yin_yang
Active Member
they could very well push this baby through to concide with the LRT (or vice-versa) as they might very likely be thinking of building the LRT station under the new mall. good stuff!
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Rethinking Yonge and Eglinton
- Thread starter Automation Gallery
- Start date
Xarina
New Member
Chrisel, thanks for posting that! What a great rendering!
(Didn't know we got stuff in World Arch News. I'll have to start following that...)
(Didn't know we got stuff in World Arch News. I'll have to start following that...)
ProjectEnd
Superstar
gregv
Active Member
http://www.thestar.com/article/642314
40-storey cap on midtown site
Yonge-Eglinton limit follows high-rise protest
May 29, 2009 04:30 AM
Vanessa Lu
city hall bureau chief
It's just a few words, but it should prevent another battle over building heights at Yonge and Eglinton, where residents fought two Minto condo towers and lost.
Councillor Michael Walker offered a small amendment this week to the transfer of the old TTC bus barns on that corner to the Build Toronto property agency, limiting anything built there to 120 metres.
That means any private developer who later purchases the long-unused site wouldn't be able to exceed 40 storeys.
"It's a win for neighbourhoods here, and we won't have another Minto," said Walker. Some residents feel 40 storeys is still too high, but Yonge-Eglinton is targeted for intensification because of its location along transit corridors.
A developer could still ask to go higher, but that would require planning and city council approvals. "We will get additional value at that point, and we don't get taken to the cleaners," Walker said.
The Minto towers on the east side of Yonge rise to 39 and 54 storeys. Local opposition to the project, in part, led to the defeat of former councillor Anne Johnston, who had backed it.
40-storey cap on midtown site
Yonge-Eglinton limit follows high-rise protest
May 29, 2009 04:30 AM
Vanessa Lu
city hall bureau chief
It's just a few words, but it should prevent another battle over building heights at Yonge and Eglinton, where residents fought two Minto condo towers and lost.
Councillor Michael Walker offered a small amendment this week to the transfer of the old TTC bus barns on that corner to the Build Toronto property agency, limiting anything built there to 120 metres.
That means any private developer who later purchases the long-unused site wouldn't be able to exceed 40 storeys.
"It's a win for neighbourhoods here, and we won't have another Minto," said Walker. Some residents feel 40 storeys is still too high, but Yonge-Eglinton is targeted for intensification because of its location along transit corridors.
A developer could still ask to go higher, but that would require planning and city council approvals. "We will get additional value at that point, and we don't get taken to the cleaners," Walker said.
The Minto towers on the east side of Yonge rise to 39 and 54 storeys. Local opposition to the project, in part, led to the defeat of former councillor Anne Johnston, who had backed it.
urbandreamer
recession proof
Good idea. Especially with this long depression, it'll take decades to build out. Cap at 40 means focus should be on stunning architecture, not sheer height.
Eug
Senior Member
Of course, "should be" but that's not the same thing as "will".
Many of those low rise buildings around there are pretty fugly too.
Anyways, I agree a limit of 40 is fine, as that's already pretty tall. If people change their minds in 20 years, they can change the law then.
Edward
Senior Member
Like the two go hand in hand.
savevp
Active Member
Public Square
This is looking like a great development. Yonge Street in general could use some revitalization and at a major intersection like Eglinton, this will be great. I may have put a public square at this intersection rather than one of the condos or maybe at 'Duplex Avenue.' Maybe something like the proposed Yonge-Bloor Square would have been nice in this location. A few coffee shops and some benches and trees and that would be one of the great intersections of Toronto. Besides my desire for a square, I think this is great news!
Source:
This is looking like a great development. Yonge Street in general could use some revitalization and at a major intersection like Eglinton, this will be great. I may have put a public square at this intersection rather than one of the condos or maybe at 'Duplex Avenue.' Maybe something like the proposed Yonge-Bloor Square would have been nice in this location. A few coffee shops and some benches and trees and that would be one of the great intersections of Toronto. Besides my desire for a square, I think this is great news!
