Monthly Archives: October 2011

Accent panels on Paintbox Condo tower exterior add colour to Regent Park’s growing skyline

Paintbox Condominiums at Toronto's Regent Park

October 31 2011: Windows, cladding and coloured accent panels recently installed on the NE corner of the Paintbox Condominiums tower in Regent Park

 

Paintbox Condominiums in Toronto's Regent Park

October 31 2011: The west side of the Paintbox Condominium tower, under construction on Dundas Street East in the heart of Regent Park

 

Colour palette: Construction of the Paintbox Condominium tower has climbed above 22 storeys, leaving just four more floors to be built before the newest highrise addition to Regent Park tops off. Meanwhile, window and cladding installation is well underway on the four-storey podium plus the tower’s bottom seven floors. In fitting with the building’s name, the tower’s dark grey exterior features multicoloured, horizontal accent panels above and below the windows on each floor — adding welcome touches of colour to a once-dour district currently undergoing a massive multibillion-dollar redevelopment.

Rising at 591 Dundas Street East at the intersection of Sackville Street, Paintbox Condos is part of Phase 2 of the multi-year Regent Park Revitalization program. The redevelopment, which will see the construction of additional condo and apartment towers, plus low-rise and townhouse residence components,  commenced several years ago and could take up to 12 more years to complete.

A project of The Daniels Corporation, Paintbox will have 284 units ranging in size from 392 to 925 square feet, starting at $200,000. The building was designed by Toronto’s Diamond + Schmitt Architects. Below are more photos, taken today, showing progress on the condominium tower as well as the new Regent Park Arts and Cultural Centre under construction at its base. Photos of Paintbox Condos from earlier this year can be viewed in my July 15 2011 post, which includes a link to an online photo album showing Regent Park Revitalization project Phase 1 & 2 construction activity.

 

Paintbox Condominiums billboard

Paintbox Condo tower illustration on a Dundas Street billboard

 

Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre

October 31 2011: Paintbox Condominiums rises above the west end of the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre under construction on Dundas Street East between Sumach and Sackville Streets

 

Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre

October 31 2011: Window and cladding installation at the northeast corner of the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre

 

Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre

October 31 2011: The north side of the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre extends along Dundas Street East

 

Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre

October 31 2011: Paintbox tower rising at the west end of the culture centre

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: Window and cladding installation on the tower’s NE corner

 

Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre and Paintbox Condominiums

Octover 31 2011: Looking up the condo from the west end of the cultural centre

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: Windows and cladding have been installed on the first seven floors above the four-storey condo podium

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: Looking up the northeast corner of the tower

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: Paintbox condo tower viewed looking east along Dundas Street

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: Lower half of the tower viewed from the north side of Dundas, just west of Sackville Street

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 201: Part of the four-storey podium on the tower’s west flank

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: The condo tower will soar 26 storeys above the podium

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: Window and cladding details on the tower’s west side

 

Paintbox Condominiums

October 31 2011: More windows, cladding and balconies on the west wall

 

 

Wellesley/Sherbourne condo tower proposal gets rough ride at city meeting with area residents

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

This artistic rendering depicts the 38-storey condo tower that Toronto developer Diamondcorp has planned for 159 Wellesley Street East, at the southwest corner of Sherbourne and Wellesley Streets. The image appears on a development proposal sign posted on the property.

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto tower renderings

These illustrations of the tower proposed for 159 Wellesley Street East appeared on the Diamondcorp website

 

Strong opposition: A proposal for a 38-storey condo tower at the intersection of Wellesley and Sherbourne Streets has drawn fire from area residents who think the project is too tall, sorely lacks green space, family-sized units and adequate parking facilities, and will seriously worsen congestion in what is already one of the world’s most densely-populated downtown neighbourhoods.

“This is a monster building. Can we chop it off, please, at the root?” asked a woman who lives in a co-op apartment building directly across the street from the project site. She was one of more than 20 neighbourhood residents who spoke during a community consultation meeting that city planners and Ward 27 Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam held last night to get feedback on the Diamondcorp development plan.

The “monster” comment struck a chord with many of the 40 people who attended the meeting: only one person spoke in support of the condo plan, while everyone else who addressed the meeting voiced complaints and criticisms about specific elements of the project as well as its perceived negative impact on the community.

 

City notice didn’t reach residents

Held in a cramped meeting room in a Catholic church one block north of the project site, the city feedback session probably would have attracted a bigger crowd had more neighbourhood residents received official city notice of the event. However, much to the disappointment and dismay of Councillor Wong-Tam and city planner Giulio Cescato, the city’s bulk mailing was not delivered to many addresses in the immediate area, including the 39-storey Verve condominium and the 34-storey 500 Sherbourne condo tower across the street. Visibly angry residents gave the city planner and Councillor an earful about the lack of notice, and were told another meeting might be scheduled to get input from people who failed to receive the mailing. [A similar delivery problem occurred with city notices mailed out to advise of a community consultation held last week for a tower development at 2-8 Gloucester Street; many residents on nearby streets did not receive word about that meeting.]

