Hamilton Riverdale Community Hub | ?m | 9s | City of Hamilton | Toms + McNally

[Branden Simon]

Riverdale Community Hub - A proposed 9-Storey 44 unit seniors residential building, a community health centre, food centre, and a seniors centre. The building is an elegantly detailed cube which balance site intervention and mixed use programming. The first of it’s kind in Hamilton. Designed by Toms + McNally for CityHousing Hamilton and City of Hamilton (Municipal Government) Located on 150 Violet Dr in Hamilton's Riverdale Neighborhood.

The new child centre building completed last year photo from google maps at the bottom

Photos from Google maps

 

[junctionist]

Amazing proposal. It seems to get so many things right. It has a great design; there's investment in community amenities; there's investment in accessible housing; and it's all dense, compact, and metropolitan.

In the midst of the housing crisis, it's bizarre to see that the default design for a civic building like a community centre, library, or school in Toronto remains a 1-3 storey single-use building. We need to be adding housing and/or commercial space on top of our civic buildings to make communities more walkable and to add housing supply. It doesn't have to be subsidized housing, but it needs to happen to increase supply and community walkability.

Proposals like this one that are mixed-use and forward thinking are city building at its finest.

 

[rdaner]

I naturally assume that everyone likes mixed-use and creative solutions but you do run across those who go full on Karen when presented with a proposal! Lol

Btw I wondered if this was close to the new Centennial GO station and it looks like it id the area. Quite a pocket of density Hamilton is getting here.

 

[Northern Light]

Amazing proposal. It seems to get so many things right. It has a great design; there's investment in community amenities; there's investment in accessible housing; and it's all dense, compact, and metropolitan.

It's a solid proposal, an improvement on the status quo to be sure.

Though I think the building looks like an eyesore myself.

But I think the laudatory description is a bit too much as this point, the building will be right next to significant surface parking and a sprawly 1s school.

Lots of potential here, right idea, not a finished thought though, and serious execution questions on aesthetics.

In the midst of the housing crisis, it's bizarre to see that the default design for a civic building like a community centre, library, or school in Toronto remains a 1-3 storey single-use building. We need to be adding housing and/or commercial space on top of our civic buildings to make communities more walkable and to add housing supply. It doesn't have to be subsidized housing, but it needs to happen to increase supply and community walkability.

I'm thinking about this........I can think of 4 Libraries completed under a tower, and 4 Libraries in development like that (one new, one re-do) that will have housing on top. Two others are currently being planned that way.

Where did you get this idea that there's 1 or 2 storey default in Library development?

Now it is more common with Community Recreation centres, many of which are located in parks, that complicates matters in respect of shadows and other impacts.

That said, Toronto has built or is building 2 community centres under towers, another is in development, and 2 more will be fashioned that way at least.

I do think people are a bit quick to jump on the City and make claims that simply aren't in line with the facts.

 

[Lenser]

That roofline is way cool... nice project. You had me going with the term "Riverdale." Here I thought it was a short stroll away!

 

[junctionist]

I'm thinking about this........I can think of 4 Libraries completed under a tower, and 4 Libraries in development like that (one new, one re-do) that will have housing on top. Two others are currently being planned that way.

Where did you get this idea that there's 1 or 2 storey default in Library development?

Now it is more common with Community Recreation centres, many of which are located in parks, that complicates matters in respect of shadows and other impacts.

That said, Toronto has built or is building 2 community centres under towers, another is in development, and 2 more will be fashioned that way at least.

I do think people are a bit quick to jump on the City and make claims that simply aren't in line with the facts.

That was my impression from monitoring library and other civic building projects over the past 15 years. Here are some recent major library projects:

• Ethennonnhawahstihnen Library (new/2 floors/combined with community centre/complete)
• York Woods Library (expansion/2 floors/single use/complete)
• Scarborough Civic Centre Library (new/1 floor/single use/complete)
• Albion Road Library (reconstruction/1 floor/single use/complete)
• Centennial Branch (reconstruction/1 floor/single use/proposed)
• Dawes Road Library (reconstruction/4 floors/single use/proposed)

These projects have yielded some of best works of civic architecture in recent memory. However, it's a group of overwhelmingly low-rise and single-use projects. Plus, there are dozens of low-rise libraries around the city that could be redeveloped into mixed-use buildings with a library on the ground floor or top floor. I think the projects you're thinking of are overwhelmingly exceptions to the rule.

