Public urged to pressure politicians to create park on Wellesley St. site of stalled apartment project

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April 19 2011: A southwest view of hoarding around 11 Wellesley St. W., between Yonge & Bay Streets. Behind are the Murano condo towers (left), the Opera Place condos (center) and The Bay Club apartments (right), all on Bay St.

April 9 2011: A northwest view of 11 Wellesley Street West from the corner of Breadalbane St and St Luke Lane. A half-dozen highrise apartment and condo towers, and the Sutton Place Hotel (center), overlook the site.

Potential parkland: Could a big piece of prime downtown real estate become a public park instead of the apartment complex that a developer had planned to build on the site? Apparently so — if enough people can convince city and provincial politicians to make it happen.

The land in question has a municipal address of 11 Wellesley Street West, and occupies the eastern half of the city block bounded by Wellesley to the north, St. Luke Lane to the east, Breadalbane Street to the south, and Bay street to the west. Over the past two decades, it has earned notoriety as a site where ambitious development plans fail to materialize.

Back in the late 1980s, the provincial government donated the entire block of land for construction of a new ballet/opera house. Various levels of government pledged tens of millions of dollars toward the project, and construction of a spectacular building designed by architect Moshe Safdie was supposed to start early in 1991. However, with Ontario in the throes of a recession and facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit, the province’s newly-elected NDP government withdrew its $65 million cash pledge. In turn, the federal government and Metro Toronto cancelled their pledges for $88 million and $20 million, respectively, and the project was cancelled.

A skateboard park occupied the site for a few years until a developer acquired the western half of the property and built the Allegro at Opera Place condo tower and The Bay Club rental apartment building along Bay Street. The developer, Morguard, planned to build two more apartment buildings, 9 and 10 storeys tall, on the 11 Wellesley West site, along with a recreational amenities facility for the use of residents in all of the buildings (including two more Opera Place condo towers previously constructed one block south on Bay Street, between Breadalbane and Grosvenor Streets). However, shovels never got in the ground for the final phase of construction, and the property has sat vacant behind hoarding ever since — an eyesore that annoys hundreds of residents in the condos and apartments overlooking the site, not to mention passersby on Wellesley and Breadalbane.

I have long wondered why Morguard wanted to build only low-rise apartments on a location ideal for highrise development — to me, tall condo towers would suit the space better, and might even be substantially more profitable. I have also wondered why it has been taking so long for the final phase of Opera Place construction to commence. Last month, a city planning department official told a community meeting I attended that the site has sat empty for years because the developer and the Ontario Government have been embroiled in litigation over the property. No further details were provided about the nature of the dispute, but the planner said the parties are close to signing a settlement under which the province could re-acquire the land. If that does happen, the province apparently has indicated that it would be willing to give the property to the city for use as a community park — if that’s what people want.

Now, at least one neighbourhood group is encouraging residents to write to their city councillor and their MPP to say they want 11 Wellesley West turned into parkland. A page on the Bay Cloverhill Community Association website urges residents to contact City Councillor Kristyn Wong-tam and MPP Glen Murray to show their support for the creation of a new park. Will it happen? Perhaps, if enough Toronto residents put pressure on the local politicians.Personally, I favour turning the site into public green space; even though I didn’t skateboard, I still remember enjoying the wide open space along Wellesley before the skateboard park was closed off. The empty land and the unsightly hoarding have been a blight on the neighbourhood ever since, and it’s high time something creative is done to enhance the property and surrounding streetscapes. At the same time, I’m skeptical that we’ll see a new park on Wellesley anytime soon. Empty land in downtown Toronto rarely gets repurposed as parkland; inevitably, it attracts the attention of developers, and winds up sprouting condo towers instead of trees. Moreover, this particular piece of land seems to have been jinxed since the opera house plan fell apart. I hope I’m wrong. I’d really love to see trees along Wellesley.

The 11 Wellesley Street West site appears as an empty white space in the center of this aerial image from Google Maps. The Sutton Place hotel is at top left, while the downtown YMCA is near the bottom right.

September 28 2008: Breadalbane Street view of weeds and rubble on the 11 Wellesley Street West site

September 28 2008: Northeast view from Breadalbane Street

December 5 2008: East view from outside the Sutton Place Hotel

December 5 2008: East view from Breadalbane Street

April 17 2009: Northeast view from Breadalbane Street. The Casa condo tower is seen under construction on Charles Street to the north.

March 11 2010: North view from Breadalbane Street

March 11 2010: Breadalbane Street view of 11 Wellesley Street West. From time to time, someone rips out weeds and clears rubbish from the site.

March 11 2010: Although there are dumpsters and construction trailers on the property, I’ve never seen anyone on it.

March 16 2011: Southwest view of 11 Wellesley Street West from the corner of Wellesley and St Nicholas Streets. The property is virtually surrounded by highrise condo and apartment buildings.

March 27 2011: Looking north at the big empty lot. At left is the Sutton Place Hotel; at center is the Century Plaza condo tower at 24 Wellesley St. W.

March 27 2011: A view toward the northeast corner of the lot

March 27 2011: The property is less than half a block from Yonge Street and just a short walk from the Wellesley subway station.

April 1 2011: South view of 11 Wellesley Street West from St Nicholas Street

April 9 2011: Now that it’s spring, weeds will once again flourish on the lot

April 9 2011: This north view will change in a few years during construction of the 45-storey Five Condos, which will rise behind the brown building at upper left.

April 9 2011: Residents of the condo and apartment towers have looked down on this eyesore for more than a decade

April 9 2011: West view of hoarding along Breadalbane Street

April 9 2011: North view of the hoarding along St Luke Lane

April 9 2011: Breadalbane Street view of the towers to the north and west

April 9 2011: South view of the hoarding along St Luke Lane

April 9 2011: Looking west along Wellesley from the corner of St Luke Lane

April 17 2011: More rubbish, rubble and weeds await a spring cleanup

Condo highrise expected for former gas station and donut shop site at Wellesley-Sherbourne corner

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Area residents expect that a condo highrise will be proposed for the southwest corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne Streets, seen here on November 11 2010.