 

326 units with street-level retail space

Diamondcorp has proposed a 38-storey tower with 326 condos, of which 216 would be 1-bedroom and the rest 2-bedroom units. There would be no 3-bedroom suites. The building would have a 4-storey podium with 2,300 square feet of street-level retail space and three residential floors, topped by a 34-storey point tower. A gym, party room, lounge and outdoor amenity space would be situated atop the podium on the fifth floor.  The entrance to the condo would be from Sherbourne Street, as would vehicular access to the building’s garbage and loading zones. Access to the underground parking garage, which would hold 126 private parking spots and four visitor spaces, would be from Wellesley Street East. The building would have 195 bicycle parking spaces.

Designed by Quadrangle Architects Limited of Toronto, the 116-meter highrise would feature gentle curves, a masonry-clad podium, and distinctive coloured glass panels on its corner windows. The tower would be set back 3 meters from Sherbourne Street, 4 metres from Wellesley Street, 5 meters from the laneway to its west, and 3.5 metres from the 3-storey retail and apartment building to its south.

 

Site poses environmental legacy issues

Diamondcorp acquired the 159 Wellesley East site in December 2010, and is developing its condo project in affiliation with Kilmer Brownfield Equity Fund L.P.

Kilmer managing partner David Harper told the community meeting that, until 1930, a residential building sat on the corner site. From the early 1930s until late last year, vehicle fuel service stations carried on business there; in fact, the Shell corporation owned the property from 1935 to 2010. Most recently, a Beaver gas station and a Baker’s Dozen donut shop occupied the site.

Since gas stations operated at 159 Wellesley East for 80 years, there are significant environmental “legacy issues” requiring remediation before the site can be redeveloped, Mr. Harper said. The underground gasoline tanks and “gas product infrastructure” have already been removed, and soil and ground water testing has been undertaken in consultation with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. This remediation activity is “highly regulated” by the province, Mr. Harper said.

 

‘Exciting’ infill development project

Les Klein, a principal of Quadrangle Architects, described the project’s architectural elements. He said he was “very excited” by 159 Wellesley East, which he called a “classic City of Toronto infill development project” featuring “high quality urban design.”

“We have taken the incredible challenges of the unique shape of the site,”  he said, and designed a tower that is “very different from the typical glass boxes” seen throughout the City. Quadrangle’s tower design features “gentler curves” instead of “sharp edges,” and wherever the building curves, “we’ve introduced a series of coloured panels,” Mr. Klein said. He added that the four-storey podium is “in keeping” with the height of the elementary school just south of the site, as well as the Wellesley Central Place/Rekai Centre for long-term care on the north side of Wellesley Street.

 

Parking, transportation and congestion concerns

But neighbourhood residents weren’t enthusiastic about the design, and in fact were upset merely by the prospect of a condo tower of any height rising on the site.

The first speaker, a senior citizen named Olive who lives two blocks away on Maitland Place, received a hearty round of applause and numerous complimentary comments after spending five full minutes criticizing multiple aspects of the proposal. “Esthetically, it doesn’t fit in with nearby buildings,” while the tower is “out of proportion” for the corner, she said. She slammed the design for failing to provide landscaping and greenery at street level, and for failing to take into account serious “parking and transportation issues” in what is “already a busy area.” She said she thought 126 parking spaces for owners was insufficient, while a mere four spaces for visitors was woefully inadequate. Jim, another Maitland Place condo resident, agreed that four visitor spaces “seems sparse.”

Karen, an owner in a 34-unit condo complex on nearby Jarvis Street, said the tower “is far too tall. I think it should be half that size.” She agreed with Olive that the condo poses problems for transportation, particularly since vehicles making left-hand turns into the underground parking garage will cause lengthy backups along Wellesley Street, which is often clogged with traffic.  “I think we need to reduce congestion in this area,” she said.

Gord, a resident in the 500 Sherbourne condo tower, criticized the proposal for failing to meet many of the highrise building design criteria outlined in the city’s Tall Buildings Downtown Project (which I reported on at length in my May 20 2011 post). “We need thoughtful, careful planning, not a tower that brings more congestion,” he added.

Herb, a resident at the Verve condo tower, said he and many of his neighbours “have great objections to this buildings. It’s way over-developed.” He said Verve’s developer had to make concessions to get that complex built, including setting back the tower, building a low-rise wing with townhouses, and adding landscaping and greenery. Here, however, “the developer makes no concession to the community as far as I can see,” he said, pointing out that 159 Wellesley East would have no greenery, and would create “parking access problems.”

 

Tower height, lack of landscaping criticized

Many in the audience objected to the fact the condo building will extend right to the edge of the property line, against the Wellesley and Sherbourne Street sidewalks, offering absolutely no landscaping or greenery of any kind at street level. Only the fifth-floor amenity space would have landscaping.

A woman who lives on nearby Ontario Street said the tower design is “not attractive,” and complained that there will be no trees on the property — just “a very selfish 5th floor garden.”

Another woman who lives nearby complained that the proposed coloured window panels “are my least favourite colours,” and added: “I think the height is terrible on that corner. We need green space terribly. Why not put [the building] on pillars like OCAD and have a public park underneath?” she suggested.

A woman named Ava called the project “a monster building” and agreed that green space is desperately needed on the property. “We need a community that allows us to grow in that space. We don’t need retail. We need imagination. You are not bringing imagination — you are bringing a monster to us.”

