22 Wellesley isn't a bad building, there's much worse. I personally don't like all the use of concrete throughout the building such as unpainted balconies, hallways and "feature walls" (concrete walls) in many of the suites.
Precisely!
Too big in terms of what?
Height?
Would 5 storeys off change anything to adjacent properties??
Oh, maybe the floor plate area?
Well, you can dispute that, but existing adjacent properties do not leave much of a setback themselves. Why then the owners of this property should loose potential income only because previously approved construction was so 'inconsiderate'?
In any way, everybody has an opinion.
In the end, development's premise is to make profit.
Nothing shocking for this location.
Indeed. I don't really care about the height here. I should have indicated that I thought it was too big width-wise. Something akin to Theatre Park is needed here.
I don't think being in proximity to a subway station should give developers carte blanche to build as tall and as close to the property line as they see fit. I can name dozens of subway stations that don't have a high-rise anywhere nearby. Although the area Wellesley station isn't exactly devoid of highrises, "the subway defense" seems a bit silly to me.
I really like the way it terraces down to the 8s condo immediately to the north. /sarcasm
The context here is not just Wellesley Street; it's also the mid and low-rise on Dundonald Street to the north. Abutting properties should be addressed by the new building; those living to the north will certainly be consulted for their thoughts as they should be. Why should this building be so much taller than 22 Wellesley right beside it, or the unbuilt 50 Wellesley to the east? What's the rationale?
I'd also reduce the floor plate by 20%. The point of point towers is to allow some sunlight between buildings so that nearby properties get some direct sunlight for a reasonable amount of the day. If the point towers are so chock-a-block that they form a curtain, that sunlight's not going to penetrate.
Wow, this definitely is a bad development from a planning perspective. Way too big for the site. There isn't enough separation from the adjacent tower. This really doesn't adhere to the built form principle in the OP or the Tall Building Guidelines. Bad bad bad. This is simply about the developer's profit margins.
The adjacent wall of 22 Wellesley is an eyesore and I'd love to see it covered. To be honest I'm less concerned with the height and massing of the podium than I am of the design of the podium and streetscape. I dislike the way that 22 Wellesley meets the street, and a second dud in a row might really hurt the feel of the area. Regarding the transition to the neighbourhood, there's also a proposal for something right behind this project anyway, isn't there?