March 22 2011: The 159 Wellesley Street East site viewed from Sherbourne Street. At left rear is the rental apartment building at 155 Wellesley St. E.; at right rear is the green and white 40-storey Verve condo tower.

August 29 2010: The boarded up gas bar and donut shop at 159 Wellesley Street East, viewed from the north side of Wellesley Street

April 19 2011: Demolition of the former Bakers Dozen donut shop

Corner condo? A condo highrise project is apparently in the works for an oddly-shaped parcel of land formerly occupied by a gas station and donut shop at the southwest corner of Sherbourne and Wellesley Streets.The site, at 159 Wellesley Street East, had been occupied for well over a decade by a Beaver Gas Bar and a Baker’s Dozen donut shop. After the two businesses ceased operations when their leases expired early last summer, the site was fenced off and “for sale” signs were posted on the property. The signs came down a few months ago, and word on the street was that the land recently sold for more than $2 million. Today, a small work crew was busy demolishing the donut shop.

I do know that a developer has discussed potential plans for the site with City planning staff; however, no formal development proposals have been filed yet. Nevertheless, area residents fully expect that the developer will apply sometime this year for rezoning approval to build a condo tower. This northeast downtown neighbourhood, already home to numerous apartment and condo towers built between the 1960s and mid 1980s, has been a hotbed for residential construction in recent years. Two major condo highrise complexes, Verve and 500 Sherbourne, as well as a lowrise loft condo, Steam Plant Lofts, have opened across the street from 159 Wellesley on the site of the former Wellesley and Princess Margaret hospitals. Just one block to the east, the Star of Downtown midrise condo tower and townhouse complex opened two years ago, while residents recently started moving into the new James Cooper Mansion condo complex four blocks north, at Sherbourne and Linden Streets. Five more residential towers have been proposed for the area, including a rental tower one block north on Sherbourne, and four condo skyscrapers for a North St James Town location between Sherbourne and Parliament Streets, at Bloor Street.

I live nearby, and would welcome a condo on the Wellesley-Sherbourne corner — especially if the developer were to propose building a stunning, unique design that takes full advantage of the property’s unusual shape (the north side of the lot follows the curve on Sherbourne Street). It would further enhance a popular residential area which has already improved considerably with the addition of the other new condo towers and townhouses I mentioned above. I definitely won’t miss the donut shop and its sleazy clientele, and I’m glad I no longer have to dodge the taxi cabs and other vehicles that used to barrel across the sidewalk as drivers rushed to and from the gas pumps. Heck, if I had a dollar for every time I was nearly struck or sideswiped by a car while I walked past the Beaver Gas Bar, I could probably make a down payment on a condo in the building that might go up there.

Below are recent photos of the 159 Wellesley site, as well as other buildings in the immediate vicinity.

March 22 2011: Former gas bar and donut shop viewed from the northwest corner of Sherbourne and Wellesley Streets

March 22 2011: The Bakers Dozen donut shop at 159 Wellesley St. E.

March 22 2011: The former gas bar viewed from the north side of Wellesley St.

March 22 2011: An apartment building at 477 Sherbourne Street

March 22 2011: The Rosar-Morrison funeral home at 467 Sherbourne, directly across the street from the former gas bar and donut shop

March 22 2011: The St James Town community centre and library on the northeast corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne Streets. At rear are several of the apartment towers of the St James Town neighbourhood including 200 Wellesley St. E., scene of a spectacular highrise fire last September.

March 22 2011: Looking north on Sherbourne Street from Wellesley Street

March 22 2011: Northwest view from Sherbourne Street toward the 159 Wellesley Street East potential condo site. At left is the Verve condo tower; at right is the 500 Sherbourne condo tower.

March 22 2011: The Wellesley Central Place long-term care facility on the northwest corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne Streets.

March 22 2011: Sherbourne Street view of 159 Wellesley Street East

March 22 2011: View from Sherbourne Street toward the corner site

March 22 2011: The building immediately south of the 159 Wellesley site

March 22 2011: Commercial businesses and the Our Lady of Lourdes elementary school at 444 Sherbourne Street, just south of Wellesley.

April 19 2011: Demolition of the former Bakers Dozen Donuts building

Community meeting tonight will review plan for 46-storey Pace Condos tower at Dundas & Jarvis

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Great Gulf Homes is proposing a 46-storey condo tower for this site at the SW corner of Dundas and Jarvis Streets, seen here on March 22 2011.

Public feedback: A community consultation meeting this evening will give city residents the opportunity to voice their views about a Toronto developer’s proposal to build a 46-storey condo tower at the southwest corner of Dundas and Jarvis Streets. The meeting about Pace Condos, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Metropolitan United Church, was recommended in a March 22 2011 preliminary report by the city’s Planning Division.

Great Gulf Homes is proposing a 46-storey mixed-use building for the corner site, which includes municipal addresses at 200 Jarvis Street and 155 – 163 Dundas Street East. The tower would have five underground levels and a 10-storey podium, and would contain 417 residential units in studio, 1-bedroom, 1-bedroom + den, 2-bedroom and 2-bedroom + den configurations. Prices start at $209,990.

An article on the Great Gulf website claims that Pace Condos “offers unbeatable downtown Toronto value in new condo living,” and raves that its prime location — which is just a “leisurely pace” from leading downtown attractions and key city transit services — will be ideal for people seeking “a new urban lifestyle.” The article further boasts that the condo building itself will be “a paragon of architectural brilliance. This shimmering, sleek and streamlined glass tower designed by Diamond + Schmitt Architects Inc. will artfully rise from a podium comprised of dark charcoal-coloured bricks. Pace will embody urban elegance at its best — and will define a new generation of urban elegance. Landscaping by Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg will frame the building in startling greenery and colour.”