Redroom Studios
Senior Member
^^^ "proposed Yonge-Bloor Square " ??? that was nothing more than some misguided mumblings. And in any case I disagree about placing any such square in close proximity to Y&E. The problem visually with that intersection now is the incongruity of the southwest corner not being fully developed to match the other 3 corners (I believe the tower shown on the northeast corner is another develoment currently in the works). Secondly, in the new rendering there is a public park along Duplex and plenty of green roof action, so I am satisfied that this is a well balanced vision for the area.
Second_in_pie
Senior Member
To be honest, it looks like they're trying to turn Y-E into a *pretty* little area, while giving up a bit of it's ability to be an alternative downtown. If you ask me, there's a huge amount of potential to make Y-E a big development node, with a large number of offices and high rise condos. At least one big office tower (maybe a unique design to give the intersection some more identity while working with the condos currently there, and the whole area filled with mid rise condos and offices. By doing that, it'd create a natural node right at the intersection, and would allow the area to grow naturally. I don't think there would be a lot of complaint over a 50-60 story building if it was at the centre of a much larger area for mid-rises that could be (relatively) painlessly integrated into the preexisting community.
I think they should be encouraging at least one big new office tower to go up, and allow a lot more businesses in. The whole corridor from Yonge to around Laird could also have a lot done to it, and the city should be intently looking at that for developers to get some more stuff going, with a large high density area at Y-E as an anchor. There's already a fair bit of stuff going on in that area, but I think it's been pretty well left alone for a while.
I can sympathize for the residents who don't want high rises next to their house, but I have to be frank, the greater good of letting Y-E grow kind of trumps their plight. The city should be trying to seamlessly make it flow from high rise to mid rise to houses, but I think that from the rendering and what the plans seem to be, they're just thinking too small. The residents are saying "absolutely no tall buildings" so they're trying to spread things out, which I think is the wrong way to be doing things.
In terms of visuals, the two condo towers there easily sets the stage for one large 50-60 story office building opposite of Eglinton, where I believe there's a small scotiabank building currently. This would create a large area of focus at the intersection, on either side of Yonge between Y-E centre and large unnamed office building. From there, they could build out low rise mixed use condos all around the area, but it needs a destination anchor, and a large office building is the best way I can think of doing that.
I think they should be encouraging at least one big new office tower to go up, and allow a lot more businesses in. The whole corridor from Yonge to around Laird could also have a lot done to it, and the city should be intently looking at that for developers to get some more stuff going, with a large high density area at Y-E as an anchor. There's already a fair bit of stuff going on in that area, but I think it's been pretty well left alone for a while.
I can sympathize for the residents who don't want high rises next to their house, but I have to be frank, the greater good of letting Y-E grow kind of trumps their plight. The city should be trying to seamlessly make it flow from high rise to mid rise to houses, but I think that from the rendering and what the plans seem to be, they're just thinking too small. The residents are saying "absolutely no tall buildings" so they're trying to spread things out, which I think is the wrong way to be doing things.
In terms of visuals, the two condo towers there easily sets the stage for one large 50-60 story office building opposite of Eglinton, where I believe there's a small scotiabank building currently. This would create a large area of focus at the intersection, on either side of Yonge between Y-E centre and large unnamed office building. From there, they could build out low rise mixed use condos all around the area, but it needs a destination anchor, and a large office building is the best way I can think of doing that.
newuser2k9
Active Member
Simply put, that probably won't work in this neighbourhood. Yonge and Eglinton is a residential nexus, a commercial intersection serving midtown, and not necessarily a centre like even NYCC. This is due to the fact that the area surrounding is still a very short subway ride to downtown, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of the income is supported by downtown jobs. Aside from Canada Square, of which, coincidentally Canadian Tire is moving out, and Yonge Eglinton Centre, which applied to be converted into residential if I recall, this is not a serious commercial area. Aside from retail, which does seem like a growth opportunity - the south side is very barren from a shoping perspective - the overall trend seems to be the closing of office space and replacing it with residential. In my opinion, best bet for development would be to work with Y+E's strengths and build more residential and street-level retail, while leaving the office space for surrounding areas.