Toronto Sun Life Financial Tower & Harbour Plaza Residences | 236.51m | 67s | Menkes | Sweeny &Co

urbandreamer said:
Well, it`s an ugly building... As long as the replacement is a stunner, worthwhile.
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The replacement will be a cheap glass and precast POS, as are 95% of the current projects on the waterfront. What a loss to the city. We'll REALLY regret this in 20 years. Just like we regret the loss of the BOM Building and the Toronto Star tower every day of our lives. If this cities' plan is to legally self destroy itself, it's doing a really good job at it.
 
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CanadianNational said:
Sometimes I think Toronto is downright phobic about it's past. It certainly is careless, or ruthless.

This building and the Harbour Commission next door work well together in scale, texture, and their genuine link to the past of the waterfront. For me, they're like an unsassuming, kindly old couple, surrounded by all these brash youngsters.
Of course Toronto is going to look for 'maximum value on the land', meaning coldly monetary rather than emotional or historical.
I don't see why there couldn't be a slight height/zoning shuffle to allow the building to remain as the spaces around it are updated.
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(CanadianNational: your pic is AMAZING! Alex 2000! It's one of my favourite BW episodes. The running through the foam scene is outstanding. I wish her hair wasn't up in a bun, though. If ever there was an BW episode for slow-motion bionic hair action this was it!)

Back on topic: Totally agree. Toronto has NEVER been sentimental about it's buildings and hasn't ever really had a proper vision on how to layout a city (Gardiner Expressway).
 
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HHC said:
The replacement will be a cheap glass and precast POS, as are 95% of the current projects on the waterfront. What a loss to the city. We'll REALLY regret this in 20 years. Just like we regret the loss of the BOM Building and the Toronto Star tower every day of our lives. If this cities' plan is to legally self destroy itself, it's doing a really good job at it.
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Amen.
 
toto said:
Just goofing around thinking what I'd like to see in the area.

1) A tree lined pedestrian mall from the ACC to Queen's Quay. Reflective pools, patios, fountains.
2) City of Toronto Museum. Iconic design that incorporates the Harbour commission building. Which would have the water front brought to it, rather than moving it to the waterfront.
3) Renovate and reuse 90 harbour.
4) Building mixed use highrise closer to York St.
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Now, now, don't be silly. That plan is beautiful and makes sense! It's not for Toronto. ;o)

(sarcasm alert!)
 
DTowner said:
Now, now, don't be silly. That plan is beautiful and makes sense! It's not for Toronto. ;o)

(sarcasm alert!)
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I agree. The idea of people being able to walk from Union Station to Queen's Quay without having to stop for traffic is one that would never fly.
 
I agree, 90 Harbour is the kind of building that we'll really start appreciating in 20 years or so, if only because the sea of ugly 30-40 storey condos around it will be so oppressive. The precast/grey panel podium that will replace it will probably be lower and less streetwall friendly, too. It'll be one step backwards at the street level to go 40 steps up height-wise.

It's surrounded by parking lots and could be worked around or incorporated into a larger vision, but it's just so much easier to raze everything and vomit up some master-planned dreck. Ctrl-A, Delete 90 Harbour, open the Pinnacle file or a suburban Tridel file or any bland twinned/triplet condo project with enormous circular driveways, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V where 90 Harbour was, Alt-Tab, and count your $$$.
 
Automation Gallery said:
What...people are now appreciating this empty building now that its going to be demolished, when for the last 20 years nobody gave a crap about it..dont get it.
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What do you want people to do? Post about their undying love for 90 Harbour once a month? Get a tattoo of it? Maybe people were busy appreciating other now-demolished buildings.
 
scarberiankhatru said:
What do you want people to do? Post about their undying love for 90 Harbour once a month? Get a tattoo of it? Maybe people were busy appreciating other now-demolished buildings.
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I have a tattoo of 90 Harbour St... you don't?

But there is a difference between this and the YMCA building.. a big difference.
 
scarberiankhatru said:
I agree, 90 Harbour is the kind of building that we'll really start appreciating in 20 years or so, if only because the sea of ugly 30-40 storey condos around it will be so oppressive. The precast/grey panel podium that will replace it will probably be lower and less streetwall friendly, too. It'll be one step backwards at the street level to go 40 steps up height-wise.

It's surrounded by parking lots and could be worked around or incorporated into a larger vision, but it's just so much easier to raze everything and vomit up some master-planned dreck. Ctrl-A, Delete 90 Harbour, open the Pinnacle file or a suburban Tridel file or any bland twinned/triplet condo project with enormous circular driveways, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V where 90 Harbour was, Alt-Tab, and count your $$$.
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Dear God. Pinnacle buying this property and slapping up more of their green-glassed precast schlock is the worst possible outcome I can imagine for this land. I'd even prefer that Pemberton or Concord get a hold of it.
 
Sometimes reading the banter in these threads is like listening to a group of spoiled children. We have so much going on here we are castigating projects before they are even announced. Do you know how long some of us have waited for this type of development or how many cities in the world would give their right arm for a fraction of whats going on here? Frankly I am in awe of what is going on and eagerly anticipating this and other proposed projects because I waited decades to see this sort of thing happen.

Personally, I feel the building being demolished is not a significant architectural or historical building. The building east of it however is a significant AND historical building and should be retained at all costs. Lets give them a chance and see - I'm sure the city will feel the same way and i also believe/hope that building is protected.
 
^ What he said. 60 Harbour is clearly an historic building of great significance, and should be saved if at all possible, even it it means moving the building to a new location. 90 Harbour, on the other hand, is a mediocre building of minor historical importance, and in my opinion is not worth saving if it can be replaced with an interesting development.

At some point, all the surface parking lots will be developed. What then? Does that mean that no further development can take place, because it would mean (horrors!) demolishing an existing building, even if that building is of no particular significance? Of course not, it simply means that each proposal would need to be examined on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that the inevitable demolition does not destroy a building (or buildings) of significant historical / architectural / aesthetic value. In the case of 90 Harbour, my opinion is that the current building is not of sufficient value to justify its preservation.
 
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