What the article doesn’t describe is the gritty neighbourhood; as I mentioned in a March 22 2011 post, the Pace Condos location is on the edge of one of the poorest residential areas in the city, if not the entire country. Within mere minutes’ walking distance are dozens of hostels, homeless shelters, subsidized housing apartments, soup kitchens and social service agencies for the poor. From my experience, it has been difficult to walk past the Dundas/Jarvis intersection, or along nearby streets, without encountering numerous panhandlers, street people, and a slew of sketchy people openly selling and doing drugs or drinking alcohol. Despite the neighbourhood’s seedy character, the condo tower proposal has generated tremendous local interest — from excited potential buyers, from citizens who think Pace could kickstart wider urban renewal in the immediate area, and from nearby residents who are alarmed by the height and size of the building that could soon become their new neighbour.

Given wide interest in Pace Condos, tonight’s meeting could attract a large turnout and spark colourful discussion, both positive and negative. I’m keen to hear if the Pace Condos proposal generates reactions similar to those expressed at other public meetings I have attended recently. A community consultation for a massive condo project planned for the St James Town area drew overwhelmingly negative feedback from the audience, while a Jarvis Street resident read an emotional and strongly-worded three-minute speech blasting the Pace Condo proposal at another public meeting about proposed guidelines for tall buildings in the downtown area. Unfortunately, I can’t attend the meeting, but I will continue to track further developments.

Contractors digging deep foundation for 49-storey Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower

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March 29 2011: Excavation machines and equipment inside the deep pit at the Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower construction site

From the Tridel website, an artistic illustration of a southeast night view of the Three Hundred Front Street West condo building

Deep dig: An already huge hole in the ground is getting even bigger at the northwest corner of Front and John Streets, where Toronto developer Tridel is building its latest luxury condominium tower on the site of a former parking lot. Designed by Rudy Wallman of Toronto’s Wallman Architects, the L-shaped Three Hundred Front Street West will actually be two buildings in one. A 49-storey tower offering a variety of 1- and 2-bedroom condo suites plus spacious penthouse residences will rise from the west side of the property, while a connected 15-storey loft building will stand to the north. A grand two-storey lobby entrance will overlook a large landscaped garden gracing the southeast corner of Front & John.

Design-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will bring a bit of Big Apple appeal to downtown Toronto. “I was inspired by the classic skyscrapers of the modern era to create a structure that is timeless and elegant,” Wallman explains in a video presentation on the Tridel website. Three Hundred Front Street West, he adds, will be “a unique and elegant addition” to the neighbourhood, complementing the new Ritz-Carlton Toronto hotel and condo tower one block to the east, as well as the new Festival Tower and TIFF Bell Lightbox buildings two blocks north at John and King. Interior designer Alex Chapman of Chapman Design Group says Wallman has conceived a “Manhattan-style” tower that is “totally reminiscent of many of the famous complexes” in New York City. Unfortunately, I haven’t been to Manhattan yet, so I can’t draw any comparisons myself. But I do think that, with its soaring height and its striking silver and charcoal grey glass exterior, Three Hundred Front Street West will become a landmark commanding attention both in its immediate area and on the city skyline. The neighbourhood is dominated by office and condo towers with similar green glass exteriors, so Three Hundred Front Street West’s unique silver and grey tower accents should provide a refreshing visual break from the rest as well as an attractive addition to the skyline.

Amenities-wise, Three Hundred Front Street West will be a contemporary condo offering the look and feel of an exclusive, upscale boutique hotel. The airy two-storey lobby off Front Street will be “a sophisticated urban arrival space” with a lounge atmosphere, Chapman says, while a 13,500-square-foot recreational center on the 15th floor will feature a “professional-level” exercise area. The rooftop of the loft wing will look like a chic “urban resort” with its infinity pool, sundecks, Roman fountain and barbecue. Interior recreational amenities will include a party room with south views, a private dining room with a catering-size kitchen and its own “cocktail balcony,” a poker room, billiards room and lounge. I’m jealous; with the exception of a ground-level swimming pool, all of the amenity areas in the downtown condo where I live are windowless basement spaces with all the sophistication of a recreation room from a 1970s-era suburban house.

Overall, I think Three Hundred Front Street West will significantly enhance the streetscape in one of the city’s most popular tourist areas, particularly since it will block many sightlines of the Windsor hydroelectric station on Wellington Street. And with plans in the works for John Street to get a major makeover in the next several years, Three Hundred Front Street West’s main entrance park will become a classy southern gateway to the Entertainment District’s main north-south street. The only downside to the development, that I can see, is the block full of ugly power transformers on its north flank. But since Wallman’s design means all of the loft suites face south, their residents will still enjoy good views and won’t get stuck overlooking electrical equipment.

Below are photos I’ve taken of recent construction activity at Three Hundred Front Street West, along with several artistic illustrations provided by Tridel that suggest how the tower, its street-level exterior, and its landscaped park will appear. Additional artistic illustrations of the building exterior, lobby and amenities, as well as floor plans and brief video presentations by Rudy Wallman and Alex Chapman, are available on the Three Hundred Front Street West website.

November 28 2010: Signage on hoarding around the construction site

November 23 2010: North-facing view of the 300 Front West site

November 23 2010: A tall shoring machine at work on the condo excavation site

November 23 2010: Northeast view of the condo construction site. The building with the red window frames is the CBC broadcasting headquarters on the southeast corner of Front & John Streets.

November 23 2011: Northeast view across the 300 Front Street West condo site

January 14 2011: The ramp leading from Front Street into the excavation

January 14 2011: Some of the hydroelectrical equipment at the Windsor Station on the north side of the 300 Front Street West site. Thankfully, the condo will block views of the hydro station from most parts of Front and John Streets.

