Toronto The One | 328.4m | 91s | Mizrahi Developments | Foster + Partners

[TheKingEast]

As long as there are shared elevators a condo is anything but “pandemic proof” IMO. How often do we share with a possibly infectious stranger or strangers a smaller and less well ventilated space than the typical elevator?

I've shared an elevator with someone once, maybe twice since the pandemic. What these builders need to do is start building condos with more elevators. Stop building shoeboxes. Stop being driven solely by profit and nothing more.

 

[thaivic]

As long as there are shared elevators a condo is anything but “pandemic proof” IMO. How often do we share with a possibly infectious stranger or strangers a smaller and less well ventilated space than the typical elevator?

In my building we have over 700 residents and no infections, our management from day 1 restricted elevators to 4 people and everyone has used masks, there are no guarantees even in a house, could bring it into the house when you go shopping , on your shoes, grocery bags....

 

[khaldoon]

In my building we have over 700 residents and no infections, our management from day 1 restricted elevators to 4 people and everyone has used masks, there are no guarantees even in a house, could bring it into the house when you go shopping , on your shoes, grocery bags....

I agree though I do worry about air conditioning. They mix circulated air with air from outside and all units are supposed to have filters in the intake outlets but I don’t know how effective they are.

 

[Amare]

I've shared an elevator with someone once, maybe twice since the pandemic. What these builders need to do is start building condos with more elevators. Stop building shoeboxes. Stop being driven solely by profit and nothing more.

I agree. I like how developers like to pitch their innovative approaches to things, instead of going back to the basics with certain aspects (ie: having more elevators in a building compared with less).

With The One, obviously this would be difficult to achieve due to the floor space size, however most other developers these days are just cheapening out by providing their bare minimum with the quantity and quality of elevators.

 

[Neil]

Pandemic proof as in by the time the building is finished and people move in the pandemic will be long past.

 

[zang]

I've shared an elevator with someone once, maybe twice since the pandemic. What these builders need to do is start building condos with more elevators. Stop building shoeboxes. Stop being driven solely by profit and nothing more.

To do that, you need to kill the speculation/“investor” crowd.
Things like:

A restriction on the resale of presale condos and a high transfer tax on recently finalized units.
Banning the owning of AirBNB-only units.
Vacancy taxes.
Taxes on foreign ownership.

Until condo builders are *forced* to get a hint, they’re going to build for whoever wants to pay the most—who are in many cases those who have zero intention of ever living in the property.

 

[67Cup]

In our building the rule is three maximum in an elevator. That is generally but not universally observed. Three in an elevator makes a two metre distance theoretically possible, but difficult. All passengers would have to wedge into the corners to do do so. More disturbing to me is that perhaps 50 % at most wear masks.

The most recent information I have seen is that the virus can but does not usually spread from surfaces but does spread more easily from droplets in the air. In a confined space, like an elevator those droplets can remain suspended for 8-11 minutes. Taking reasonable precautions such as wearing masks does reduce the risk. But I don’t believe Mizrahi or anyone else can build a pandemic proof condo. The claim smacks of hubris, IMO.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

As long as there are shared elevators a condo is anything but “pandemic proof” IMO. How often do we share with a possibly infectious stranger or strangers a smaller and less well ventilated space than the typical elevator?

Teleportation devices. As long as it doesn't scramble your molecules at the other end, as a one Dr. "Bones" McCoy used to indicate...

 

[Stec]

Elevators are ancient (virus prone) technology it's time to rethink our transportation mode in high-rises! Each unit needs their own private vacuum tube kinda like you see on The Jetsons or Futurama. Elon Musk is already working on the tech for the hyperloop time to adapt it for The One.

Seriously though is there not a faster, safer & more reliable method than current elevator tech?

 

[TheKingEast]

To do that, you need to kill the speculation/“investor” crowd.
Things like:

A restriction on the resale of presale condos and a high transfer tax on recently finalized units.
Banning the owning of AirBNB-only units.
Vacancy taxes.
Taxes on foreign ownership.

Until condo builders are *forced* to get a hint, they’re going to build for whoever wants to pay the most—who are in many cases those who have zero intention of ever living in the property.

I don't think killing all those revenue streams will be beneficial to be honest...epecially when the government will need all the help it can get to raise money after COVID. This notion of taxing everything to fix problems is not something I agree with. I agree with taxing AirBNB as it is a business, not outright banning it. Canadians need to understand that RE is an important sector and one that our government relies on. So kill that and then we rely on....what?

Deal with the problem once and for all. Incentivize builders to build non-luxury projects geared at mid-level buyers and don't allow investments. Incentivize builders to build more rental housing. Address public transit once and for all in the city as well as outside the city. We have so much vacant land. Build! Let prices naturally level out.

 

[zang]

I don't think killing all those revenue streams will be beneficial to be honest...epecially when the government will need all the help it can get to raise money after COVID. This notion of taxing everything to fix problems is not something I agree with.

