[wild wild west]

Jeremy's numbers sound about right to me. As I recall Calgary has slightly less office space than Ottawa, and Vancouver a bit less than Calgary.

Anyways, not to start a debate or anything - my point is that Ottawa is a pretty big office market and as such, has probably been screwed by height limits more than any other large Canadian city.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Re: Height limits, etc.

Here in Calgary, we do not have height limits or view cones. What we do have is a shadowing bylaw (for the Bow River Pathway) as well as density restrictions (mainly FAR).

Actually Boris if you can get your hands on the Bankview area plan (the one that resulted in Nimmons Park closing 19th Ave at 17 St), there are "view corridors" that do limit heights and restrict new structures to R5 or whatever. These zoning rules are indeed to preserve views, and I'd be surprised if there aren't similar ones in other hilly parts of town. The tallest buildings in Bankview are just 6 storeys.

[craner]

I really hate height limits :hell:
(Generally speaking)

[Boris2k7]

Actually Boris if you can get your hands on the Bankview area plan (the one that resulted in Nimmons Park closing 19th Ave at 17 St), there are "view corridors" that do limit heights and restrict new structures to R5 or whatever. These zoning rules are indeed to preserve views, and I'd be surprised if there aren't similar ones in other hilly parts of town. The tallest buildings in Bankview are just 6 storeys.

Well I'll be damned...

Guess I'll have to dig out a few ARP's and look through them...

EDIT: And surely enough...

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1008/bankviewsfh6.jpg (http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/planning/pdf/bankview_arp/bankview_arp_one.pdf)

Although, it seems to me that these view rules are entirely discretionary on the part of the approving authority. In other words, they don't seem to be "hard" rules like you would find in the Land Use Bylaw...

6) View and Urban Design Considerations
a) In order to maximize the use of view
potential, the Approving Authority:
• should require information on how the
building responds to potential views. Figure 4 shows all sites in Bankview
which have a view potential.

[LeftCoaster]

who says I'm talking about floorspace

Sorry, very poorly worded by me, what I meant was that I wasn't talking about an entire floor being 10 feet higher than allowable, but a little antenna like structure being 10 feet higher... just to clarify my poorly worded statement.

No dude ... you're missing the point. The list's cutoff would undoubtably be 30 to 50m higher were it not for Toronto fear of heights. The whole, "getting chopped down to a level that is still in the top 30" is nonsense. While I could see more 40 to 50 storey buildings in Vancouver were the limits lifted, I really don't see that many more 50 to 70 storey buildings.

I guess thats where we differ, I see the demand in Vancouver allowing for many 50+ storey buildings. I mean just look at what happened to the few sites that were allowed to go higher than the max height through the higher buildings policy, immediately two buildings donated enough money and jumped through the cities rings to be allowed to build to the new maximum height well over 50 storeys. The demand is here so I do not know why you dont think they would not be built... afterall it is profitable to keep building high until you it 800 ft or so depending on land prices, and considering Vancouver's incredibly high land prices I see this threshold being an even higher height.

[WhipperSnapper]

800 feet is far above the threshold you're talking about especially with the floorplates you are so accustomed to in Vancouver. In Toronto, the Aura development is just another 1000+ unit project (albeit in one tower) however, in Vancouver, it would represent a significant portion of the downtown market.

Believe what you want, I'm done with this




Ottawa definitely has suffered the most

[noodlenoodle]

Ottawa definitely has suffered the most

Edmonton continues to suffer under the ceiling imposed by YXD.

[WhipperSnapper]

Edmonton continues to suffer under the ceiling imposed by YXD.


No offense, but "suffer" is a little over exaggerated. I doubt the Edmonton skyline would look all that different than it does today based solely on the close proximity of YXD.

[wild wild west]

Developers in Edmonton can build over 100' higher than in Ottawa, even though they have less downtown office space and a smaller inner-city residential population.

[240glt]

I doubt the Edmonton skyline would look all that different than it does today based solely on the close proximity of YXD.

In five years it could make a big difference

[craner]

In five years it could make a big difference

Any specifics ??