Mark, a resident in the nearly 100-year-old Ernescliffe co-op apartment buildings across the street on Sherbourne, said Ernescliffe residents have “serious concerns about the nature and scope of the project,” particularly the fact the tower will cast shadows over the co-op’s outdoor common elements. He, too, decried the lack of green space in the project,” and complained that “the developer hasn’t mentioned bringing anything of substantial value to the community,” such as a swimming pool badly needed at the nearby Wellesley Community Centre.

Other speakers echoed those sentiments, pointing out that the neighbourhood lacks green space and public amenities, while those that do exist — including the relatively new community centre and the St James Town branch of the Toronto public library — are already being used to full capacity.

 

Increased neighbourhood noise?

Several commentators, including Bill from the 17-storey rental apartment building at 155 Wellesley East, worried that the condo’s rooftop mechanical equipment will increase noise nuisance in the neighbourhood and “add to the hum of the city.” A woman from 200 Wellesley East agreed that “the noise level is going to go up tremendously.”

Only one person, Ken from 40 Homewood Avenue, voiced support for the project. “That corner needs something,” he said, pointing out that the gas station and donut shop that previously occupied the property had been a haven for drug and prostitution activity “night and day” for years.

However, the woman from 200 Wellesley replied that the tower “is probably the very worst thing that we could have in that area. That highrise will be filled with drugs, pimps and prostitutes.”  A man concurred, saying that condos with many small units like the proposed tower “creates a transient population” and “brings in an element that won’t be part of the community.” [The city planner, Mr. Cescato, interjected to say that statistics actually show that “80% of Toronto’s condos are owner occupied.”]

 

Children’s health at risk?

Several women, including Ava, expressed fears that removal of the contaminated soil from the site will expose residents living nearby to serious health risks when toxins are exposed and released into the air.  They also said they worry that hundreds of high school and elementary schoolchildren who pass the site each day could develop disease and health problems from inhaling the toxic fumes. Glaring at Diamondcorp executive Bob Blazevski, one of the women said: “I hope you can sleep at night.”

Various speakers chided the city for allowing rampant development without taking into account how adding hundreds more residents to a neighbourhood in each new condo tower overstrains limited public amenities and infrastructure, and exacerbates downtown congestion.

“We’re sick and tired of developers driving the zoning,” Connie said, while a man who did not give his name said “It’s an interesting building, but it’s in the wrong place. We need to look at the community, not one building at a time.” And Mark from the Ernescliffe Co-Op said residents are “fed up” with the “ongoing construction” that has disrupted the neighbourhood for the past five years. With the city expected to overhaul Sherbourne Street in 2012 (to accommodate permanent bike lanes), along with the soil remediation and construction likely to take place at 159 Wellesley within the next several years, there is no relief in sight for frustrated area residents, he said.

Below are some photos I’ve taken at the 159 Wellesley East site in recent months. More photos can be viewed in my June 8 2011 post and in my April 19 2011 post about the condo tower proposal. Full details of the Diamondcorp project can be found in a May 16 2011 city planning department preliminary report submitted to Toronto and East York Community Council.

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

The condo tower development proposal sign at 159 Wellesley Street East, seen during this past summer after the gas station and donut shop that formerly occupied the site had been demolished

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

August 20 2011: The north half of the oddly-shaped 159 Wellesley Street East development site, looking east toward apartment towers in St James Town and the Ernescliffe co-op building at 477 Sherbourne Street

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

August 20 2011: Looking east across the southern half of the development site. A three-storey building with upper-level apartments and ground-level retail and restaurants on Sherbourne Street sits to the south of the fence

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

August 22 2011: Wooden hoarding was installed in place of the chain link fence that had surrounded the site while the gas station facilities and donut shop that previously occupied the property were being demolished

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

 September 26 2011: The development proposal sign on hoarding along the Wellesley Street perimeter of the development site

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

September 26 2011: Children from the Art City St James Town program created a mural that appears on hoarding around the 159 Wellesley East site

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

 September 26 2011: 30 children between the ages of 6 and 13 worked on the Art City mural project, which was profiled in an article in the Toronto Star and the Star‘s yourhome.ca website

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

September 26 2011: Sherbourne Street view looking west toward the proposed condo tower site. The apartment building at left is 155 Wellesley St. E., while the condo tower at right rear is the 39-storey Verve at Wellesley & Homewood Ave.

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159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

September 26 2011: Sherbourne Street view of the proposed condo tower site along with its neighbours to the north, the Verve condo tower (left) and the long-term care facility Wellesley Central Place/Rekai Centre

 

159 Wellesley Street East Toronto

September 26 2011: The Wellesley Central Place/Rekai Centre is a long-term care facility at the northwest corner of Wellesley & Sherbourne Streets

 

159 Wellesley East Toronto

This architectural illustration depicts the west elevation of the proposed condo tower. It appears in a May 16 2011 city planning department preliminary report to Toronto and East York Community Council

 

159 Wellesley East Toronto

 

 This site plan, also from the May 16 2011 preliminary city planning report, shows how the proposed tower would fill the corner site

 

 

Hollywood film director slams ‘bizarre’ condo tower proposal for Yonge & Gloucester

Norman Jewison Park Toronto

A 29-storey condo tower proposed for Gloucester Street would cast shadows on Norman Jewison Park as early as 3 pm each afternoon, and would block sunlight from Mr. Jewison’s offices in the 5-storey light-brown brick building at right …

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18 Gloucester Lane Toronto

 … the former Rawlinson Furniture warehouse, constructed in 1878 at 18 Gloucester Lane just east of Yonge Street between Gloucester & Isabella Streets

 

No celebrity endorsement: I have attended a number of community consultation meetings the City has held in the last year to get feedback on proposed condo developments, but this past Tuesday night was the first at which one of Canada’s leading cultural icons stood up to express an opinion. And what world-renowned movie producer/director Norman Jewison had to say was anything but a celebrity endorsement for the condo tower project proposed for 2-8 Gloucester Street.

