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Mystery Man TO
Guest
I'm not very fond of pink mirrored glass, I think 1001 Bay Street ruined it for me
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thx1038
Guest
THIS JUST IN....
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On Thursday, February 23, 2006, we met with Councilor Pam McConnell, who is the City of Toronto councilor for the area. She is also a close ally of the mayor and one of the most powerful City Council members. We discussed with the councilor her key concerns for the site, and explained our revised designs for the building, emphasizing how the new design respected her concerns about shadows on City Hall square, the reduction in hotel units, the separation of the hotel suites onto the upper floors, and the selection of larger, 2 to 4 bedroom residences. We asked the Councilor if she was prepared to support the design direction, which includes an increase in density for the additional 56 Temperance Street site, and an overall density of over 1,000,000 sq. ft., (which is equivalent to the original 91-storey Sapphire tower).
Councilor McConnell said that she was very pleased with the new direction and that she would communicate this to the Planning Department. She also acknowledged that she would advise her City Council colleagues to support the new design. Frankly, it is an informal tradition on City Council with respect to building applications that the individual councilors follow the lead of the local councilor in whose ward the development is proposed.
Unquestionably, this meeting represented a very significant breakthrough. We now feel very comfortable proceeding with detailed design drawings of the building. Within the month of March we will be providing to existing suite owners the new suite options, and before the end of April, we will be publicly relaunching the project.
Again, if you wish to participate in the 16% Sapphire II Secured Mortgage, the program will be closed very soon. Please contact Sean Stewart at 416-548-8115, or sean.stewart@onekingwest.com
Regards
Harry Stinson
_________________________________
On Thursday, February 23, 2006, we met with Councilor Pam McConnell, who is the City of Toronto councilor for the area. She is also a close ally of the mayor and one of the most powerful City Council members. We discussed with the councilor her key concerns for the site, and explained our revised designs for the building, emphasizing how the new design respected her concerns about shadows on City Hall square, the reduction in hotel units, the separation of the hotel suites onto the upper floors, and the selection of larger, 2 to 4 bedroom residences. We asked the Councilor if she was prepared to support the design direction, which includes an increase in density for the additional 56 Temperance Street site, and an overall density of over 1,000,000 sq. ft., (which is equivalent to the original 91-storey Sapphire tower).
Councilor McConnell said that she was very pleased with the new direction and that she would communicate this to the Planning Department. She also acknowledged that she would advise her City Council colleagues to support the new design. Frankly, it is an informal tradition on City Council with respect to building applications that the individual councilors follow the lead of the local councilor in whose ward the development is proposed.
Unquestionably, this meeting represented a very significant breakthrough. We now feel very comfortable proceeding with detailed design drawings of the building. Within the month of March we will be providing to existing suite owners the new suite options, and before the end of April, we will be publicly relaunching the project.
Again, if you wish to participate in the 16% Sapphire II Secured Mortgage, the program will be closed very soon. Please contact Sean Stewart at 416-548-8115, or sean.stewart@onekingwest.com
Regards
Harry Stinson
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Archivistower
Guest
I find sending this information out to reveal a lack of judgement on Stinson's part. To me, the coversation sounds like one of those "working towards an agreement" discussions. Unless I agreed to it in advance, I would be quite annoyed at someone making public the knowledge that I would encourage other councillors to support the design, if for no other reason that it assumes too much and constrains my future activity. There are more subtle ways of saying the same thing, even if the characterization of the meeting is accurate, and I have no reason to think it is not.
I always find Stinson in his public utterances and behaviour to be like a 7 year old. Good on him for getting 1KW built, but not someone that I would place a lot of faith in, at any rate.
I always find Stinson in his public utterances and behaviour to be like a 7 year old. Good on him for getting 1KW built, but not someone that I would place a lot of faith in, at any rate.
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thenay
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The reason why the conversation sounds like a "working towards an agreement" thing is because the people down @ city hall in Toronto make things more complicated and reason why things need to be worked out this way. There's so many restrictions in this city and EVERYTHING takes forever to be completed, if its not city hall, its the OMB delaying or cancelling.
We've all seen many projects get cancelled or delayed, most people give up cos its probably too much work and money, but I'm glad Stinson is working with the city now to what they want, and will approve, its less work and money on his end I think and he don't gotta worry about another proposal shot down after this. Can't wait til April
We've all seen many projects get cancelled or delayed, most people give up cos its probably too much work and money, but I'm glad Stinson is working with the city now to what they want, and will approve, its less work and money on his end I think and he don't gotta worry about another proposal shot down after this. Can't wait til April
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InaneHuman
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Thanks thx1038 for posting that update so quickly;
I am happy that this is moving along and that H.S. has set a fairly tight schedule for going public with sales.
A million SF is larger than I figured; I thought that the previous design was about 540K SF. That is a massive building. Anyone know of any other residential buildings with comparable or more square footage?
---Biting my nails over seeing the final multicolored design.
I am happy that this is moving along and that H.S. has set a fairly tight schedule for going public with sales.
A million SF is larger than I figured; I thought that the previous design was about 540K SF. That is a massive building. Anyone know of any other residential buildings with comparable or more square footage?
---Biting my nails over seeing the final multicolored design.
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interchange42
Guest
Archivistower - bang on! Harry has no idea of how to conduct himself professionally. He needs a good semester at finishing school. While everything that he says in the memo might be appropriate for John Barber or Royson James to comment on, it's not appropriate for an applicant to describe a forthcoming virtual rubber stamping of his application to those that he owes something to, when the outcome is not yet assured. I hope the results are such that Harry doesn't have to backtrack again in the future, but if he does have to it will be embarrassing for him, and it will be his own fault.
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thx1038
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The site all ready has been approved for a building of 55 levels. So somthing will go there. Harry wants to make his mark, so he is try to get approvals for a taller tower. Either way this piece of land will get a tower on it soon.
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Archivistower
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It may indeed have a tower on it at some point, but "soon" seems like awfully strong language in this case.
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JoeyCuppa
Guest
That's good news. I may consider buying one. One thing I didn't like about 1KW is that the units are all really really small.
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G2G2
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maybe Sapphire Tower should go back to how downtown plaza hotel looked like...
www.condohotelcenter.com/...plaza.html
www.condohotelcenter.com/...plaza.html
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nassauone
Guest
My God that is one ugly building.
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thx1038
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^ much better looking than what around in that area...
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Brighter Hell
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you say that like it's any different anywhere else. things take forever all over the place (*cough* freedom tower *cough*). besides, a lot of people would say the city isn't strict enough with developers. the reason sapphire is taking forever is because of harry, not the city.
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TdotTrickyRicky
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There is however a difference between strictness and lack of expediency. I am unfamiliar with the development approval process but in many other situations getting things done in this province does seem to require onerous amounts of red tape. From a business perspective strict regulations are fine but long drawn out procedures and ambiguous interpretations are a nightmare (not that I am necessarily implying this is the case for this development approval).
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Mike in TO
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^ I agree completely. A lot of issues developers have with the current approvals process is not just the amount of red tape and hoops they have to jump through, but the amount of time it takes for each step of the process. Obtaining permits and granting necessary appovals as various points throughout the process takes a very very long time. Time is money of course which significantly increases the costs of doing business, which is passed onto consumers thereby increasing the costs of housing.
Obviously some things take time to review, but some of the time lines within the approvals process are ridiculous.
Obviously some things take time to review, but some of the time lines within the approvals process are ridiculous.
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