I like the comment about the subway hampering tall buildings on the east side of Yonge due to the subway...

You see I read that part in the article and once again was scratching my head at Toronto's apparent inadequacy. Every other major city manages to build large developments over subways. Why is Toronto lately such a candy ass when it comes to subways and building projects? We used to build over the subways 40 years ago, like 2 Bloor east and Hudson's Bay Center.

Boston completely submerged its highway infrastructure and Toronto can't figure out what to do with the Gardiner.

New York has NOTHING BUT large projects over subways and trains. Ground Zero has three Supertalls and several high rises being constructed around and over a train and subway platform. And those platforms were floating in the air like bridges for over five years. And Toronto won't build tall on the East side of Yonge!

Even Ottawa is building a subway tunnel under the WHOLE of downtown.

Sheesh! The least Toronto could do is build one skyscraper over the subway on the Southeast corner of Yonge and Wellesley, to show the world we can do it!

 

[myfive]

You see I read that part in the article and once again was scratching my head at Toronto's apparent inadequacy. Every other major city manages to build large developments over subways. Why is Toronto lately such a candy ass when it comes to subways and building projects? We used to build over the subways 40 years ago, like 2 Bloor east and Hudson's Bay Center.

Boston completely submerged its highway infrastructure and Toronto can't figure out what to do with the Gardiner.

New York has NOTHING BUT large projects over subways and trains. Ground Zero has three Supertalls and several high rises being constructed around and over a train and subway platform. And those platforms were floating in the air like bridges for over five years. And Toronto won't build tall on the East side of Yonge!

Even Ottawa is building a subway tunnel under the WHOLE of downtown.

Sheesh! The least Toronto could do is build one skyscraper over the subway on the Southeast corner of Yonge and Wellesley, to show the world we can do it!

lol...good comments. I've no doubt they can build tall buildings over the subway....i'm sure it comes down to cost though, and of course they lose the opportunity for underground parking. So maybe we'll see them do this when they get desperate for land at some point.

As for burying the Gardiner....it's just head scratching. It seems nobody has the drive to get it done. I'm sure cost is less of an issue here as the land that is gained in burying such a well placed highway would be worth a fortune for development. I'm sure there's reasons not to do it, but given they've invited tens of thousands to come downtown and live there, it really needs to get retabled. JMO.

 

[UrbanAffair]

That article was great, very very good idea to drop Yonge down to one lane each way. Would do a lot for this very pedestrian unfriendly area at the moment...the width of our sidewalks is laughable often.

 

[sodapop]

great article! thanks for that, i like the idea of a digital media district!

 

[interchange42]

Early on in this project we had a gorgeous concept rendering of what Five would look like along its St. Nicholas Street frontage. St. Nick is a rare, narrow, brick-paved lane at this point, and thankfully Mod Developments wanted to preserve and enhance the historic character of the precinct. The design has since progressed, and we can now present a rendering that is much closer to what this face of the building will look like once complete.

ERA Architects is overseeing the restoration of the heritage components, including both street-level retail and the residential podium units above, in the overall design of the complex by Hariri Pontarini Architects. David Pontarini has designed a new brick and stone façade inspired by the past, complete with large loft-style windows, some with the same Gothic-revival shapes found in the St. Joseph façade. Within this volume are three floors of unique residential lofts, with ceiling heights up to 10’ - making Five perhaps the only loft project in central downtown Toronto.

New retail is being contemplated that will animate this largely pedestrian-style section of St. Nicholas. These spaces have the flexibility to house small shops or be combined to accommodate larger retailers (about 8,300 sq. ft. of retail is planned). Potential uses being considered are art galleries; flower shops; and one-of-a-kind food uses such as cafes, bakeries and fruit stores (reminiscent of the Summerhill Shops farther north on Yonge). Combined with the new retail planned for the restored Yonge Street buildings (about 7,250 sq. ft.), the new loft office space planned for the upper floors of the Yonge Street buildings (about 9,000 sq. ft.) and the 493 units within the FIVE development, there will be a vitality on this block that will serve as a model for future developments.

 

[androiduk]

Looks wonderful. It's a bit tight in there already, I wonder if the city will consider closing it to traffic.

 

[interchange42]

Traffic is pretty infrequent in there now, and it seems to be slow enough when I have been there. I believe that vehicular access will still be required for loading and the occasional (smelly) garbage truck. I believe the City could treat this as a woonerf, and monitor it as a test case more for more woonerfs in town. (This one is 3 to 4 years away from becoming a reality though...)

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[condovo]

Gorgeous.

 

[myfive]

Traffic is pretty infrequent in there now, and it seems to be slow enough when I have been there. I believe that vehicular access will still be required for loading and the occasional (smelly) garbage truck. I believe the City could treat this as a woonerf, and monitor it as a test case more for more woonerfs in town. (This one is 3 to 4 years away from becoming a reality though...)

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It is very narrow, and I would say every time i've walked thru that way i have to push up against the wall as a car is coming by. I would say no way this rendering works if there is traffic thru there. Looks nice and all, but the traffic ruins it. Better than these renderings, i would not only cut it off to traffic, but would line the street with outdoor cafe's and whatnot. Outstanding location for that. One nice big authentic italian pizzeria with caraf's of red wine and whatnot....hmmmmmm

 

[Rowe]

This condo development is sold out right?

 

[interchange42]

Nope.

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