Toronto Five St Joseph | 160.93m | 48s | Five St. Joseph | Hariri Pontarini

Perimeter of the site
Stjoe.jpg
 
cdr108 said:
I really like the set-backs for this tower and how they are incorporating the heritage buildings.

But is there really a demand for 7storey retail in that area; and what about those poor souls facing Saint Nicholas Street - what kind of foot traffic would they ever see ???
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It says 7 storeys retail/residential, not all retail.

DarnDirtyApe said:
I don't see how this is going to fly given the current market conditions and the general ridiculousness of the proposal, but it'll probably get approved anyway, even if by the OMB.

Also, just think of the shadow impacts on Yonge! Oh, the horror!
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Market conditions generally have nothing to do with the planning merits of a development application.
 
The St. Nicholas alleyway is actually pretty busy. It's a good little shortcut for people living on St. Joseph, especially to avoid Yonge Street, and there's already a couple stores that open up into there.
 
I'm actually quite relieved, as it seems that most of the existing structures making up the perimeter of this site will be spared. It seems that they'll essentially be dropping the tower right in the middle of all the old buildings. I'm glad, because I like the old industrial back-alley feel that St. Nicholas Street has in that section. Also, the cobblestone had better not be removed; it's one of my favourite aspects.
 
Seems like a fun design. I like the way the glass appears to move in and out.
If people freak out about it, they're stupid. This is downtown, and you can't fight this. Urban sprawl has to stop, and Toronto has to become more dense. It's just how life is.
 
I too like how much of the new high rise development along Yonge has happened behind the existing low rise streetscape (i.e. Casa, Blu, Uptown, the other St. Nicholas proposal). While a lot of the properties could stand for some restoration, I like that the streetscape is being spared.
 
khristopher said:
Seems like a fun design. I like the way the glass appears to move in and out.
If people freak out about it, they're stupid. This is downtown, and you can't fight this. Urban sprawl has to stop, and Toronto has to become more dense. It's just how life is.
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There is still a lot of space where density can be increased before we start displacing old buildings, or intruding in certain established districts. I think calling people who are worried about this proposal stupid is unwarranted. The Yonge Street strip should be preserved, it's an important piece of cultural and built heritage, and turning the entire thing into a giant facadectomy would be a great mistake.
 
I wouldn't go as far as to say anyone who's against this proposal is stupid, but I don't think resorting to facadectomy would necessarily be an out and out mistake. The buildings themselves are quite attractive but I think the current uses make the strip look slightly run down or even tacky. I think if done right a proposal that incorporates the existing heritage buildings in its design could actually enhance the aesthetics of these buildings.
 
I do think resorting to facadectomy would be an out and out mistake, because while you might not lose their presence, you'd lose their uses. How many of those small businesses do you think would turn up inside a condo podium? That middle-eastern place, for instance, brings real value and quality-of-life benefits (good, cheap, different, all-hours non-fast-food) to the strip. Never mind what's hidden on the upper floors...
 
musters said:
Please God no! It is hideous! I itch for change! Besides, Yonge today is so radically different that it's early porn shop days that you reminisce of.

The one thing that should remain on Yonge is the low height.
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Do you really think I meant that the seedy porn shops and crappy gift stores should be preserved? I was referring to the architecture; underneath the terrible paint jobs and crappy signage are some great buildings that just couldn't be built today. However I personally love the stretch from Gerrard to Dundas, it's a barrage of neon lights and loud storefronts that scream liveliness. To outright destroy the Yonge strip would be a travesty in my opinion. The fact that it's a historic low rise strip that's remained relatively unscathed, as well as vibrant, in the middle of a big city is amazing.
 
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