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Supertall and near-Supertall Rumour/Speculation Thread

Toronto may be many things, but flat it ain't. It's criss-crossed by a network of ravines, for one thing. Too, you mentioned Vic Park... if you stand at Vic Park and Eglinton and look south-west, you have a pretty sweet view of downtown Toronto from on high... altitude-wise, it's definitely a far cry from the lakeshore area. Think also of views you get from places like Casa Loma or anywhere on the old shoreline of the super-lake which once occupied the whole area.

Sure, Toronto's no Vancouver - but there are many spots from which you can see the city. They are, perhaps, simply not dramatic enough for your liking.

As for the Portlands, it would appear that it will continue to play host to a mix of light and heavy industry as well as residential (that part to come, of course). I just can't see the concrete and aggregate business going anytime soon, and it would not surprise me if Pinewood expands... the film and television business is doing pretty well and Pinewood is currently absolutely jammed full, catering to a single massive feature movie production. The Portlands will play host to a wide range of functions for the city and its economy.

Personally, I would rather not see a clutch of supertalls there (not that I even think it likely, given the porridge-like soil conditions and the necessity of going down pretty far to anchor to bedrock) as I would prefer to see more parkland and a good mix of middle and high-rise accommodation, along with the usual amenities... comprehensive retail complexes and yes, possibly even a tourist attraction or two.
 
Sure, Toronto's no Vancouver - but there are many spots from which you can see the city. They are, perhaps, simply not dramatic enough for your liking.

Well, yes that's true - but I rather wish there were some surprisingly notable hills here. There are some wonderful places - like from Broadview south of The Danforth looking west - to look back on downtown from. But generally, I don't find the slow rises we have in the landscape very exciting in the topography department. Also, although Toronto has the ravines, they're fine when you're at them or in them. But the fact that they sink downward into the landscape out of sight otherwise doesn't alleviate the overall sense of the city being relatively flat, IMO.
 
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Its a no-brainer... to vision that the first supertall in Toronto will be proposed and built in the CBD,
anywhere else the NIMBYS, and in a way city planners will fight it tooth and nail.
 
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The rationale for putting a supertall outside the CBD (particularly in areas not in close proximity to any mass transit lines) is limited - building supertall exacts a premium and the case for such outside the usual nodes isn't well established. Less to do with NIMBYs and planners and more to do with economics.

AoD
 
The rationale for putting a supertall outside the CBD (particularly in areas not in close proximity to any mass transit lines) is limited - building supertall exacts a premium and the case for such outside the usual nodes isn't well established. Less to do with NIMBYs and planners and more to do with economics.

AoD

Your talking more towards an office complex..at the moment do you think economics would stop developers from throwinig a residential 1000 footer at Eglinton and Yonge, the Etobicoke waterfront, or even Mississauga.
 
There are hardly any 1000fters in the core even at the most desirable locations - what makes you think the economics would be viable at say the Etobicoke waterfront or Mississauga? What is the inherent benefit of building tall considering the added cost, relative to the considerably lower land prices in those areas? I can see Y+E getting one (proposal, at least), but not the other areas you've mentioned.

AoD
 
Really? what's your source? It is time for the Sears to go. It is huge, without so much business.

Just a guess... I'm just piecing things together. It was mentioned that Caltrane would get his chichi Yorkvilleness at Yonge and Dundas (suggesting something high end coming to the corner) and LeftCoaster works for CF.. Owners of the Eaton Centre, and nothing else at that intersection.. Therefore, put the pieces together and you get a high end department store going into Sears. I'm putting my money on Saks.
 
This is not a dissenting word, but do you think Saks is going to open in the current economic circumstances? There's not much luxury spending going on.
 
This is not a dissenting word, but do you think Saks is going to open in the current economic circumstances? There's not much luxury spending going on.

nice, however canadian consumer spending actually increased through 2011.
 
This is not a dissenting word, but do you think Saks is going to open in the current economic circumstances? There's not much luxury spending going on.

I always think cities like Toronto are in shortage of nice department stores. We only have the BAY and Sears (plus, who shops at Sears? It charges the same price but everything looks cheap). In the luxury market there is only HR (not Harry Rosen as it doesn't count). We need something more.

there are not enough lower end deparment stores either. Winners are usually too small. I can't think of anything else.
 
Toronto definitely seems to be missing department stores if you figure you can go to any small to middling sized US city and find many. Even Montreal has more, no?
 
Toronto definitely seems to be missing department stores if you figure you can go to any small to middling sized US city and find many. Even Montreal has more, no?

Montreal has Holt Renfrew and Ogilvy. Though Ogilvy will most probably be gone by the end of 2013.

I know Harry Rosen is not a department store however the quality is exceptional.
 
Toronto is lacking compared to a city of similar size like Chicago. Chicago's high end stores are... Barney's, Nordstorm, Saks, Neiman Marcus, and two Bloomingdale's and that's just the downtown!!! For mid range they have Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Sears, JC Penny, Kohl's, Bon Ton. Lower end TJ Max, K-mart, Target, Marshalls, Wal Mart
 

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