Toronto 12° / 12 Degrees Condos | 35.66m | 11s | BSäR Group | Core Architects

Perhaps the plan could be modified to preserve 15 Beverley and incorporate a huge spiral staircase emerging from the roof?

I agree: it's the Gehry connection which enshrines this seemingly commonplace row as a quintessential artifact of Toronto--even more than whatever OCA artsies left their snail trails in the 70s and 80s...
 
this is a cool proposal ~ once again an interesting building from Core Architects ...

btw, I believe Armstrong Hunter & Associates are only the Planning Consultants on this project (not the architect) ...
the developer is BSÄR Group
 
Novae Res Urbis: ARTSY REDEVELOPMENT

Beverley proposal
By Mark Ostler

A contemporary condo building that has been proposed for the Queen West neighbourhood will tower over neighbouring Victorian row houses. If approved as proposed, the development would result in two houses currently listed on the city’s heritage inventory demolished.

Developer BSÄR Group has submitted a rezoning application to redevelop the site at 15-27 Beverley Street, just northwest of Queen Street West and John Street.

BSÄR Group is seeking permission to build a 14-storey condo, including 113 units and three levels of underground parking. The site is currently home to several lowrise buildings in the form of newer row houses and a warehouse
building, with storefront and apartment attached.

“[The site] stood out to us [as being] in dire need of redevelopment and intensification,†BSÄR Group principal Tarek Sobhi told NRU. “We feel that it’s a very positive addition to the neighbourhood and it’s in the right direction.â€

However, two of the properties that the developer wants to demolish, 15 and 27 Beverley Street, are listed on the city’s heritage inventory and one of the sites has an intriguing architectural connection.

“One of them was the childhood home of Frank Gehry when he used to stay with his grandmother,†local Councillor Adam Vaughan told NRU. “Gehry used to watch the carp from Kensington Market that his grandmother picked up to cook their meals swimming around the bathtub, and it was the silver shine on the skin of the fish that was the inspiration for…his whole experimentation as an architect with that silver shimmering skin of his buildings.â€

Vaughan said that there had been requests made to attempt to preserve some aspect of the building, or the original bathtub if it still remains, or to commemorate the site in some way, even if the buildings themselves are
ultimately demolished. When asked about the heritage listed structures, Sobhi said, “We’re not planning on retaining those buildings.â€

The site is designated mixed used under the official plan and is currently zoned residential on some portions and industrial on others, with a height limit of 12 metres. The developer is proposing a residential building more than 40 metres tall. City planner Sarah Phipps told NRU that staff is currently reviewing the application, which was submitted at the beginning of May, and a staff report is expected in September.

BSÄR Group became interested in redeveloping the site a year ago and purchased the buildings in September 2008. It hired Charles Gane of Core Architects to design the building, looking to take an artistic approach to the development.

“We’re intending to play off the artistic nature of the neighbourhood, given that fact that the AGO and OCAD are in the neighbourhood,†Sobhi said. “We’re just trying to contribute to the community, which we feel has a strong art feel to it. We really feel that this is going to set the tone for anything that goes on in that neighbourhood from now on.â€

The project has been discussed at one of Vaughan’s public neighbourhood meetings, where early versions of the design were presented.

"At first they looked like they were heading down the right road and then they veered off and went with a monster building,†Vaughan said. “That was clearly rejected at the meeting and they’re coming back with a mor sensitive approach to the site and we’ll see where it goes from there.â€
 
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The project has been discussed at one of Vaughan’s public neighbourhood meetings, where early versions of the design were presented.

"At first they looked like they were heading down the right road and then they veered off and went with a monster building,†Vaughan said. “That was clearly rejected at the meeting and they’re coming back with a more sensitive approach to the site and we’ll see where it goes from there.â€


Are we talking about the same project Adam ?!?!?

If that was the original proposal, I like it ... the design and the scale, 13s doesn't seem out of context to other buildings nearby along St. Patrick, unless they want to compare it to the Phoebe across the road.
 
Where's Little Franky's Grandma's bathtub in all this? Where's the big spiral staircase going up through the roof? Where's the metal fish scale cladding? Where's Little Franky's bedroom, all plastinated and turned inside-out and laid bare for all the world to see?
 
The building's quite, but tearing down properties on the heritage inventory sets a terrible precedent. No on this site.

The Mayor of Montreal has a policy that no teardowns should take place until all the parking lots in a neighbourhood are developed.
 
You can't force someone that owns a parking lot to develop it. If you they want to keep generating rent from their property and don't want to sell, developers will not overpay for these sites. Developers already have enough hoops to jump through, the more hoops means the more money passed on to purchasers.

I take public transit downtown 95% of the time, but guess what, I would actually like to find a parking spot the other 5%.

I love that this is where Frank Gehry's grandmother bathed him. I'm just curious what is next, the house where Pierre Trudeau first made out with a girl, the house where Don Cherry's dog was conceived?

I'm all for the restoration and retention of heritage buildings (I attended the re-opening celebration of the Shops at Summerhill this week), but where do we draw the line on designating something heritage based on the "celebrity" or "famousness" or whatever the criteria of the person that lived (or visited, or worked) there?

I would certainly prefer to have a nice new modern condominium, than see a heritage building sit for years and fall into disrepair (like the Kormann House Hotel most certainly will) because no one is willing or able to put the money into revitalizing it.
 
Shaky heritage value aside, the buildings on this site are unremarkable. But the height proposed is way out of line for the neighbourhood. The condo complex to the west should set the height standard. 50 Stephanie is an outrageous intrusion on the area from the early 70s and can't be allowed to act as a precedent. It's unfortunate that the proposed design doesn't belong on this site as it looks like it deserves to be built somewhere.
 
Now 10 stories. It'll still look good I think.

From Councillor Vaughan's recent newsletter (with nice renderings; perhaps someone more technologically inclined will pull the images):

Architect Charles Gane of Core Architects, Michael McClelland of ERA Architects, and lawyer Adam Brown presented a revised proposal for a mid-rise at 15-27 Beverley St. at a meeting with local residents held in the neighbourhood last week.

Changes have been made to the original proposal that include height reduction from 41m to 35.8m. Instead of having 12 storeys, the current plan has 10. The proposal is still taller than the Phoebe condominium across the street, which is 31.2m to the top of the mechanical penthouse.

Changes have also been made to the design of the podium to better relate to the low-rise Victorian homes on Beverley Street. The height of the podium of the building will now be aligned to the height of the eaves of the older homes next door, and the podium design reflects the repeating pattern of the houses on Beverley.

The proposed building would be constructed with transparent glass, concrete and Owen Sound rocks with a roof patio. The mid-rise will have heat pump that will regulate temperature throughout the units at the top of the building and will include a green roof.

Participants at the meeting were concerned that thesidewalk fronting the building on Beverley Street may not be wide enough, particularly for residents using wheelchairs. A proposal from residents to shift the building back from the lot line to widen the Beverley St. sidewalks was received positively by the development team. A north-south lane at the rear of the lot may be available in consideration for the agreement to set the building back from the street to allow more pedestrian space in the front.

A site evaluation, including an examination of whether this rear laneway is used by any adjacent property owners or residents, will be conducted to determine if this is a feasible option.

Neighbours continue to raise concerns about the height of the proposed building.

The development team will be working on another revised proposal that will take in account feedback from this meeting. A new version of the proposal will be presented to the wider community in the near future.
 

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