Toronto Auto BLDG | 54.86m | 10s | Castlepoint Numa | a—A

Thanks for the link Vic. Wow am I relieved to hear that news. I was completely expecting Pinewood to say they are selling to condo developers and/or big box retail. Feuw! Only thing left off my wish list was a ped. bridge to to Morrow. But still amazing news for the area overall.
 
vic said:
Adma: Not sure about Moloney. Different owner (not Castlepoint). They figure it will probably be demo'd and require some major cleanup.
Click to expand...

Sort of sad--that tight twist in Perth btw/Tower and Moloney's one of the unsung great moments of "industrial urbanism" in Toronto...
 
adma said:
Sort of sad--that tight twist in Perth btw/Tower and Moloney's one of the unsung great moments of "industrial urbanism" in Toronto...
Click to expand...

I've noticed that too. Among Toronto's usual grid of streets in industrial areas, that twists makes the area stand apart as an unusual old industrial place in Toronto.
 
"It actually had one the first elevators in the country, and the only manufacturing facility to have one at the time." QUOTE.


Pure unadulerated BS! (Unless He was refering to the following. Maybe.)

I will comment though, the two OTIS? elevators are of distinct character. They are traction machines known in the trade as

"TAIL TWISTERS", and are HUGE! This is understandable for the freight, which appears to be able to accomodate an auto.

The passenger which is closer to Sterling Road, is "close", to say the least.

Regards,
J T
 
Towered said:
Good news! This has potential to become a mini Liberty Village!
Click to expand...

Good news to spruce up this derelict area.:)

158 STERLING RD

OPA / Rezoning 11 228729 STE 18 OZ Ward 18
- Tor & E.York Jun 28, 2011 --- --- --- Phipps, Sarah
(416) 392-7622

OPA and Rezoning application for mixed use lot OPA (site specific) application for entire site to create new mixed use development with mix of employment and residentail uses. Multiple blocks associated with site. Rezoning application for - Block 1B (extend MCR Zoning from Block 1A) and Block 3 (existing Heritage tower automotive building) Refer to draft amendments included in application.
 
Thanks Automation Gallery. Where can I actually find this info on the City's website? I'm familiar with the building/demo permits, but can't find any details about rezoning.

Cheers,
Vic
 
Last edited:
Automation Gallery said:
Good news to spruce up this derelict area.:)
Click to expand...

It's not every derelict, but it seems to be stagnating at the moment. There are too empty lots along Sterling from Bloor to the curve in front of this site. But it may be better to wait for something decent rather than settle for rock bottom trash like BeBloor and the "Brownstones".
 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...over-west-end-industrial-land/article2259633/

Developer, Nestlé at odds over west end industrial land

ASHER GREENBERG
From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Dec. 04, 2011 6:12PM EST

Castlepoint Realty is proposing to build a mixed-use residential development next to the chocolate factory on Sterling Road – 45 new townhomes with live-work spaces, new office towers complete with urban agriculture rooftops, a public square, and revitalization of the heritage Tower Automotive building.
Click to expand...

But Nestlé is not on board. In a letter to Toronto’s planning office, it expressed concerns over the introduction of residential units so close to its plant. Residents, however, generally support the bid by the developer to revitalize the desolate stretch of land.
Click to expand...

The site in dispute was home to Alcan – originally Northern Aluminum Co. – for more than 80 years. When it was constructed in 1919, the 10-storey building was among the tallest in Canada, and one of the first with an elevator. The city declared it a heritage site in 2005 shortly before then owner, Tower Automotive, went into bankruptcy.
Click to expand...

Castlepoint purchased the plot in 2007 and partnered with Rio Tinto Alcan to clean up the property. The environmental remediation was “a great favour to the community,” said local business owner Heather Braaten. When plans for the construction of movie studios on the land fell through, the developers instead proposed a mixed-use site.
Click to expand...

The trouble is Nestlé is concerned the factory that operates 24/7, with its noises, trucking, and smells, could become a source of friction with the new residents, said Sarah Phipps, the city planner handling this project. The “thoughtless juxtaposition of industrial and residential uses inevitably leads to complaints by the residential occupants,” Nestlé told the city, “in such a scenario, it is always the industrial user who suffers to a greater or lesser degree.”
Click to expand...

Mr. O’Keefe said that Castlepoint has made an effort to hear the community’s concerns, hosting five or six meetings before submitting the application. At the recent meeting, Castlepoint chief executive officer Alfred Romano unexpectedly committed 10 per cent of the new residential units to social housing.
Click to expand...

Castlepoint is negotiating this month with Artscape, a non-profit developer that subsidizes residential and work spaces for artists. The company has contributed below-market lofts to the re-development of the Distillery District, Liberty Village, and West Queen West, among other sites. Typically, Artscape mediates between private developers, artists and the wider community “to find a win-win-win scenario,” said CEO Tim Jones. Mr. Jones would not comment specifically on 158 Sterling, citing concerns over creating expectations too early in the negotiation process.
Click to expand...
 
I am not clear on the exact proposal here, but I have to second that the area has potential. The Automotive Tower is an exquisite heritage building, each floor being 14 ft. high if I recall correctly. The views and uniqueness it would afford are a serious opportunity for a developer. There are some other quite beautiful industrial buildings in the area as well - not including the Nestle factory, I must say. There is a nice brick building just to the north of the factory on the west side of Sterling. Is this building included in the application? It is one example of the potential here. However, some of the other buildings have already been torn down, significantly affecting the desireability of the area from a historical perspective.

Another major issue has to do with stitching together the fabric of the city via connections with the surrounding communities. In my view there should be an east west connection running through the lands, connecting with Dora (or Dublin) on the east and Ritchie (or Golden) on the east. This would make the area less ghettoized and fragmented within the larger cityscape. Alas, this is not being considered, and hope for such a development is almost nil seeing that a bridge cannot be built to connect King West with Queen West in the WQW triangle.

Otherwise I agree that the Nestle factory will likely go, mostly because its use of land is so terrible. It is sprawling and has multiple parking lots that are not fully utilized, and if at all, only for short times of the day. Eventually, the land will be better used in general for something else - though the loss of jobs is lamentable, and I hope to see employment planned for the area, as there is now in the Castlepoint proposal. Too bad the Pinewood Studios did not work out, though good for the port lands I suppose.
 
Last edited:
Jasonzed said:
I play hockey just next door in a converted electrical factory. The area definitely has potential.
Click to expand...

Of course, once that potential is realized, you won't be playing hockey there anymore; the factory will be worth too much and will get sold for condo conversion.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top