yyzer
Senior Member
from the National Post:
Site of $450M condo/hotel yet to be razed
Posted: April 08, 2008, 9:10 PM by Barry Hertz
Neighbourhoods, Real estate
By Ali Zafar, National Post
The site of the city’s most famous unbuilt skyscraper, the Bazis tower at Yonge and Bloor streets, remains a boarded-up set of buildings six weeks after demolition was to begin, and may stay that way a while yet.
Demolition of Roy Square was slated to begin end of February, but has been delayed by two months, said Veronika Belovich, director of sales and marketing at Bazis International.
“Co-ordination of things and planning of things just took longer than anticipated; getting ready for demolition, finalizing details of demolition took time,†she said.
Roy Square is the future site of 1 Bloor, a $450-million condo/hotel project spearheaded by Bazis International, set to be complete by 2011. At 80 storeys, it will be the tallest residential building in Canada in terms of floors. It will house 132 hotel rooms on the first six floors and 564 residential units above.
But zoning for the project has expanded to include more plots — businesses just south of Roy Square, which were acquired last November by the developer — and that’s adding to the demolition delay. The Shoe Company and Cash Money are still open there, and no word yet when they will be closing down.
Although a proposal for site demolition has been approved, the city hasn’t given the go-ahead on construction.
“The current zoning bylaw does not permit the height, the density, the massing, basically the built form of the shape of Bloor 1,†said Al Rezoski, senior city planner for downtown Toronto.
But it’s not unusual for development projects to begin demolition before city approves construction, Mr. Rezoski added.
Ms. Belovich said demolition will start even if the businesses to the south of Roy Square remain open.
“Demolition of such a large site is going to take a couple of months and we’re going to start on one side and then go towards the south. We’re going to secure those buildings in the south so the demolition of the north buildings doesn’t affect them.â€
But Jane Beecroft of the Canadian Heritage Project, formerly housed at Roy Square, said she doesn’t believe the demolition will happen anytime soon, adding demolition plans for the square have been delayed before.
“We were betting that the whole demolition scheme won’t tart for seven months,†Ms. Beecroft said.
Site of $450M condo/hotel yet to be razed
Posted: April 08, 2008, 9:10 PM by Barry Hertz
Neighbourhoods, Real estate
By Ali Zafar, National Post
The site of the city’s most famous unbuilt skyscraper, the Bazis tower at Yonge and Bloor streets, remains a boarded-up set of buildings six weeks after demolition was to begin, and may stay that way a while yet.
Demolition of Roy Square was slated to begin end of February, but has been delayed by two months, said Veronika Belovich, director of sales and marketing at Bazis International.
“Co-ordination of things and planning of things just took longer than anticipated; getting ready for demolition, finalizing details of demolition took time,†she said.
Roy Square is the future site of 1 Bloor, a $450-million condo/hotel project spearheaded by Bazis International, set to be complete by 2011. At 80 storeys, it will be the tallest residential building in Canada in terms of floors. It will house 132 hotel rooms on the first six floors and 564 residential units above.
But zoning for the project has expanded to include more plots — businesses just south of Roy Square, which were acquired last November by the developer — and that’s adding to the demolition delay. The Shoe Company and Cash Money are still open there, and no word yet when they will be closing down.
Although a proposal for site demolition has been approved, the city hasn’t given the go-ahead on construction.
“The current zoning bylaw does not permit the height, the density, the massing, basically the built form of the shape of Bloor 1,†said Al Rezoski, senior city planner for downtown Toronto.
But it’s not unusual for development projects to begin demolition before city approves construction, Mr. Rezoski added.
Ms. Belovich said demolition will start even if the businesses to the south of Roy Square remain open.
“Demolition of such a large site is going to take a couple of months and we’re going to start on one side and then go towards the south. We’re going to secure those buildings in the south so the demolition of the north buildings doesn’t affect them.â€
But Jane Beecroft of the Canadian Heritage Project, formerly housed at Roy Square, said she doesn’t believe the demolition will happen anytime soon, adding demolition plans for the square have been delayed before.
“We were betting that the whole demolition scheme won’t tart for seven months,†Ms. Beecroft said.