 

[Northern Light]

That was my impression from monitoring library and other civic building projects over the past 15 years. Here are some recent major library projects:

• Ethennonnhawahstihnen Library (new/2 floors/combined with community centre/complete)
• York Woods Library (expansion/2 floors/single use/complete)
• Scarborough Civic Centre Library (new/1 floor/single use/complete)
• Albion Road Library (reconstruction/1 floor/single use/complete)
• Centennial Branch (reconstruction/1 floor/single use/proposed)
• Dawes Road Library (reconstruction/4 floors/single use/proposed)

These projects have yielded some of best works of civic architecture in recent memory. However, it's a group of overwhelmingly low-rise and single-use projects. Plus, there are dozens of low-rise libraries around the city that could be redeveloped into mixed-use buildings with a library on the ground floor or top floor. I think the projects you're thinking of are overwhelmingly exceptions to the rule.

First, lets go really old; the City first build a library/housing combo at Northern District Branch at Yonge/Egllinton

The Campbell | 47.24m | 14s | TAS | Teeple Architects

it's giving "building." you could put this in a picture book for toddlers and they would point at it and say "building." which is to say I love it. I think it will actually age quite well.

urbantoronto.ca

Also older and w/o housing is North York Central Library: (multi-storey, part of civic campus/community hub, integrated w/retail, commercial and hotel)

In terms of more current projects....

Perth/Dupont is relocating to the base of a tower at Campbell and Dupont:

https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...7-24m-14s-tas-teeple-architects.18809/page-16 (built)

The City's Fort York branch was integrated with an adjacent tower, next to a (soon to be) City Park:

The new library for the Mr. Christie site is proposed to be in the base of a tower:

The new library at Six Points (Bloor/Kipling) will be part of a civic complex and at the base of a tower:

That development also included a community recreation centre as well.

***

The Deer Park Branch will be relocated to the base of tower in the St. Clair Place development:

St Clair Place | 150m | 44s | Wittington | Diamond Schmitt

30 Alvin Ave City sign up at the Green P lot at 30 Alvin Ave. This is the lot behind the buildings at the northeast corner of Yonge and St Clair. The Weston's property company has an application in for 39 and 32 story buildings along Alvin along with a 14 story towards Yonge. Anybody heard...

urbantoronto.ca

***

The new St. Lawrence District Branch will be built this way:

New St Lawrence Library (City of Toronto, ?s, ?)

What a fantastic idea! It's such a great thing the city realizes the severe hosing crisis that we're in, so much so that they 100% have this in mind for sure!

urbantoronto.ca

***

The Danforth/Coxwell Branch will likewise be rebuilt as mixed use:

Consolidated 54/55 Division, Housing Now @ TTC Danforth Garage Site

Report to Executive Ctte recommending approval of a consolidated 54/55 division moving to the current TTC Danforth Garage Site. Planning/Design this year. Construction 2019 Proposal includes heritage designation, retaining TTC uses on-site, possible partnership w/TPL (library) among others...

urbantoronto.ca

***

The Parkdale Branch is getting the same treatment as part of the Parkdale Hub project:

Parkdale Hub | 54.5m | 16s | CreateTO | DTAH

Toronto council to review plans for housing, services in Parkdale NEWS 06:00 AM BY DAVID NICKLE Plans to eventually build a hub of community services and affordable housing in Parkdale will be going to Toronto council next week. The so-called Parkdale Community Hub will, if it finally goes...

urbantoronto.ca

***

The new Regent Park branch will be multi-story, a hub and intergrated overall into a fairly dense phase 4/5 of Regent Park

***

Eglinton Square is currently in a (to be redeveloped) mall, it will likely be at the base of a new tower in this area.

***

There's a few more coming that I can't share yet.

I would not say those are merely exceptions.

 

[junctionist]

First, lets go really old; the City first build a library/housing combo at Northern District Branch at Yonge/Egllinton

The Campbell | 47.24m | 14s | TAS | Teeple Architects

it's giving "building." you could put this in a picture book for toddlers and they would point at it and say "building." which is to say I love it. I think it will actually age quite well.

urbantoronto.ca

View attachment 527167

Also older and w/o housing is North York Central Library: (multi-storey, part of civic campus/community hub, integrated w/retail, commercial and hotel)

View attachment 527170

In terms of more current projects....

