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CityPlace N1 Condos (Concord CityPlace) - Real Estate -

CityPlaceN1

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A bridge too far leaves CityPlace owners in limbo

http://www.thestar.com/article/288615
Dec 29, 2007 04:30 Am
SARAH BARMAK
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Delays in building a bridge across the railway lands have made 2,200 condo buyers at CityPlace reluctant renters and raised the hackles of developers and city officials.

The bridge's completion is a requirement imposed by the city of Toronto for CityPlace to register its N1, N2, West One and Gallery condo towers, which sit in a block west of Spadina Ave. and south of Fort York Blvd. "We've got people moved in on one of our blocks, and they want to financially close and become owners and not tenants," says Alan Vihant, a vice-president at developer Concord Adex, which has agreed to finance the bridge.

The mess has infuriated local city councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), who says GO Transit – which must approve the bridge design – has rejected every proposed version of the bridge's support system.

"They're doing everything in their power to be obstructionist," Vaughan says. "Yes, their responsibility is to deliver transit services, but they have a role to play in helping us build the city. It's not fair. They don't care whether 2,200 people can live in their building."

The bridge at Portland St., east of Bathurst St., would link neighbourhoods north of Front St. to CityPlace and the waterfront, providing a path for pedestrians, joggers, cyclists, shoppers and tourists.

The bridge is one of the community improvements Concord Adex must make in order to develop the area south of the rail tracks. The developer must finance and build the bridge, with the city taking ownership on completion.

Vaughan says the bridge is an important project in his ward and will play an essential role in renewing the waterfront "in a way that's built on a pedestrian scale."

Dan Francey, GO Transit's manager of transportation planning and development, says that while talks are progressing, it is up to the city to either agree to a design that works for GO or scrap the bridge idea entirely. The existing plan, which calls for a supporting column near the rails, could interfere with the sightlines for train signals, Francey says.

"We haven't seen a version that works for our future plans or our flexibility," he says, adding that GO has proposed a clear-span (no supporting columns) design, an idea that doesn't seem to work for either Concord Adex or the city.

"That's ridiculous," Vaughan says. "They know the only way to build a clear-span bridge is to shut down service for three to four months. They won't let that happen."

While Vihant says the clear-span idea is "completely unacceptable," he doesn't think the city is doing enough to help his 2,200 residents who are caught in limbo. He wants the condos registered now and the bridge made a requirement for future development.

"The obligation to get approval to build that bridge is the city of Toronto's," Vihant says. "GO is saying, `we want more time.' We've offered up a solution that goes like this: Allow this existing block of developments to be closed and we will resolve matters on the next block."

Concord Adex can appeal to the OMB on the matter, a road that Vihant says it will take if it must.

The delay has been a pain for residents, many of whom moved in months ago and don't know how much longer they'll be paying interim occupancy fees.

For sisters Melissa and Carolyn Lawrence, 26 and 25, respectively, who moved into their N1 shared condo on the earliest date they could, Oct. 1, "it sucks ... we're paying a phantom mortgage."

They said they lost a plum 4.6 per cent interest rate on a mortgage in May when they failed to take ownership. They currently pay a combined $1,690 per month in fees.

"It's great that the city wants this beautiful thing," Melissa Lawrence says. "But if it wasn't for us, they wouldn't even be able to have a bridge."
 
I bought here and am wondering what the status of the registration is. I hate having to pay rent on a unit that I should own by now. And I'd hate to wait for a bridge to be built. Any other purchasers here? I've called Concord Adex a few times but no one returns my calls.
 
Petition to merge Cityplace's 2 posts into one?

Anyway it seems to me that all 3 parties are being stubborn in this case. GO should provide some sort of study or guidelines as to where sightline obstructions could be an issue. They just can't keep saying 'support pillars there? Nope', '4 months of delays for a self supported structure? Nope'. Give the engineers some guidelines to work with. The city is stubborn for not letting the already completed buildings be closed.
 
I have an unit at 15 Fort York Blvd. I spoke 2 or 3 weeks ago with someone in the building's management office and he told me that registration is scheduled for March or April. He said that the bridge issue should not delay registration and closings.
Something has to be done here, it's totally unaceptable paying occupancy fees for 6, 7, 8, whatever months . something should be done in order to protect customers, people should not occupy units until the building is totally finished and registered.
The law only protects developers, how about customers????
 
Why is the City holding the taxes payers in limbo? This is between Concord + Go and The CIty.

Make CityPlace hault construction in the new towers till the bridge is settled. Don't do this to area residents.
 
oh brother. not this clown again. don't you have a job or friends or anything like that?
 
gei:

Don't worry, if he keep at it, he will see his posts disappear en masse, just like the last time. I am waiting for that reason right now. In the meantime, let me practice my skills with this particular thread.

AoD
 
What a crazy situation. Let us know how it turns out. I was thinking of looking into the Concord Park Place development but not if they treat their customers this way.
 
Good news. Response from Adam Vaughan.

WE HAVE FOUND AWAY AROUND THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEVELOPER TO BUILD THE BRIDGE BEFORE THE PROJECT CAN BE REGISTERED AND CONDO OWNERS CAN CLOSE THEIR DEALS. THE PROPOSAL DOES NOT RELIEVE THE DEVELOPER OF BUILDING REQUIRED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT ADJUSTS THE TIMETABLE AND HOPEFULLY LETS YOU CLOSE SOON.

THE DELAY HAS BEEN CAUSED BY AN INABILITY OF GO TRANSIT AND THE CONDO DEVELOPER TO REACH AN AGREEMENT. BY MID MARCH A SOLUTION SHOULD BE FOUND TO THE BRIDGE SITUATION BUT IN THE MEANTIME YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO PAYING OFF YOUR YOUR MORTGAGE INSTEAD OF PAYING RENT

AV

Councillor Adam Vaughan
Ward 20, Trinity Spadina
 
Hey

My sister and I were the one's in the aricle for the Toronto Star. I said a lot more then that but she only quoted a couple of things. I am really fed up with all of this. I have lived in my unit since October 1, 2007. It's been really hard to secure an interest rate for my mortgage since I don't even have a date. I'm actually going to be gone for most of April in Thailand and I'm worried about what's going to happen when I am gone. Does anyone know how long they give you to get your mortgage??? I was told it's not that much notice. I've honestly been really disapointed with everything since I moved in. I know that things happen with new buildings but it takes them forever to actually fix the problems. This is the last time that I buy a new condo. I had know idea that I would be paying rent for such a long time. When I purchase it in May 2005 the sales people told me that it wouldn't take more then 3 months to register the bulding since they have a good reputation with the city. Yeah right. My parents bought in Luna and it's suppose to close November 2008. Don't think that's going to happen. Sorry for all of the rating. I could go on and on!!!!!!!

Melissa
 
Hey melissa..


5 months - 6 months is a normal lenght for closing. With CityPlace it is usually less since they do have a strong connection with the City. My building closed in 3 months. With West one/ N1 we have an odd circumstance.

Interim closing is usually the city's hold up and not the developers, the builder wants to close and get the funding.

Consider yourself lucky since mortgage rates have gone down, you have hit gold. With 1% down, your savings are in the thousands. YOu rates are most-like guaranteed up to 2.5 years before closing. If you closed 3 months ago, you wouldn't have got this.

The problem with buying lower floors is that you movie in first and you have to wait longer for the building to get registered.
 

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