Toronto 80 Bloor Street West | 263.4m | 78s | Krugarand | Arcadis

[condovo]

How productive that architects are subjected to these torches-and-pitchforks community consultations about their professional work. Maybe oncologists and hydrologists should also undergo community consultations about their work because, of course, the general public is expert in those areas too. Democracy, right?

 

[Lenser]

Yeah, it's the exact same thing for sure because if you have cancer everyone can see it, even from miles off!

This a considerably tall building we're talking about. Its presence will manifest itself as soon a mere months after it emerges from a hole in the ground; we'll all have to live with it once it's done. It's a fair thing to comment on- whether we're anointed experts or not.

 

[Automation Gallery]

.By the end of the meeting, the city planner and councillor had made it clear that the response to this proposal will almost certainly be a refusal report.

Oh well this will end up @ the LPAT/OMB where they will shave 40 meters to make everyone happy

 

[ProjectEnd]

Watching this community consultation was simultaneously hilarious and profoundly depressing. Both city planning and the community have made it clear that they are strongly opposed to the development.

First of all, they're saying it does cast a non-zero shadow on the sacred lands of Jesse Ketchum, which basically means it was dead on arrival. But that's not enough, so tonight many community members came for blood, with prepared notes and rehearsed speeches disparaging the developers and the City for "destroying the community". Here's a summary of some of the major sticking points:

• Too tall for the location, as it lies just outside of the official designated height peak at Yonge + Bloor. A few fun quotes (I wish I could say I'm only paraphrasing):
  • "It's a head and shoulders above everything else around"
  • "It belongs farther south where there are already tall buildings"
  • "It belongs somewhere else but not here. The area is changing and I don't like it."

• Unconcerned.

• Impact on traffic congestion

• Don't drive then.

• Insufficient parking spaces

• It should have none.

• Poor accessibility to the building by car

• Good?

• Too few family-sized units

• This should absolutely change. 1430 micro units is silly.

• Multiple accusations toward the City of putting corporate greed above the wellbeing of the community.

• Change the unit composition, then we're good.

I felt so sorry for Mr. Giannone, who has clearly invested a lot in this project and is very proud of the result. You could tell he had been looking forward to presenting it to the community, only to have it completely torn to shreds. Some people did acknowledge that the design has architectural merit, but it was not given much consideration relative to the "egregious" violations of planning policies.

By the end of the meeting, the city planner and councillor had made it clear that the response to this proposal will almost certainly be a refusal report.

But that's what planners do: interpret and protect the by-law. This will certainly be a refusal but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

 

[daptive]

• Impact on traffic congestion
• Insufficient parking spaces
• Poor accessibility to the building by car

It's on top of a subway line! Are these people serious?

 

[innsertnamehere]

Ah, the classic makes too much traffic but also not enough parking spaces argument. Gotta love directly contradictory statements.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

I don't know how you could be anymore on top of a subway station than this site. This is the ideal location to build a tower like this.

 

[3Dementia]

Think city planners need a few days in Jamaica. They are officially nuts, tired and typing with closed eyes.

 

[Bjays92]

This is such a shame. This is a beautiful building and would be one of the nicest in the city. It absolutely should be built here and fits. maybe it's too tall for people now, but everything around there will be tall in 20 years anyway

 

[isaidso]

Watching this community consultation was simultaneously hilarious and profoundly depressing.

By the end of the meeting, the city planner and councillor had made it clear that the response to this proposal will almost certainly be a refusal report.

For heaven's sake. If we can't build a 280m building here where can we build one? Their head's would explode if the proposal was 466m instead of 266m like we're seeing in New York, Moscow, KL, and a growing list of other global cities we compete with. These people are living on another planet; they need to be replaced. Patience has its limits.

And to think, I was coming on here hoping for an extra 100m.

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

hahahahahaha - never change

 

[Lenser]

I can't wait for the official People Replacement program to begin. It's going to be great.

 

[Towered]

Can't they set aside space near the top of the tower for Jesse Ketchum to relocate? They'll never have shadowing issues again!

 

[NeilV]

I can't wait for the official People Replacement program to begin. It's going to be great.

The good news is that based on the demographics at the meeting, I expect most of these people will be "replaced" fairly soon.

 

[Tulse]

Can't they set aside space near the top of the tower for Jesse Ketchum to relocate? They'll never have shadowing issues again!

We could just surround the playground with sun lamps.