ushahid
Senior Member
amazing project, but this is not London or Singapore. project will go from this....
to this.
to this.
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...La Cage aux Folles?amazing project, but this is not London or Singapore. project will go from this....
I wasn't thinking about this developer showing a flyby video of this rendering but that's even a bonus !!! I love watching the idea more buildings being added to the city's core in flyby mode from Koops!
I keep seeing numerous posts about Toronto is going to screw this up or change the design from beautiful to mediocre. So the big question is, with so many people using Urban Toronto does know one in here or the numbers that Urban Toronto has is able to change this thought with the Toronto design board, who makes these final decisions, and why do we not have any strength? People on here can keep complaining I get it but is there nothing that all of us can do to change this mindset? Just curious.
Thanks for that info, very interesting.The changes which most people fear; and don't always occur, but do too often, are rarely the fault of any Design Review Panel (now and again....but I digress).
They are also rarely the fault of planners..
They are usually the responsibility of developers, who choose to 'value-engineer' and remove more expensive elements and/or materials in favour of cheaper/less challenging ones.
The default, at-law, is that that is their prerogative. The City has a good deal of sway in terms of height, and massing, although even there, the process of appeal to OLT shows a relatively limited effect, much of the time.
There are some exceptions, in which government can hold a proponent to the render, to at least some degree:
1) If the developer is making a truly extraordinary ask, that they believe won't gain approval except by virtue of its interesting design, they can choose to enter a legally binding agreement with the City, typically secured through the S.37 agreement
which may bind the developer to certain materials or choices.
2) If the site involves protected heritage buildings, the City may have some ability to protect those and to dictate certain design features that directly abut said buildings
3) If the City or another government body is the owner of the land, and chooses to place a covenant on sale; and/or remains the owner and dictates certain conditions in exchange for lease of the lands.
*****
Number 3 is key here.
Waterfrontoronto is the primary owner of Quayside, along with the City of Toronto (1.5 acres) ; in the legal terms of the contract they sign w/the proponent here they can choose to insert language protecting key design elements.
That language will almost always include some flexibility, as there is a considerable distance between a concept render and an approved building, and working drawings to build same.
Frankly, it's challenging to craft wording just right at an early stage; but it can be done, if the will is there.
You're welcome!CRAZY OR WHAT!!! Thanks Koops for you work. But the millions dollar question is does anyone know the hieght and storeys of these towers? Because they all seemed to have passed the 150m mark I'm my perspective !