Toronto Minto Westside | 68.88m | 20s | Minto Group | Wallman Architects

[hawc]

Overkill? We have a bunch of bike lockers at Luna that are full, management has installed bike racks in open areas of the parking garage - which are full, and management has also installed bike racks outside of the building, which are now full.

All the bike racks in N1/N2 (15 Fort York) were also full, until management started posting signs on the bikes asking people to let them know these bikes were actually being used. Turned out 70% of them were derelict bikes that past residents had used and then just left locked up to rot after they moved out. Management removed them and now there are more spaces in the bike racks.

 

[gristle]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder. you forgot to mention the almost 1000 bike spaces that are included. In regards to the parking, the city required almost 800 spaces of parking for this development. Normally people have a beef about the lack of parking, but they went over by over 100 spaces.

If that's how you assess the beauty of this proposal, then god help us all. Stop and consider that this thing is totally out of scale with the area. Given the large retail spaces, huge number of suites and otherwise already poor traffic situation in the area, this project doesn't offer too much good for the neighbourhood. Yeah, great that there are bike parking spaces. Otherwise, this is a chunk of Cityplace being shoved into Wellington Place.

 

[SpadinaBus]

All the bike racks in N1/N2 (15 Fort York) were also full, until management started posting signs on the bikes asking people to let them know these bikes were actually being used. Turned out 70% of them were derelict bikes that past residents had used and then just left locked up to rot after they moved out. Management removed them and now there are more spaces in the bike racks.

Exactly. Our building is exactly the same. Give residents (especially renters), free bike racks, they fill it up with junk with bikes that never get used. Ask a suite owner to pay for a bike space, they will generally not. So what happens, bikes also get stored in suites.

Our experience is that bike storage inside of buildings should be something a condo corp should charge rent for in some way so that they are not mis-used. So if a developer provides a free-for-all bike storage, the first thing a condo corp should do when they get control of the building is to starting charging rent to anyone who wants one and ban bike storage in suites. There are maintenance costs for the building to deal with this stuff all the time.

 

[hawc]

Ban bike storage in suites.

I understand the reasons why a condo corporation wants to keep people from wheeling their bikes up and down the elevators each day on the way to work, but I have an issue with banning bike storage in suites.

I have a $7,500 racing bicycle. If I store it in a bike locker or in a bike space it will get stolen. Absolutely no question about it. I don't commute on it, but when I go for rides I carry it on my shoulder through the halls and down the service elevator. It never bumps into a wall and and the tires never touch the inside of my building. The little dogs taking pisses on the carpet and the food bags breaking open in the elevator cause way more mess/damage then I ever will.

So I absolutely think I should be able to keep 1 bicycle inside my unit.

 

[College Park]

Bikes are all sharp edges: they're bloody murder on the decor. Sorry hawc, no conscientious condo board is going to allow you this one.

As more Torontians bike, the availability of bike parking spots has gone tight: I've had to circle blocks looking for a parking spot. Gosh darn my pinko hide, that's ANNOYING. I've been thinking about Amsterdam-style bicycle garages, and here Freed looks to supply one - good on them.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Bikes are all sharp edges: they're bloody murder on the decor. Sorry hawc, no conscientious condo board is going to allow you this one.

As more Torontians bike, the availability of bike parking spots has gone tight: I've had to circle blocks looking for a parking spot. Gosh darn my pinko hide, that's ANNOYING. I've been thinking about Amsterdam-style bicycle garages, and here Freed looks to supply one - good on them.

Especially those damn tires! Not to mention countless times I've cut myself on my seat.

Seriously though, hawc raises a good point. I also have an expensive velo (not 7,500$ mind you - BTW, what are you riding sir?) and keeping it in pristine running order is something about which I'm rather serious. If I couldn't bring it up to my suite through the lobby, I'd have to enter through the garage since I'm surely not going to leave that sucker where I know it's not safely locked away. Furthermore, what if I want to break my bike down for a good clean n' oil after a hard week's riding? Do I have to do this in the confines of a hot, stuffy subterranean parking structure? Why can't I open up my balcony doors, put on a little music and get the job done in my unit?

Decor Schmecor. As hawc notes, hallways and elevators see action from any number of sources - kids, drunks, pets, movers in and out, etc. To single out those who bike on the grounds that they 'murder' the decor is an absurd proposition since one would never disallow the other parties entrance. What if pet owners weren't allowed to bring their animals inside? Or if drunks were turned away on the grounds that they might vomit somewhere and fail to clean it up (a far more-likely problem)?

 

[hawc]

Just to continue the thought... in my two years in my condo, I have never once banged my bike into a wall and my wheels cause no more distress to the carpet than someone's wheelchair would (in fact even less since the bike weighs about 15 lbs) I can absolutely understand why as a matter of policy the condo board doesn't want every tom, dick and harry dragging their dirty beater up the elevators and down the halls twice a day, but I think the current look-the-other-way for people with expensive, clean bicycles is working just fine. The average moving in or out of a unit causes way more damage from furniture bumping into walls. And the stains on our hallway carpets are all caused by little dogs who can't hold it in.

 

[UrbanPrincess]

If that's how you assess the beauty of this proposal, then god help us all. Stop and consider that this thing is totally out of scale with the area. Given the large retail spaces, huge number of suites and otherwise already poor traffic situation in the area, this project doesn't offer too much good for the neighbourhood. Yeah, great that there are bike parking spaces. Otherwise, this is a chunk of Cityplace being shoved into Wellington Place.

I only said that because someone else mentioned that it wasn't pretty. It was a play on words..ah nevermind, why do i bother?

My question to you is: Would there be a difference in impact if the development was split up into 4 smaller ones coming in intervals?

the development is quite large, there is no question about that. But are you trying to tell me that the Harley Davidson store represented Wellington Place? If it were up to residents of Toronto, the entire city would look Victorian if we have to continually keep within the character of the neighbourhood.

p.s. the large retail space is supposed to have the feel of the upper level of the St. Lawrence market.

hawc, just purchase a giant bag for your bike when you transport it through your building. I agree that pets and kids can make more of a mess. heck I took a crayon down the hallway when I was a kid. Let's not forget to mention the number of drunks i've seen in CityPlace on a saturday night coming home from clubbing.

 

[drum118]

July 14
They have stated to tear down some of the existing building. The section connected to the Sherwin Willams Paint store will come down shortly before it does, as well rest of Bathurst St,

 

[Red Mars]

Demolition has started!

Pics taken July 15, 2011

 

[hawc]

I have fond memories of Lamborghini/Ducati Toronto. Sad to see it go. I spent many winter days there browsing through the showroom looking at the Lamborghinis and Ducatis. I bought my motorcycles there and also remember hanging out with the mechanics at the back as they fixed my bike. Really sad to see it gone forever. End of an era. R.I.P.

 

[adma]

I wonder if they acted fast in light of this article today. Anything to beat the sentimentalists...

 

[Red Mars]

End of day pics - July 15, 2011

 

[ProjectEnd]

Is it possible to get a better shot of the site plan on the development application sign?

 

[Atlantis]

I've actually got some really good closeup shots of the siteplan that I'm planning on uploading later this evening. Stay tuned , they're very detailed.