Mr. Jewison, 85, has offices in a 133-year-old building he owns immediately to the north of the potential condo development site. He told the meeting he was “amazed” that the condo proposal “has gotten so far,” because he had not even been advised that a tower might rise next door, just 3 meters from his windows.

Calling the condo plan “a bizarre idea,” Mr. Jewison expressed dismay that his building “will be completely in shade. Every single window in our building will now be looking into somebody’s bedroom. We’ll have no light. No sun. No view,” he said. “Everything is just squeezed in,” he added, referring to the compact site for the proposed L-shaped, 200,000-square-foot tower which, he said, would bring “a tremendous influx of people into this neighbourhood.”

The acclaimed director and producer of more than two dozen major Hollywood movies which have collectively received 46 Oscar nominations and won 12 Academy Awards, Mr. Jewison was among 25 people who commented on the condo proposal during the two-hour meeting.

As I have previously reported in posts on October 11 2011 and June 22 2011, a developer has applied to the City for zoning changes to permit construction of a 29-storey tower with 211 condominium units next to two heritage buildings at the corner of Yonge and Gloucester Streets. In an August 15 2011 background report, city planners identified 12 main issues with the development plan, and recommended that a community consultation meeting be held to obtain public feedback on the proposal. On September 12 2011, Toronto and East York Community Council directed staff to arrange the consultation session, and the meeting took place this past Tuesday evening at the 519 Church Street Community Centre.

Although many downtown residents and people involved in the condo development industry believe that the ultimate fate of the 2-8 Gloucester project could set the tone for further highrise projects along Yonge Street, turnout was lower than expected. I counted just over 50 people in the room midway through the meeting, but at least 15 of those were city officials, including Ward 27 Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, and the developer’s team of professional consultants and advisors.

Chaired by city planner Diane Silver, the meeting featured presentations by the developer’s planning consultant, Craig Hunter, and its architect, David Pontarini of Toronto’s Hariri Pontarini Architects. They led the audience through a slideshow of illustrations, renderings and photos that suggested how the proposed condo tower might look, and how it would visually and physically impact the surrounding neighbourhood.

Mr. Hunter said the developer has been working with its architects and other consultants for more than a year and half to develop its condo proposal. He said the parties realized the project had to be “sensitive” to the linear park and low-rise neighbourhood to its east, and also had to address transportation, heritage and density concerns. He called the proposal filed with the city “a very compatible fit with the existing mix of buildings in the area.”

Mr. Pontarini noted that his firm has “extensive involvement on North Yonge,” having designed the 45-storey FIVE Condos project currently under construction one block southwest of 2-8 Gloucester, as well as the 70-storey One Bloor condo tower presently being built three blocks north. Hariri Pontarini also was one of the consultants involved in the City of Toronto’s Tall Buildings Downtown Project. “We’re very interested in what’s happening along Yonge Street” and in Yonge Street historical preservation, Mr. Pontarini said, adding that the 2-8 Gloucester project “shows how development could occur along Yonge Street.”

His slide illustrations showed that the project calls for the 1878 Masonic Hall building at 2 Gloucester (a City-designated heritage building that now contains street-level retail, along with upper-level offices and condo units) to be preserved and restored, while the building at 8 Gloucester Street (listed, but not yet designated by the City as a heritage building) probably would be pushed forward closer to Gloucester at the southeast corner of the site. No decision has yet been made as to whether that building will be moved in its entirety, or dismantled and reassembled in the new location. Currently occupied by a restaurant and a nightclub, 8 Gloucester would become a “retail component” of the condo development, Mr. Pontarini said.

The condo entrance, forecourt and lobby would be situated off Gloucester Street, but the developer and architects are still considering “how to position the entrance,” Mr. Pontarini said. All service access to the condo would be from Gloucester Lane, including access to an elevator that would move cars into and out of the two-level, 34-space underground parking garage. Mr. Pontarini did acknowledge that city planners are “not happy with the transitions” that have been proposed between the tower and the two heritage buildings, and said the developer’s team will have to take another look at their design plans. “We want to do something remarkable because it [2 Gloucester] is a remarkable building,” he said.

Audience reaction to the proposal was mixed. I found it curious that several people who spoke in favour of the development used the exact same words, all saying they wanted to  “commend” the developer, and all saying they found the glass tower design “intriguing” and “interesting.” One supporter said he thought the development would be “a plus for the neighbourhood,” while another said she thinks it “will upgrade the neighbourhood and make it more beautiful,” since the project will “improve amenities” in the area. But people who voiced criticism of the development, including several Gloucester Street residents, complained that they haven’t seen any amenity improvements in the area since three major condo towers were built close by on Charles Street.

