Toronto 543 Yonge Street | 228.85m | 68s | CentreCourt | Arcadis

Couldn't even be bothered to do 6 elevators. Another CentreCourt project that will fly through zoning, be constructed far too quickly, be an absolutely terrible place to live, and will completely fall apart around the folks who are forced to live there because nobody cared to look past closing IRR.

Really great system we have here. Just phenomenal stuff, folks.

I wonder what an industry power broker w/a large and influential online following and powerful friends could do about such a thing? LOL

*ducks*
 

Toronto Model 03-21-24 543 Yonge.png
 
Looks like a centrecourt version of Forma . Similar clunky proportions with a different wallpaper.
 
We have just learned that this is not just CentreCourt, so we have republished the front page story and Database file to recognize that this is a joint venture of CentreCourt, Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc., and Choice Properties REIT.

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We have just learned that this is not just CentreCourt, so we have republished the front page story and Database file to recognize that this is a joint venture of CentreCourt, Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc., and Choice Properties REIT.

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Well there's a trio you don't see hanging out every day.
 


543 YONGE ST


Combined Official Plan & Zoning By-law amendment for a 68-storey mixed-use building comprised of approximately 40,108 square metres of residential gross floor area with 663 dwelling units and 356 square metres of grade-related retail space.


View attachment 550088

Three completely different mediocre designs for the price of one!

But the density is perfect for the area, no loss on the existing buildings, wider sidewalk. 🤷‍♂️
 
31 times lot coverage for a 68 storeys extruded box is an ugly residential density. It will fly through zoning in Toronto.
 
We have just learned that this is not just CentreCourt, so we have republished the front page story and Database file to recognize that this is a joint venture of CentreCourt, Fitzrovia Real Estate Inc., and Choice Properties REIT.

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So Larry, Curly and Moe?
 
I've been looking over the Ground Floor Plan:

1711119318581.png


It's 50% non-retail; with an oversized lobby entrance and too many staircases that will be blank walls at street level. I see how they got there, you've got loading zones and parking clogging up room to the bring the stairs down at the rear.

But they're wrong, the layout can and should be shuffled. 2 sets of stairs can come down at the rear and still accommodate what's required.

They'll love me for this, but they need to shift the elevator core and its orientation in my opinion. They could just pull it forward a bit, if they shuffle the mail room and a couple of other functions up/down one level; though my preference is go to 3 elevators on each side of a E-W orientation here, which would require reorganizing every single floor plate in the proposed building. They're welcome. LOL

The lobby entrance needs to shrink dramatically..

I want retail with a minimum of 75% coverage on Yonge and would prefer something closer to 90%
 
This looks like Fitzrovia's first foray into non-rental.

Also, I predict this design will get more basic.

There's like 13 or so different floor plates above-grade, and typically Centrecourt seems to keep those to a minimum, presumably so it doesn't slow the project down.
 
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With apologies to Arcadis, a (suggested) quick fix... kind of a taller sibling for 510 Yonge nearby (Dear CentreCourt et al - no charge) ;)

543yongeREV.jpg


BEFORE
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UT
 

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With apologies to Arcadis, a (suggested) quick fix... kind of a taller sibling for 510 Yonge nearby (Dear CentreCourt et al - no charge) ;)

View attachment 550275

BEFORE
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UT

Little doubt you would be a better architect than those to whom this job was assigned by Arcadis.
 
Little doubt you would be a better architect than those to whom this job was assigned by Arcadis.
You should see what I can do with more than 10 minutes. 🙃

But thank you for the compliment. Coming from you 先生 せんせい (sensei)... it's rather like a UT Oscar nomination 🏆.

I'm calling my Mum with the news.
 
I'm not so sure this is in for smooth sailing with south tower setback as-proposed... unless there is an LDA in place or will be in place that isn't noted as part of this application? Kinda hard to say the site to the south of you isn't a tower site, when it has the same depth and slightly more frontage, and has corner exposure....
 
I'm not so sure this is in for smooth sailing with south tower setback as-proposed... unless there is an LDA in place or will be in place that isn't noted as part of this application? Kinda hard to say the site to the south of you isn't a tower site, when it has the same depth and slightly more frontage, and has corner exposure....

Fair point; this is the argument made by the planners here:

1711132701408.png


Given your thoughts above, I did a quick measure and model. Assuming that it were possible and permissible to demo the heritage buildings but for their facades, and allowing for a respectful setback from same, were there no development on the site is the subject of this thread, that assembly to the south is a viable development site in my opinion; but only just barely, and HPS might beg differ (I modeled a 3M setback from the West, South and East) and 12.5M from the north (sharing a 25M separation); I get a floor plate of about ~675M2

Given that the tower proposed here is a mere 639M2 that may seem reasonable, but one does have a serious problem if you need to extract another 11.5M from this proposal's floor plate (its entirely non-viable)

Even if you went for 20M separation, that still slices 9M off, there's no way the proforma would work.

By my math the current proposal is about 20M N-S, so extracting 9M reduces you to an 11M wide building and a 350M2 floor plate, so that's not on.

Which is to say, when taken together, I believe this 2 property sets preclude putting up a building on both. The only way to fit 2 towers on this block would be acquire the condo at the corner w/Wellesley.
 

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