Toronto SmartCentres Eglinton West | ?m | 60s | SmartCentres | Turner Fleischer

WislaHD said:
The Canada Goose HQ is sitting on attractive land.

If Castlefield Avenue receives redevelopment pressure, hopefully that leads to a revitalisation of this stretch of the Beltline Trail, between Caledonia and Dufferin.
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Ah yes, the old Hilroy factory, now the Canada Goose factory.

It is prime redevelopment land. Canada Goose could retain some of that land for manufacturing.
 
From SmartCentres' 2020 Q1 Investor Presentation
  • Current plan calls for 3 million sq. feet of residential/retail
Updated massing model:

1591019932877.png
 
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There was a submission in February, for what appears to be phase 1 of this master plan, a 35-storey tower with 400 units.

Development Applications

City Planning COA Application Information Center
app.toronto.ca

Information:
Application Number:
21 111665 WET 05 OZ
Application Type:
Rezoning
Date Submitted:
02/02/2021
Status:
Under Review
Description:
The proposed ZBA application seeks to permit the construction of a 35-storey mixed-use building with a total gross floor area of 30,398 m2 with at grade retail and one level of underground parking. This proposed development represents the south west corner of West Side Mall and is adjacent to a future LRT station (under construction).
 
WislaHD said:
There was a submission in February, for what appears to be phase 1 of this master plan, a 35-storey tower with 400 units.

Development Applications

City Planning COA Application Information Center
app.toronto.ca

Information:
Application Number:
21 111665 WET 05 OZ
Application Type:
Rezoning
Date Submitted:
02/02/2021
Status:
Under Review
Description:
The proposed ZBA application seeks to permit the construction of a 35-storey mixed-use building with a total gross floor area of 30,398 m2 with at grade retail and one level of underground parking. This proposed development represents the south west corner of West Side Mall and is adjacent to a future LRT station (under construction).
Click to expand...
From the above:

1617225578794.png


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1617225659370.png
 
I think it looks fine. The brick pillars breaking up the streetwall are particularly welcome. The only major change I'd make is perhaps to use warmer colours, especially for the ground floor brick.
 
Undead said:
I think it looks fine. The brick pillars breaking up the streetwall are particularly welcome. The only major change I'd make is perhaps to use warmer colours, especially for the ground floor brick.
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We will have to disagree on this one.

I can't get to 'fine'.

On the tower, I might get to 'tolerable.........if I must'............

But podium and retail are just...............SMH.

Both ugly and non-functional as I see it.
 
Undead said:
What would you change? The podium is too bulky for sure.
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It's a long list.

But assuming you didn't want me to just say "everything" .............

Let's start w/the retail.

It's uninviting. Nothing strongly distinguishes that level from the rest of the podium; and nothing distinguishes one unit from the next.

It's the antithesis of good retail design.

I want my business (or any business) to stand out, to be noticed. That doesn't require garishness.........

But let's imagine creating a clear visual distinction between the retail/commercial and those levels above. This doesn't require any setback, just a well placed, cornice like feature or other line of division, and a prominent spot for distinctive signage.

One can note the use of brick on the retail level, and that does help, somewhat, but it's not enough, you need some dimension to create that division w/the upper levels.

Second, no balconies on the podium please. If one must, then not those balconies.

They are neither functional nor appealing.

Third, let's talk granularity. The building, as you noted, feels bulky, one way to offset that is to make the podium in particular not appear to be one endless monolithic blob.

Something as simple as alternating the colour every 2 retail units would do wonders. Though it would help more if the base design were better.

****

So let's talk base design, it's all-panel above the retail level. As if to suggest a full-building balcony set-up..........or just to look cheap.........whatever the motive.........it looks cheap. It just doesn't work.

It's neither warm; nor urban; neither slick, nor rustic, it's just not anything that I would be able to describe favourably.

Also, I'm hating on the roof/mechanical treatment. It looks bulky, oppressive and heavy.

But truthfully, I'm hardly scratching the surface here............I don't know that I could say I 'hate it', as I don't tend to have that type of emotion towards inanimate objects (or renderings of same)............

But I strongly dislike it; and don't have much time for those who were paid to generate this design; or the clients who ok'ed it.
 
Oh great, shades of gray, my favourite, everybody's favourite, the city's favourite, we cannot get enough more shades of gray in every corner of Toronto.

Meanwhile, the renderings suggest no mullions between spandrel panels… but is there any chance at all of that happening? There's no way that's not all window wall, so I foresee a million mullion mess coming here. Gack.

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