February 18 2011: A view of the crane recently installed on the site

March 29 2011: Excavation machines inside the pit at 300 Front West

March 29 2011: Looking toward the northeast corner of the excavation

March 29 2011: Excavation machines at the bottom of the deep pit

March 29 2011: The supporting wall on the north side of the excavation

March 29 2011: Excavation activity at the eastern half of the site

March 29 2011: Considerable excavation work remains on the west side of the site

March 29 2011: Looking toward Front Street from the site’s NE corner

March 29 2011: Slick white hoarding protects pedestrians on Front Street

From the condo website, an illustration of the landscaped SE corner park

Website illustration of the lobby exterior, viewed from the condo park

Website illustration of the Three Hundred Front West lobby exterior

Website illustration of the Three Hundred Front Street West lobby interior

Another illustration of the Three Hundred Front Street West lobby interior

City Scene: Looking up — and down — at CityPlace

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Looking both ways: The CN Tower is viewed through a gap between condo highrises at Concord CityPlace in this photo from March 29 2011 (above). The photo below, taken on November 2 2010, shows the view from the exact opposite direction — from one of the observation decks on the CN Tower.

Rêve King West exterior looking more complete

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Rêve King West condo construction progress viewed from the Bathurst Street bridge to the southwest on March 29 2011

Nearly finished: January was the last time I was in the vicinity of the Rêve King West condo construction site. At that time, concrete had been poured for all 14 floors of the midrise Tridel condo building, while windows and exterior cladding had been installed on all but the top six storeys. Two construction cranes were still working on site. When I was back in the area at the end of March, I saw that the cranes had been removed from the roof, while almost all windows had been installed. Most of the exterior finish was in place, too. Occupancy is tentatively scheduled for this summer. Most suites have already been sold, but several are still available, at prices ranging from $334,000 for a 1-bedroom with den, to $850,000 for a 1,55-square-foot, 3-bedroom suite with a large terrace. Below are several more pics of the building; earlier construction photos can be viewed in my January 21 2011 post.

Southeast view of Rêve King West condo building on Front St. W. near Bathurst St.

North end of the Rêve King West condo building viewed from Niagara Street

The upper southwest floors of Rêve King West, viewed from Front Street

Another Bathurst Street bridge view of Rêve King West

Revitalizing Maple Leaf Gardens: from the rooftop to the basement, on the inside and out

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April 14 2011: A worker walks on the roof of Maple Leaf Gardens below a row of platforms that descend the building’s big white dome

Top to bottom, inside and out: Construction crews were tackling the giant Maple Leaf Gardens revitalization project on three fronts today: on the roof, outside walls, and in the cavernous interior. But they still have a very long way to go before the inside begins to even remotely resemble the Loblaw grocery store and Ryerson University Sports and Recreation Centre that will occupy the historic building. My last glance inside the Gardens was late last month, when an open construction entrance gave me the chance to take a few photos which I published in a March 29 2011 post. When I passed the Gardens again today and got another peek inside two different construction entrances, I could see machines pumping concrete into forms for upper-level floors and walls, while crews removed segments of a disassembled construction crane from the building. But from those vantage points, it was difficult to tell if much progress has been made in the past three weeks; the interior didn’t look substantially different than last time. Progress has been more visible outside, where work is underway on the roof and on the Gardens’ facades along Church and Carlton Street, where holes are being knocked in the walls, presumably to create windows for the Loblaws store. Below are several pics of today’s revitalization activity.

Maple Leaf Gardens exterior wall work at the corner of Church & Carlton

Workers watch as a machine tears a hole in the Gardens’ SE corner

The wall was exposed last week; today it was being taken apart

The view inside the construction entrance at the Gardens’ northeast corner. Concrete is being pumped for the floor of the third level above street grade.

Construction equipment inside the north end of Maple Leaf Gardens today included an excavator (foreground), concrete pumper (center) and crane (right)

The north side of the Maple Leaf Gardens interior, along Wood Street

A concrete delivery truck and pumper wait their turn outside the Wood Street construction entrance to Maple Leaf Gardens

Construction vehicles on Wood Street outside Maple Leaf Gardens

Platforms descend the SE corner of Maple Leaf Gardens’ domed roof

Ripe for redevelopment: What’s Lanterra going to do with the 501 block on Yonge Street?

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February 20 2011: Restaurants and shops along the 501 block of Yonge Street, viewed from the southwest corner of Yonge and Breadalbane

February 20 2011: Looking north toward the 501 block of Yonge Street from the southeast corner of Yonge & Grosvenor Streets

Lanterra land: I wasn’t surprised when a city planner told a neighbourhood association meeting I attended nearly a month ago that Lanterra Developments had purchased the entire 501 block of Yonge Street, from Alexander Street at the south to Maitland Street at the north. I live only a few blocks away and for years have been wondering, each time I have walked past, why someone hasn’t redeveloped the long two-level building with either a bigger retail complex or a condo or office tower. Parts of the block have had a rather shabby and almost run-down appearance for years and, since it’s only two storeys tall on a prime section of the city’s main strip, it looks like it’s practically begging for someone to replace it with something bigger and better.

I always thought it might be impossible to build a larger, taller structure on the site because the Yonge subway line passes beneath part of the property between the Wellesley and College stations. However, the city planner said that while the subway tunnel presents a challenge for redevelopment, it’s not insurmountable. It likely means there would be a very limited amount of space available for underground floors and parking, he said, but above-grade parking levels would solve that problem nicely.

Lanterra hasn’t yet filed a development application with the city, nor has it publicly announced any plans for the site. But I’m keen to see what changes it envisions for 501 Yonge. The upside to redevelopment here is that a Lanterra building would greatly enhance Yonge Street by classing up what is basically a tacky, cheap-looking retail strip. Any civic and private effort to revitalize Yonge between College and Bloor Streets certainly would get a huge boost if Lanterra improved this particular block. The downside is that small independent businesses, like many of the shops and restaurants currently operating here, probably couldn’t afford the significantly higher rents that would be charged for commercial streetfront space in a new development. As much as I’d like to see this section of Yonge Street spruced up, and even though I don’t care for most of the businesses along this block, I would probably regret seeing them replaced with outlets for ubiquitous international retail chain stores, fast food franchises and coffee shops. There’s already enough of those establishments elsewhere on Yonge and throughout the downtown core. More of them here would detract from Yonge Street’s quirky character and the strip’s unique look and feel.

Below is a link to an online album with a few dozen photos showing all four sides of the 501 Yonge block, the block on the opposite side of Yonge Street, and other nearby buildings.

Editor’s Note: I regret that access to the online album is no longer available. The album had been available on Webshots.com; however, on December 1 2012 the Webshots site was shut down by the company that owns it.

City Scene: A very Modern new view to the east along Richmond Street

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April 3 2011: Construction of The Modern on Richmond, a condo midrise on Sherbourne Street, viewed from Richmond West at York Street

Focal point: Condo construction constantly changes views in the downtown area, particularly while a new skyscraper climbs higher on the skyline. But it isn’t just highrise towers that profoundly impact views and sightlines, as construction of The Modern on Richmond shows. The midrise condo complex going up at the northeast corner of Sherbourne and Richmond Streets will be just 17 storeys tall when finished, but the building is already giving pedestrians in the Financial District a whole new perspective when they look east along Richmond. Just glance down Richmond from as far west as University Avenue, and your eyes will be drawn to a big red and white construction crane perched atop a concrete structure that looks like a giant wall blocking the road. That part of the condo actually extends along the east side of Sherbourne Street, but because Richmond Street jogs half a block to the northwest as it crosses Jarvis Street, it creates the illusion that The Modern is being built right across Richmond. There’s more pics of The Modern’s construction progress in my February 3 2011 post.

March 17 2011: The Modern viewed from the intersection of Church & Richmond

Will developer pursue plan to shoehorn 42-storey condo tower into tight Bloor/Sherbourne site?

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From the ward development update in the Spring/Summer 2011 edition of Ward 27 News from City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre-Rosedale)

Tight squeeze:Residents of northeast downtown are waiting to see what step a developer will take next with its proposal to develop a condo tower without any residential parking on a narrow site near the busy intersection of Bloor and Sherbourne Streets. The 40-storey tower would rise above a two-storey podium to be built on 395, 401 and 403 Bloor Street East, sites presently occupied by two-storey structures with retail and restaurant space. (The commercial property at 403 Bloor is attached to a three-storey brick house which is included on the city’s list of heritage properties.) The proposed glass and steel residential tower would be bookended by two considerably shorter condo buildings — one six storeys, the other 16 — standing smack against its east and west property lines. It would contain 386 units in bachelor, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom configurations, but no on-site parking for residents — just three car-share parking spaces along with 200 bicycle parking spots.

The developer’s rezoning application was filed with the city in May 2010. During the previous two years, the developer and its consulting team held “pre-application” meetings with city planners to discuss three separate conceptual plans. The first proposed an 18-storey tower atop a six-floor podium; the second a 40-storey tower atop a two-storey podium, with 77 parking spots in a five-level underground garage; and the third a 40-storey tower on a two-storey podium, but with 80 parking spaces. City staff raised numerous planning concerns about each proposal, including height, density, parking, neighbourhood transportation issues, site access, impact on the adjacent condo buildings, and possible shadow effects on the nearby Rosedale Ravine. The plan eventually submitted to the city raised just as many issues. Consequently, in a July 13 2010 preliminary report, city planners said they could not support the application “in its current form” because of “serious project deficiencies and a general lack of fit with the existing and planned context.”They recommended that a community consultation meeting be held “to determine the nature and extent of changes to be required.”

That meeting took place at the end of January. More than 50 area residents attended, along with Ward 27 Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, staff from City Planning, Transportation and Heritage Preservation Services, and representatives of the developer. According to Councillor Wong-Tam’s March 2011 newsletter, the developer and its architect (listed as Page and Steele Architects in rezoning application documents) were “invited to join a Working Group process in order for residents and the applicant to negotiate an agreement on aspects of the building design.” However, the developer has not yet advised the city if it will participate, Councillor Wong-Tam told a meeting of the Upper Jarvis Neighbourhood Association last week.

People living in the immediate vicinity are concerned, among other things, about the impact the tower could have on neighbourhood traffic congestion and parking availability. They say it’s already challenging for residents of the houses and low-rise apartments on nearby Selby, Huntley and Linden Streets to find on-street parking for themselves and their visitors; they’re concerned that it will become even more difficult to find parking on the pleasant, tree-shaded streets once the new James Cooper Mansion condo tower at 28 Linden Street — which concluded construction this winter — is fully occupied. Yet another condo tower bringing hundreds more residents — plus visitors, delivery and service vehicles — into the residential area would only compound that problem. Increased traffic volume and congestion is another worry, since Selby and Linden are one-way streets, as are two blocks of Huntley from Selby to Isabella Street, so it’s inevitable that more vehicles driving to and from the condo towers will wind up circulating through the neighbourhood. Traffic flow on Bloor Street also could be impacted adversely by the 395 Bloor tower, since the developer has proposed incorporating a service and delivery laneway into the building’s west side, accessed off Bloor. Vehicles turning into and out of the laneway undoubtedly would hinder the heavy traffic flow at this point on Bloor, which is only a few dozen meters from the intersection at Sherbourne Street.

I’m sure the tower also would have a huge negative impact on the property values and quality of life for residents in the adjacent condo buildings whose windows would directly face the new tower mere meters away; their units would sit practically within spitting distance of the condos at 395 Bloor. I recall viewing several units in the neighbouring 16-storey condo building at 419-421 Bloor East, including at least one that had west-facing windows. Although the suites were bright, and one had an enormous northview outdoor terrace, I didn’t like the close proximity of the 20-storey Greenwin Square office building to the west, or the two condo towers on the north side of the street (17 and 18 stories, respectively). The highrise “canyon” on this block of Bloor felt uncomfortably confining at the time; I can only imagine how claustrophic and dark it would become with the 395 Bloor tower right next door (both for residents in many units in the new building as well as for those living in the existing condos on either side). To me, a 42-storey building would just be too awkward and inappropriate here; however, I love space and light and enjoy having privacy in my condo. On the other hand, I do realize there are many downtown condo dwellers who don’t mind keeping their blinds closed all hours of the day, and wouldn’t be bothered by a tower looming close to their windows. It will be interesting to follow this project not only to see if the developer does go ahead, but also to watch how quickly the units sell if the condo does get to market. Below are recent photos showing the proposed tower location from Bloor Street as well as from Selby Street to the south.

November 11 1010: South view from Bloor Street of the low-rise commercial retail properties where a developer would like to build a 42-storey condo tower. The James Cooper Mansion condo tower is seen while under construction just one block to the south, on Linden Street.

Condo development proposal sign on Bloor Street

November 11 1010: The proposed condo tower site is bookended by a 16-floor condo building on the corner of Bloor and Sherbourne (left), a 6-storey condo to its immediate west, and the 20-storey Greenwin Square office building (right)

March 1 2011: A view of the east-facing windows on the 6-storey condo building beside the site proposed for a new highrise. The tower would have a service vehicle laneway where the vacant Saisha store sits at present (right)

March 1 2011: The three-storey brick house behind the Hakim Optical outlet is a city-listed heritage property that would be demolished

March 1 2011: Bloor Street view of the proposed development site, showing part of the 16-storey condo building on the corner of Bloor and Sherbourne that would abut the new tower’s east side

March 1 2011: Another view of the site as seen from the north side of Bloor Street

March 1 2011: The upper two floors of the heritage property at 403 Bloor East

March 1 2011: Direct south view of the site from the opposite side of Bloor Street

March 1 2011: The peaked roof of the heritage house behind Hakim Optical

March 1 2011: West view along Bloor of the storefronts on the development site

March 1 2011: East view along Bloor of the storefronts on the development site

March 1 2011: Another view of the commercial establishments on Bloor Street

March 19 2011: Selby Street view toward the rear of the 395 – 403 Bloor Street East condo tower development site. The building with the orange accent stripes, at right, is the 600 Sherbourne Street medical arts centre with doctors’ offices, pharmacies and medical testing facilities

April 2 2011: Selby Street north view of a parking area for the Greenwin Square office building (left), the 6-storey condo at 387 Bloor Street East, an 18-storey condo building at 388 Bloor Street East, and the 16-storey condo building at the corner of Bloor and Sherbourne

April 2 2011: Selby Street view of the medical arts building parking lot that sits to the rear of the 395 – 403 Bloor Street East development site

March 19 2011: Selby Street north view toward the 395 – 403 Bloor East condo tower development site

March 19 2011: Rear view of the low-rise buildings currently on the site

March 19 2011: Rear view of 395 – 403 Bloor East condo tower development site

March 19 2011: Back patio area for the Gov’Nor pub at 401 Bloor Street East

March 19 2011: Rear view of the 387 Bloor Street East condo building next to the condo tower development site

March 19 2011: Rear view of the 16-storey condo building at 419 – 421 Bloor East

March 19 2011: Northwest view from Sherbourne Street toward the 395- 403 Bloor Street East condo development site. The new tower would rise in the center rear of the photo. The elegant mansion and adjacent tower are part of the James Cooper Mansion condo complex at 28 Linden Street.

From a city planning department preliminary report, a site plan illustration for the proposed 395-403 Bloor Street East condo tower

From the planning department report, an illustration of the tower’s south elevation

From the city report, an illustration of the tower’s north elevation

The greenest building in Regent Park (for now)

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Going green on Oak Street: A brilliant green building in Regent Park grabbed my attention yesterday when I was visiting a friend in an east-facing condo on Homewood Avenue. The bright green surface actually is insulation applied to the outside walls of the new Toronto Christian Resource Centre, which is under construction at 40 Oak Street. But the building won’t stay green for long: it’s soon going to get a brown brick exterior. The white highrise behind the TCRC is the new One Park West condo, which is approaching the end of construction (it appears that the crane has been removed from its roof). Below is another pic from yesterday, as well as additional recent photos of the TCRC, One Park West, and other construction activity in Regent Park, which I profiled in a March 4 2011 post.

Another view of the Toronto Christian Resource Centre and One Park West condo midrise under construction in Regent Park

A rendering of the new Toronto Christian Resource Centre at Regent Park

A view of construction progress on the TCRC on February 15 2011

A view of the One Park West boutique condo building on February 15 2011

CN Tower views of downtown buildings & construction

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November 2 2010: CN Tower view of the west half of Concord CityPlace and towers along Fleet Street near Old Fort York

By request: I’ve received several messages from people who have seen photos shot from the CN Tower in some of my building profile posts. They have asked if I have an online album containing all of the photos I took from the tower last November. I do, and I’ve posted a link to it below. I’ll be updating the photos following another visit to the top of the tower sometime this spring or early summer.

Editor’s Note: The album referred to above had been posted on Webshots.com. On December 1, 2012, the company that owns Webshots shut down the site, so my photos are no longer available.

Nathan Phillips Square revitalization on track, but square needs major spring cleanup & decluttering

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A sunny April 9 afternoon at Toronto City Hall’s Nathan Phillips Square

Scruffy Square: I have passed through Nathan Phillips Square several times since Christmas while busloads of tourists were arriving for a quick City Hall visit. It’s been interesting to watch the out-of-town visitors stream from their buses on Queen Street and wind their way toward the ever-popular winter skating rink/summer reflecting pond and fountain. Many look disappointed when they discover that renovation and construction work on several different parts of the Square make it difficult to get nice photos of Toronto City Hall. They wander around, searching for spots away from construction activity, garbage cans and other visual clutter so they can take pics of each other posing with the iconic clamshell towers in the background. A few couples and families have asked me to take their photo, urging me to “try not to get that stuff in the shot” — referring, of course, to construction crews, building materials and equipment, and temporary fencing around areas where work is in progress. Unfortunately for tourists, “that stuff” is going to be there for at least another year. The city’s long-overdue $43 million Nathan Phillips Square Revitalization project started one year ago this week, but the extensive renovation work is scheduled to continue until at least the middle of 2012. With major construction and landscaping activity underway at three prime places on the Square, most tourists probably won’t get a “perfect” picture of City Hall anytime soon. But I’m hoping they’ll enjoy their time in Toronto so much, they’ll come back once the Square’s makeover is complete. Because the Nathan Phillips Square they’ll see in a few years’ time will look vastly better than the dumpy plaza they’re seeing today.

When I describe the Square as “dumpy,” I don’t mean the messy work areas that, once finished, will immensely improve the look and feel of the entire plaza. I’m speaking about the Square in general, which City Hall has neglected and mistreated for years. I’ve overheard more than a few visitors comment that the plaza looks scruffy, and some out-of-town colleagues have made similar observations. I felt embarrassed when a very-well-travelled friend from South America told me several years ago that he thought Nathan Phillips Square is the “scuzziest” city square he’s seen anywhere in the world. I couldn’t agree more. Whenever I walk through the Square, it reminds me of messy backyards where loads of junk are scattered or stacked all over the place because the homeowners either couldn’t find appropriate places to store it out of sight, or just couldn’t be bothered getting rid of it. The big difference is that Nathan Phillips Square is Toronto’s front yard. And that yard not only has pathetic landscaping in many places, it’s cluttered with a lot of crap, including dilapidated, decades-old benches and picnic tables that look tacky (I really hope those are going to be replaced; the revitalization project website mentions new furniture for the elevated walkways that enclose the Square, but says nothing about seating for the ground level.) Moreover, the Square has become an ad hoc storage area for crowd control barriers, construction materials, and equipment. C’mon, Toronto. If you want to be a world-class city, start acting like one. Clean up your front yard and stop using it for storage. The 1.5 million people who visit the Square each year deserve better.

Thankfully, the city got things right with the podium green roof that opened last spring at the base of the City Hall towers — it’s a wonderful, refreshing urban space of gardens, greenery and tall grasses. It’s unfortunate that more people don’t bother making the trek up the curved podium ramp to check it out, though; there has always been fewer than a dozen people enjoying the park whenever I’ve gone up.

Below are two images from the revitalization project’s website, showing the Square’s new layout and suggesting how it will appear once work is complete and new trees and plants have been put in place. Those are followed by photos of recent construction progress at the Square, as well as pics showing some of the on-site clutter and weather-worn benches and tables.

From the City website, an artistic illustration of how Nathan Phillips Square will appear once the two-year, $43 million revitalization work is completed in 2012

From the city website, a map showing the Square’s new layout

March 7 2011: The second level of the new restaurant starts to take form

March 22 2011: Orange and black tarps draped over the snack bar construction

March 22 2011: Reconstruction of the square’s former Peace Garden location

March 22 2011: West view across the former Peace Garden site

March 22 2011: Southwest view of the former Peace Garden area

March 29 2011: Southeast view of the Square across the former Peace Garden site

March 29 2011: Construction progress on the restaurant & skate pavilion

April 3 2011: Window replacement in progress on City Hall’s east tower

April 8 2011: Work crew removing more windows from the east tower

April 8 2011: The former Peace Garden site hasn’t changed much in months

April 8 2011: Southwest view toward the new snack bar and skating pavilion

April 8 2011: The west side of the Square where the Peace Garden will be re-installed and a new urban forest planted

April 9 2011: A view of the area where the urban forest will be planted

April 9 2011: The west lawn location for the Peace Garden and urban forest. The building to the west is historic Osgoode Hall.

April 9 2011: Construction machines and muck on the west lawn

April 9 2011: Construction extends to the southwest corner of the Square

April 9 2011: Work on the west lawn, just north of the Winston Churchill sculpture

April 9 2011: Northeast view of the reflecting pool, which will get a new seasonal “disappearing” water fountain featuring nine fountain jets

April 9 2011: East view across the pool toward Old City Hall

April 9 2011: Southwest corner of the new restaurant and skate pavilion

April 9 2011: The south side of the new restaurant and skate pavilion

April 9 2011: Another peek at the south side of the restaurant and snack pavilion

April 9 2011: The second level of the new restaurant and skate pavilion. The restaurant will be connected to the Square’s elevated west walkway, which will be eventually be refurbished with new paving, seating and lighting

April 9 2011: Northwest view of the new restaurant and skate pavilion

April 9 2011: Looking south toward the new restaurant and skate pavilion

April 9 2011: Southeast view toward the new restaurant and skate pavilion. The second-floor link to the elevated walkway is taking shape.

April 9 2011: Trees and gardens formerly occupied this space, which has been dug up to permit construction of the restaurant and the new theatre stage

April 9 2011: A solitary tree stands above old park benches cemented to the ground near the new restaurant and skate pavilion

April 9 2011: Some of the old park benches in the construction area

April 9 2011: A long bench on the ratty lawn along Queen Street. New planting and landscape surfaces will be installed in this area to help improve pedestrian flow into the Square.

April 9 2011: Park benches near the Queen Street entrance to the Square

April 9 2011: Old picnic tables stored under the east walkway along Bay Street

April 9 2011: Nathan Phillips Square used to have beautifully landscaped gardens; however, in recent years, they have been allowed to languish and now look quite shoddy. This one is on the east side of the Square

April 9 2011: The old concrete benches next to the pool have seen better days

April 9 2011: The shaded spaces beneath the elevated walkways have long been used to store equipment and material, like these crowd control barricades under the west walkway.

April 9 2011: Barricades stacked under the west walkway

April 9 2011: Tourists have to walk past this makeshift storage area when they enter the Square from their bus drop-off point on Queen Street

April 9 2011: More window panels have been removed from City Hall’s east tower

Ryerson U’s sensational new Student Learning Centre will bring sparkle to the Yonge Street strip

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This rendering suggests how the Ryerson University Student Learning Centre will appear when viewed looking north on Yonge Street near Gould Street

Campus showpiece: I envy the students who will get to study and relax in the marvellous Student Learning Centre that Ryerson University unveiled this week and will begin constructing later this year. I spent six years of my life studying in university libraries and classroom buildings that were bleak, bunker-like structures with few windows allowing natural light inside. They were drab, dreary places to learn, and I often dreaded going inside. Even lounge and food service areas tended to be dim, dull and depressing — taking a break for a coffee or chat with friends just meant moving from one boring, bland building to another equally cheerless space. Ryerson’s Student Learning Centre promises to be the polar opposite. Designed by Toronto’s Zeidler Partnership Architects and Snøhetta of Oslo and New York City, the building will be breathtaking on the outside, its flashy glass facade adding architectural excitement and sparkle to the busy Yonge Street strip between Dundas and Gerrard Streets. With a dramatic stepped plaza entrance and transparent glass walls bearing dazzling designs, the Student Learning Centre will bring tremendous visual interest to a streetcorner previously made famous by the long-gone Sam the Record Man store’s iconic neon signs. I wouldn’t be surprised if the building’s startling shape and skin slows or even stops traffic on Yonge — stunning contemporary architecture isn’t something Torontonians expect to encounter on a commercial strip characterized by boxy, unattractive buildings plastered with brilliant electronic billboards and enormous advertising posters.

