Toronto Union Park | 303.26m | 58s | Oxford Properties | Pelli Clarke Pelli

Of course it isn't, I don't remember for certain if there has been an official announcement to this effect but rumour is that they will continue with a generally similar plan. Maybe shorter office towers and/or reduced hotel towers but the eventual redevelopment is guaranteed. The only people still bitching about whiners and NIMBYs and those who were opposed to a downtown casino are just stirring shit up in a useless attempt to make casino supporters angry and bitter.
 
ptbotrmpfn said:
what this is cancelled completely now? never heard that on the news.
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According to this recent post by Tuscani the twin office towers designed by Foster are still going ahead

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showth...cord-Adex-seeking-66-70s)?p=752616#post752616

Adam Vaughan also mentioned that the project at the convention centre site is going ahead without the casino, and they still have Foster on that project, so it should be a big one. It will rival the Eaton Centre in terms of the amount of retail proposed for the site
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....yet all the rhetoric was about how the casino is the pivot for the project and without it, nothing will proceed. I guess they changed their tune in the aftermath of the vote.
 
Therion said:
....yet all the rhetoric was about how the casino is the pivot for the project and without it, nothing will proceed. I guess they changed their tune in the aftermath of the vote.
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I don't recall Oxford ever saying that. What I recall is them saying that the casino would allow the rest of the project to be built out more quickly. So without the casino, the project would still be built, but at a slower pace.
 
wolfewood said:
The only people still bitching about whiners and NIMBYs and those who were opposed to a downtown casino are just stirring shit up in a useless attempt to make casino supporters angry and bitter.
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I can't figure out who that sentence refers to - but that's not me. I thought that without the casino they wouldn't bother with the project. Why would anyone want to make casino supporters any more angry and bitter?
I was kinda angry and bitter that we didn't get a casino. Pretty much every major city in the rest of the world(and a lot of minor ones, too) have at least one downtown casino....it's just another feature of urban entertainment. Sydney is about to build it's second casino by their famous harbour. Seemed to me that in Toronto, the old undercurrent of Victorian moral self-righteousness for which Toronto was once well known("Toronto the Good") raised it's head and quashed a good opportunity.

Happy to find out this project may still go ahead.
 
M.Harris said:
... I thought that without the casino they wouldn't bother with the project....Happy to find out this project may still go ahead.
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Given that Oxford has assembled the entire block between Simcoe Street and Blue Jays Way, from the south side of Front Street to the railway tracks, to think that they might not bother with the project? If I recall correctly, I believe that the sale of the convention centre portion to a development company included the requirement that the purchaser redevelop the north side convention centre space. And what to do with the buildings that have been occupied by the Royal Bank? Once the Bank completes its move out, let them sit empty? The 325 Front Street building in particular was purpose built space, so could be a challenge to rent out again.

Being pension fund owned, Oxford has deep pockets of patient money - looking for returns to fund their pensioners over a many year period. I agree with those whose understanding is that the redesign of the MTCC redevelopment was well under way with the same basic parameters and design team before the casino hosting option serendipitously came up, and then subsequently disappeared.
 
M.Harris said:
Pretty much every major city in the rest of the world(and a lot of minor ones, too) have at least one downtown casino....it's just another feature of urban entertainment. Sydney is about to build it's second casino by their famous harbour. Seemed to me that in Toronto, the old undercurrent of Victorian moral self-righteousness for which Toronto was once well known("Toronto the Good") raised it's head and quashed a good opportunity.
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Id say in 10 years with a new mayor, new council, new premier, Toronto should be just fine to try again and land a downtown casino

M.Harris said:
Happy to find out this project may still go ahead.
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Hmm, im worried of all the residential density going up in this area, and hoping for a massive commercial only component for this location
 
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AHK said:
Given that Oxford has assembled the entire block between Simcoe Street and Blue Jays Way, from the south side of Front Street to the railway tracks, to think that they might not bother with the project? If I recall correctly, I believe that the sale of the convention centre portion to a development company included the requirement that the purchaser redevelop the north side convention centre space. And what to do with the buildings that have been occupied by the Royal Bank? Once the Bank completes its move out, let them sit empty? The 325 Front Street building in particular was purpose built space, so could be a challenge to rent out again.

Being pension fund owned, Oxford has deep pockets of patient money - looking for returns to fund their pensioners over a many year period. I agree with those whose understanding is that the redesign of the MTCC redevelopment was well under way with the same basic parameters and design team before the casino hosting option serendipitously came up, and then subsequently disappeared.
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Thanks for the insight.
 
Was it ever in doubt that Oxford would go ahead with this project? This is perhaps the most valuable piece of underdeveloped land in the entire city and they'd just sit on it? Because Oxford's project becomes so much more valuable facing south toward the waterfront and parkland and with CN and other rail corridor air rights owners salivating at this opportunity to finally cash in, there's a good chance that the park deck over the corridor will also go ahead. Adam Vaughan will be keen to add new public parkland for free and his opposition to this project went away with the casino. The ducks are all lined up.
 
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AHK said:
..And what to do with the buildings that have been occupied by the Royal Bank? Once the Bank completes its move out, let them sit empty? The 325 Front Street building in particular was purpose built space, so could be a challenge to rent out again.
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Given the scale of the project, the time frame, as well as the value of the land, it's likely that the RBC building and it's neighbor will be razed to make way for something new.
 
I hadn't seen the update that they plan to proceed even without the casino. Great news.

Any updates on this?
 
syn said:
I hadn't seen the update that they plan to proceed even without the casino. Great news.

Any updates on this?
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From AndrewJM3D on SSC:

Thanks to a Thanksgiving dinner with a high up at Oxford I can drop this little tid bit. Expect movement on this around Feb. Some good some bad news but more good then bad. This will still be the skyline game changer we all crave.
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My own guess on the bad news: the hotel towers have been dropped. Nothing to really support this conclusion, but without the casino, the tourist traffic would be significantly less. The office towers should be unaffected, though. No idea about if decking the tracks is still planned.

edit -- changed SSP to SSC
 
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