Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

Automation Gallery said:
Come on....Massive:confused:, you would make us think that they were building the 2 billion dollar Freedom Tower.
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I mean massive by Toronto standards. This is the biggest project in the entire city right now.

They may have financing locked up; I have no clue. But I am sure that getting financing for a project this big is no breeze, and could very well be a problem. It's all speculation until they decide to tell us something.
 
simuls said:
Personally, I think this type of syndicated financing that's forcing developers to take on more risk is a very very very good thing. If there's one thing that's going to keep the Toronto condo market from experiencing any downturn, it's the lack of new product that has been marketed over the past year or so. When developers margins are so high that they feel comfortable taking the risk (of course, not caring at all what it might do to the thousands of owners already in condos) then there's no penalty. This double check will keep the pipeline of new developments just large enough to satisfy demand. As we've seen with a substantial shortage of resale product on the market, it's just possible that with the 1000's of new condo's coming online over the next year and a half that they will satisfy the market without any overspeculation happening.
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I hope it also results in better, more efficient floor plans (i.e. no more units with windowless bedrooms).
 
greenleaf said:
I hope it also results in better, more efficient floor plans (i.e. no more units with windowless bedrooms).
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That will happen if and when buyers decide they don't want windowless bedrooms; it has nothing to do with financing. I myself would not want a windowless bedroom, but there are evidently many people out there who don't mind, especially if the room is being used by a small child, or as a home office etc. To each their own?
 
There's no such thing as a windowless bedroom. You may choose to use a den as a second bedroom but it's still a den. As long as consumers continue to call them window bedrooms, developers will continue to build them.
 
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[sorry to get off topic]

re: Windowless bedrooms

Yes, there is such a thing as windowless bedrooms. We see them in over half of the crappy units being brought to market. I think people do mind.

This is a situation where there needs to be better government policy to not allow this sort of bullshit that developers get away with. While I wish there were better choices, the consumers are not at fault here.

And is it safe to only have one exit from a room? I don't think so.
 
This is a situation where there needs to be better government policy to not allow this sort of bullshit that developers get away with. While I wish there were better choices, the consumers are not at fault here.
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It's written in the code that a bedroom has to have a window or something to that effect. The fact that buyers are settling for dens to use as second bedrooms definitely holds most of the fault. Developers may be convincing but ultimately, the buyer should know better.

Do you consider a window to be an exit? I wouldn't, not beyond the 20th floor.
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Not sure the reason behind it being code however, I assume a window doesn't have to be an exit to be effective considering the lead caused of death in a fire is the smoke rather than the fire.
 
depending how large the unit it is and the shape of the building. It might be hard to have enough lighting and allow for windows in all bedrooms. The only possible way is a tall square building or a thin rectangular building with large size units. With prices so steep, unless people are ready to accept purchasing over half million dollar apartments, it would be difficult to for builders to sell all units with window bedrooms. I think if the return vs risk isn't high enough, builders would stop building. Since some projects have already started, they end up chopping unit sizes to decrease the price so it sells better. To say builders shouldn't build bedrooms without windows and buyers shouldn't buy bedrooms without windows means no more construction of new homes.

I do agree with the linear kitchens though. They should at least add an island or find ways to put in more cabinetry for storage. There's no excuse for that.
 
greenleaf said:
[sorry to get off topic]

re: Windowless bedrooms

Yes, there is such a thing as windowless bedrooms. We see them in over half of the crappy units being brought to market. I think people do mind.

This is a situation where there needs to be better government policy to not allow this sort of bullshit that developers get away with. While I wish there were better choices, the consumers are not at fault here.

And is it safe to only have one exit from a room? I don't think so.
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I concur and demand nothing less than four methods of ingress and egress from any given room.
 
Finally, some "concrete" news. :)

http://www.dailycommercialnews.com/...2cbf0971066&projectid=9053182&region=national

CONDOMINIUM APARTMENT BUILDING, RETAIL PODIUM Proj: 9053182-9
Toronto, Metro Toronto Reg ON NEGOTIATED/PLANS COMPLETE
Aura at College Park, 444 Yonge St at Gerrard St, M5V
$200,000,000 est
Start: May, 2010 Complete: January, 2011
Note: Working drawings are complete. Sales and marketing are underway. Const Mgr is finalizing City Council approvals for building permits. Const Mgr expects site work and excavation to begin Spring, 2010. Construction of the podium is anticipated early Summer, 2010. Subsequent construction schedules will be determined based on occupancy. Sub trade pricing will be secured sequentially, as needed, from an Invited list. Further update Spring, 2010.
http://www.collegeparkcondos.com/
Project: concrete foundation, cast-in-place concrete structural frame, curtainwall exterior, masonry exterior, steel joist roof structure, glass and steel roof structure; glass and stone cladding; interior finishes will vary; 15 elevators; proposed const of a 75-storey condo bldg. The project will include 1,100,000 sq ft of residential space, approximately 932 units, and 190,000 sq ft of retail space in a four-storey podium. The podium will also house recreational space for use by tenants.
Scope: 1,300,000 square feet; 75 storeys; 6 storeys below grade; 932 units; parking for 827 cars; 2 acres
 
Start May 2010, and Complete in January the next year? That's less than one year for a 75 story building to be excavated and finished. Obviously the complete date is wrong, but yet again, the start date is pushed way back.
 
Johnzz said:
Start: May, 2010 Complete: January, 2011
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Wha?!

Note: Working drawings are complete. Sales and marketing are underway. Const Mgr is finalizing City Council approvals for building permits. Const Mgr expects site work and excavation to begin Spring, 2010. Construction of the podium is anticipated early Summer, 2010.
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Someone's been smokin' something
 
khristopher said:
Start May 2010, and Complete in January the next year? That's less than one year for a 75 story building to be excavated and finished. Obviously the complete date is wrong, but yet again, the start date is pushed way back.
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I think it means the podium will be complete by Jan/11. I'd guess the tower takes another 2 years on top.

I'm just happy to see the "wheels in motion" (albeit slow motion). :D
 
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