[240glt]

Well Procura has a new tallest in the plans, plus we've got a ready-made podium for Manulife 2, which was originally slated to be taller than Manu 1 (which is at the overlay ceiling), There are condos to the west of the CBD which could go a lot taller if allowed to, not to mention future developments as the city grows

[craner]

:previous: thanks man. ;)

[caltrane74]

I guess thats where we differ, I see the demand in Vancouver allowing for many 50+ storey buildings. I mean just look at what happened to the few sites that were allowed to go higher than the max height through the higher buildings policy, immediately two buildings donated enough money and jumped through the cities rings to be allowed to build to the new maximum height well over 50 storeys. The demand is here so I do not know why you dont think they would not be built... afterall it is profitable to keep building high until you it 800 ft or so depending on land prices, and considering Vancouver's incredibly high land prices I see this threshold being an even higher height.

Because of the Natural Beauty of Vancouver, I don't think you'll be seeing many more "talls" after Shangri La, Ritz and Wall Centre. - It would really clutter the view of the mountains. Vancouver will still build many between 40 and 50 storeys though. Shangri La is a one time exception to the rule, and I doubt we'll be on this forum long enough to see another building go up that is any taller.

[LeftCoaster]

800 feet is far above the threshold you're talking about especially with the floorplates you are so accustomed to in Vancouver. In Toronto, the Aura development is just another 1000+ unit project (albeit in one tower) however, in Vancouver, it would represent a significant portion of the downtown market.

Believe what you want, I'm done with this

Exactly, Vancouver towers dont have to have alot of units in them to be tall... ie Ritz Carlton with only 123 suites and 127 much smaller hotel suites in 61 floors. Ludacrisly high real estate rates make these towers financially viable, as condos in Vancouver go for much more than those in Toronto. This is especially true for those suites with unobstructed views located in tall towers.

A lack of space on the downtown penincula also makes building tall towers much more realistic and financially viable, as there is almost no space left for towers, so those which are built can be sold at a premium. In fact I would go so far to say that the developers of all the double towers seen in vancouver could make more profit on one tall building on the site, than 2 half sized buildings due to the premium on view spaces in the Vancouver market.

I dont understand how you can see it so impossible that vancouver can support tall towers... recent projects have told us the economics work and the demand is there...

But you can believe what you want.

[caltrane74]

The economics and the demand support tall towers in Vancouver.

The culture and politics in Vancouver do not.

[LeftCoaster]

^precisely

[Maldive]

Apparently Hamilton has done a superficial audit of The Harry (Harry Stinson) and will be giving him the boot.

In the meantime, Harry apparently has found a "view cone" legal gap and will be announcing Vancouver's "Sapphire" as soon as financing is finalized.

[WhipperSnapper]

Ritz Carlton with only 123 suites and 127 much smaller hotel suites in 61 floors.


Yeah ... that an average condo development in Vancouver :sly:

[WhipperSnapper]

The economics and the demand support tall towers in Vancouver.

60+ storeys though!?! maybe one or two every development cycle but no where near the number Toronto's market could support if developers were given free reign

[LeftCoaster]

^ Well of course not... but I do think it would be a significant number... if you look at the amount of condos that are two 30+ storey buildings there are dozens of such developments.

Yeah ... that an average condo development in Vancouver :sly:

Well its not average becuase of the planning restrictions, like I pointed out it has a similar number of units to most other developments which are two 30 storey buildings stuck under a view cone.

Either way I think we can all just drop this and agree that most major cities in Canada have been hampered in skyline height growth due to restrictions, and determining which one has been more restricted than another is really not a question we can easily qualitatively answer.

Now whether these restrictions are a good thing or not... well thats a whole other can of worms!

[caltrane74]

60+ storeys though!?! maybe one or two every development cycle but no where near the number Toronto's market could support if developers were given free reign


Yes, goodlookin' your right again.

Not 60 storey towers.


I was thinking lots of 40 to 50 storey towers.


60 storeys...hmm: I think Shangri La Vancouver is the last we'll see of that for a while.

