Toronto TeaHouse 501 Yonge Condominiums | 170.98m | 52s | Lanterra | a—A

Presumably they will be submitting the Rezoning application and the Site Plan application separately (sometimes they're done concurrently, but that's usually only when the rezoning is relatively minor), so the community will have 2 chances to have input on and potentially change the project.

I suspect that the rezoning debate will mainly be centred around height, while the site plan debate will be centred around design characteristics (massing, how it meets the street, etc).

Should be interesting to see how the community responds to both applications.
 
I'd be shocked if we wound up with anything shorter than 35 stories per tower here.
 
On my return from the Y just now I viewed the site. Some musings:

- It would be cool if the laneway, Maitland Terrace, east of Yonge was retained, and mews-style townhouses faced it (think Mutual St / Radio City townhouses). That would enhance the spirit of the area.

- As for height, picture three identical midrise structures lined up along Yonge, with a quality podium linking them, townhouses in rear, retail on Yonge. Sophisticated and crisp, please.

- Lanterra has used aA in other projects, no? Also, aA (Clewes) did a brilliant job on Mutual, with Radio City; aA knows how to work with context.
 
TonyV said:
On my return from the Y just now I viewed the site. Some musings:

- It would be cool if the laneway, Maitland Terrace, east of Yonge was retained, and mews-style townhouses faced it (think Mutual St / Radio City townhouses). That would enhance the spirit of the area.

- As for height, picture three identical midrise structures lined up along Yonge, with a quality podium linking them, townhouses in rear, retail on Yonge. Sophisticated and crisp, please.

- Lanterra has used aA in other projects, no? Also, aA (Clewes) did a brilliant job on Mutual, with Radio City; aA knows how to work with context.
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Good points, midrises at best here. About the town homes, remember that they would be facing what is basically a garbage laneway unlike the towns over at Radio City which front onto a quiet, tree-lined street. They also wouldn't get much sun because of the condo & apartment towers to the east and the Marriott hotel south of there plus the laneway would most likely be used as an entrance/exit to the parking garage. Ten or twelve town homes along Alexander & Maitland Street would lead into those streets much nicer if they can get this project approved.
 
^ yes, the townhome part: I thought that I would throw the idea out there for open musing, because I think it would be great to humanize the laneway if at all possible, it doesn't have to remain a garbage laneway. (Then again, you'd be so surprised at what some folks will buy up, as a dwelling). Given the lack of depth in this site, any laneway townhomes would need to be shallow, stacked-like, with top decks ... that is a challenge to the architect.

.. featuring built-in entertainment, especially on summer weekends, in the laneway! What fun! :eek:
 
Would(n't) there be any provisos t/w "rear laneway retention" around these parts?
 
Im not sure it will be a big fight with the neighbours, as the site faces Buddies to the east (and it doesn't have windows as it's a theatre), faces Marriott to the south, and retail/Coroners courts to the West. These towers would shade the condo northeast for part of the afternoon, so expect these owners to be most vocal in their opposition. I think so long as the podium level maintains the Yonge 3 level scale, the Alexander entrance will maintain the high quality of the Alexander streetscape.
 
College Park said:
Im not sure it will be a big fight with the neighbours, as the site faces Buddies to the east (and it doesn't have windows as it's a theatre), faces Marriott to the south, and retail/Coroners courts to the West. These towers would shade the condo northeast for part of the afternoon, so expect these owners to be most vocal in their opposition. I think so long as the podium level maintains the Yonge 3 level scale, the Alexander entrance will maintain the high quality of the Alexander streetscape.
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It's more the City Planning Department, they don't want to go highrise on Yonge from College to Bloor, the Yonge & Bloor node being the obvious exception.
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
It's more the City Planning Department, they don't want to go highrise on Yonge from College to Bloor, the Yonge & Bloor node being the obvious exception.
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They have already broken those rules and i doubt if that height regulation will fly...Lanterra will just take it to the OMB and prove that the CPD have approved a variety of tall heights including a 70 and 75 storey structure in that 1/2 km vacinity. Just look what has happened in the Entertainment district after approving the Bell Lightbox condo tower.
 
The rear of the property from Maitland Street



A little further east to the laneway (Maitland Terrace)

 
I dug these up from when I photographed Yonge Street from Bloor to King Street, summer 2009

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.

 
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I would love to see this block redeveloped but I don't think that huge height is appropriate and furthermore don't think that Lanterra is the best developer to do it. This stretch of Yonge needs a better connection to the street than the dry cleaner/Quizno's/Daisy Mart combo that Lanterra is famous for delivering. Yonge Street is clearly a sacred cow of the Downtown core and while there is definitely potential here I think the City and the OMB really need to be careful with what they allow here. In my opinion both Murano and Burano are just hollow Vegas-looking projects. Decent appeal from afar, impressive height, but lacking in quality, character, and ultimately curb appeal.
 
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