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TCHC: 88-90 Carlton (12s, Stanford Downey)

T

The Burgher of TO

Guest
Walking by today I noticed the building on site (2 three storey buildings) have been boarded up, and there's a notice up that there's a meeting coming up to get them clearance to build an 108 unit 11 storey apartment. The site is owned by TCHC, and the buildings look fairly old (1920's? 1930's?).

Does anyone know anything else about it? Elevations? Any possibility of street level retail? I have my fingers crossed that whatever they put up won't have any setbacks (Carlton has such a strong streetwall, I'd hate to see it interrupted), and I really hope that they do leave room in the base for a coffee shop or a restaurant or something. That block would really benefit from having a lit-up, animated area right on the street.
 
"Any possibility of street level retail?"

We do not need and cannot support continuous retail establishments at street level.
 
As far as I can remember, they aren't the prettiest of walk-ups but it still sad to see them replaced with another 100+ unit building (which in itself isn't 'large scaled' in comparison to most other downtown proposals)

be nicer to see intensification through additional storeys than re-development
 
It's less than a 5 minute walk from Yonge, on a main throughfare with 24-hour streetcar service, significant pedestrian traffic, and within spitting distance of a major downtown park, thousands of units of built residential, and much more residential going up. This isn't some far flung sideroad in Etobicoke or Scarborough, and I'm not saying the base of the building should be Yonge-Dundas Redux, I'm saying that maybe, just maybe, a Tim Hortons could set up a profitable business there, or possibly even a bar with a patio that could seat 20-30 patrons.
 
What I remember about those buildings is coming across a very fat family of raccoons while walking past them when they were abandoned in the 1990's. I can't say I will mourn them - anything that hides any amount of the Sunrise building behind is OK with me.
 
From Kyle Rae's Toronto Centre-Rosedale Report Summer 2006:
...TCHC is proposing an apartment with a mix of affordable and market units tailored to families. The proposed new building will house large apartment units; one, two, three and even four bedroom apartments as opposed to the bachelors in there now.
Click to expand...
 
Why not have commercial at street level? Who wants to live directly facing the sidewalk and Carlton's traffic there anyway?

42
 
How many more convenience stores does that stretch of Carlton need?
 
It doesn't have to be all convenience stores. It could be street level office space for medical, legal, financial professionals, etc., etc. Maybe a new rub and tug.

42
 
Man, you guys are so down on street-level retail. There's clearly a market for it - how many vacant storefronts in the area are there? As far as I know the answer is one, as the storefront-formerly-known-as-The-Croissant-Tree at Yonge & Gerrard is now vacant.
 
I got an e-mail back from TCHC. Strictly residential at grade, but some units will have direct street access. They've said they can provide me with an elevation if I want, and I've e-mailed back to ask for it.
 
I did a quick google and found that there was an application for heritage status in July 2006 but more recently a demolition application that was approved. Apparently there is too extensive of termite damage to save the buildings. 40 units each today. Built in 1928. They are beautiful buildings, too bad they can't be saved. The buildings were trashed over the years and there was a famous squat that took place there. Lots of info on Google.
 
Carleton street in that area has a relatively healthy mix of retail, and serves this purpose moreso than Jarvis, Sherbourne, Gerrard, or even Church in the area. The retail continues on-and-off for the whole length from Yonge to Parliament. It makes sense that this would be a logical area for some extra retail space, and I'm franbkly quite shocked by people's willingness to write it off with little or no basis.
 
I've recieved the elevations (I'll post them this afternoon), the fronts of the two buildings are being preserved, an extra floor is added to each, and the alley between them will be enclosed. A 7 storey tower will be built over the east building.
 
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