[SFUVancouver]

I think Shangri La Vancouver is the last we'll see of that for a while.
^ I disagree.

The MetroCore Jobs study is wrapping up and it will likely recommend upzoning the entire CBD and allowing more height within it and the CBD shoulder. Also the draft EcoDensity charter will introduce sustainability excellence as a option for density bonusing in addition to the standard density bonusing menu. EcoDensity is also set to require high levels of building environmental performance for all new projects, though the exact rating has yet to be determined, let alone passed by council.

Put these into the hopper and factor in the shortage of easily developable land downtown and I think we can expect to see a general increase in height in the CBD and CBD shoulder areas.

The thing to remember about Vancouver is that concentrating development in the downtown core has pretty much kept the peace for the last ten to fifteen years. Now that the core is filling up and development is seeping out the NIMBYs have been stirred up like dust and EcoDensity, or whatever the next phase of development could have been called, is the target. If push comes to shove I think you will see the NIMBYs side with taller downtown development over anything in their backyards.

[WhipperSnapper]

Well its not average becuase of the planning restrictions, like I pointed out it has a similar number of units to most other developments which are two 30 storey buildings stuck under a view cone

It's not average becuase of the price per square foot. Two 30 storey towers will always be cheaper and easier to sell than one 60 storey tower and that doesn't matter how hot the market is, how high the average price per square foot is for, how expensive the the average price per square foot land is, and the average cost of construction per square foot.

There are many reasons to how tall but the one that stands out in this discussion is how large of a market and how much can it absord in a set period of time. If you were to double Vancouver's downtown market, you still would have Toronto's

[WhipperSnapper]

Sold out and awaiting construction for one reason or another in Toronto


1. Trump Tower Toronto - 282 Meters (Toronto)
2. One Bloor - 276 Metres (Toronto)
3. The Bow - 236 Meters (Calgary)
4. Bay Adelaide Centre - 218 Meters (Toronto)
5. Shangri-La - 213 Metres (Toronto)
6. Eighth Avenue Place 1 - 210 Metres (Calgary)
7. Ritz Carlton Toronto - 208 Meters (Toronto)
8. L Tower - 205 Metres (Toronto)
9. Shangri La - 196 Metres (Vancouver)
10. Four Seasons - 195 Metres (Toronto)

11. Maple Leaf Square - 186 Meters (Toronto)
12. RBC Centre - 183 Meters (Toronto)
12. Ritz Carlton Vancouver - 183 Meters (Vancouver)
14. Niagara Hilton - 177 Meters (Nisgara Falls)
15. Centennial Place - 176 Meters (Calgary)
16. Jamison Place - 170 Meters (Calgary)
17. Absolute World - 167 Meters (Mississauga)
18. ArriVa 44 - 160 Meters (Calgary)
19. Minto Midtown - 160 Meters (Toronto)
20. Burano - 158 Metres (Toronto)
21. Success Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
21. Toronto International Film Festival Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
23. Residences at Hotel Georgia 156 Meters (Vancouver)
24. Absolute World 2 -151 Metres (Mississauga)
25. Fairmont Pacific Rim 140 Meters (Vancouver)
25. Murano South Tower 140 Meters (Toronto)
25. Star Tower 140 Metres (Toronto)
28. Epcor Tower 139.0 Meters (Edmonton)
29. Casa 138 Meters (Toronto)
30. The X Condominium 137 Meters (Toronto)
30. Montage -Cityplace 137 Meters (Toronto)



and this is just the start of more relaxed limits

[caltrane74]

Holy Shit, goodlookin'!

We have 4 towers headed to the top 10!!

goodness.

[caltrane74]

^ I disagree.

The MetroCore Jobs study is wrapping up and it will likely recommend upzoning the entire CBD and allowing more height within it and the CBD shoulder. Also the draft EcoDensity charter will introduce sustainability excellence as a option for density bonusing in addition to the standard density bonusing menu. EcoDensity is also set to require high levels of building environmental performance for all new projects, though the exact rating has yet to be determined, let alone passed by council.

Put these into the hopper and factor in the shortage of easily developable land downtown and I think we can expect to see a general increase in height in the CBD and CBD shoulder areas.

