Toronto One Thirty Eight | 130.1m | 29s | Cityzen | BBB

[greenleaf]

Is that happening any time soon?

It could be, as part of the development permit system I posted about a few comments up.

Along with section 37 rules being revamped (the city wants to make the $/density added more regulated and less negotiated so it is more predictable for both developers and the city) I expectt he city to increase some as of right densities as part of the DPS.

 

[modernizt]

planners generally like to continue to scream LALALALALA with their fingers in the ears and talking about "avenues", which while all nice and good generally goes in direct violation of market demands.

It's not at all in violation of market demands. What does that even mean? It's more cost-efficient for developers to build pancake-buildings (floorplates extruded into point towers, packed with units) but midrises are very feasible, and many would argue are a far more sustainable form of densification.

Montreal is filled to the brim with midrise developments and low-rise apartments/walk-ups and as far as I know, the density of Montreal is quite similar to Toronto's.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Well I'm sure we would be seeing hundreds pop up along the avenues right now if there was market demand for them, except we aren't. Don't get me wrong, we are seeing a fair amount of midrises, but they consist of a tiny portion of the market, and half of the ones we are seeing aren't even on designated avenues. The vast, vast majority of development in this city is in the form of highrise condos.

 

[adma]

Another example of how Toronto is scared to grow up. I value heritage, but heritage value is subjective and applied arbitrarily in the City. Developers build condo's because there is a demand for condo's - in the form of rental units. For as long as there is a demand for people to live downtown, and until purpose built rental takes over, condo's NEED to be built. Yorkville is as good a place for another 'generic glass box condo' as any being at the confluence of 3 subway lines with 24/7 streetlife.

This proposal meets many long term city objectives including densification and generating tax revenue. It will help to save a mall which desperately needs a front entrance. (Before you jump on me for suggesting a mall needs to be saved - malls are neighbourhood amenities and the alternative to a successful mall is not a scenario we should hope for with crumbling infrastructure and empty dark spaces) The heritage here in my opinion does not nearly justify the death of this project, which is the outcome of the designation without a doubt. It may have been a unique idea, but it was poorly executed and doesn't fit the modern requirements of retail/office or residential which surprisingly a lot of heritage still does like the converted warehouse space.

And for those that lament the disappearing 'context' of Yorkville with it's unaccessible, split level with stairs schlocky architecture I say good riddance.

End of rant.

Funny how you don't even mention the architects, Diamond & Myers--almost as if they (except for Jack Diamond in the most utilitarian continuing-practitioner sense) didn't exist.

In fact, the way you even *frame* urbanity is in totally, charmlessly utilitarian terms. Stop drinking the Glaeser Kool-Aid, kiddo.

 

[HDLtd]

It's not at all in violation of market demands. What does that even mean? It's more cost-efficient for developers to build pancake-buildings (floorplates extruded into point towers, packed with units) but midrises are very feasible, and many would argue are a far more sustainable form of densification.

Montreal is filled to the brim with midrise developments and low-rise apartments/walk-ups and as far as I know, the density of Montreal is quite similar to Toronto's.

What makes mid rise development along the avenues difficult is a combination of the following; fragmented ownership into small parcels, insufficient lot depth, rental unit replacement rules, valuation of existing retail is already high, one size fits all loading/services standards, and less absolute profit for developers even though a project may take just as much time and effort.

 

[interchange42]

A completely reworked proposal has been submitted to the City for this site in conjunction with First Capital Realty's Hazelton Lanes plan. See the front page story here and check out a pile of new images in the dataBase file.

42

 

[alklay]

This seems like a decent compromise between those who want the square and lowrise on Yorkville, and the developer who wants to build a highrise. In any event, its a 1000 times better than the first proposal by Empire. (I particularly like the use of red brick, as opposed to the glass and steel look of the Empire proposal).

 

[ushahid]

why there is a craze of telus sky or Vancouver house like skyscrapers nowadays?

 

[Mongo]

why there is a craze of telus sky or Vancouver house like skyscrapers nowadays?

Hardly a craze. Is it now forbidden for any new development to even slightly resemble any earlier building ever built?

New projects just can't win. They are either "boring boxes showing no creativity whatsoever" or "copy-cats of that building in Vancouver (or some other city)" or "recklessly different just to be different, that should be in Dubai".

 

[ptbotrmpfn]

why should only dubai get all the amazing designs why is toronto not worthy of such great architecture? In Your Oppinion... serious question!

 

[Edward Skira]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[david-realtor]

why should only dubai get all the amazing designs why is toronto not worthy of such great architecture? In Your Oppinion... serious question!

Majority of Dubai's properties (both mid and high rise skyscrapers) have some very serious quality problems, unless you have lived in Dubai and know the quality issue with those " amazing designed buildings" you should not praise what you dont know. The majority of them are lipstick on a pig with the exception of less than 10% like Burj Khalifa which even that is going to be the next leaning tower of pisa in a decade or two.

 

[yyzer]

hmm... I see a slight homage to Uno Prii, especially the "view of the southwest corner" render in the database...

/maybe..

 

[modernizt]

why should only dubai get all the amazing designs why is toronto not worthy of such great architecture? In Your Oppinion... serious question!

Architecture as a tradition is very different in Canada, where we have a very "form follows function" or "form and function play off of each other" dogma in the architecture world. We have a sense of responsibility, that a building is first and foremost a vessel for human beings to perform particular functions. One could also argue that a financial responsibility is embedded into this.

Dubai, on the other hand, is a place where value is put on the "flash" and "eye catching" nature of a building or thing, and money is no object. Form is allowed to influence the function of a building much more than is accepted somewhere like Toronto.

So, as Edward says, it's $$$, but it's also about the attitude toward the role of architecture / function in architecture.

 

[isaidso]

why should only dubai get all the amazing designs why is toronto not worthy of such great architecture?

They have slave labour for starters. They just call it something different because it's not PC to still engage in that. That said, Dubai seems to be the absolute other extreme of Toronto. They build ostentatious vulgarity, we build functionality that occasionally adds some flair... to huge controversy of course. Dubai isn't something Toronto should aspire to, but sterile soul less all glass boxes isn't anything to emulate either.