Toronto Alter | 107.89m | 33s | Tridel | a—A

But, how many more built in the last ten years are as ugly as 365 Church? Price point doesn't give the whole story. Prices are higher in part to costs being higher.

Do you think the price has gone up in direct relation to cost? Costs put upward pressure on prices but the builder is going to charge what people are willing to pay and for the last little bit they have been willing to pay a lot.
 
Today.
IMG_7245.JPG
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7245.JPG
    IMG_7245.JPG
    1,024 KB · Views: 483
I see:

Totem
50 Wellesley
Vox
Axiom
alter
teahouse
massey tower
daniels waterfront
Ryerson Daniel Cockwell Centre x 2
Ryerson Centre for Urban Innovation?
St Mikes expansion
 
Not surprised there were so many more than the ones I could identify in a quick look.

What this brings home for me is how much development is happening in the east part of downtown. If you asked the average Torontonian (or even UTer) to list development hotspots, I'm sure they would mention the Entertainment District, Yonge-Eglinton, maybe Humber Bay, Yorkville, Liberty Village, but I feel like it is easy to overlook the intensity of the development happening in downtown east of Yonge.
 
Not surprised there were so many more than the ones I could identify in a quick look.

What this brings home for me is how much development is happening in the east part of downtown. If you asked the average Torontonian (or even UTer) to list development hotspots, I'm sure they would mention the Entertainment District, Yonge-Eglinton, maybe Humber Bay, Yorkville, Liberty Village, but I feel like it is easy to overlook the intensity of the development happening in downtown east of Yonge.
Our Growth to Watch For series from both March 2017 and last year as well, split the Downtown east of Yonge into two areas, three if you want to consider buildings like Massey Tower going up on Yonge itself, and then the waterfront is a fourth area. The areas average 40 development sites each.

42
 
Downtown East around Shuter and Dundas is going to go nuts in the next few years. Just Grid and Dundas Square Gardens are going to bring 3,000 new residents to the area (about 1,600 units).. with more coming from Max, 88 North, Ivy, Fleur, and the Ryerson Student Residences (both of them). All of them combined mean about 6,000 new people living in the area.
 
Last edited:
^^^It's interesting that none of these recent posts brings up the architectural or city-building merit of these projects. Counting cranes. Counting buildings. Counting units. But are these units more than mere investor shoeboxes? Are these buildings good additions to Toronto's architectural landscape? What kind of city are we building here?

My take:
Totem - Promising; let's see what the cladding looks like
50 Wellesley - Promising
Vox - Promising but completely investor-driven
Axiom - Atrocious
Alter - Not promising so far
Teahouse - Promising
Massey Tower - Promising
Daniels Waterfront - Promising
Ryerson Daniel Cockwell Centre x 2 - Promising
Ryerson Centre for Urban Innovation? - Promising
St Mikes expansion - Horrendous but necessary, I guess

Recently completed or upcoming:
Pace - Bleak; completely investor-driven
Dundas Square Gardens - Not promising; completely investor-driven
Grid Condos - Not promising; completely investor-driven
88 North - Not promising; completely investor-driven
Core Condos - Mediocre is being generous; completely investor-driven
Fleur - The Cheapening has already begun; completely investor-driven
Ryerson Residence - I'm on the fence
Clover - Promising
365 Church - Horrendous; possibly the worst new building downtown; completely investor-driven
Velocity - See 365 Church
88 Scott - I know it's a crowd favourite but I find it very mediocre in terms of massing (especially at the crown), materials and heritage (the façadism here is handled rather awkwardly)
Aqualina - Don't get me started; atrocious window wall circa 2005; another dud on the waterfront
Globe & Mail Centre - Looks good though too much density for King East IMO

I don't find this tally very encouraging.
 
Aug 8
As to the posting above me, far too early to say much on the ones still in the ground or coming out at this time.

The ones with cladding going on, again too early for some to say anything while other you can say something.

I step back the last year for shooting about 150 projects to the point I am 6-9 months out of date and have only shot 9,100 photos this year compare to my normal 25-30,000. I have stated in the past that once you seen one cookie cutter building you seen all the lack luster building in the city. I have a hard time trying to find building for my top 10 or 25 list. Off hand I say One Bloor, L Tower, Aura, Westlake, Absolute, Five are in the top 10.

Until developers and a few Architects get their heads out of their ass and think out side the box, no hope to stop the lack luster towers heading our way.

As for this project, doesn't grab me at this time. More up on site
36342780152_899765b9af_b.jpg

36510932345_d68460de88_b.jpg

36510970565_3e3c8567f7_b.jpg

35676233014_32bc4c69ed_b.jpg

36511016375_7c225a5857_b.jpg

36511025935_cd9658f68c_b.jpg

36342888762_6fdf14ed76_b.jpg

36511076755_0911e9d728_b.jpg
 
I'm a west side dweller who doesn't make it east of Yonge often enough (unless you count the waterfront). I biked through yesterday, and even though I follow these developments on UT, I was struck by the development boom.

I think Condovo brings up some great points. We need to be attuned to the city-building qualities of the developments always. But sometimes anything is better than what was already there (although for me, velocity is the true villain, almost sickening to see from YD square).

In the east's case, the relative abundance of parking lots always made it unappealing to me. Those parking lots led to retail dead zones. And they were markers of the fact that this area has been ignored in terms of beautification and is fairly run down. While a number of the projects Condovo cites are exactly as he describes them, many wouldn't have thought it possible that Jarvis and Dundas would have three entirely new buildings even a few years ago. That investor-driven condo (Pace) set the stage for more development. To me, more people is good almost regardless of the building quality because it will enliven an area that should surely be vastly more populated than it currently is.

I'm optimistic that as more people see the east side as attractive to live in, quality will go up. I think condovos list of upcoming developments that are promising is a relatively good list in Toronto terms - he even left out a few, like 60 Colbourne and the rest of the 80 Queen site, that are looking sharp. There are also a number of mid-rise buildings that to me at least create an interesting counterpoint to the tower neighbourhoods as well. Could they be better? Absolutely. We should keep pushing for it. But I for one am looking forward to the new eyes on the street, the section 37 money that will hopefully buy change, and the retail establishments that will cater to the new residents. And this reckoning isn't even taking into account Regent Park, which, in my mind goes without saying, is a dramatic change for the better and fairly well executed thus far.

Anyway that's my 2 cents. Looking forward to watching the east side rise.
 
Think most of us can agree that majority of the condos under construction/completed are investor-driven. There's a reason why we see such boring crap here. What kind of city are we building here? I have no clue. I'm so confused

Still think East of Younge has some hidden gems. Wellesley/Yonge Sherbourne/Bloor/Wellesley is seeing a lot of construction.
 

Back
Top