The thing to remember about Vancouver is that concentrating development in the downtown core has pretty much kept the peace for the last ten to fifteen years. Now that the core is filling up and development is seeping out the NIMBYs have been stirred up like dust and EcoDensity, or whatever the next phase of development could have been called, is the target. If push comes to shove I think you will see the NIMBYs side with taller downtown development over anything in their backyards.


^ I agree

With everything you said. Which is why I said there would be taller buildings coming down the pipe on average for Vancouver. Just not Shangri La size.

There is just too much "cost"-vs-"benefit" with building that tall (60+ S) in such a pretty city.

You guys will see a lot of developments in the 40-50 storey range. Which is something that hadn't been happening before. But you'll start to see alot more of now.

Mark this post for your records - If we see one building go into sales in Vancouver over 60 storeys in the next 2 years. I'll give anyone that disagrees with me on this post 100 bux each. ( Cause I just don't think it'll happen - And I'm that confident)

[SFUVancouver]

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4466/woodwardsatnightmarch12mc8.jpg
(My photo, taken March 1st, 2008)

[caltrane74]

Here is Murano - courtesy of Mike in TO (www.urbantoronto.ca)

From Feb 26:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/2302532529_1a086fce21_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2009/2303329614_b7878c1567_b.jpg

[AndrewJ3D]

when these two are done and the bigger Buano this intersection is going to sparkle. The glass looks great in the sun, possibly some of the best residential glass we've seen in this city so far. Of coarse once Four Seasons, Aura, L Tower, Shangri-la and the Ritz all that will change.

[caltrane74]

The glass seems to change colour depending on the whether. It's very interesting.

If you go back in the thread, the colour of the glass changes from mirror to blue, to grey and now to brown.

[WhipperSnapper]

The glass looks great in the sun, possibly some of the best residential glass we've seen in this city so far.

best glass so far?!? It's not exactly the first time this stock quality has been used in the city (heck, not even for Lanterra ... 22 Wellesley)

[caltrane74]

Yeah true, but you can barely see 22 Wellesley from the next block.

This building will have a bit more visual impact, and hence the quality of the glass is a bonus.

[LeftCoaster]

It's not average becuase of the price per square foot. Two 30 storey towers will always be cheaper and easier to sell than one 60 storey tower and that doesn't matter how hot the market is, how high the average price per square foot is for, how expensive the the average price per square foot land is, and the average cost of construction per square foot.

There are many reasons to how tall but the one that stands out in this discussion is how large of a market and how much can it absord in a set period of time. If you were to double Vancouver's downtown market, you still would have Toronto's

I dont know why you have this notion the Vancouver maket is so small, the condo market in vancouver is huge, and has been growing prettymuch non stop since the early 90s. And yes usually it will be cheaper to build two 30 storey condos, but not by much, and if you only have to buy enough land to build one tower then it will most likely be cheaper to build one 60 storey tower... especially considering land prices in Vancouver. This also does not include the much more substantial returns a developer will see with a large tower like this, as like I mentioned before the suites can go for much mroe of a premium. However you seem to think that the Vancouver market can not handle projects of this magnitude, yet these high end condos have been selling out nearly as fast as the middle of the run condos, with the understandable exception of the penthouses. Projects like Shangri-La and Ritz are also selling at such high price per sq ft prices due to the amenities and services offered for these condos, nto just becuase they are in tall buildings. Like many similar projects, condos in these towers have full access to the consierge service of the 5 star hotels they are above, and they are outfitted, marketed and priced as such. If this market does eventually shrink, which I do see happening with the forboding signs of the world economy, the condos in tall buildings can still be sold for a premium by reducing the space and selling more units per floor, although this is most likely not necessary as the cost of building tall is not restrictive enough to price out developments in this city. Building a 60 storey average condo is assuredly viable in the hot Vancouver market, and the only thing holding it back is height restrictions, not economics.

[raggedy13]

^Here are some numbers that might help to back up your point...

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: Vancouver Housing Starts Reach Near Record High in 2007.

