innsertnamehere
Superstar
I would be surprised if there wasn't a grocery store in the phase after the Marriott.
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Downtown Markham
- Thread starter Second_in_pie
- Start date
taal
Senior Member
Yea its too early to judge ... but the residential portion does indeed have a suburban feel ... but stop and think about it ... that's probably the point ...
The next few projects will make a huge difference. I think there is going to be more big box and outdoor parking though for the first decade or so ... even outside the ciniplex complex there is an outdoor parking lot ... this is just south of where the current condos are.
My issues:
1) Whatever people say I think the town homes are hideous ... and the # of them makes it that many times worse ... they should have went with different designs.
2) Along the same lines ... the buildings are too similar too each other (even the new development north / east on Hi-way ... beside the giant plan store ... has a similar look and feel).
Otherwise there is great potential ! I think the amount of office use will be MUCH MUCH lower then they predict ... or I should say the build out time will be much longer ... but that's to be expected. Retail wise I can see a lot of big box working quite well ... small format retail, I'm not too sure.
The next few projects will make a huge difference. I think there is going to be more big box and outdoor parking though for the first decade or so ... even outside the ciniplex complex there is an outdoor parking lot ... this is just south of where the current condos are.
My issues:
1) Whatever people say I think the town homes are hideous ... and the # of them makes it that many times worse ... they should have went with different designs.
2) Along the same lines ... the buildings are too similar too each other (even the new development north / east on Hi-way ... beside the giant plan store ... has a similar look and feel).
Otherwise there is great potential ! I think the amount of office use will be MUCH MUCH lower then they predict ... or I should say the build out time will be much longer ... but that's to be expected. Retail wise I can see a lot of big box working quite well ... small format retail, I'm not too sure.
christiesplits
Senior Member
This has always been an issue with new urbanist development. Throw in some dense housing and transit connections, but have residents walk 15 minutes through wide open parks to get to their destination. It is as if planners can't shake off the suburban sensibilities of idyllic pastures and expansive roadways.
RC8
Senior Member
The streets are too wide and car-centric. They feel like a hazard to cross or to ride a bicycle on: the opposite of good urban.
canmark
Active Member
How many screens is the Cineplex supposed to have? Will it have VIP screens? Will the First Markham Cineplex (Hwy 7, west of Woodbine) close when this opens?
Memph
Active Member
I don't think it's just the width of the streets but the fact that they're empty. The streets with the townhouses don't seem wider than residential streets in Toronto, but the ones in Toronto have on-street parking that make them narrower. Here there is plenty of off street parking so there's little need for on-street parking. The situation is similar in Cornell. And it doesn't help that the street trees are still quite small.
MafaldaBoy
Senior Member
August 28, 2013:
canarob
Senior Member
Nice shots -- we have a skyline now!
innsertnamehere
Superstar
The framing for the Pan am games facility went up surprisingly quickly, in only a week or two.
Transportfan
Senior Member
The density of tree planting here seems somewhat excessive, as seems to be the case in most new areas nowadays. As they mature, this area is going to look like a jungle.
canarob
Senior Member
I really don't get these arguments. If there's an opportunity to have an urban built form and still have lush greenery, why on earth should this not be pursued?
One of the problems I have with new urbanist communities like Cornell and Cathedraltown is the lack of tree cover. I realize that things will be greener in 10-20 years once trees get taller, but it will never be as green as older Markham neighbourhoods or some of the old downtown neighbourhoods. Denser living should not have to mean a paucity of greenery.
urbandreamer
recession proof
Holy crap the architecture is appalling! What kind of vulgarians bought here?
Transportfan
Senior Member
I'm not against trees, I just think too many are planted too close together in a given area nowadays, so that these areas will look too overgrown and messy as they mature. You just have to be patient and let more widely-spaced trees grow. Look at Forest Hill: the area is lush although the trees are planted further apart from each other.
junctionist
Senior Member
The townhouses are ugly in their obvious fake stone detailing and questionable colour palette. But some of the midrise buildings (the red buildings in particular) have almost a picturesque quality with their setbacks and details that contrast in colour. This area looks so metropolitan.
The streets do seem wide enough to detract from the urban feel of the area. It may be that the fire department wants wide roads so they can operate large trucks. That's not a good excuse in my opinion, though. They can use smaller trucks to cover a smaller, more densely populated area.
MafaldaBoy
Senior Member
Additional renderings for The Signature:
