East Bayfront: Parkside/Bayside/Dockside neighbourhoods Overview

[interchange42]

Actually, Archivistower, this plan does show an extension of Queens Quay to the east. That furthest east slip in the rendering is the Parliament Street slip, (where QQ currently meets Lake Shore,) and it has been somewhat reduced in length so that the road, shown lined by trees, is extended in a curve around the grain elevator.

In regards to access to the waterfront, it should not matter that most views of the water from Queens Quay are gone: a wide promenade now runs along the water's edge (presumably with room for bikes), with a northern border of both residential and commerical development to bring vitality to the area, and interspersed parks to bring breathing/relaxing/recreational space down there too. The component mix looks pretty good to me.

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[paulbali]

For some laughs, check out the rendering of FCP on page 19 of the pdf document.

 

[tudararms]

I agree with Blixa. How is this different than the other condos that cut off the waterfront?

 

[Archivistower]

tudar, apart from the Harbour Castle development, can you explain your comment about condos cutting off the watefront. If you could reference some of the buildings on the north side, where every construction since 1990 has been, it would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

re: QQ East extension

The alignment of QQ and overall planning of the east section (beyond Parliament) is dependent on the outcome of the Don Mouth Naturalization EA.

re: condos cutting off the waterfront

The situation proposed for East Bayfront is very similiar to the QQ Terminal model - I don't recall the latter being a barrier at all. If anything, it helped to animate the entire edge of the property along the waterfront.

AoD

 

[building babel]

Though it isn't very popular hereabouts, I've always had a soft spot for that smallish condo next to the lake, south of Spadina, just west of the HtO site. Don't know what it is called. Built in the mid-1980's. Kinda shiny and faceted. If pedestrian traffic went around it, animating the southern edge of the property waterfront promenade, I think it would become integrated and people might take it to heart.

 

[EnviroTO]

The HTO west project might get people to walk around that building. I have never really tried to do it... is there a walkway on the west side of that building?

 

[Archivistower]

Perhaps you mean Harbour Terrace? Winner of a Governor General's medal and an Ontario Association of Architects award?

I've always thought this is a good example of an aesthetically pleasing building (at a distance) that is yet terrible in its context. The base of this building around the water is extremely unfriendly and ugly, and truly is an example of a building that blocks access to the water. It's very unclear whether the space around it is public or private, which is perhaps why Enviro has not walked around - it's not clear you can.

It's a building that should never have been approved and yet won awards.

 

[Archivistower]

I should point out that I also find the building attractive in a superficial "looking at it from a distance" kind of way, I just think that given the right to build in that space, it should have "given more back" to the city, as Hume might say.

 

[SD2]

Thanks for the pic Arch. That's actually a nice building...I've passed by it with a number of people who all consider it their favourite on the waterfront, or one of their favourites.

I would hope they could fix up the base significantly with all of the waterfront improvements that will be coming over the next several years.

 

[building babel]

What else does it need - other than a broad walkway between it and the lake? As you say, it isn't clear that you can walk round it, but being able to would create a different relationship between it and us.

 

[indense]

i think the spadina slip should be one of the first things done in any upcoming waterfront improvements - somehow linking HTO with the music garden and getting around that condo without having to go back to the street.

Regarding the east bayfront renderings, one thing that is missing that i would like to see are bridges across the slips. i know these renderings are just conceptual so it's still possible.
Does anyone know if West 8's proposal extended to this area and did they have anything interesting in their proposal for it?

Living there might well have an urban "outpost" feeling for a decade or two.

it's a very short walk to the St. Lawrence market and sorrounding hood. i'm hopeful that stretch of the gardiner will come down in less than a decade which would really integrate it.

 

[MetroMan1000]

If you look at West 8's map of the waterfront, the Spadina slip has the wooden declining steps into the water and that condo can be ignored because a boardwalk stretched into the water passes right by it without fanfare.

There's a bridge over the Spadina slip, which becomes a boardwalk. Also, there's a line of trees to the north of the boardwalk, completing a process of ignoring this condo (and other condos along the central waterfront).

 

[mark simpson]

" I think it is cool that Redpath continues to exist in the middle of all of this"

it's no longer redpath and can see the new owners selling out in a few years to the highest bidder

 

[Archivistower]

It's always be Redpath to me.