Canadian Corporate News, January, 2008

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jan 9, 2008 (Marketwire via COMTEX) -- Preliminary figures from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) indicate that the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) ended 2007 with the third highest number of housing starts in 50 years. Driven by a strong apartment condominium market, the total number of housing starts reached 20,736 in 2007, an eleven per cent increase over 2006. Overall, multiple family homes accounted for close to 80 per cent of all housing starts in the Vancouver CMA.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5559/is_200801/ai_n22581852

[caltrane74]

Murano changes colours again!!!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2240/2307981507_ef88407dcd_b.jpg

www.urbantoronto.ca

courtesy of Mike in TO

[caltrane74]

some potentially good news at the 'Marilyn' site...the hole shown at the centre of the excavation is new, and is presumably for the 1st crane's concrete base..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/yyzer/mccfeb2406.jpg

Absolute World Mississauga 167 Meters....

photo from yyzr at www.urbantoronto.ca

[caltrane74]

11. Niagara Hilton - Reno 177 Meters ( Niagara Falls)
12.Centennial Place 176.0 Meters (Calgary)
13. Jamison Place 170 Meters (Calgary)
14. Absolute Wold 167 Meters (Mississauga)- picture above
15. ArriVa 44 - 160 Meters (Calgary)
15 Minto Midtown 160 Meters (Toronto)
15. Uptown Residences - Yorkville 160 Meters (Toronto)
18. Success Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
18 Toronto International Film Festival Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
20. Residences at Hotel Georgia 156 Meters (Vancouver)
21. Absolute World 2 (151 Meters)
22. Fairmont Pacific Rim 140 Meters (Vancouver)
23. Murano South Tower 140 Meters (Toronto)
24. Epcor Tower 139.0 Meters (Edmonton)
25. Casa 138 Meters (Toronto)
26. The X Condominium 137 Meters (Toronto)
26. Montage -Cityplace 137 Meters (Toronto)
28. Telus Tower 136 Meters (Toronto)
29. Astoria on Tenth 130 Meters (Calgary)
30. Crystal Blu Condominiums 129 Meters (Toronto)
31. Capitol Residences 126 Meters (Vancouver)
31. Luna Vista 126 Meters (Toronto)
33. Patina 125 Meters (Vancouver)
34. Five West East Tower 124 Meters (Calgary)
35. W Building 121 Meters (Vancouver)
36. Le 400 Sherbrooke Ouest 120 Meters (Montreal)
36. Verve 120 Meters (Toronto)


Four Seasons Toronto ( hieght unconfirmed - has pushed the Niagara hilton out of the top 10)

[caltrane74]

A bit fuzzy as the windows were dirty...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/2308771480_7e022fbc99_b.jpg

Maple Leaf Square

from Mike in TO

www.urbantoronto.ca

Telus Tower is in the foreground. 136 Meters

[caltrane74]

Buried pipes deliver concrete to Menkes office-tower site

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

Not only is it the first major office building to be constructed in downtown Toronto in more than a decade, the $250-million 30-storey 25 York Street project by developer/builder Menkes can be considered a prototype for innovative, smooth and fast-operating concrete pumping.

That’s because there are never any ready-mix trucks lined up on the adjacent street or cluttering up the building site.

Instead, a 700-horsepower high-pressure concrete pump sits in a parking lot across the road from the site, pumping the concrete through pipes under the road to a 110-foot-radius placing boom on the building site. This set-up ensures that crane time is freed up for other trades.

“We’ve maybe increased production by 30 per cent...” says John Neilson, senior superintendent, Menkes Construction, in assessing the success of the operation.

Approximately 55,000 cubic metres of concrete will have been poured by the time the building has been substantially completed by July 2009, he says.

Neilson credits that success to concrete pump contractor Amherst Group and, in particular to pump manager Paul Turney.

Hemmed in by the Air Canada Centre on the east, a railway line immediately to the north and by busy York Street, the logistics of the tight building site “demanded that we do something different,” says Turney.

On the west side of York Street is a parking lot used as the staging area for the pump operation.

