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To close out 2019, we are taking a look at the 10 most popular UrbanToronto Database files, Forum Threads, and News Stories from across the entire year.
Several new and updated proposals, construction projects, and long-term visions from around the Greater Toronto Area made news over the course of 2019. The year's top ten featured a mix of new and refined proposals that include skyline-altering "supertalls", large-scale master plans, transit news, and even proposals from out-of-town.
10. Commerce Court 3 Plan Gets an Elegant Makeover
In the #10 spot, updated plans for the proposed Commerce Court 3 office tower were submitted to the City in March, 2019. Plans call for the new 64-storey, 169,781 square metre tower in the Financial District to feature a design by Hariri Pontarini and architect of record Adamson Associates on behalf of owner, the QuadReal Property Group. We hear another update is coming soon!
9. Council Approves Niagara Falls' New Tallest Building
At #9, a proposed 72-storey, mixed-use tower set to become the tallest in Niagara Falls was approved at a Council meeting in that city in November, 2019. 6609 Stanley Avenue is set to rise 253.45 metres high, surpassing the 56-storey, 177.1 m/581 ft north tower of the Hilton Niagara Falls, which has been the tallest building in that city since 2009.
8. Sales Decline as Greater Toronto Area Condo Prices Rise
Our 8th most popular article of the year was one of several reports released by the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) throughout 2019. The first quarterly report of 2019 showed a continued decline in condominium apartment sales in the Greater Toronto Area, as average home prices continued to climb higher and an increase in new listings helped curb the tight housing market. The market moved up again later in the year.
7. Westbank and Allied Have BIG Plans for Union Centre Tower
The #7 spot was taken by an article from March, 2019 covering the proposed Union Centre development, a 52-storey office tower proposed west of Union Station in Downtown Toronto designed by world renowned BIG for Westbank and Allied. The building would rise 267 metres into the city skyline.
6. Three-Tower Mixed-Use Complex Proposed at Yonge and St Clair
At #6, a proposal submitted by Wittington Properties Limited in April, 2019 calls for a three-tower development at 1535 Yonge, just north of St. Clair, that includes condominiums rising above significant ground-level retail and pedestrian space.
5. Infrastructure Ontario Issues RFP for Massive GO Rail Expansion
Our #5 article of the year is from May, 2019, when Infrastructure Ontario announced that four teams pre-qualified to bid on the On-Corridor Works project for GO RER (regional express rail) to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the massive overhaul of the rail network.
4. Plans Unveiled for Oxford's 'Union Park' Development on Front
In 4th place, a June, 2019 story covering Oxford's new plans for a redevelopment of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre took in plenty of views. Known as Union Park, the $3.5 billion multi-tower proposal calls for 4.3 million-square feet of mixed-use space on a 4-acre site bounded by Blue Jays Way, the John Street bridge, Front Street, and the southern edge of the Union Station rail corridor.
3. Mirvish+Gehry Development Resubmitted as Two Supertalls
Moving into out top three of 2019, the tallest proposed Frank Gehry-designed structures in the world are now proposed to reach even greater heights than before. This article from January, 2019 detailed updated plans for Great Gulf, Dream Unlimited, and Westdale Properties' Mirvish+Gehry Toronto, with towers now set to rise to heights of 301.55 metres and 329 metres.
2. First Capital Submits Urban Vision for 28 Acre Christie's Plant Site
Our second most popular article of the year appeared in October, 2019 and highlighted new plans from First Capital to build a massive mixed-use community on their 28-acre Christie's factory site in Etobicoke's Humber Bay Shores area. The new community would be home to 15 towers with heights greater than 20 storeys tall, the tallest one proposed to top out at 71 storeys.
1. Ontario Government Lines Up New Toronto Transit Plan
2019's biggest news story covered the controversial plan from the provincial government to replace plans for the Downtown Relief Line with the "Ontario Line" connecting the Science Centre and Ontario Place. The April, 2019 proposal is the keystone of a $28.5 billion plan to expand "Ontario's" transit network for which the province is committing $11.2 billion.
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