Toronto 155 Balliol Infill | 123.04m | 37s | Amelin | BDP Quadrangle

This went up recently in front of the townhouses

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I'm surprised that there will be no retail on the ground floor to serve the row of apartments on Merton and Balliol. It is a 5 minute walk to yonge and davisville, but on a winter day the trek feels much longer. At least there's a daycare.
 
The management of 155 doesn't even appear to be trying. There are pieces of facing near the roof line that have fallen off, no attempt to even repair them. The concept of a green roof is alive: tree sized weeds sprouting from the roof. I'm not saying 45 is stellar, but it's the same building with better up keep; at least the facade is intact. Some effort has been put into the top level balcony railings. Attractive glass cubes encase stairs to what is presumably the parking garage. The lobby, from the street looks modernized. In the general area, the Greenrock buildings have tried to make their buildings look "nice." It would be great for companies trying to capitalize on the growth in rental rates to also make a contribution to bettering their neighbourhoods. If you read through the City of Toronto application info on this project, the applicant has clearly stated nothing is being done to the existing building. I don't know, if this was my building I would want to make it better. Yes here's a new project we're proposing, but we have been part of this community for years and we want to make it a better, attractive place to be; not just we want to cash in on new lofty rental rates.
 
Just signed up to this forum specifically to add to the discussion in this thread. Others should be aware of 155 Balliol's less than stellar history and even more so Amelin Property Management's noticeably poor track record.

I live at 155 Balliol and can attest to member jTS's comments. It is with great concern looking to the future and the possibility of Amelin building a new high rise when historically they've been far from compliant with bylaws and maintaining properties they already own. Hopefully their poor record will be taken strongly into account.

The following is found online in regard to Amelin.

24-Storey Rental Tower Proposed on Balliol Street
"The existing high-rise and townhouses are run down and have been in dire need of a face-lift for many years"
"Those who have interacted with Amelin when issues arise report less than satisfactory response and results. It is not uncommon to hear stories of dissatisfaction and/or combative & defensive management."

Rent It Or Not
"As mentioned in the 2 other reviews here maintenance in general is poor and work is rarely completed quickly. It can also be hard to get management to act upon problems. The building owner does not interact or treat residents with respect"
"General Management can be difficult to deal with. Issues requiring attention are often an uphill battle. Concerns are not generally addressed in a professional manner. Issues are often not addressed and/or rectified."
"Hence, the maintenance is really poor. Zero marks for it."

Yelp - Balliol Towers Apts
"[...] are poorly managed and it takes forever to get anything done around there. He said if he wasn't under a lease right now, he would move."
"Owners of 155 Balliol St. are a nightmare. Most common 'elevator chats' between tenants consist of displeasure about ongoing problems due to management's disregard for items requiring attention, management decisions, and management's treatment and attitude towards residents."

Governor’s Green apartment complex bans newspaper from its premises
"Chief fire prevention officer Jim Winn said a second inspection of Amelin townhouses at 131 to 181 Governor’s Rd. found deficient fireplaces, chimneys and pipes in all units."
"The Dundas Star News has published two stories about investigations involving Governor’s Green in the past two years, both based on information provided by Hamilton Police and Landlord Tenant Board staff who confirmed ongoing investigations or review of complaints."
"Hamilton police senior support officer Ian Fotheringham began investigating complaints of seniors abuse at Governor’s Green in October. At the time, Fotheringham said the matter would involve a “long term investigation” and required follow-up interviews with several tenants."

Police monitoring Governor’s Green
"Investigators from the province of Ontario are reviewing harassment complaints from tenants of a Dundas apartment building, after Hamilton police responded to a flare-up in the building’s laundry room following several weeks of calm."
"Dave Grech, the ministry’s coordinator of investigations and an acting regional manager at the Landlord and Tenant Board, said Monday he is reviewing a file of complaints received from Governor’s Green tenants."

City of Toronto Investigation Activity
As suggested in one of the online reviews, looking up 155 Balliol results in an endless stream of investigation requests and violations.

City of Toronto Building Permit Status
Ongoing permits incomplete / outstanding.

Having lived at 155 Balliol for quite some time I can attest Amelin have historically been noticeably neglectful about property maintenance, bylaws, cleanliness, safety, and virtually all property management related items. I cringe anytime something comes up that will require their involvement. As opposed to just solving whatever needs fixing it is always a fight and takes them forever. It's almost as if they prefer to argue, blame others, delay, or make excuses as opposed to just satisfying the situation. On countless occasions they have also lied about what they are doing to getting things fixed when asked.

To be honest rent control and the location are the only reasons I put up with the negatives. Unfortunate but true.

I hope they aren't permitted to build another high rise. The street is already over populated, the infrastructure in the area is already maxed out, and there is no way I could fathom Amelin being a responsible and respectful property manager if history is any indication.

And lastly as others have said: the proposed building is ugly and does not compliment the surrounding area at all. Yuck.
 
This is off-topic, but I felt I should pipe in here, in regards to the owner of this project and their existing property at 155 Balliol.

I live in an Amelin-owned building in Parkdale. 22 Close to be exact, and don't understand the complaints about the landlord. Our building has recent new glazing throughout, new plumbing throughout, and has recently refurbished all the exterior concrete aspects (mostly balconies). In addition, management is great, as have been my dealings with head office, which, coincidentally, is at 155 Balliol.

Which begs the question, what the hell are they doing letting the building that houses head office fall into disrepair whilst pouring tonnes of money in recent years into their biggest property holding (and hence most expensive)?

I mean, I'm thankful they did...my place is great...maybe they ran out of money after this one?

I've been told that 22 Close in Parkdale is their original holding and that the original owner of Amelin (now dead) let it fall into disrepair (mind you, I lived here under his watch 12 years ago and thought it was great then as well) and that the son, who took over the company, has made a point of bringing this building up to former standards of "glory".

Their overhaul isn't yet complete, either.
I have no complaints about Amelin.

Though, maybe the rents they're asking in my building are a bit too nouveau-Toronto, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, carry on.
 
Parkdale is seeing rapidly rising rents that allows owners to justify renovations. A lot of buildings are seeing huge rent increases for new tenants, which allows them to upgrade to attract higher rents.
 
155 BALLIOL ST
Ward 12 - Tor & E.York District


Development Applications

Zoning By-law Amendment to facilitate the development of the site for a 38-storey residential building with a residential gross floor area of 37,789 square metres and 536 new residential dwelling units. The existing 2-storey townhouse building containing 19 units will be maintained
 
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95-131 and 155 Balliol Street - Zoning Amendment and Rental Housing Demolition Applications - Preliminary Report

This item will be considered by Toronto and East York Community Council on October 15, 2020. It will be considered by City Council on October 27, 2020, subject to the actions of the Toronto and East York Community Council.

 

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