Toronto Cumberland Square | 253.92m | 75s | KingSett Capital | Giannone Petricone

adHominem said:
At the risk of being pointlessly contrarian: I'm actually quite fond of Cumberland Terrace as it is. I know it's a mess, and any redevelopment will improve the streetscape tenfold. I'm not arguing that. But I really like Cumberland Terrace. I like that it's crummy. It's a refuge from the area. I like that it's a irritant in the eye of the otherwise deeply self-satisfied Yorkville neighbourhood. It's a little shard of a past city.
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I think I'd have to agree with you. While -- aesthetically -- I'm happy to see it blown up as soon as is humanly possible, I do enjoy that it's a finger in the eye to the modern Yorkville sensibilities. I mean, it's got a dollar store and a Sirens-type slutwear shop! It's the last bastion of budget shopping in the 'hood. I just like how it probably really grinds the gears of the SUV-driving trophy wife set who lunch at Sassafraz and shop at Pusateri's.
 
But it stinks - it reeks! I can understand the idea of preventing a tear down of something that has nostalgia attached to it. For example Penn Station in NYC. This building reeks and this era of Yorkville needs to be put to bed.
 
When it comes to the "humble Yorkville" of yore, I prefer the mini-mall in the parking garage to the north--esp. when CHFI-type music's on the PA...
 
There might have been a Jane Jacobs defense to a building like Cumberland Terrace. Older buildings offer cheaper rents, allowing for greater diversity of businesses and sidewalk traffic. But the owner probably sealed this building's fate years ago and there's no chance for some evolution of retail.
 
It is not a nice place to walk through as well eat in the (cough) food court. It too cut up. There is only a store or two that worth will there.

Time to come down.
 
junctionist said:
There might have been a Jane Jacobs defense to a building like Cumberland Terrace. Older buildings offer cheaper rents, allowing for greater diversity of businesses and sidewalk traffic. But the owner probably sealed this building's fate years ago and there's no chance for some evolution of retail.
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The Jane Jacobs defense would only work in my opinion if there were apartments above the stores.. Just wrote an exam essentially on Jane Jacobs this morning.. Retail, continuous facade with narrow assorted shops of different kinds and apartments above where people live above the shops.. This is just a monstrosity.
 
Timeo
Guest

Cumberland Terrace redevelopment (2 Bloor West, Oxford Properties, 48+36s, B+H) Has anybody heard of a proposed 2 Bloor Street West revamping? I don't know if this is new news or if it's old stuff, but I couldn't find it in any search here, and I was wondering if it was just me who's heard of it.

From my understanding, the existing tower at the north-west corner of Bloor/Yonge would be reclad and a new tower in a similar style would go up at Bay and Cumberland, replacing the Cumberland Terrace.
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November 3 2006...the first post, how time flies
 
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The_Architect said:
The Jane Jacobs defense would only work in my opinion if there were apartments above the stores.. Just wrote an exam essentially on Jane Jacobs this morning.. Retail, continuous facade with narrow assorted shops of different kinds and apartments above where people live above the shops.. This is just a monstrosity.
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Would it help if the offices in the second floor were converted to residential?
 
junctionist said:
Would it help if the offices in the second floor were converted to residential?
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Naw, we are well beyond that. The fact is that this is quite a valuable piece of property, which has been grossly underutilized for years now. (With hindsight, badly conceived from the very beginning.) If this were a strip mall in the burbs, OK. But this is among the highest priced locations in the city and the simple economics of the situation will demand a high density, high quality structure here.
 
Ok, it's probably another international hotel....

Probably getting taller too!

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