Toronto U Condominiums | 183.79m | 56s | Pemberton | a—A

The builder is currently finalizing their plans in terms of sales and marketing - I'm sure the teaser ads will start appearing in the next couple of months.
 
Church wants say on condo project
TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR
March 03, 2008
Mike Funston
Staff Reporter


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Rev. Paul McGill of St. Basil's Church addresses congregation yesterday about last-ditch efforts to have city council address their concerns.
St. Basil's to present 11th-hour petition to council today over parking considerations


Priests and parishioners at historic St. Basil's Church, part of St. Michael's College in Toronto, are making an eleventh-hour bid today for Toronto City Council to defer an application for two massive condominium towers that will dwarf the church.

They say the plan for 55- and 45-storey towers to be built north of the church at St. Joseph and Bay Sts. will eliminate a 150-space private parking lot used by church goers and others attending programs at the 151-year-old Roman Catholic place of worship, which has 4,300 parishioners.

"We're not against the development of the property," associate pastor Mark Gazin said in an interview yesterday.

"We just believe something better can be presented not only for the parish but for the university and the neighbourhood. We have not been part of that conversation. That's why we're pushing for some dialogue on this."

Gazin wants council to send it back to planning committee for 60 days to revisit the plan with a view to providing space for people to park.

The church needs about 100 to 120 spaces to accommodate the number of visitors, especially on Sundays, he said.

But he noted: "This church is very busy throughout the week, with four masses a day. We have weddings, funerals, an out-of-the-cold program, University of Toronto classical music programs, St. Michael's College convocations and lecture series."

A working group involving various stakeholders was struck by the city more than a year ago for input on the application but did not include the church, Gazin said.

"We're the most affected party and we weren't consulted," said Linda Cahill, a member of the parish council.

"We should have been involved. It should be sent back to committee so we can have our say and to take into account our needs as well."

A 1,200-name petition will be presented to council asking for the deferment, she said.

"Everyone knew there would be development. No one realized it would be so big, so close to the church, block handicapped access at the back and take away all the parking," Cahill said.

Councillor Kyle Rae, who represents the area, has a different take on it. He said the college owns the church and the college president attended public meetings so the church was represented.

City planning staff also attended a public meeting at the church on Dec. 3 to get feedback on the proposal, Rae said.

"It's unfair to say they weren't represented."

The land in question was once a tennis court owned by the college, but it was sold and turned into a commercial parking lot by the owner about 10 years ago, Rae said.

"They're saying they don't want to lose their parking, but it's not their parking. I'm not going to be able to give them parking. That's the nub of it."

There is handicapped accessibility at the front of the church, Rae added.

Under the development plan, the college is offering to make about 80 parking spaces available to the church at Alumni Hall on the south side of St. Joseph, for Sunday services.

Also, land will be dedicated that will create a park about three times the size of existing open space.

Some of this parkland will be beside the church, Rae said.

Originally the developer, Rattling Chain Investments Inc., wanted to build three towers over the proposed open space but consultations with the working group resulted in the provision of extra parkland and one less tower, he said.
 
From the Post:

Parishioners protest adjacent condo plan
St. Basil's; Parking, size at issue as council votes on project today

Kelly Grant, National Post
Published: Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Parishioners at St. Basil's, a busy church on the grounds of the University of Toronto, are praying a last-minute petition will convince city council to temporarily halt a condominium project immediately north of the church.

Council is poised to vote today on the development proposal, which includes two residential condominium towers of 45 and 55 storeys, a trio of three-storey buildings and an expanded park on land on the west side of Bay Street between St. Joseph and St. Mary streets.

The development has run into opposition from parishioners -- more than 1,400 of whom signed a petition submitted to council yesterday -- who say the project will leave church-goers without parking six days per week, block a back entrance for the disabled and sully the look and feel of the area.

Moreover, they say St. Basil's was not given a fair chance to weigh in. They want the proposal sent back for further review and consultation.

"The parish was told, not asked," said Linda Cahill, a parishioner at St. Basil's, who attended yesterday's council meeting to deliver the petition with the help of Jenny Hood, a member of the St. Michael's College student union who also opposes the development.

But Councillor Kyle Rae, whose ward includes St. Basil's, says members of the 151-year-old Roman Catholic Church were provided ample opportunity to comment, particularly when city staff attended a meeting at the church in December.

"I'm in favour of this [development] and so is the neighbourhood," Mr. Rae said. "We've been working on it for more than a year.

Right now, the site features a parkette, part of a playing field and a 150-space parking lot, all owned by St. Michael's College, a Catholic college affiliated with the U of T.

St. Michael's has agreed to sell the plot to developer Rattling Chain International Inc.

If Rattling Chain International's proposal is approved, the surface parking lot will be wiped out, leaving St. Basil's parishioners to scramble for parking every day but Sunday, when St. Michael's has agreed to make 80 spots available at a lot south of St. Joseph Street.

St. Basil's offers as many as five masses daily for its 4,300 members, plus services to others who use the building.

Father Paul McGill, a priest at the church, said the loss of parking is a serious concern, but he also decried the design and size of the condominium, calling the towers "sterile" and "monstrous."

He dismissed Mr. Rae's contention that the church was consulted.

"That is really quite laughable," Rev. McGill said.

In April,, 2006, the developer submitted a proposal asking to erect three tall towers of 25, 37 and 45 storeys, and three six-storey buildings, on the site.

Strong community opposition to that plan prompted Mr. Rae to assemble an 11-member working group comprised of city planners, community members, employees of the developer, but no direct members of the church.

In October, 2007, the developer re-submitted its plan with changes hashed out by the working group.

An open house on the new proposal was held Nov. 5 -- which Rev. Mc-Gill called little more than a "show and tell" --and city planning staff attended a parish meeting at St. Basil's to talk about the proposal on Dec. 3.

Mr. Rae praised the project, saying it will enhance the campus.

"I think it's an excellent design. It's one of the best projects I've seen in my constituency."

kgrant@nationalpost.com

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/03/04/god-versus-condos-sort-of.aspx

AoD
 
Approved

This project was approved by city council last night....

Parking cherished, condos more so

TheStar.com - GTA - Parking cherished, condos more so

March 05, 2008
Jim Byers
Paul Moloney
John Spears

To hear most councillors tell it, it's an attempt to unpave a parking lot and put up a paradise. But some folks are still angry about redevelopment plans for land around a historic Bay St. church.

Toronto council yesterday voted 37-1 in favour of building condominium towers of 55 and 45 storeys just north of St. Basil's Church at St. Joseph St.

Downtown councillor Kyle Rae said the buildings will be stunning landmarks on a site perfect for high-density housing as it's on the Bay bus line and near several subway stations. He said the church won't be cast in shadows and a park set to replace a surface parking lot will be a worthy addition to an area lacking public green space.

Former St. Michael's College president James McConica said the school has been trying to develop the property since 1998 and that this plan is "500 per cent better" than the original scheme.

Rae said students and St. Basil's parishioners were consulted frequently. But those opposing the plan said they're upset because they'll lose a badly needed 150-space parking lot.

"We have to look at our options, but it's definitely not over," said Linda Cahill, a St. Basil's parishioner who helped organize a petition asking for more public consultation. "They know that we know that we weren't consulted."
 
Quite amusing. A parking lot used by 150 people once a week used as a justification to not build something. Surely one of the lamer arguments we've heard in recent years.
 

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