Toronto 212 King Street West | 250m | 80s | Dream Office | SHoP

I speak as a Business Futurist & Strategist who has been advocating mixed-use urban development for years. But as I see it, this proposal is behind the times and is not truly a mixed-use community. For example, it plans for only 900 residents but 6,000 office workers. That is completely out of balance and totally ignores the firm and inevitable trend to remote and/or hybrid working. In other words, every resident should be able to find employment in the complex, whether in offices or other commercial establishments. In addition, it needs to specifically mention and make space for hotel accommodations for visitors/tourists, and sufficient medical facilities for all occupants, etc., etc. It must be as close to being a full-service and balanced community as possible. I doubt Toronto Council will approve it as it stands, nor should they. (Forgive me if my knowledge on the project is dated.) Sincerely, Frank Feather.
 
Frank Feather said:
I speak as a Business Futurist & Strategist who has been advocating mixed-use urban development for years. But as I see it, this proposal is behind the times and is not truly a mixed-use community. For example, it plans for only 900 residents but 6,000 office workers. That is completely out of balance and totally ignores the firm and inevitable trend to remote and/or hybrid working. In other words, every resident should be able to find employment in the complex, whether in offices or other commercial establishments. In addition, it needs to specifically mention and make space for hotel accommodations for visitors/tourists, and sufficient medical facilities for all occupants, etc., etc. It must be as close to being a full-service and balanced community as possible. I doubt Toronto Council will approve it as it stands, nor should they. (Forgive me if my knowledge on the project is dated.) Sincerely, Frank Feather.
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Using my trusty office space density calculator (which is low on batteries and has not been updated since pre-covid times), 6,000 office workers would require at least 1,200,000 square feet of space (nearly double the 660,000 square feet proposed here).

Factor in office social distancing and there will likely be about 2.5k office workers max, most of whom are late for work anyway because they forgot it's not a WFH day... or they just can't face the 10 minute commute.

As for the (only) 900 residents you mentioned who are living in the residential component here, right next door there will be the 2000+ residences of Forma... and I'm bettin' up to 80% of those will likely be available for lease at (un)reasonable rates. 🙃
 
Frank Feather said:
I speak as a Business Futurist & Strategist who has been advocating mixed-use urban development for years. But as I see it, this proposal is behind the times and is not truly a mixed-use community. For example, it plans for only 900 residents but 6,000 office workers. That is completely out of balance and totally ignores the firm and inevitable trend to remote and/or hybrid working. In other words, every resident should be able to find employment in the complex, whether in offices or other commercial establishments. In addition, it needs to specifically mention and make space for hotel accommodations for visitors/tourists, and sufficient medical facilities for all occupants, etc., etc. It must be as close to being a full-service and balanced community as possible. I doubt Toronto Council will approve it as it stands, nor should they. (Forgive me if my knowledge on the project is dated.) Sincerely, Frank Feather.
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I think you're living in the same kind of fantasyland as people who think skyscraper vertical farms will have grocery stores at their base that will be used to sell their produce. That's just not how the world works.
 
Undead said:
Hopefully we don't build any more office space as people realize it's been made an anachronism through our incredible communications technology.
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I've heard of this internet the kids are getting, but I don't trust it.

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Toronto Model 11-03-22 212 King W.png
 
Undead said:
Internet? I'm still not sold on electricity.
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You gotta try Direct Current. Alternating Current though?! Not for me, Ethel, Buffy, or Skippy! Although I am starting to worry that Ethel coddles Skippy a little too much, (and I have to remind her again to call him by his proper name, Skipper). If we let him close his bedroom door, you gotta know that kid would try alternating current in an instant.

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Undead said:
Hopefully we don't build any more office space as people realize it's been made an anachronism through our incredible communications technology.
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Could be the thing that ultimately destroys our cities. I f I didn't have to live in a 500 sq ft condo to be close to work, I wouldn't. My son now works for a company based in San Francisco - but he works from his home in Kitchener. He used to live in downtown Toronto in a tiny, expensive condo but chose to get away from the jammed subway and inability to own a car (parking space was too expensive as is insurance in the city). My daughter's company has let its office space go and they are now all working virtually.

this is already an issue in many US cities where the downtown area has become vacant and the criminal element is moving in - and many restaurants and venues downtown are closing as the customers are disappearing. Cities are important and this trend to work from home will dramatically and negatively change our cityscapes.
 
interchange42 said:
You gotta try Direct Current. Alternating Current though?! Not for me, Ethel, Buffy, or Skippy! Although I am starting to worry that Ethel coddles Skippy a little too much, (and I have to remind her again to call him by his proper name, Skipper). If we let him close his bedroom door, you gotta know that kid would try alternating current in an instant.

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True, I don't know why we ever gave up on lanterns..
 
This one is the subject of a confidential report to next week's Preservation Board:


With the hearing due at the OLT in about a month, the way this is worded, this is 100% a settlement offer and it will be before Council shortly. If approved, we will get to see what the process gave us, and whether the sausage is edible.

If not, we get to wait for the hearing presumably, unless there is more last minute negotiating.
 
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