Toronto The Dupont | 36.55m | 9s | Tridel | Turner Fleischer

Looks like it might be OK with the "burnish" photoshop filter applied. But IRL it will be insipid and dirty.
 
So we lost the orange. Big surprise.

I do wonder if TF can produce something remotely resembling those ambitious renderings. There are a few details which the firm seems incapable of realizing.
 
Seems too dressy for an otherwise gritty, older area. I think the scale is fine, but brick and warmer colours would suit the site better.
 
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Demo is underway on the gas station -- it's now completely fenced off, separately from any of the property currently operating as part of the Sobeys.
 
Site Plan resubmission:

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I suppose that’s a minor improvement, but still looks like TF. Did they slightly relocate/reorient the park there? The area planner mentioned something to that effect at the 888 Dupont consult, so that the green space wouldn’t be sandwiched right between the two buildings.

I don’t see a Sobeys logo, either (and it featured prominently in the first renders); I’ve been wondering since Sobeys acquired Farm Boy if they’d still be interested in keeping their store here given that the Farm Boy is opening just down the street.
 
Big improvement, IMO! I think I... don't hate it? I guess we'll see what the execution looks like, but the combination of black mullions, brick, and the canopy above the sidewalk looks like a winner to me.
 
There aren't any large format retail spaces here any more so it does appear that the grocery store has been kiboshed.

Indeed (and that is excellent); from the cover letter:

Given the change in ownership and preliminary marketing, Tridel is seeking to make certain modifications to the development proposal. The most significant change is the replacement of the second floor retail space with residential units. It should be noted that the overall number of residential units remains the same as previously proposed and the residential gross floor area remains within the permitted amount in the settlement draft by-law.

They're also seeking a decrease in the number of vehicular parking spots (about which, as a local resident, I am very happy); what's frustrating is that I know from discussions with City Staff that they were pushing the developers to provide more vehicular parking than they had planned for -- hopefully they have relented on that part, and I will certainly be emailing the planner in charge to express my staunch support of the further requested decrease in parking.

Settlement details on left, current proposal on right:

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Why would you want to reduce parking here? The ossington bus is a good NS route but there is a dearth of EW transit. You will still get people with cars living here and parking will just go to further crowding an already at capacity street parking condition. St. Clair is no different. The amount of net new cars looking for street parking in the neighborhood is getting out of control. While it might be nice to think that people will just ditch the car not enough of them do.
 
Why would you want to reduce parking here? The ossington bus is a good NS route but there is a dearth of EW transit. You will still get people with cars living here and parking will just go to further crowding an already at capacity street parking condition. St. Clair is no different. The amount of net new cars looking for street parking in the neighborhood is getting out of control. While it might be nice to think that people will just ditch the car not enough of them do.

This is literally a 12-minute walk to the only east-west subway line in the city. That said, certainly the 26 Dupont could use a big service bump -- it's a great connection to Spadina station. And the 63 Ossington is a great way to get down to the King car -- since the King St. Pilot began, the 63 to the King car is often faster than taking the B-D line east to St. George to go south on the Y-U line.

This, to me, is a perfect edge case where limiting parking supply makes it less likely that people with cars choose to live here (or buy cars once they do) and, thus, where planning policies can make a big impact on shifting mode share away from single occupancy vehicles.

Also, it is not true that the "amount of net new cars looking for street parking in the neighborhood is getting out of control" -- the most recent parking study of this neighbourhood showed that street parking is at about 75% capacity and fairly steadily shrinking.
 

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