Tag Archives: Queen’s Park

Government won’t protect Queen’s Park vista

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In several years, two Yorkville condo towers may be clearly visible in this College Street view of the Ontario Legislature building at Queen’s Park

 

Skyline scrap: The Ontario government will not take action to preserve views of the provincial Legislature building at Queen’s Park — a vista that heritage groups worry will be spoiled by construction of two condo skyscrapers planned for Yorkville.

Concerns about drastic changes to skyline views of Queen’s Park arose several years ago when a developer sought approval from the City to construct two condo towers on the Avenue Road site of the Four Seasons Hotel.

The Four Seasons is building a new flagship hotel and condo complex just two blocks away, at the corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue. Once it begins operations there, the developer wants to demolish the old Four Seasons tower (31 storeys) and replace it with two condo highrises (48 and 44 floors respectively).

City planners rejected the proposal, so the developer appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). Heritage groups were outraged by the development plan, fearing that the skyscrapers would be visible poking up in the distance behind the gables of the Legislature building. The Speaker of the Legislature, Steve Peters, shared their concerns, and fought against the condo proposal on behalf of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario when the developer’s case went before the OMB.

The skyline scrap didn’t faze the OMB, which said the project could proceed because it was consistent with city and provincial planning policies. The Legislative Assembly sought leave to appeal its decision, but as I noted in a blog post last week, an Ontario Superior Court judge rejected the claim. With no further legal avenues left to challenge the developer, Mr. Peters called on the provincial government to take action to protect the Queen’s Park vista.

As reported in a Globe and Mail article on Saturday, however, the government won’t step into the fray.

“The courts have made a decision, and we respect the process that has been undertaken,” said a Cabinet minister’s spokesman. The Globe says that, with the province refusing to take action, “there is nothing blocking Menkes Developments, the real estate company behind the proposed condo towers, from going ahead with the project.”

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Menkes will ask its architects to develop a striking design for the proposed towers. If they’re going to be visible behind the Legislature, I’d rather they look a helluva lot more impressive than the existing Four Seasons and the 24-storey Renaissance Plaza condo tower, which already lurk in the distance behind Queen’s Park (see photo below).

 

This photo taken today shows towers in Yorkville, including the Four Seasons Hotel and the Renaissance Plaza condos (circled), just  north of Queen’s Park.

 

Hasta la vista, Queen’s Park?

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Ontario Legislature viewed from College Street on January 14 2011


Four Seasons views all year long? Redevelopment of the 31-storey Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville into two condo towers — 48 and 44 floors tall — is one step closer in the wake of a ruling yesterday by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

In 2007, Menkes Developments proposed building the two condo highrises on the Avenue Road site of Toronto’s “old” Four Seasons (a brand-new Four Seasons hotel + condo complex is presently under construction just two blocks away; after it opens, Menkes wants to demolish the old tower and build condos in its place). After city planners rejected Menkes’ proposal, the developer appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

In the meantime, heritage groups voiced opposition to the Menkes project, claiming the condo towers would be so tall, they would spoil precious views of the Ontario Legislature building at Queen’s Park (the groups fear that the condo towers will poke above the building’s gables and spoil skyline views to the north.)

The Ontario Government did not seek standing to participate in the OMB hearings, but the Speaker of the Legislature, Steve Peters, did so on behalf of the Legislative Assembly. His argument that the towers would ruin views of the Legislature didn’t hold sway at the OMB, which ruled that the Menkes proposal was consistent with city and provincial planning policies. The Legislative Assembly in turn went to court seeking permission to appeal the OMB decision.

In her decision yesterday, however, Madam Justice Alison Harvison Young rejected the Legislature’s request. She said that even though the Legislature is an important building, that “does not, in itself, render the legal issues of significant importance to justify granting leave to appeal.”

Meanwhile, CTV Toronto reports that Mr. Peters will ask the government to take action to protect the vista. A story in today’s Globe and Mail provides further details about the controversy.

Below are photos of the current Four Seasons Hotel and the redevelopment proposal sign that has been displayed on the property for the past three years, as well as a pic of the new Four Seasons complex under construction at the northeast corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue.