Toronto 16 York | 154.83m | 32s | Cadillac Fairview | a—A

Happy about the tenant, not happy about the retail space on York Street being taken by a bank branch. Really could have used a nice restaurant and patio to animate this side of the street, especially with the uninviting Ice Condos frontage.
More corporate office rather than a bank branch. I really hope there is a retail tenant that not just caters to office gowers, but residents as well. Too many of the retail in southcore is closed after office hours.
 
More corporate office rather than a bank branch. I really hope there is a retail tenant that not just caters to office gowers, but residents as well. Too many of the retail in southcore is closed after office hours.
Bank branch at ground level, corporate office on upper storeys.

HSBC will take up the entire retail space facing York Street. There are a couple more small retail spaces planned at the corner of Grand Trunk and Bremner, and the rest of the ground floor is lobby, elevators, and servicing. The 16 York lobby will connect to the PATH system via Ïce, but through an indirect route with two sets of doors between 16 York and Ïce.

42
 
September 7 - noticed that the north facing glass will reflect the CN Tower to people walking from Maple Leaf Square/Union Station. Looking forward to what it will look like when complete and with the architectural shift. Should also be convenient for tourists!


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The TLAB hearing regarding the proposed reduction in retail space became a settlement hearing where the Board approved the requested variances, with agreed-upon conditions relating to public art, interior seating, and a $25,000 contribution to the Entertainment District BIA for improved landscaping on Bremner. The full text of the decision can be read here:

https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/u...8-S45-20-TLAB_16-York-St_Decision_SMakuch.pdf
 
The TLAB hearing regarding the proposed reduction in retail space became a settlement hearing where the Board approved the requested variances, with agreed-upon conditions relating to public art, interior seating, and a $25,000 contribution to the Entertainment District BIA for improved landscaping on Bremner. The full text of the decision can be read here:

https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/u...8-S45-20-TLAB_16-York-St_Decision_SMakuch.pdf

They can streetscape all they like until the roads are paved in gold. Without anything activating the street that isn't remotely engaging, the street life will be corporate, sterile and bland. I'd put up a hefty sum of money to bet there will be a bank occupying all that retail GFA which will do nothing for this area but continue the neo-modern glassy hostile environment.

as Jane Jacobs said " Glass, Glass, Glass,..... " or was it grass?
 
I like the concept of the neo-modernist office tower that appears out of the lifted green canopy at the height of the podium. It makes more of an impression than your typical "podium". Hopefully the office tower as a nice reveal around it of some type, at least enough to give the impression of it rising through the canopy.
 
I'm positive that large retail space in 16 Will be an HSBC Bank branch. There are still those empty retail spaces in the base of Ice though - 2 of which are used as temp offices for PCL. Hoping those get used for something to benefit the public that isn't a bank.

The continuation of the green roof canopy and how it jets out towards the York/Bremner intersection will look really interesting. A while back they had that canopy lit with a strip of continuing led lights which looked cool - hope that is a permanent feature once 16 is complete.

Honestly though I'm more disappointed with the lack of greenery at the entrances of 12 and 14 York. It's a wall of glass and posts. It's not very welcoming to us residents.

The huge open space of sidewalk at York and the onramp needs some interest - some public art might be a welcome addition to humanize Block 9. To me it was always disappointing to have the Ice courtyard off of Grand Trunk. No one ever gets to see that. I get why it's on that side because of traffic, but the cool features on that side should be on York street where it would be more visible.
 
If only there was any effort to avoid the blandness at the ground level, like incorporating brick and other natural materials, it would have made a world of difference. The podium levels definitely impact the pedestrian experience moreso than the towers above.
 

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