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Yonge Street Revitalization (Downtown Yonge BIA/City of Toronto)

MisterF said:
A cheaper alternative to granite is concrete unit pavers. They're not granite but they look a lot better than poured concrete slabs. They're more expensive than poured concrete but well worth it imo.

Were Toronto's streets ever paved in cobblestone? Toronto should be uncovering the brick paving on its older streets. Often they're on side streets where you don't need a smooth driving surface.
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Concrete unit pavers are a good option as well to compliment areas with granite sidewalks. I hope BIAs around the city considering using them. I think streets in the St. Lawrence Market area would really be enhanced with some granite sidewalks and cobblestones because concrete and asphalt doesn't compliment the rich 19th century history and landmarks of the area. King Street was the first street in Toronto to be paved with stone, if I recall correctly from Toronto: No Mean City. Also, remember that the TTC used to use cobblestones around streetcar tracks, so there was cobblestone on Toronto streets far into the streetcar suburbs.

Uncovering brick paving is also a good idea. From what I've seen, the city has done that so far only on some obscure residential streets in affluent areas.
 
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Though through all sorts of rebuilding, how much brick paving *does* remain anymore beneath the asphalt? (Other than along the curb edges--which *is* a Toronto hallmark.)
 
adma said:
Actually, IIRC the overhead streetlights were removed when the Yonge Subway was built (that's back when overhead lighting was viewed as urban blight). The original wall-mounted streetlights were porthole/diving-helmet-like affairs, some of which survive (eg. on Dickinson's Prudential Building at King + Yonge); by the 80s they were being replaced by the black-box wedge lights of which you speak. Which in recent years have fallen into neglect and disrepair; meanwhile, those stretches of Yonge under BIA jurisdiction to the north and south have had street lighting reinstated, so don't be surprised if this stretch follows suit...
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Thanks for the info, adma.
 
I never understood why it was important to brand Yonge between Queen and College as "Downtown Yonge"

To me, Yonge is "downtown" from Queens Quay right up to Davenport, at which point in goes into Rosedale.
 
Buldings renovation

dahusbandofbath said:
Thanks for that, TrickyRicky! I can see how longer tenancies could lead to more pride of place, but I suspect well kept Swiss, Badish and Bavarian buildings have mostly a culture of orderliness and perfection to thank. I can think of many old buildings in Toronto with very old tenants who have never developed a sense of responsibility for their premises. I suspect that if we went after unkept buildings the way New York went after graffiti in the subways, we'd see a virtuous knock on effect as did New York.
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In some places local municipality renovates neglected buildings and after that send the bill to their propriators.
Why not here at least in Downtown Toronto?
 
It wont work here because business here already pays super high property taxes. If the city does this, than businesses will go under and simply move to the 905. That will not be a benefit to our city. If the city needs extra money it should jack up the single family dwelling rates, as those are the folks who can afford increases to pay for fixing up the aesthetics of our fair city.
 
renvel said:
In some places local municipality renovates neglected buildings and after that send the bill to their propriators.
Why not here at least in Downtown Toronto?
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Mayor Ford'll probably prefer to enact Brantfordian south-side-of-Colborne tactics along Yonge...
 
lead82 said:
It wont work here because business here already pays super high property taxes. If the city does this, than businesses will go under and simply move to the 905. That will not be a benefit to our city. If the city needs extra money it should jack up the single family dwelling rates, as those are the folks who can afford increases to pay for fixing up the aesthetics of our fair city.
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In the end, businesses need well-maintained buildings. A business can go under if the building it's located in caves in. It would help businesses to know that Toronto's stock of heritage buildings are maintained to standards that won't compromise their livelihood as tenants. They also want buildings that are attractive to make a good impression on customers.
 
^ Not to mention safety issues. I'd like to know that it's ok to use the sidewalk adjacent to heritage buildings without having to worry about the wall coming down on my head; Or the heads of the people inside the building.

Lead82, do you live in Toronto? If not, why not. The taxes are so low, it just just makes sense.
 
coat of paint

Dilla said:
^ Not to mention safety issues. I'd like to know that it's ok to use the sidewalk adjacent to heritage buildings without having to worry about the wall coming down on my head; Or the heads of the people inside the building.

Lead82, do you live in Toronto? If not, why not. The taxes are so low, it just just makes sense.
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In most cases coat of frsh paint will do the job. Althouh total restoration / renovation would be fantastic!
How about to bring down this idea to upcoming City Hall elected officials?
 
What is the history of the building on the SW corner of Yonge & Gerrard?
 
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