Toronto Mirvish Village (Honest Ed's Redevelopment) | 85.04m | 26s | Westbank | Henriquez Partners

Everyone who will be dealing with this at the City was there this evening, planners from Jennifer Keesmaat on down, politicians from Mike Layton whose ward it's in, to Joe Cressy whose ward is across the street, Adam Vaughan who is the MP, Gord Perks, even Joey Pants… and they all heard the robust applause at the end of the presentation.

I'm not saying this will go through without any changes, but this was no fight against Walmart on the Kromer lands, this was a love-in, and the people in charge know it.

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I love the massing / different heights and simulated storefronts etc. I actually prefer the look of the scale model which tends to imply brick as one of the main materials rather than the glass and neon of the renders. ah well, it was a nice fantasy for a minute. looks like the height is around 28-30 stories. certainly bigger than anything in the immediate area but it is a main downtown intersection and this is a smart way to add density. it would be nice to see more of these self contained communities rather than stand alone buildings.
 
I think the design is fantastic - very well done. You have to spread the density out and on the subway line near a major intersection and subway station is precisely where it should go.

Only two issues come to mind,
first, they will never plant trees on the rooves of buildings, but it does look nice on the model
Second, if they are all rental properties, it could go downhill pretty fast.
 
More than anything I'm supercharged that much of Markham Street will remain intact, it just can't be recreated and it is so quaint. The Honest Ed's property is brilliant, plenty of activity being created and - gasp, rental apartments - and with an open market to boot! A little more brick would be nice, but I'm reaching there. I have to wonder what the price points will be though, rentals being built today are super-expensive. If they have a percentage of 'geared-to-income' I"ll be very pleased, we know that this is going to be largely students renting here. Height & massing is really good.
It's sad now to see now that Honest Ed's is really going. I know it's outlived it's usefulness but it still makes me sad with a lifetime of memories in that place.
Onward & upward!
 
88drums said:
A big, flashy Gehry seems right for the Entertainment District, but not here. I doubt Gehry to deliver such a humane scale, such restraint, such a diversity of buildings and facades.
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I don't think there's a 'flashier' operation in the city than Honest Ed's. ;)
 
Are they atleast going to keep the Honest Eds signage? They should place it up in the pedestrian mall they have planned!
 
Never mind the signage; *I'm* wondering about John Andrews' Mirvish Gallery interior...
 
My first impression, at least from the renderings, is that the mixed scale looks and feels like Yorkville.
 
Well done.

At first glance I also reacted to the messy and incoherent 'non-architecture' of the design but then I realized that this is exactly the point. It deliberately rejects this building cycle's fetish for Architecture with its 'look at me i'm iconic' disdain for the urban realm. This is a mess on purpose, a deliberate attempt to create texture, diversity of form and usage, and community that no block-wide podia or glossy minimalist towers can achieve. It's appropriate for the character of the area, the legacy of the location, and signals a promising way to handle future demands for growth and density that will inevitably and rightfully come. Bravo!
 
The more I look at it the more I like it. Too much development has been on large lots with big podiums that create a really monotonous streetscape (the southcore area is particularly bad for this). While the architecture isn't blowing me away, I love this approach with multiple smaller buildings, especially on a vibrant retail stretch like Bloor. It always disappoints me when I see a bunch of unique buildings demolished for one large tower but the opposite is happening here. Would love to see more in the future.
 
flonicky said:
Way too tall for the location. But I really hope the approach and ideas catch on.
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Disagree. It's practically on top of a subway station/streetcar line. Although Bloor does desperately need cycle infrastructure if the density continues to increase with new projects like this and the one at Madison.
 
Big Daddy said:
I think the design is fantastic - very well done. You have to spread the density out and on the subway line near a major intersection and subway station is precisely where it should go.

Only two issues come to mind,
first, they will never plant trees on the rooves of buildings, but it does look nice on the model
Second, if they are all rental properties, it could go downhill pretty fast.
Click to expand...

I'm not fond of your implication that renters somehow ruin neighbourhoods and property. Especially as these will probably be in the higher price range. There's a shortage of decent rental units in the city and these are a step in the right direction.
 
This built form of this project would be a nice model to be applied to other nodes where there is a significant amount of developable land.

first, they will never plant trees on the rooves of buildings, but it does look nice on the model
Click to expand...

I believe they could (extant example include Shangri-La, and I think 1BE will have trees atop the podium as well).

AoD
 
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