Costco (42-46 Overlea Boulevard) Demolition of Heritage Building, Former Coca-Cola HQ

[gregv]

What's the deal with the gas station as of now? Are they proceeding with it right away or do they still have to do the traffic study?

I don't think anything has changed...traffic study after store has been open 6 months will determine whether site can handle the gas bar...

 

[curly7733]

Has anyone been by the site lately? Is there any activity?

 

[SweetWater]

I don't think anything has changed...traffic study after store has been open 6 months will determine whether site can handle the gas bar...

I thought the deal was after 12 months and NOT 6 with the words "after the store has been open".
Was the condition not after 12 months?

My speculation is that Costco goes through similar zoning issues and NIMBY's from Leaside (not a peep from them about all the development on Canada Wire land or along Laird).
So Costco can wait this out and do the silly gas station traffic study then start building.

Bring on the Overlea Costco - Leaside residents need it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (as do many many others )

 

[gregv]

I thought the deal was after 12 months and NOT 6 with the words "after the store has been open".
Was the condition not after 12 months?

"Gas bar deferred. Future consideration would only be given after a new Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) is completed. This new TIA would be a year-long study that can only commence a minimum of six months after store opening."

http://www.ward26.ca/costco-rezoning-application-approved/

 

[gregv]

Local website reports that construction permits expected very soon and that store could be ready as soon as February 2018:

http://bayview-news.com/2017/08/overlea-costco-targeted-for-completion-by-mid-february.html/

 

[dowlingm]

I am told there is a sign promising an opening in the spring.

 

[Fidlefadle]

Walked by over the weekend to finally take some pics!

Looking west, from the southeast corner:

South-middle:

Similar location, looking west

Further west:

Now near the southwest corner of the site:

Southwest corner. Sping 2018!

 

[gregv]

CityNews report on traffic fears:

http://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/10/25/costco-development-sparks-fears-traffic-thorncliffe-park/

Video shows some progress in construction.

 

[Skeezix]

It can all be distilled down to something like this:

"We are horrified that a major collector like Overlea, which connects on either end to two other major collector roads, and is bounded on both sides by commercial, employment and high-density residential uses, will see more cars on it. How is it our centrally-located area in the middle of Canada's largest city is subjected to traffic and development pressures?"

 

[UD2]

It can all be distilled down to something like this:

"We are horrified that a major collector like Overlea, which connects on either end to two other major collector roads, and is bounded on both sides by commercial, employment and high-density residential uses, will see more cars on it. How is it our centrally-located area in the middle of Canada's largest city is subjected to traffic and development pressures?"

In case of Overlea I more or less can empathize. The apartment building neighborhood to the south of the street is very high density but have only one way of getting out, which is through Overlea. Given that there are no rail transportation in the area, all residents depend on that street to carry on with their daily lives, but Overlea is already extremely congested.

I have no sympathy for NIMBYs but, in case of Overlea, these people have no alternative. I already avoid this corridor at all cost if I need to drive in the area, and seeing what line ups are at Costcos (especially the gas stations) I can only imagine it being worse.

Also I believe there is a fairly large population of professional drivers who live in the area, whom certainly would prefer less traffic.

 

[Skeezix]

No empathy here. Welcome to living in the centre of the city. What do people expect along a commercial/employment throughfare designated as a major collector in a rapidly growing city? Even City staff acknowledged that nearby intersections would still operate with residual capacity - there are impacts, but the effect on Overlea has been exaggerated. Given the slow deterioration of the East York Town Centre and the surrounding employment lands over the years, it's hardly as if the uses on or near Overlea have been generating additional traffic over the years. Additional traffic volumes have largely been the result of through traffic, and that traffic will find alternatives if Overlea becomes more congested. While I sympathize with those stuck with bad transportation planning decisions made in the 1950s, but it's even worse planning to downzone/sterilize lands on a major collector nearby because the municipality has failed to invest in adequate transit - we'd simply be adding more bad decisions to the pile of bad decisions.

I would also note that the primary voice on the traffic issues has been, as far as I can tell, the Leaside Property Owners’ Association, who likely have little concern about traffic to and from Thorncliffe Park, but are far more concerned that some of these Costco shoppers might end up taking Millwood to Bayview, or God forbid, McRae Drive.

It's 2017. A retail/warehouse use like Costco isn't going away any time soon. This is precisely the type of location where this type of use should be located - on a major collector road surrounded by employment and commercial uses.

 

[interchange42]

The traffic through here is particularly crazy because there are so few accesses. (There are three to be precise; either end of Overlea Boulevard, plus Beth Nealson Drive connecting to Wicksteed Avenue up in the industrial section.) It gets crazy on Overlea. The area will need a stop on the Relief Line.

42

 

[Skeezix]

There are few accesses, but what do you mean by "crazy"? Are the intersections not functioning at appropriate levels? How much of the traffic is actually generated in Thorncliffe? Thorncliffe Park only has two accesses to Overlea, but the industrial area to the north has alternatives, and Overlea itself obviously has access to two other major arterials.

I agree that Overlea/Thorncliffe not only needs to be a stop on the Relief Line, but is exactly the type of area for which we should be prioritizing and building the Relief Line.

 

[interchange42]

Again, there are only three ways out: the two ends of Overlea, and Beth Nealson. Once you've made turns off of those, the options start expanding again.

It can take multiple lights at rush hour to make it onto Don Mills from Overlea. The bridge is only 4 lanes, so they'll never allow separate bus lanes on that, so all the Don Mills buses get held up way longer than they should. And yup, the people in that neighbourhood badly need rapid transit access to the city at large.

42

 

[jimha]

No empathy here. Welcome to living in the centre of the city. What do people expect along a commercial/employment throughfare designated as a major collector in a rapidly growing city? Even City staff acknowledged that nearby intersections would still operate with residual capacity - there are impacts, but the effect on Overlea has been exaggerated. Given the slow deterioration of the East York Town Centre and the surrounding employment lands over the years, it's hardly as if the uses on or near Overlea have been generating additional traffic over the years. Additional traffic volumes have largely been the result of through traffic, and that traffic will find alternatives if Overlea becomes more congested. While I sympathize with those stuck with bad transportation planning decisions made in the 1950s, but it's even worse planning to downzone/sterilize lands on a major collector nearby because the municipality has failed to invest in adequate transit - we'd simply be adding more bad decisions to the pile of bad decisions.

I would also note that the primary voice on the traffic issues has been, as far as I can tell, the Leaside Property Owners’ Association, who likely have little concern about traffic to and from Thorncliffe Park, but are far more concerned that some of these Costco shoppers might end up taking Millwood to Bayview, or God forbid, McRae Drive.

It's 2017. A retail/warehouse use like Costco isn't going away any time soon. This is precisely the type of location where this type of use should be located - on a major collector road surrounded by employment and commercial uses.

So Costco is something we should welcome in the centre of the city? Give yourself a shake! My understanding was the traffic study was done 5 years ago. Volume has not gone down since then. Alternative routes to Overlea - what like Laird Drive/ Eglinton? With developments at Laird as well as Brentcliffe coming, oh and Don Mills Road as well. Bayview - it's gridlock now with a development at Eglinton as well coming. Yes the LRT is coming but you will not see any less traffic (if in doubt check out Sheppard Ave East).

Even if they carve more left turn lanes out of the centre median on Overlea I still see traffic spilling into the regular lanes and blocking any through traffic. Hell that happens now!