Toronto Q Tower | 197.4m | 59s | Lifetime | Wallman Architects

This was a high demand garage but, I guess Canada Square (or whatever it is called) changed things if the Feds are looking to unload it.

Another condo tower isn't the only option. A midrise commercial building would work or the above, a full recladed parking garage with commercial on the ground.
 
DonValleyRainbow said:
ATaking away two 750 m² floor plate from the east and west sides of the envelope, and then two polygons for a 20m separation distance
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Show it as 25m separations if you want something that planners would actually consider on a site of that size.

I'm sure a proposal could play off of the setup of the Waterclub towers.
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It would have to!

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maestro said:
This was a high demand garage but, I guess Canada Square (or whatever it is called) changed things if the Feds are looking to unload it.

Another condo tower isn't the only option. A midrise commercial building would work or the above, a full recladed parking garage with commercial on the ground.
Click to expand...

Building on top and within the existing garage would solve the issue of the spots owned by the condo dwellers but so would leasing out a section of parking across the street under Ontario Square for 6-12 months to rebuild the garage underground and then continue building the podium and tower with the new garage in operation below.
 
To echo jje1000 and Automation Gallery's points above, if the parking garage still does big business (I imagine it's popular on game nights), perhaps some work can be done on the facade to make it look more appealing and retail added to the base until the CLC decides to sell it off for redevelopment.

I don't know if Toronto's weather would allow, but a living wall covering a parking garage in Miami would be an interesting solution. It could even serve as a vertical park of sorts with the added greenery.
9331.5.4341_2000X1536Q80.jpg

(Source: Miami Ballet Parking Garage - http://arquitectonica.com/geo/portfolio/ballet-valet-parking-garage/)

Gensler has even done work on how parking garages can be retrofitted into cultural institutions using the existing parking structure.
The_MOD_Los_Angeles_1.png

(Source: https://www.curbed.com/2017/4/26/15421594/parking-garages-driverless-cars-gensler)

The_MOD_Los_Angeles_3.jpg

(Source: https://www.curbed.com/2017/4/26/15421594/parking-garages-driverless-cars-gensler)

And even though it's not aesthetically appealing at all, the retail at the bottom of a parking garage in Kensington Market at least activates the sidewalk.
kensingtonparking.png

(Source: http://s1092.photobucket.com/user/maximan99/media/kensingtonparking.png.html)

Even treating the facade like artwork would make it more appealing from both the Gardiner and ground level. Perhaps some of those Public Realm funds that developers contribute could be used to improve the facade (note: I have no idea if this is legally possible since it'd be up to CLC to allow it?)
Behnisch_Architekten's_City_of_Santa_Monica_Parking_Structure__6_Image_4.jpg

(Source: http://www.archdaily.com/530512/cit...ructure-6-behnisch-architekten-studio-jantzen)

Anything would be an improvement over what it is currently (especially with the ramps coming down) but this could be a really cool opportunity to innovate a temporary use with the existing structure until it can be redeveloped into a tower building, a park, etc.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Not sure, and I have some "doubts' about the company news release itself - it seems oddly truncated with no reference anywhere else

AoD
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The Federal Government owned LOTS of land in the Toronto (and other) port areas (and still own the Harbourfront Centre land) and they have, slowly, been selling it off. They sell 'surplus property' through CLC. Nothing unusual here.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Not sure, and I have some "doubts' about the company news release itself - it seems oddly truncated with no reference anywhere else

AoD
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Wow...I really am old...enough to remember that Harbourfront was a 1972 federal election goodie for Toronto from the Pierre Trudeau government. The garage wAs built by the Mulroney government when I was a teenager as a further 'gift' to keep building upon the Harbourfront property. There used to be a guest interpretive centre at Harbourfront Centre explaining what the next dollop of federal government cash would build. The Mulroney government (and Mike Wilson) gave us the garage and Huang and Danzky gave us those three dreadful orange brick condo towered that recently got painted grey with the red and black trim all about the 1985 timeframe.
 
Very rare I have seen all 8 levels full, but most of the time its about 60% full on the weekend.

It is in poor shape to the point it hasn't seen a cleaning in about 10 years with all the bird dropping around.

You want to hide a car, best place for it, as there are numerous cars abandon there today for over 5 years with no tickets.

I don't support above ground parking unless there is an issue that you can't put it underground.
 
drum118 said:
I don't support above ground parking unless there is an issue that you can't put it underground.
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is potential flooding due to being under the lake location a good reason for above ground parking? One of the condos in the area has underground parking and has problems with flooding in heavy rain storms.
 
EastYorkTTCFan said:
is potential flooding due to being under the lake location a good reason for above ground parking? One of the condos in the area has underground parking and has problems with flooding in heavy rain storms.
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Yes
 
…but there are lots of buildings down there with underground parking. All the new ones are going underground. New waterproofing tech maybe? Thicker Saran Wrap?

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