Toronto Wellesley on the Park | 194.15m | 60s | Lanterra | KPMB

I'm really glad that the park will not go through. Not because I think that this specific lot needs to be developed (I really don't), but because Wong-Tam's involvement would've meant that the surrounding 50 blocks have height limits imposed due to narrow minded "shadowing concerns." No thanks.
 
DtTO said:
I'm really glad that the park will not go through. Not because I think that this specific lot needs to be developed (I really don't), but because Wong-Tam's involvement would've meant that the surrounding 50 blocks have height limits imposed due to narrow minded "shadowing concerns." No thanks.
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Wong-Tam pulls her agenda by extensively consulting with the communities in affected areas, such as the need for more parks in this area. Have a clue of what your talking about.
The Yonge Street North Planning Framework will hopefully solve (and save) the street, but not the surrounding 50 blocks :confused:
 
30 January 2013: Forget a park what this area needs: Gorgeous 6-8s streetwall, kinda like my Kirk&i massing sketch.

20130130144352.jpg


Not more boring glass or precast or beige, but brick . Just gave me an idea ... ;)
 
urbandreamer said:
30 January 2013: Forget a park what this area needs: Gorgeous 6-8s streetwall, kinda like my Kirk&i massing sketch.
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Says one Junction resident with a half dozen parks in his nabe including High Park to the south, serving easily 1/10th the density of this area, and growing rapidly. Nothing personal UD - respect, just trying to make a point.
 
This would be a great site to re-introduce the Context King West pedestrian laneway concept. With density in the area about to explode in the near future, there needs to be more creative public space made available to residents. A laneway lined with retail running through the site, along with a public square with options for cafe/patio space would be of huge benefit to the area.
 
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I used to live in this neighbourhood, and still find myself here often, running errands or walking home. I love using the alleyway in the picture above. Between College and Bloor, it, together with St. Nicholas Street, provides a very fast and interesting walk, while avoiding all of the slower pedestirans on Yonge. I have been furstrated for the past year or so by the closure of one of the more interesting parts of the alley in and around the "Five" development at St. Joseph; however, I'm hopeful that when that development is completed a pedestrian walkway will be open once more, linking up to the bottom of St. Ncholas. (Sorry, didn't mean to go off-topic at all...)
 
This would have been the perfect place to set a "Cathedral Square" type patio-plaza as envisioned by 3Dementia, with heaps of deep parking underneath. It's got the space the Mutual-Shuter lot lacks, and the income, population and traffic. Part of it could be green park, but having it largely be an active plaza would take away a lot of the worries about it being static, stagnant or undesirable. It could be, in effect, a second Dundas Square, but with treed, green and garden areas. If it had programmed activity, like Dundas Square, it could be a missing activity link between Bay and Yonge. It could even fit a tiny, jewel-box musical venue in to validate the Opera Place name.

If the backs of the Yonge Street stores were reconfigured, and the rest partially framed by lowrises with retail/hospitality on the ground level and living above...it could easily work.

http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g371/Canadian__National/op_zps4ffc02df.jpg
 
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CanadianNational said:
This would have been the perfect place to set a "Cathedral Square" type patio-plaza as envisioned by 3Dementia, with heaps of deep parking underneath. It's got the space the Mutual-Shuter lot lacks, and the income, population and traffic. Part of it could be green park, but having it largely be an active plaza would take away a lot of the worries about it being static, stagnant or undesirable. It could be, in effect, a second Dundas Square, but with treed, green and garden areas. If it had programmed activity, like Dundas Square, it could be a missing activity link between Bay and Yonge. It could even fit a tiny, jewel-box musical venue in to validate the Opera Place name.

If the backs of the Yonge Street stores were reconfigured, and the rest partially framed by lowrises with retail/hospitality on the ground level and living above...it could easily work.

http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g371/Canadian__National/op_zps4ffc02df.jpg
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Great idea CN. I could support something like this.
 
I too thought this would be a great location for something similar to the Cathedral Square piazza. The Shuter/Mutual block was chosen not only because it is an entire city block steps from Yonge and Queen, but because the piazza component would be washed in all day sun (and wind protected by the east/west/north built form) due to the lowrise character of historic Queen and Church (virtually no shadowing). I've stood on the parking lot in sunny 0 degree February weather days (windless) with an open jacket.

Of course the transformative nature of the project at Mutual/Shuter (anchoring east of Yonge change) was/is a significant legacy goal.

So... let's do both locations.
 
prettyflamingo said:
I haven't read any official announcement about the park not happening. Could it be just an idiot troll?
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Not likely, the day after the initial post it snowed and the sidewalks around the property were actually plowed. This is not something that ever happened when the Ontario government owned the property. My guess is it is a done deal. No announcement has been made because the city or other interested parties who wanted to make a park are now discussing with the developer for options instead of the government. I'm sure the city will offer height here for some park. I was discussing with Wong-Tam once and she expressed interest in connecting St. Luke Ln to St. Nicholas Ln, and also the closing of Breadalbane beside the YMCA for park space. I expect her vision is farther from reality now depending on the developers wishes.
 
confusion said:
...closing of Breadalbane beside the YMCA for park space.
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Hmm, I hadn't heard this suggestion before, but I like it. A relatively small park combined with the little park they already have behind the Y, without the street cutting through the middle of it, would add up to a pretty decent sized green space. Maybe a little something like this (only not so hastily sketched)?

breadalbane.jpg


Breadalbane isn't exactly a major thoroughfare, so I wouldn't think closing it would be too disruptive to traffic. And presumably the city still has that park budget to spend here, in addition to whatever they can wring out of the developer in exchange for increased building height. I dunno, call me a crazy dreamer if you must, but this almost seems somewhat practical.
 

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That's a good compromise Loozrboy, the best we can probably hope for at this point.
 
Loozrboy said:
Hmm, I hadn't heard this suggestion before, but I like it. A relatively small park combined with the little park they already have behind the Y, without the street cutting through the middle of it, would add up to a pretty decent sized green space. Maybe a little something like this (only not so hastily sketched)?

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Breadalbane isn't exactly a major thoroughfare, so I wouldn't think closing it would be too disruptive to traffic. And presumably the city still has that park budget to spend here, in addition to whatever they can wring out of the developer in exchange for increased building height. I dunno, call me a crazy dreamer if you must, but this almost seems somewhat practical.
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You greened over the car loop at the back of 909 Bay. That's not going to happen.
 
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