515 & 519 Jarvis (Keg Mansion)

[rdaner]

Why am I reading about this on BlogTO?!

One of Toronto's most iconic mansions could be destined for redevelopment

One of Toronto's most famous mansions could be up for some big changes in the coming years, as a listing for the iconic Keg Mansion suggests the pala…

www.blogto.com

The proposed development potential seems extremely timid at best. Get a decent architect and this could be transformative! It would also go a long way to connecting the neighbourhoods on either side of Upper Jarvis. I see a large mixed use development like Honest Ed’s or The Well.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Meh. Site's been floating around for years. Nobody wants to touch it.

 

[DSC]

Why am I reading about this on BlogTO?!

One of Toronto's most iconic mansions could be destined for redevelopment

One of Toronto's most famous mansions could be up for some big changes in the coming years, as a listing for the iconic Keg Mansion suggests the pala…

www.blogto.com

The proposed development potential seems extremely timid at best. Get a decent architect and this could be transformative! It would also go a long way to connecting the neighbourhoods on either side of Upper Jarvis. I see a large mixed use development like Honest Ed’s or The Well.

BlogTO is really not a generally reliable source.

 

[Northern Light]

Why am I reading about this on BlogTO?!

Wouldn't you be the one to explain why you're publicly admitting to having read BlogTO?

I suppose you mean "Why didn't someone, other than you, post it here first?" LOL

Real Estate Listings are generally @AlbertC 's purview here.

So you should check w/him. (ducks)

***

In all seriousness, I know we've discussed this site before here at UT, but I can't seem to find the post at the moment.

As of now, this isn't anything real, of course. There's no application, no proponent, its just an upselling attempt.

One of Toronto's most iconic mansions could be destined for redevelopment

One of Toronto's most famous mansions could be up for some big changes in the coming years, as a listing for the iconic Keg Mansion suggests the pala…

www.blogto.com

The proposed development potential seems extremely timid at best. Get a decent architect and this could be transformative! It would also go a long way to connecting the neighbourhoods on either side of Upper Jarvis. I see a large mixed use development like Honest Ed’s or The Well.

Again, this isn't real. Just ask @ericmacm about Farhi. They very rarely get around to building things.

This will not be the exception.

That said, lets look at the Site Plan concepts:

Neither of these concepts strike me as viable.

Its certainly possible to do 'something' here.

I have no idea though where your getting the idea of the scale of Mirvish or The Well???

This site is just over 1 acre in size; Mirvish is ~5 acres; The Well is over 7 acres; also the heritage buildings are not going anywhere.

To me, the pro-forma might work here if the site were consolidated to the Gas Station site to the south. But its still challenging, and adding further usable land holdings adjacent is problematic.

 

[rdaner]

^As usual you are the cooler head but I will add a few things. The natural order of things is for UT to have things first and then BlogTO has something and not the other way around! Lol.

Seriously I have been waiting for this as it is a largish site on a major arterial. Heritage buildings are no longer the obstacle they once were and I imagine a proposal will have the FSI to justify moving them. And the biggest reason for my post is that everything is up for sale now across the GTHA especially in Central Toronto. Add huge population growth and the elimination of zoning and what May have been seen as ignorable 5 years ago now has a new shine.

Also everything along Jarvis is being proposed/built above 50s and the areas adjacent are exploding.

And yes the inclusion of the corner site makes sense. I mentioned The Well as more of an aspirational model of what might work and not size.

 

[milkycontent]

If we had any respectable billionaires in this town, they would buy this site and the gas station on the corner and convert the grounds from a parking lot into a beautiful green garden. Make it a historical site or museum. The Keg can stay, but the parking lot has got to go.

 

[maestro]

A Massey museum with a brew pub in the basement

some of the asphalt looks like it belongs to the 2000 era townhomes.

 

[Doppleganger]

I know it's only a matter of time before redevelopment comes to these two buildings, but I'll admit to taking a deep breath whenever I hear or read about it. Jarvis St. is the closest thing Toronto ever had to NYC's 'Gilded Era' 5th Ave. mansions, and I fear that ours are going to end up the same as theirs. I'm for any number of creative options to save these beauties, from moving them closer to Jarvis and/or cantilevering any new development over them(yes, with the right architect and developer, it could look fantastic), but seeing a half-preserved mansion facade affixed to a new build or an entire tower sprouting from their hollowed out 'carcasses' is not among them. At least it looks like I can exhale for now!

 

[LUVIT!]

I agree that the mansions should be save in their entirety as much as possible. Moving them closer to the street is a good option.
The heritage and architectural value of these gems tells the story of Toronto and Canada's story which in turn tells our story.
If we don't tell our story nobody else will.