Ryerson president wants developer to join project
A major shopping mall developer that has been quietly assembling land on Yonge Street between Dundas and Gerrard is steering clear of an ambitious effort by the local councillor to create a high-minded plan for a rundown retail strip where fire destroyed a landmark heritage building last month.
Primaris Retail REIT, which manages and develops enclosed shopping malls across Canada and generated $275-million in revenues in 2009, owns about 60 per cent of the east side of Yonge between Gould and Gerrard, as well as land on the west side.
An aide to Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre) confirmed that Primaris has not yet been invited to participate in a privately funded working group that recently retained planner Ken Greenberg and architect Marianne McKenna to study the area’s future growth.
Primaris officials did not respond to a request for an interview.
Ryerson University president Sheldon Levy urged the company to participate. “I obviously know what Primaris’s general plans are,†he said. “They’re not buying up property to keep it as is.â€
Mr. Greenberg, who has extensive experience in New York and Boston, and Ms. McKenna, a partner with one of the city’s top architectural firms, come to the project with a detailed understanding of Ryerson’s ambitions, having authored the university’s master plan in recent years.
In an interview, Mr. Greenberg said Ryerson’s bid to establish “a face†on Yonge is reminiscent of New York University’s relationship with Washington Square in Greenwich Village, which he describes as “NYU’s threshold and front yard.â€
During the Ryerson master plan process, added Ms. McKenna, she became aware of a key planning constraint that now faces Ms. Wong-Tam and the landowners on Yonge – a designated flight path over the Ryerson campus for air ambulances heading to the University Avenue hospitals. The result, Ms. McKenna said, is that buildings along the route may not be higher than 10 storeys.
That restriction is likely to have an impact on the plans of the Lalani family, which owns the rubble-filled lot at Yonge and Gould where last month’s fire occurred. That blaze is currently the subject of a formal arson investigation by Toronto police. In the past, the Lalanis have said they want to build a condo tower on that property.
As for other redevelopment on Yonge between Edward and Gerrard, the area now owned by Primaris, Mr. Levy said he hopes to pursue the type of project Ryerson negotiated at Bay and Dundas, which involved big box stores at grade and Ryerson’s school of management on the upper floors. “I would love to be able to do the same thing,†he said. “Everything is subject to money and resources.â€
Ian Gemmell, president of the McGill-Granby Village Residents Association, described that long-neglected stretch of Yonge as “a bit of an armpit. It needs to be addressed [and] cleaned up.â€
He’s encouraged by Ms. Wong-Tam’s efforts to bring together local stakeholders and various city departments in an effort to kick-start redevelopment on an accelerated timeline. “[Former councillor Kyle] Rae tried but nothing ever came of it,†he said. “This seems a bit more pro-active.â€
Ms. McKenna pointed out that Montreal used a similar approach in recent years during the redevelopment of the area anchored by the massive downtown convention centre, known as le Quartier International. In that case, the city and private landowners joined forces to revitalize what had become a shabby and deteriorating precinct. The area now has new boutique hotels, office buildings and store-front retail. “It’s a model for how you should think about this,†she said.
The McKenna-Greenberg study is expected to begin in two weeks. On March 11, they will lead an all-day charrette to solicit feedback on issues ranging from sidewalk breadth to heritage preservation, signage and a second entrance to the Dundas station. The sessions will be open to the public.
Ryerson’s plan for a high-concept student learning centre, to be situated on the former Sam the Record Man site, is due to be unveiled next month as well.
Ms. Wong-Tam’s officials say the planning report will be completed in late April and forwarded to Toronto and East York community council in May.
Special to the Globe and Mail...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...nts-developer-to-join-project/article1908938/