I'm also guessing, based on this and other posts, that you're a landlord who very likely benefits from rising rental costs.

Tell me, how much money does the government make on any of the things I mentioned? On reselling pre- and newly post-construction condos? On AirBNB hoteliers? On vacant properties? On foreign ownership? Not a whole heck of a lot. And how much do any of those things help keep housing prices down (hint: they don't).

I agree with taxing AirBNB as it is a business, not outright banning it. Canadians need to understand that RE is an important sector and one that our government relies on. So kill that and then we rely on....what?

I didn't say anything about banning AirBNB. I said banning AirBNB-only apartments. Current AirBNB operations are for the most part, not even in the spirit of the website itself — that is to rent out your lived-in apartment while you're away. It was not set up to make people rich becoming micro-hoteliers. At this point though, AirBNB aren't about to stop what is now a major source of income for them, so someone should.

Deal with the problem once and for all. Incentivize builders to build non-luxury projects geared at mid-level buyers and don't allow investments. Incentivize builders to build more rental housing.

"Incentivize" how exactly? Toss money at them to do that? Where does *that* money come from if not from taxes? We've "incentivized" businesses for decades with subsidies. At the same time, those same businesses have pushed to lower taxes at every opportunity. It hasn't worked. Howabout instead of giving money to the businesses, we use it for the people instead, and make business pay its fair share in taxes?

We have so much vacant land. Build! Let prices naturally level out.

How well has that worked for the outer four boroughs once Manhattan got crowded? Everything got more expensive. It's just induced demand, not equalization.

 

[thaivic]

I'm also guessing, based on this and other posts, that you're a landlord who very likely benefits from rising rental costs.

Tell me, how much money does the government make on any of the things I mentioned? On reselling pre- and newly post-construction condos? On AirBNB hoteliers? On vacant properties? On foreign ownership? Not a whole heck of a lot. And how much do any of those things help keep housing prices down (hint: they don't).



I didn't say anything about banning AirBNB. I said banning AirBNB-only apartments. Current AirBNB operations are for the most part, not even in the spirit of the website itself — that is to rent out your lived-in apartment while you're away. It was not set up to make people rich becoming micro-hoteliers. At this point though, AirBNB aren't about to stop what is now a major source of income for them, so someone should.



"Incentivize" how exactly? Toss money at them to do that? Where does *that* money come from if not from taxes? We've "incentivized" businesses for decades with subsidies. At the same time, those same businesses have pushed to lower taxes at every opportunity. It hasn't worked. Howabout instead of giving money to the businesses, we use it for the people instead, and make business pay its fair share in taxes?



How well has that worked for the outer four boroughs once Manhattan got crowded? Everything got more expensive. It's just induced demand, not equalization.

Thank God we live in a democracy and not in a Communist State. As a business owner i pay my share of taxes and then some, if i choose to have a condo and leave it empty i don't need the Government sticking their fingers in what's rightfully mine and paid with after tax dollars. The government makes its share on land transfer taxes x2 in the city of Toronto. On vacant properties it earns money from property taxes, i believe in foreign ownership they withholding tax when a sale occurs. The government has no business dictating what type of housing i should build if i own the land outside of zoning regulations, businesses are in business to make a profit not for charity.

 

[zang]

Thank God we live in a democracy and not in a Communist State. As a business owner i pay my share of taxes and then some, if i choose to have a condo and leave it empty i don't need the Government sticking their fingers in what's rightfully mine and paid with after tax dollars. The government makes its share on land transfer taxes x2 in the city of Toronto. On vacant properties it earns money from property taxes, i believe in foreign ownership they withholding tax when a sale occurs. The government has no business dictating what type of housing i should build if i own the land outside of zoning regulations, businesses are in business to make a profit not for charity.

Take laws that favour society as a whole over the individual as communism. Okay, sure.

If you want to believe your individual right to as much capital as possible outweighs the rights of other human beings, maybe you should buy a place in the woods, go off the grid and be a hermit.

 

[madknife]

Where be the mods... this is going way off topic...

 

[Bjays92]

Thank God we live in a democracy and not in a Communist State. As a business owner i pay my share of taxes and then some, if i choose to have a condo and leave it empty i don't need the Government sticking their fingers in what's rightfully mine and paid with after tax dollars. The government makes its share on land transfer taxes x2 in the city of Toronto. On vacant properties it earns money from property taxes, i believe in foreign ownership they withholding tax when a sale occurs. The government has no business dictating what type of housing i should build if i own the land outside of zoning regulations, businesses are in business to make a profit not for charity.

As someone who's lived in a communist country, equating government policy aimed at improving the affordability and quality of life, of the majority of its citizens to communism is frankly insulting.

Ruled and ownee by elite and free country are two very different things.

That said, I dont know if there is a great way to incentivize more affordable, less shoebox like housing. I suppose there could be tax breaks for developers who make their units meet certain requirements, or increased taxes on top of what already exists if they dont.

Theres a fine line though, between actually seeing results or just scaring developers away.