At least six people objected to the tower’s height, including several who identified themselves as members of the recently-established Church Wellesley Neighbourhood Association (CWNA). One man complained that a 29-storey tower will be “a looming force over the Yonge Street heritage strip,” while another agreed that the tower “doesn’t work with existing buildings” nearby, and “overwhelms” the two heritage buildings incorporated into the development. A third concurred that the project “breaks the context of the low-rise neighbourhood.” 2 Gloucester is “the Crown jewel of Yonge Street between Bloor and College,” he said, but the condo tower would completely “wreck” that context. And a woman who identified herself as a member of the Bay Cloverhill Community Association (BCCA) argued that the condo would be nearly three times too tall as it should be for an area characterized by so many heritage buildings. “The last best piece of heritage left on Yonge Street” is along the strip from Grenville Street to Charles Street, she said, offering the view that “Yonge Street should become a heritage street from top to bottom.” When she asked: “What could you do with a 10-storey building on the lot instead?”, Mr. Hunter replied that it was “not likely” that the developer would work toward building a shorter condo.

Pointing out that most units in the condo tower will be studios or 1-bedrooms, one Gloucester Street resident said she wanted to know “Where do families fit in?” Although the development was being “sensitive to Yonge, what about the side streets?” she asked. “What are you bringing to our neighbourhood?” She noted that, not only would the tower block Mr. Jewison’s office building views and sunlight, but studies showed it would cast shadows on the adjacent Norman Jewison Park — one of the few public green spaces in the area — as early as 3 p.m. each day. Mr. Hunter responded that it was possible some of the condo units could be redesigned in a “convertible” configuration of 2-bedroom plus den or 3-bedroom styles that would be suitable to families. As for what the developer would be doing for the neighbourhood, he said it was proposing “custom crafted” amenities. It had plans to “transform” Gloucester Lane into “a more pedestrian feel,” he said. And while he admitted that the tower would cast afternoon shadows on Norman Jewison Park he said that, with any development, “there are gives and takes.” And, he pointed out, the City’s own mixed-use designation for the site “is meant to accommodate growth.”

Several speakers weren’t critical of the condo plan per se, but of the problems that would be posed by a new building that would bring several hundred more residents into the neighbourhood without a corresponding expansion of city services and resources, especially for transportation. Even though the tower would rise along a subway line, two speakers pointed out that the Yonge subway is already stressed and overcrowded, so adding more residents to the Yonge Street strip will only make a bad problem worse. “That has to be addressed,” said one area resident who complained about subway congestion. Another said it was “incongruous” that the city would consider further intensification in the neighbourhood without balancing that off with improvements to public transit.

And in what I thought was a novel argument, one man said he thought the city must allow the tower to be built because people who will move to downtown Toronto in future years have a “right” to live in buildings such as the one proposed for Gloucester Street.

Getting back to Mr. Jewison, who was upset to learn about what he repeatedly called a “bizarre project” only after the public consultation meeting was scheduled. Mr. Hunter said he had believed someone had contacted Mr. Jewison’s family to discuss the condo development proposal, and had not received any objection to the plan. Nevertheless, he apologized to Mr. Jewison for the oversight in not contacting him directly.

Below are several photos I shot today, showing Mr. Jewison’s building and the proposed condo tower site.

 

Rendering of condo tower proposed for 2 Gloucester Street

This rendering of the 29-storey condo tower proposed for 2-8 Gloucester Street appears on a zoning application sign posted outside the building site

 

Masonic Hall heritage building at 2-8 Gloucester Street Toronto

October 14 2011:  The 1878 Masonic Hall heritage building at the northeast corner of Yonge and Gloucester Streets, viewed from the southwest. The proposed condo tower would rise to the right of the five-storey brown brick building.

 

2-8 Gloucester Street Toronto viewed from the east

 October 14 2011: Looking northwest from Norman Jewison Park toward the proposed condo tower location at 2-8 Gloucester Street

 

2-8 Gloucester Street Toronto tower location

October 14 2011:  The proposed 29-storey condo tower would be built where the two-storey building is situated. Canadian movie producer/director Norman Jewison owns the five-story building on the right, at 18 Gloucester Lane

 

18 Gloucester Lane Toronto

October 14 2011: Mr. Jewison’s building at 18 Gloucester Lane, viewed from the linear park that the City of Toronto named in the film director’s honour

 

18 Gloucester Lane Toronto

October 14 2011: Looking up the east side of 18 Gloucester Lane. The 5-storey brick building was constructed in 1878.

 

18 Gloucester Lane Toronto

October 14 2011: A street-level view of 18 Gloucester Lane, location of the offices for Mr. Jewison’s Yorktown Productions Ltd.

 

18 Gloucester Lane Toronto

October 14 2011: Looking up at the south side of 18 Gloucester Lane. The proposed condo tower would rise only 3 meters away from Mr. Jewison’s building.

