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Hakim Optical - Dundas Square

Is this the stupidest project in the entire GTA?

  • Of course it is.

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Without a doubt.

    Votes: 46 65.7%

  • Total voters
    70
  • Poll closed .
The glass looks like a random Richmond Hill building park, circa 1990.

I don't understand how a design can simultaneously be so bland and so busy.

I also thought of that anonymous "mirrored glass" corporate look when I saw it. Its height of popularity was the '80s and early '90s. There were good and bad variations.
 
I've always liked this kind of glass, but the building. Wow, that just looks horrible so far. The brickwork in the back... looks old already.
 
Well, some of it *is* old--y'know, the weaseling way of turning this into a "reno" rather than something new...
 
Is this still the stupidest project in the entire GTA?

Without a doubt, of course it is.

42
 
I noticed that City Council last week approved a lease extension for Hakim in their present spot. It looks a s though the may actually be moving!
Hakim Optical has requested a lease extension for a nine-month period while new
premises are prepared. The option period is provided to give Hakim Optical flexibility
should their new premises not be ready in time.
Facilities & Real Estate Services have reached an agreement with Hakim Optical to enter
into a lease extension agreement commencing retroactively on July 1, 2009 and
terminating on March 31, 2010 on terms and conditions outlined in Appendix A of this
report. See: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2009/gm/bgrd/backgroundfile-24977.pdf
 
Any word on whether the City will be coming to market with an RFP / RFQ for the final block of the re-development project @ Yonge and Dundas?
 
Yes. The provincial government owns the building next door. They plan to move their offices to a different location and consolidate the land with the current Hakim Optical and parking lot. The consistent news that pops up from different sources is that the land will be sold to a hotel developer with the highest bid.
 
Yes. The provincial government owns the building next door. They plan to move their offices to a different location and consolidate the land with the current Hakim Optical and parking lot. The consistent news that pops up from different sources is that the land will be sold to a hotel developer with the highest bid.

The provincial government? Don't you mean the city? 277 Victoria is entirely Toronto Public Health, apart from some various retail uses (ie the ex-Second Cup and print shop) that have been accessible from the street.
 
^ My mistake. It's Toronto Public Health. Anyhow, their intention is to move to another site and sell the land of that building to a hotel developer. It's too valuable to have it being used as office space for the city and has a lot more potential as a hotel.
 
I'd rather see them hold out awhile. The local market is going to be flooded with new hotel capacity, and that might make a developer put up something half-ass. I think it would be better to get a real landmark hotel 10 years from now rather than having it ready in three years and it being a blight for the rest of our lifetimes.
 
Dec 20 visit

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IMG_dec-20-09-0086.jpg


IMG_dec-20-09-0087.jpg
 

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