The Student Learning Centre’s interior will be just as sensational. Inside, a cavernous light-filled lobby with an impressive, wide staircase will wow visitors, while upper levels of the eight-storey structure will offer huge bright spaces for study and socializing. “The Student Learning Centre will provide bright, open, technologically rich, barrier-free spaces for individual and collaborative study that will accommodate our students’ different learning styles and our faculties’ different teaching practices,” Ryerson’s Provost and Vice President Academic, Alan Shepard, said in a press release announcing the building design. The Centre will be linked by a bridge to the university’s existing library next door, will have learning and study spaces in a variety of different sizes and designs on its upper floors, and will have retail space both along Yonge and on one floor below street level. Each floor will have a unique personality — “some will be open and interpretive with flexible furniture and terraces, while others will be densely filled with enclosed study rooms for groups of four to eight people. Space will be available for independent, quiet study and contemplation. With full digital support and accessible academic services, the Student Learning Centre will foster learning success and help promote a culture of collaboration and creativity among Ryerson students,” the news release explains.

Besides becoming the architectural showpiece of the university campus, the Centre is bound to have a significant impact on the city, too. Ryerson president Sheldon Levy says the Centre will be ” a transformative, bold development and an important step forward in city building.” And there’s no doubt it will give the university’s campus, much of which is largely hidden from view between Yonge and Church Streets, an unprecedented presence and highly influential profile on the city’s main street. Zeidler Architects senior partner Tarek El-Khatib anticipates that the Student Learning Centre “will contribute to the retail and pedestrian life in the area and set the tone for ongoing revitalization in this historic commercial neighbourhood. A generous and inviting, entry plaza will gently draw both students and the general public up and into this new vertical community setting the standard for future development in the area.”

That’s something I’m personally looking forward to. I don’t particularly enjoy walking along Yonge between Dundas and College Streets; I find the sidewalks too narrow and crowded, while the retail shops and restaurants are geared to a much younger demographic — there’s practically nothing there to catch my interest and make me want to linger. I either hurry past, or avoid the strip altogether by walking up Bay Street or cutting through the Ryerson campus. But the Student Learning Centre at Gould Street, along with the Aura condo and retail complex two blocks north at Gerrard, could well become catalysts for major improvements and enhancements to the area. In a few years’ time, I just might enjoy spending time on Yonge Street once again.

Construction of the Student Learning Centre is scheduled to begin by the end of this year, with completion anticipated for 2014. Full project details are available on the media page of the Ryerson University website. The Toronto Star’s architecture and urban issues specialist, Christopher Hume, discusses the design in his April 6 2011 column, while Globe & Mail writer Omair Quadri describes the project in an April 6 2011 article in that newspaper. Below are several artistic renderings depicting some of the Student Learning Centre’s signature interior and exterior design features.

The Student Learning Centre will feature an impressive and dramatic stepped plaza entrance at the corner of Yonge & Gould Streets

The Centre’s lobby will be cavernous, but streaming with natural light

One of the “flexible” study spaces on an upper level of the Centre

One of the Centre’s cheery and bright open study spaces

This illustration outlines the interior layout of the 8-storey building

77 Charles West condo construction up to 4th floor

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April 7 2011: St Thomas Street view of construction progress at the 77 Charles West luxury condominium building

On the fourth floor: The midrise Seventy Seven Charles West luxury condominium building is nearly one-third of the way up. Concrete has been poured for the first three floors of the 13-storey structure, and this afternoon crews were setting up forms for the fourth floor. Below are several photos I took at the site this afternoon; you can see additional photos of the construction, along with building renderings, in my February 15 2011 post about Seventy Seven Charles West.

A truck parks on St Thomas Street while waiting to deliver its concrete load to the Seventy Seven Charles West construction site

Another truck unloads concrete at the front of Seventy Seven Charles West

Southwest view of the construction activity from Charles Street West

The south side of Seventy Seven Charles West, viewed from St Mary Street

Tracking Downtown Toronto's Amazing
Building Boom.

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Tracking Downtown Toronto's Amazing Building Boom.

Public urged to pressure politicians to create park on Wellesley St. site of stalled apartment project

Condo highrise expected for former gas station and donut shop site at Wellesley-Sherbourne corner

Community meeting tonight will review plan for 46-storey Pace Condos tower at Dundas & Jarvis

Contractors digging deep foundation for 49-storey Three Hundred Front Street West condo tower

City Scene: Looking up — and down — at CityPlace

Rêve King West exterior looking more complete

Revitalizing Maple Leaf Gardens: from the rooftop to the basement, on the inside and out

Ripe for redevelopment: What’s Lanterra going to do with the 501 block on Yonge Street?

City Scene: A very Modern new view to the east along Richmond Street

Will developer pursue plan to shoehorn 42-storey condo tower into tight Bloor/Sherbourne site?

The greenest building in Regent Park (for now)

CN Tower views of downtown buildings & construction

Nathan Phillips Square revitalization on track, but square needs major spring cleanup & decluttering

Ryerson U’s sensational new Student Learning Centre will bring sparkle to the Yonge Street strip

77 Charles West condo construction up to 4th floor

Tracking Downtown Toronto's AmazingBuilding Boom.

Tracking Downtown Toronto's Amazing
Building Boom.