Toronto Backstage On The Esplanade | 116.73m | 36s | Cityzen | P + S / IBI

khristopher said:
I'm a little bit confused. Does that mean the project on this site is going ahead with the rejected design? Or is there a new design we have not seen yet?
Or will it just be an underground garage with no building at all?
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This is from today's NRU:

The Design Review Panel will consider the following at its meeting at
Toronto City Hall on Tuesday, November 17 at 12:00 p.m. in
Committee Room 2.

12:10 P.M.
The panel will take a second look at Castlepoint Realty’s
development at 5-7 The Esplanade, for which official plan
and zoning by-law amendments are required. Community
planner John Andreevski and urban designer Myron Boyko
will make presentations for the city, while Gianni Ria of Page
+ Steele/IBI Group Architects will make a presentation
for Castlepoint.
 
khristopher said:
Hmm, thanks for that. How can a development have parking in a building which is still not approved?
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These are huge Developers, well respected. It will get approved ;)

Page & Steele, Castlepoint, Daniel Libeskind (designer), Cityzen Development, Fernbrook Homes. (no Mickey Mouse) :)

khristopher said:
I'm a little bit confused. Does that mean the project on this site is going ahead with the rejected design? Or is there a new design we have not seen yet?
Or will it just be an underground garage with no building at all?
Click to expand...

This second tower above the parking is a new design that we have not seen.
 
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http://thebulletin.ca/cbulletin/content.jsp?ctid=1000006&cnid=1002380

The city’s design review panel is looking at possible development of the mostly transportation-zoned site at 5-7 The Esplanade.

In artist’s conceptions of a possible condo/parkade vision for the site at 5-7 The Esplanade, a new Plus 15 pedestrian bridge would run across Yonge to the GO Transit bus terminal to link the condos/parkade with Union Station.

This bridge would resemble those crossing the tracks to the west from Union Station to Rogers Centre and the convention centre’s south building.
Click to expand...
 
In January, the City is closing the sidewalks (and the road) at Yonge/The Esplanade so that they can build the L-Tower and 5-7 The Esplanade and the TTR and GO have created a replacement driveway onto the rail tracks from the bottom of Market Street which will allow them to close the drive from where 5-7 The Esplanade will be.

5-7 The Esplanade was, apparently, discussed (again) by Design Review Panel on 18 December, no minutes on www yet.
 
Actually, it states excavation on both parcels and the closure of the curb lane of Yonge for the staging area. It vaguely hints that the developer may proceed beyond the required parkade podium .
 
An open house regarding this project was held tonight at the Hot House restaurant at Church and Front. Hosted by developer Castlepoint, those in attendance included Castlepoint principal Alfredo Romano, lead architect for this project Gianni Ria of Page + Steele/IBI, local city councillor Pam McConnell, staff from the city's urban design office, and about 4 dozen locals, mostly residents in the flat-iron shaped 25 The Esplande, immediately to the east... and north... of this project.

The open house was held to keep everyone up to date on the design progress of the building. While details of the project are not cast in stone yet, I can summarize what I heard as follows:

- since the time when this tower was meant to be GO Transit's head offices, the size of the floor plate has been reduced by half
- the northern-most point of the residential tower has been moved further south to maintain full views of 25 The Esplanade's bullnose from Yonge Street
- the tower blocks no southerly views from 25 The Esplanade, and current plans (subject to further change) maintain 23 metres between the closest points of this tower and 25 The Esplanade
- the north side of the tower will be rounded, a move that relates to 25 The Esplanade's bullnose, and to the L Tower's curves
- the developers are seeking to have the number of parking spaces required reduced somewhat so as to keep the podium at no more than four levels above ground. (parking will also go 6 floors below ground, and connect under The Esplanade to the L Tower) The developer's argument for reducing spaces include the proximity of this project to major transit at Union Station, the PATH link to Union, and the large public parking garage (for visitors) immediately to the east.
- podium cladding will be of similar colouration to that of the Sony Centre and 25 The Esplanade
- the most westerly units of floors 3 and 4 at 25 The Esplanade will be below the top of the podium, and therefore will have some windows approximately 10 metres from the podium, but will have a view of the treed green podium roof
- Montreal-based landscape architect Claude Cormier will dress sidewalks for both this project and the L Tower so as to give the beginning of the street the sense of a gateway. Cormier will also cover the podium with a bermed garden featuring flowering trees.

The residents of 25 The Esplanade who were in attendance seem to be much happier in general with these latest changes, but do maintain some concerns regarding the design, including a desire to see the floor plate further reduced and separation of the buildings further enlarged, possibly at the expanse of a small increase in height for 5-7 The Esplanade. Current plans have 5-7 The Esplanade at virtually the same height as 25 The Esplanade.

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interchange42 said:
Current plans have 5-7 The Esplanade at virtually the same height as 25 The Esplanade.
Click to expand...

That made me wonder about the actual height of 25 The Esplanade for the first time in my life. UrbanDB has it listed at 96.8m. I didn't realize it was under 100m, and never would have guessed that in a million years. I think because of the way it sits apart from everything else it always seemed taller in my mind.ars

Now I'm starting to wonder what it will eventually look like when it gets bookended by the new developments. Right now it looks kind of impressive, but it might end up looking rather insignificant a few years from now
 
interchange42 said:
- since the time when this tower was meant to be GO Transit's head offices, the size of the floor plate has been reduced by half
- the northern-most point of the residential tower has been moved further south to maintain full views of 25 The Esplanade's bullnose from Yonge Street
- the tower blocks no southerly views from 25 The Esplanade, and current plans (subject to further change) maintain 23 metres between the closest points of this tower and 25 The Esplanade
- the north side of the tower will be rounded, a move that relates to 25 The Esplanade's bullnose, and to the L Tower's curves
- the developers are seeking to have the number of parking spaces required reduced somewhat so as to keep the podium at no more than four levels above ground. (parking will also go 6 floors below ground, and connect under The Esplanade to the L Tower) The developer's argument for reducing spaces include the proximity of this project to major transit at Union Station, the PATH link to Union, and the large public parking garage (for visitors) immediately to the east.
- podium cladding will be of similar colouration to that of the Sony Centre and 25 The Esplanade
- the most westerly units of floors 3 and 4 at 25 The Esplanade will be below the top of the podium, and therefore will have some windows approximately 10 metres from the podium, but will have a view of the treed green podium roof
- Montreal-based landscape architect Claude Cormier will dress sidewalks for both this project and the L Tower so as to give the beginning of the street the sense of a gateway. Cormier will also cover the podium with a bermed garden featuring flowering trees.
Click to expand...

This is very good news. The previous plan to have an above-ground bridge between the L Tower and the parking at this site would have ruined the postcard view of 25 Esplanade. Given this change, combined with the slimming of the proposed tower, its shifting away from directly in front of the 'nose' of 25 Esplanade to allow for an unobstructed view from Yonge Street, and the proposed landscaping work, my opinion of this development has changed from "don't like it" to "sounds good".
 
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whatever said:
That made me wonder about the actual height of 25 The Esplanade for the first time in my life. UrbanDB has it listed at 96.8m. I didn't realize it was under 100m, and never would have guessed that in a million years. I think because of the way it sits apart from everything else it always seemed taller in my mind.ars

Now I'm starting to wonder what it will eventually look like when it gets bookended by the new developments. Right now it looks kind of impressive, but it might end up looking rather insignificant a few years from now
Click to expand...

The 96.8 metres does make sense if you exclude the mechanical penthouse. That would put the mechanical's parapet at around 106 metres
 
Wow some major density coming to this area. I guess with the changes the only people still to lose out are those on the lower level of L looking south.
 
Mongo said:
Given this change, combined with the slimming of the proposed tower, its shifting away from directly in front of the 'nose' of 25 Esplanade to allow for an unobstructed view from Yonge Street, and the proposed landscaping work, my opinion of this development has changed from "don't like it" to "sounds good".
Click to expand...

My opinion shifted quite favourably last night too.

42
 
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