DavidJamesTO
Active Member
In many ways losing a century-old building in Toronto is worse than in Europe. Most large European cities have at least one war as an excuse for losing old buildings; we haven't had that excuse for nearly two centuries.
On its own, the 625 Yonge property looks large enough to support redevelopment into a slender condo point tower. According to the local rumour mill, however, 625 Yonge is owned by a member of the family that operates the Rabba chain of food stores. And since there just happens to be a 24-hour Rabba Fine Foods outlet in the 2-storey building at 9 Isabella, right beside 625 Yonge, many people suspected that the development application must involve both properties combined. However, it would make sense for the owner to keep the store in place and build around it; after all, a 326-unit condo right next door would guarantee a steady source of business around the clock.
A person familiar with one of the tenant leases at 625 Yonge told me yesterday that both it and the Rabba store building to its east are indeed owned by the same person. However, he said the $6.95 million pricetag mentioned in the online real estate listing was for an “old” listing from several years ago; 625 Yonge was sold to its current owner much more recently for well over $10 million, he said. That’s in line with rumours I heard last summer to the effect that someone had purchased property on or adjacent to the corner of Yonge & Isabella for somewhere in the range of $12 to $14 million, with plans to build a condo tower on the site.
But also last year a variety of different stories circulated in the neighbourhood, each providing conflicting information about who the property owner was, and exactly which buildings were involved in the transaction.
One version claimed that three adjacent buildings — 9 Isabella, 625-637 Yonge and the 2-story retail and office building at 619-623 Yonge — had all been acquired by one individual or company planning to assemble the combined lands and redevelop them into a condominium complex. Yesterday I telephoned the city planner responsible for the 625 Yonge file, Mark Chlon, to seek clarification on the full extent of the development site. However, his voice mail message said he is away from the office until next week, so I wasn’t able to obtain further information.
Another rumour said the entire north half of the block was owned by the same company that is currently seeking City approval to build a 34-storey condo tower on the south end of the same block, at the corner of Yonge and Gloucester Streets. (The original development application for 2-8 Gloucester proposed a 211-unit, 29 storey condo tower; however, the project entry on the City’s development information website now indicates a revised plan for a 232-unit condo with five additional floors instead).
http://thetorontoblog.com/2012/10/11/40-storey-condo-proposed-for-yonge-isabella/
40-storey condo proposed for Yonge & Isabella
11 Oct 2012
I'd argue it's more about how they contribute to the charactor of the street. If they were all given a stripping to reveal the brick beneath they could continue to serve the street very well for many decades to come.
I always hoped that once Fly closes (condos going up there too) they could possibly relocate to the space above there which has served as dance clubs through the 70's & 80's, perhaps even before that. There's very little residential around there so late night noise wouldn't be a problem plus it's close to the Village.
You have to consider the fact that these sites are sitting on top of the main and busiest subway line in the very core of a city with 6M people. It is unrealistic to expect that the street will maintain its low rise character forever.
Do you think it is better for such a prime location to serve as a small business which employs probably 10 people in total, without bringing much revenue for the city, or a well designed highrise that can bring a lot more vibrancy and taxes to the core? Ideally I would want to have more larger retail on Yonge, but that probably won't happen.
The key issue is, two story small business mom and pop stores don't make economic sense there, either for the owner of the land, or for the city. Maybe in east York it does, but not on downtown Yonge. Believe it or not, after Yonge is transformed, it will spread to Church and Jarvis st. Yes heritage buildings should and will be protected, but the core will most likely become a lot taller down the road. It is basic economics and not what you and me can help to avoid.
First, calm down.
Lets face it, this development is inevitable. For the first time in 90 years, the downtown core is seen as a desirable place to live. That means we will go through very rapid downtown growth, as well as a strain on infrastructure. That's why you see new hospitals like the bridge point health centre. And new electrical substations like at the roundhouse. Mega cities in North America have large skyscrapers in them, that's how we plan our cities. Get used to 30 story high rises a block from a subway line, right in the downtown core. In sorry, but if you want small quiet neighbourhoods, tyou might have to move. As the smaller quiter neighbourhoods near the downtown core get swallowed up by the downtown core, smaller neighbourhoods rise on the edge of the city. Thus is the nature of things. Get used to it. You, at least in my mind, are quickly becoming a straight up nimby. You seem to be opposed to every single new development in this city currently.
Sorry about any spelling mistakes, it's rather difficult to type on my phone.
Sometimes I do question if I'm becoming NIMBY-minded but I really don't think that I am
Living downtown was very desirable when I moved here in the early 80's, but it was just a well kept secret for people who chose to live closer to the action or to their work. If anything it's become less desirable as patios now have to close at 11pm, crowds to plow through on almost every street, more traffic noise, super crowded subways and streetcars, cycling has never been more dangerous and the cost to live here has gone through the roof.
DT is far from being a nimby, he is very passionate about that neighbourhood and doesnt want that charm of Yonge street just to fade away into hi-rises