Toronto Waterlink at Pier 27 | 43.89m | 14s | Cityzen | a—A

Pier 27's sales brochure is a Coffee book.

The sales "brochure" of Pier 27 is extremely impressive.

It's like a high quality soft cover coffee table book.

Hopefully it reflects in the building construction and materials as well.
 
According to the latest issue of Condo Life mag, they are planning the release of second phase way ahead of schedule due to quick sale of the first. Apparently it sold out within a week!
 
Very nice rendering. Something like this would have looked interesting near the Distillery area.
 
That kind of site plan would be fine -- in North York. My worst fears about this development have been confirmed. It's packed with culs-de-sac and is very much a private, enclosed community at the most important undeveloped site on the waterfront. What possible amenities are there to draw people who don't live there? I can only hope that WaterfronToronto does something interesting with its property. What's wrong with having something along the water that actually draws people in at the foot of Toronto's main street? Shops? Restaurants? Community facilities? Theatres? Anything?

Restaurants would obviously be successful at such a prominent location and with such outstanding water views. The developer doesn't want them, though, since they want to portray an image of exclusivity for this development. It's great for the condo buyers that they're working so hard to keep out the hoi polloi, but rather less good for the city as a whole.
 
I'm in agreement with Unimaginative on this. I really think the building itself is nice, and if a condo was to be built ont he water, the concept is the best- lower in height, with the bridge thing to open up the site, but the site plan really stinks, and that is why I am agreeing with him.

A restaurant/patio like Snug Harbour makes so much sense here - watch the ferries come and go, in winter, watch the mist off the lake from inside, there's employment and residental around. It's the exclusivity that bugs me, even the malligned Harbour Square (probably the Harbourfront's worst development) at least has retail at the bottom and is open at the back (but hidden).
 
Exactly Sean Trans. I wasn't clear enough, but I do love the buildings' design, and the renderings look very impressive. I'm sure they'll turn out to be quite attractive. My problem is with their relationship to the community. I think the last thing that our waterfront needs is more exclusive, single-use, superblock developments. Where's Jane Jacobs when we need her?
 
They likely will be allowed, but why would they? The waterfront walk is discontinuous, and the area is lined with private entrances to townhouses. There's nothing to draw people down to the water. I would add that they will almost certainly do everything they can to discourage outsiders from spending any length of time around a privately-owned waterfront lined with multimillion dollar condos' front doors.
 
Perhaps the water will draw people down to the water; or the fact that Pier 27 will have a wide promenade that will link up with the other waterfront promenades that are being created to the east and west of it; or the knowledge that in the past 30 years the mysterious "they" haven't discouraged outsiders from spending any length of time on the land to the south of the privately-owned Harbour Square condominiums nearbye either; or for the pleasure of avoiding vendors every few paces; or the simple joy of walking ...
 
Exactly. Torontonians will go wherever they like... who dreamed up this myth that Harbour Square shut out all but the residents? It's the best place to pick up a gypsy cab to the Islands during festivals and avoid the long ferry line-ups.
 
Urban Shocker said:
Perhaps the water will draw people down to the water; or the fact that Pier 27 will have a wide promenade that will link up with the other waterfront promenades that are being created to the east and west of it; or the knowledge that in the past 30 years the mysterious "they" haven't discouraged outsiders from spending any length of time on the land to the south of the privately-owned Harbour Square condominiums nearbye either; or for the pleasure of avoiding vendors every few paces; or the simple joy of walking ...
Click to expand...

I know you feel differently than many people about this, but I, along with many other people, do not enjoy strolling in places that are hard to tell whether they're public or private, that have no public amenities, and that are blocked from view by monolithic private buildings. I know that you like the fact that few people go behind Harbour Square and so you can consider it an oasis in the city, but I would personally prefer that public space, especially on a bit of land as rare as Yonge Street at the lake, be actually popular with many people, and have amenities that attract people beyond the three summer months.
 
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