Perth/Dupont is relocating to the base of a tower at Campbell and Dupont:

https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...7-24m-14s-tas-teeple-architects.18809/page-16 (built)

The City's Fort York branch was integrated with an adjacent tower, next to a (soon to be) City Park:

View attachment 527169

The new library for the Mr. Christie site is proposed to be in the base of a tower:

View attachment 527168

The new library at Six Points (Bloor/Kipling) will be part of a civic complex and at the base of a tower:

That development also included a community recreation centre as well.

***

The Deer Park Branch will be relocated to the base of tower in the St. Clair Place development:

St Clair Place | 150m | 44s | Wittington | Diamond Schmitt

30 Alvin Ave City sign up at the Green P lot at 30 Alvin Ave. This is the lot behind the buildings at the northeast corner of Yonge and St Clair. The Weston's property company has an application in for 39 and 32 story buildings along Alvin along with a 14 story towards Yonge. Anybody heard...

urbantoronto.ca

***

The new St. Lawrence District Branch will be built this way:

New St Lawrence Library (City of Toronto, ?s, ?)

What a fantastic idea! It's such a great thing the city realizes the severe hosing crisis that we're in, so much so that they 100% have this in mind for sure!

urbantoronto.ca

***

The Danforth/Coxwell Branch will likewise be rebuilt as mixed use:

Consolidated 54/55 Division, Housing Now @ TTC Danforth Garage Site

Report to Executive Ctte recommending approval of a consolidated 54/55 division moving to the current TTC Danforth Garage Site. Planning/Design this year. Construction 2019 Proposal includes heritage designation, retaining TTC uses on-site, possible partnership w/TPL (library) among others...

urbantoronto.ca

***

The Parkdale Branch is getting the same treatment as part of the Parkdale Hub project:

Parkdale Hub | 54.5m | 16s | CreateTO | DTAH

Toronto council to review plans for housing, services in Parkdale NEWS 06:00 AM BY DAVID NICKLE Plans to eventually build a hub of community services and affordable housing in Parkdale will be going to Toronto council next week. The so-called Parkdale Community Hub will, if it finally goes...

urbantoronto.ca

***

The new Regent Park branch will be multi-story, a hub and intergrated overall into a fairly dense phase 4/5 of Regent Park

***

Eglinton Square is currently in a (to be redeveloped) mall, it will likely be at the base of a new tower in this area.

***

There's a few more coming that I can't share yet.

I would not say those are merely exceptions.

I specifically chose recent examples built contemporaneously with the severe decline in housing affordability from the mid 2010s onward. I could have included Fort York Library as well, since you're incorrect that it's built into a condo. It's actually a standalone single-use low-rise building. But it's already in such a dense area that it isn't the most concerning example of the issue I raised.

If we go back a few decades, I can include dozens of single-use low-rise library projects. You also included a City of North York library, which isn't really that helpful in a discussion about the contemporary response to the contemporary housing crisis. Thanks for including some examples that I wasn't aware of, but it doesn't really seem like incorporating housing into library buildings is a priority city wide as a city-led initiative to increase housing stock all around the city.

I get the impression from your examples that city is choosing to locate libraries in the retail spots of high-density developments in areas where land is too expensive for the default low-rise single-use library (and also that the city is smartly putting in libraries in the densest parts of neighbourhoods to increase accessibility). But we still don't really see library lands being used as a vehicle to increase housing stock as per the Hamilton project that is the subject of this thread.

 

[Northern Light]

I get the impression from your examples that city is choosing to locate libraries in the retail areas of buildings in areas where land is too expensive for the default low-rise single-use library (and also that the city smartly putting in libraries in the densest parts of neighbourhoods to increase accessibility). But we still don't really see library lands being used as a vehicle to increase housing stock.

The majority of libraries which come up for redevelopment are receiving consideration for housing, aswell as other co-located functions. (where the City is the land owner)

Remember, when you see something being built in the City (by the City) the choices on massing/usage etc were probably taken a decade ago, so it takes awhile for change to show up en masse.

Still, I think I gave several examples that include/will include housing.

Far more than you'll find in any other Ontario city.

So I'm not just not in agreement with dumping on the City on this one.

There are lots of good reasons to dump on the City, few people spend more time critiquing them than I; this is just one area where I don't feel they are doing bad at all.