 

 

Public gets to give feedback at city meeting tonight for 29-storey Gloucester Street condo proposal

2 Gloucester Street Toronto

A community consultation meeting notice posted outside the 519 Church Street Community Centre advertises tonight’s public feedback session …

 

2 Gloucester Street Toronto

… for a 29-storey condo tower proposed for 2-8 Gloucester Street, seen here in an illustration on a city zoning notice outside the building site

 

Public feedback: What do the neighbours think? That’s what city planning officials will find out this evening during a community consultation meeting being held to gather feedback on a condo highrise planned for the northeast corner of Yonge and Gloucester Streets.

The two-hour presentation and question-and-answer session, taking place at the 519 Church Street Community Centre, will review plans for a 29-storey glass condo tower that would rise next to a 5-storey red brick heritage building constructed in 1888 as a Masonic Hall.

The heritage building, now known as Gloucester Mews, has street-level restaurant and retail tenants, and condominium suites on its upper levels. It would be kept intact as part of the proposed highrise condo development.  A 2.5-storey semidetached building next door, at 8 Gloucester Street, would be “rehabilitated” and incorporated into the base of the proposed highrise , though the rear of the building and an addition behind 6 Gloucester Street would have to be demolished to make way for the condo tower.  6 Gloucester is currently the location of Fire on the East Side restaurant, while 8 Gloucester is home to Olympic 76 Pizza and Fly Nightclub.

Although the 29-storey height of the proposed tower is modest, and though the development would save the historic Masonic Hall, many people in the area believe the condo highrise has serious drawbacks, and are concerned about its potential negative impact on their neighbourhood.

Besides usual concerns about traffic congestion and related issues posed by increased population density on the street, residents are not happy that the development will eliminate two popular outdoor restaurant patios and require the destruction of several mature shade trees on Gloucester Street.  They point out that people are attracted to live downtown not only because of its convenience to transit and workplaces, but also because of the proximity of appealing city amenities like restaurants and bars. And though Torontonians clearly love their downtown patios, fewer than 20 remain on or near Yonge Street along the stretch between Bloor and College Streets. The Fire on the East Side and Olympic 76 Pizza patios will be lost in the 2-8 Gloucester development, while several more patios are threatened by condo development proposals for other nearby Yonge Street locations. Residents worry that the continuing loss of restaurant terraces will rob the neighbourhood of charm, vitality and liveliness. (The street-level Brownstone Bistro & Bar in the Masonic Hall will remain, however, as will its outdoor terrace on Gloucester Street.)

Residents also consider the Yonge-Gloucester intersection to be a gateway to the Church-Wellesley residential area to the east of Yonge Street, and feel that the loss of the tree-shaded patios would be detrimental to this important element of their streetscape. (The building owner told me last month that the trees must be destroyed to permit construction; however, he said he intends to plant as many replacement trees as possible afterwards.) Moreover, there is concern that the tower could cast shadows over adjacent Norman Jewison Park, one of the few public green spaces in the neighbourhood. And some believe that a tall glass box simply doesn’t suit the district’s character.

Below are some recent photos of the 2-8 Gloucester site; additional photos appeared in my June 22 2011 post about the condo proposal.

 

2 Gloucester Street Toronto

Development proposal sign outside 2-8 Gloucester Street

 

Irwin Avenue Toronto

July 9 2011: Looking east along Irwin Avenue toward the Masonic Hall building at the corner of Yonge & Gloucester Streets. The proposed 29-storey glass condo tower would rise behind the red brick heritage building.

 

2-8 Gloucester Street Toronto

July 7 2011: The tree-shaded terraces outside Fire on the East Side and Olympic 76 Pizza on Gloucester Street would be lost as a result of the condo development.

 

2-8 Gloucester Street Toronto

July 8 2011: These mature shade trees would be destroyed to permit construction of the condo. However, replacements would be planted afterwards.

 

Norman Jewison Park Toronto

June 30 2011: Looking west across Norman Jewison Park toward the Gloucester Street site on which the proposed condo tower would rise

 

Gloucester Lane Toronto

July 8 2011: Gloucester Lane extends from Gloucester Street north to Isabella Street. The 2-8 Gloucester condo tower would rise on the left side of the lane.

 

Norman Jewison Park Toronto

July 8 2011: Norman Jewison Park, looking north from Gloucester Street. Some neighbours are concerned about the tower’s shadow impact on this park, one of the few public green spaces in the area.

 

Northeast corner of Yonge & Gloucester Streets Toronto

October 11 2011: The Gloucester Mews (Masonic Hall) building at the northeast corner of Yonge & Gloucester Streets. The Brownstone Bistro & Bar and its outdoor patio on the corner would remain, but the two restaurant terraces to its east would be lost when the condo highrise is constructed.

 

Proposal to add 43-floor apt tower + townhouses to Sherbourne Str. complex goes to TEYCC Tuesday

565, 555 and 545 Sherbourne Street Toronto

Rental apartment buildings at 565, 555 and 545 Sherbourne St. A fourth tower and townhouses would be added to the complex under a proposal being reviewed tomorrow (October 4) by Toronto and East York Community Council.

 

555 Sherbourne Street and 565 Sherbourne Street

A northeasterly view from Earl Street of the 28-storey rental apartment tower at 565 Sherbourne Street, left, and the 31-storey tower at 555 Sherbourne, right. A development plan calls for construction of a 43-storey rental tower between the two buildings, behind what is presently a No Frills grocery store.

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Earl Street between 555 and 545 Sherbourne Street Toronto

 This podium segment that crosses over Earl Street to link 555 Sherbourne, left, with 545 Sherbourne, right, would be demolished, creating an open “gateway” to the St James Town highrise neighbourhood to the east.

 

Rear of 545 Sherbourne Street Toronto

A row of townhouses would be constructed along the east (Bleecker Street) side of 545 Sherbourne Street, which currently features a deteriorating elevated podium above this unsightly loading zone and garbage storage area.

 

Rear of 555 Sherbourne Street Toronto

A row of townhouses also would be built along this stretch of Bleecker Street behind 555 Sherbourne and the site where the new apartment tower would rise

 

565 and 555 Sherbourne Street retail stores

Street-level retail shop frontage along Sherbourne Street would be expanded and improved under a plan to redevelop the podium for the apartment towers.

 

Spruce-up for Sherbourne?: At its public meeting tomorrow morning, Toronto and East York Community Council will consider an intriguing development proposal that would see a 43-storey rental building and rows of 2- and 3-storey townhouses added to a complex of three apartment towers constructed on Sherbourne Street in the late 1970s. The plan also would see the redevelopment and improvement of the retail space occupying the street level of the apartment complex podium along Sherbourne Street.

The development application, filed by community planning and urban design firm Bousfields Inc. on behalf of Medallion Properties Inc., would add 409 rental units to the Medallion-operated complex, which currently has 1,117 apartments on the northwest edge of downtown’s densely-populated St James Town neighbourhood. Although the proposed development would increase density in an already-crowded residential area likely to experience significant condo tower development in the next several years, it also would substantially improve the appearance of the tired and worn-looking complex as well as three adjacent streets — Sherbourne, Earl and Bleecker.

A background report prepared by the city planning department for Toronto and East York Community Council (TEYCC) has recommended that the redevelopment application be approved on certain conditions, including payment of $1 million — in what’s known as Section 37 benefits under the Ontario Planning Act — in exchange for the increased project height and density. Of that sum, $900,000 would be put towards the future construction of a swimming pool at the Wellesley Community Centre next door, while $100,000 would be earmarked for streetscape improvements on Bleecker Street.

The TEYCC will consider the report and recommendations as part of the agenda for its regular monthly meeting tomorrow. Subject to any decisions the TEYCC makes at that time, the proposal could wind up being considered for approval by Toronto City Council at its meeting on October 24 2011.

Although many nearby residents dread the thought of hundreds more people moving into yet another highrise building in an already crowded area  (ethnically diverse St James Town is one of the most densely populated districts in Canada), I welcome Medallion’s redevelopment plan and hope it gets the green light from City Council.

I have lived a short walk from the 545-565 Sherbourne complex for more than 20 years, and have always considered its badly-designed dark and dingy east side, along Bleecker Street, to be an egregious affront to the streetscape. The west side of the complex, which stretches for roughly a full city block along Sherbourne Street, isn’t much better. The buildings’ podium, which houses an extremely busy grocery store and other street-level retail shops and services, is an eyesore that has been long overdue for a major makeover. Medallion’s redevelopment plans would spruce up the buildings and greatly enhance the appearance of Sherbourne Street at the same time. The proposal to remove an elevated podium segment between 545 and 555 Sherbourne Street would vastly improve Earl Street by eliminating a dark and dreary passageway that looks more like a barrier than a gateway to the St James Town neighbourhood next door. Meanwhile, new townhouses along the building’s ugly east side would drastically improve what is possibly the bleakest stretch of Bleecker Street.

Below are photos I’ve taken of 545-565 Sherbourne at various times during the past year, along with some architectural illustrations submitted to the City’s planning department that depict how the apartment complex would appear with a taller fourth tower.

Full details of the proposed townhouses, apartment tower and podium redevelopment are provided in the city planning department’s September 13 2011 background report to the TEYCC.

 

 

545-565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

The 545-565 Sherbourne Street towers, viewed from the northwest at the corner of Sherbourne and Linden Streets. The towers were built in the late 1970s, but the 1-storey Shopper Drug Mart addition wasn’t constructed until 2007.

 

545-565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

The concrete and brown brick apartment towers at 545-565 Sherbourne, viewed from the west at the intersection of Jarvis and Isabella Streets. The new tower would rise in front of the white St James Town apartment building visible in the middle rear of the photo.

 

555 and 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

The new tower would soar 120 meters — and stand more than 12 storeys taller than 565 Sherbourne Street, left, and 555 Sherbourne Street, right, seen here from the west along Isabella Street.

 

555 and 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

Northeast view from Sherbourne Street of the podium for the apartment complex, including the elevated segment above Earl Street (right).  The podium would be completely redeveloped and improved.

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545-565 Sherbourne zoning amendment proposal sign

One of the zoning amendment proposal signs that had been posted outside the 545-565 Sherbourne complex for the past two years. The original plan called for a 38-storey apartment tower that would be connected to 565 Sherbourne by landscaped “sky garden” bridges at five-floor intervals …

 

public meeting sign at 545 Sherbourne Street

… but a standalone 43-storey tower ultimately wound up being proposed, and will be considered tomorrow by Toronto and East York Community Council. These signs appeared outside the complex on Sherbourne Street last month.

