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East Bayfront: Parkside/Bayside/Dockside neighbourhoods Overview

I've been casually following waterfront development since the mid 90's and I've found it really puts into perspective how long city building takes. I'm not talking about public sector planning but private development, the real workhorse. All signs suggest that this current boom is winding down. It has been one of the longest and most significant booms in the recent history of our city and yet we could barely fill in small chunks of the central waterfront between Union station and the lake and a bit to the west on the cityplace lands. If we extrapolate into the future (always dodgy but fun non-the-less) I would suspect it will be some 25-30 years before we actually see the renderings of the full central waterfront plan such as the one above and those of the donlands and portlands etc. come to fruition.
 
I am sure I will be shot for saying this but....

I wonder if it would be more effective for the city to grant one company the development rights of all the land within this district, sort of like Concord was awarded the rail lands.

Now, before everyone jumps on the "we hate CityPlace" bandwagon, let me say that the City of Toronto has learned a lot about granting such developments. In the case of the East Bayfront, a single developer could be granted development rights, provided they adhere to specifically established building masses, heights, densities etc. Basically, what you see in these studies would be built. Yes, we have massing/density/height restrictions in zoning by-laws now, but the city can make a condition of the development contract that no amendments can be made. Would that be possible? Could the city ever do that? Assuming the City owns the land to begin with, they could set up some form of agreement that the developer just market, sell and develop the East Bayfront. Both the city and developer could profit from this.

That is the only way I can see speedy action on filling in the East Bayfront, or any other area of our waterfront.
 
The East Bayfront and West Donlands appear to be at a much lower density than the majority of the ongoing intensification of the downtown as you need alot of people to fill the vacant, underutilized property in downtown Toronto with 400 unit towers on postage sized plots. I find the pace by which the railway lands, fort york neighbourhood, and liberty village are being redeveloped shocking as these areas represent a significant amount of our abandoned, undeveloped downtown
 
Jdot, you should read Jane Jacobs about the benefits from multiple developers ideally working over time to develop and redevelop a neighbourhood. She wrote much more eloquently and effectively than I could. I'd much rather see those neighbourhoods built out gradually with varied and interesting buildings, rather than a master-planned neighbourhood of identical structures.

The East Bayfront and West Don Lands would, if built as planned, be among the densest neighbourhoods in the city. Remember that consistent mid-rise buildings can be just as high-density as high-rise point towers. St. Lawrence is almost as dense as St. Jamestown.
 
I have read JJ, and I agree the multiple deveopers is idea, but in terms of getting something done sooner rather than later, a single developer would speed the process.

I was more or less musing about the possible idea of getting this area developed quickly, and the only way I could see that happening is to have a single developer. I dont think that all buildings need be monotonous, or towers on postage stamp sized lots. It all comes down to the amount of power the city may be able to exert in a development contract. I dont know if they can or cant, but it would be great to see the city be able to set specifics as to what is built (set zoning laws that CANNOT be amended), and run it through a development permit process (each design reviewed a la Aurora). If the city retains ownership of the land and only outsources the development/design/construction of the units, then they would have the power to control these details.
 
I don't think all parcels of the EAst Bayfront & West Donlands are owned by the City. There are a few plots that are privately owned but any future development of that land is to adhere to the guidelines set out by Waterfront TO.
 
St. Lawrence is almost as dense as St. Jamestown.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind, both Cityplace and Fort York Neighbourhood are planned at 70 to 80 thousand per square kilometre which is much higher than St Jamestown
 
East Bayfront

RFQ will be going out on March 14th.

splashHome.jpg


A new lakeside community: East Bayfront

Steps away from Canada's largest financial and cultural urban core, East Bayfront will be a new vibrant, waterfront community with mixed-use development, continuous public access to the water's edge, public transit and a series of new parks, open spaces and streets.

Located right on the water, East Bayfront is a 22-hectare (55-acre) site, envisioned to be a showcase dynamic mixed-use community - a place of design excellence, high levels of sustainability and strong relationships to the water's edge.

East Bayfront will become an animated downtown neighbourhood where people are drawn to live, work and play. Upon full build-out, East Bayfront will include 6,000 residential units and 230,000 m2 (2.5 million sq. ft.) of commercial and employment space.

The first phase of revitalization is already underway, with the construction of First Waterfront Place. Find out more about the upcoming development opportunities.

http://buildeastbayfront.com/
 
Media Advisory - Waterfront Toronto Seeks Development Partners for East Bayfront


TORONTO, March 4 /CNW/ -

<<
WHO:
- John Campbell, President & CEO, Waterfront Toronto
- Andrew Gray, VP, Development - East Bayfront, Waterfront Toronto
>>

WHAT:

As part of the multi-billion dollar revitalization of Toronto's
waterfront and surrounding area, Waterfront Toronto is seeking
development partners for its East Bayfront initiative, one of the key
areas in the revitalization of Toronto's waterfront.

Join Waterfront Toronto as it launches the next phase of waterfront
revitalization with the release of two Requests for Qualifications
(RFQ's) for two major mixed-use development opportunities in the East
Bayfront.

On March 07, 2008, Waterfront Toronto is holding a briefing to give media
an opportunity to learn about these developments prior to their release
date and to hear more about other projects currently underway on
Toronto's waterfront.

Located right on the water, steps from Toronto's downtown core, East
Bayfront will be a new vibrant, animated community with mixed-use
development, continuous public access to the water's edge, public transit
and a series of new parks and open spaces.

<<
WHEN:
Friday, March 07, 2008
11:00 a.m.
Waterfront Toronto (Boardroom)
20 Bay Street, Suite 1310
Toronto, ON

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2008/04/c8619.html
 
The entire development plans for the East Bayfront are possibly one of the most exciting projects for me. It's so close to where I live, and I absolutely can't wait for downtown's eastern side to really pick up. It's getting there already, and being here over the next few years for all the development is so exciting.

In my dream plan for the waterfront, I'd love for Toronto to get an aquarium. Boston has a great one, as does Chicago. Personally, I think it'd be great for the city.
 
bar1967 said:
Media Advisory - Waterfront Toronto Seeks Development Partners for East Bayfront

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2008/04/c8619.html
Click to expand...
I don’t even know why they bother asking for interest on these waterfront things.

It’ll be urban strategies/ibi/bone thrown to office for urbanism, and daniels/tridel/greatgulf/context. Then there’ll be a disagreement, and it will go to the OMB, and the city will be ignored.

They’re all so vertically integrated now with the condo boom.
 
Foster is involved with one of the partnerships... Tridel is involved in a partnership, there are a couple other international firms involved, also one from Vancouver. Monarch and FRAM have teamed up as well. Should be interesting.
 
Interesting how indistinguishable Project Symphony is from the rest of the buildings in that render (which are just there for show).

I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of architecture they come up with for the district.
 
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