 

development proposal illustration for 545-565 Sherbourne Street

This illustration from a city planning report depicts how the 43-storey tower would appear viewed from the west …

 

illustration of east elevation for 545-565 Sherbourne Street

… while this illustration depicts the east elevation and indicates where 2- and 3-storey townhouses would be built along Bleecker Street.

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No Frills grocery store at 555 Sherbourne Street Toronto

Area residents aren’t happy that this No Frills store, situated at street level in the podium between 555 and 565 Sherbourne Street, would be closed for several years during redevelopment construction. It is one of only two grocery stores serving more than three dozen nearby highrise and lowrise buildings.

 

No Frills grocery store at 555 Sherbourne Street Toronto

A fitness centre — the Bloor Valley Club — once operated above the grocery store. The gym boasted a full-size swimming pool in the space with the large west-facing windows, as well as squash courts and rooms for aerobics, cardio and weights. The space has been vacant since Bloor Valley closed around 2001. 

 

555 Sherbourne Street Toronto

Stairs leading to the second-floor entrance to the former Bloor Valley Club space were removed from this corner of the podium several years ago. A Loblaws store occupied the street-level retail space beneath the gym from the 1980s until the late 1990s, when it was replaced with the No Frills.

 

545 Sherbourne Street Toronto

The street-level entrance to the 31-storey 545 Sherbourne apartment tower will be improved when the elevated podium (left) is demolished.

 

555 Sherbourne Street Toronto

The entrance to 555 Sherbourne Street is off Earl Street in the dark space under the elevated podium which will be demolished

 

545 555 and 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

545, 555 and 565 Sherbourne Street viewed from the southeast

 

Rear podium of 545 Sherbourne Street

Bleecker Street view of the elevated podium behind 545 Sherbourne Street. Under the redevelopment plan, the podium will be replaced with townhouses.

 

The podium behind 555 and 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

The podium behind 555 Sherbourne, viewed from Bleecker Street

 

rear of podium between 555 and 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

Bleecker Street view of the dark and dreary loading zone under the elevated podium behind 555 and 565 Sherbourne. Under the redevelopment plan, a row of 3-storey townhouses will enhance this streetscape.

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Rear of 555 and 565 Sherbourne Street

The loading zone under the podium is a cold, dark void that creates a hostile streetscape along the west side of Bleecker Street. The new service area will be enclosed, situated behind townhouses, and accessed by large garage doors.

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The rear of the podium for 555 and 565 Sherbourne Street

Concrete steps lead from Bleecker Street to the elevated podium.

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Bleecker Street view of rear of podium for 555- 565 Sherbourne

Originally known as The Sherbourne Club, the Bloor Valley Club once occupied most of the podium building between 555 and 565 Sherbourne. The gym closed in 2001 after its owners extensively renovated the Bloor Park Club on Park Road and decided to discontinue operations on Sherbourne Street.

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Bleecker Street view of rear of 565 Sherbourne Street

A redevelopment proposal sign on Bleecker Street near the stairs to the podium.

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rear of 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

A row of townhouses will revitalize this moribund stretch of Bleecker Street

 

rear of 555 Sherbourne Street

The Bleecker Street side of the podium looks dreadful year-round. The podium, which has long suffered from disrepair and neglect, will be revitalized.

 

Bleecker Street behind 565 Sherbourne Street

The tall trees are the only attractive elements on the entire Bleecker Street side of the complex. Unfortunately, aabout 10 trees will have to be destroyed to allow for construction of townhouses and revitalization of the podium.

 

555-565 Sherbourne Street  Toronto

Podium view looking south along Bleecker Street toward 555 Sherbourne

 

rear of 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

The east side of the 565 Sherbourne tower, seen here looking north along Bleecker Street, will be drastically enhanced by a row of rental townhouses

 

East side of 565 Sherbourne Street Toronto

Townhouses will enliven this dreadful strip on the east side of 565 Sherbourne

 

east side of 565 Sherbourne Street

In total, 40 townhouses will be built along Bleecker and Earl Streets.

 

the east side of 565 Sherbourne Street

South view of the east side of 565 Sherbourne along Bleecker Street

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a street level unit on the east side of 565 Sherbourne Street

 The entrance to a street-level unit on the east side of 565 Sherbourne Street

 

parkette on Bleecker Street Toronto

This St James Town parkette is situated on the east side of Bleecker Street, directly opposite the 565 Sherbourne tower

 

Bleecker Street parkette

The parkette and one of four St James Town apartment highrises on the east side of Bleecker Street opposite the 545-565 Sherbourne complex

 

St James Town community centre and library

The Wellesley Community Centre and St James Town public library branch are situated immediately south of 545 Sherbourne. They opened in 2004.

 

Future swimming pool site on Bleecker Street

This grassed area off Bleecker Street, behind the Wellesley Community Centre, is where a public swimming pool will be constructed once sufficient funds become available. The pool will cost at least $10 million, but the City has collected only one third of that amount so far in fees from developers. Medallion Properties will have to pay $900,000 into the pool fund if it receives approval to redevelop the 545-565 Sherbourne apartment complex next door.

 

Future swimming pool site on Bleecker Street

The future swimming pool location viewed from the Bleecker Street sidewalk behind 545 Sherbourne