“It’s absolutely doable,” he recalls telling forming contractor Premform Limited and Menkes officials when he originally made the proposal. The developer quickly bought into the idea and was able to arrange the use of parking lot with the co-operation of the owners.

Obtaining approvals from city officials, however, to bury pipes under the street took some time. Finally those approvals were given and then one Saturday last summer, three pipes were installed under York Street by site services contractor VIPE while still keeping the road partially opened, says Turney.

Concrete is pumped through one main line, while the second line serves as a backup and the third is a spare, says Turney.

Amherst spent $800,000 purchasing the German-manufactured pump and place boom, and the peripheral equipment that runs pipelines specifically for this project, but actually used it first on the 10.4-kilometre-long 14.4 metre-diameter concrete lined tunnel constructed at the Sir Adam Beck Generating Complex in Queenston.

While an expensive investment, the efficient fast-operating system requires just one person on the pump and a second to manoeuvre the on-site boom. Only about five to six minutes are required for a truck to unload the concrete into the pump. Some support labour is required when it comes time to raise the boom to another floor, he says.

“We have a real production line going here,” says Turney, who believes the operation is saving the developer time and money. Approximately 200 to 300 metres of concrete can be poured during an eight-hour working day.

[IntotheWest]

I dont know why you have this notion the Vancouver maket is so small, the condo market in vancouver is huge, and has been growing prettymuch non stop since the early 90s. And yes usually it will be cheaper to build two 30 storey condos, but not by much, and if you only have to buy enough land to build one tower then it will most likely be cheaper to build one 60 storey tower... especially considering land prices in Vancouver. This also does not include the much more substantial returns a developer will see with a large tower like this, as like I mentioned before the suites can go for much mroe of a premium. However you seem to think that the Vancouver market can not handle projects of this magnitude, yet these high end condos have been selling out nearly as fast as the middle of the run condos, with the understandable exception of the penthouses. Projects like Shangri-La and Ritz are also selling at such high price per sq ft prices due to the amenities and services offered for these condos, nto just becuase they are in tall buildings. Like many similar projects, condos in these towers have full access to the consierge service of the 5 star hotels they are above, and they are outfitted, marketed and priced as such. If this market does eventually shrink, which I do see happening with the forboding signs of the world economy, the condos in tall buildings can still be sold for a premium by reducing the space and selling more units per floor, although this is most likely not necessary as the cost of building tall is not restrictive enough to price out developments in this city. Building a 60 storey average condo is assuredly viable in the hot Vancouver market, and the only thing holding it back is height restrictions, not economics.

The views from those penthouses would be worthy of the price alone, some of the best in the country - a lot of part-time residents buy those units.

[SFUVancouver]

Buried pipes deliver concrete to Menkes office-tower site

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

Not only is it the first major office building to be constructed in downtown Toronto in more than a decade, the $250-million 30-storey 25 York Street project by developer/builder Menkes can be considered a prototype for innovative, smooth and fast-operating concrete pumping.

That’s because there are never any ready-mix trucks lined up on the adjacent street or cluttering up the building site.

Instead, a 700-horsepower high-pressure concrete pump sits in a parking lot across the road from the site, pumping the concrete through pipes under the road to a 110-foot-radius placing boom on the building site. This set-up ensures that crane time is freed up for other trades.

“We’ve maybe increased production by 30 per cent...” says John Neilson, senior superintendent, Menkes Construction, in assessing the success of the operation.

Approximately 55,000 cubic metres of concrete will have been poured by the time the building has been substantially completed by July 2009, he says.

Neilson credits that success to concrete pump contractor Amherst Group and, in particular to pump manager Paul Turney.

Hemmed in by the Air Canada Centre on the east, a railway line immediately to the north and by busy York Street, the logistics of the tight building site “demanded that we do something different,” says Turney.

On the west side of York Street is a parking lot used as the staging area for the pump operation.

“It’s absolutely doable,” he recalls telling forming contractor Premform Limited and Menkes officials when he originally made the proposal. The developer quickly bought into the idea and was able to arrange the use of parking lot with the co-operation of the owners.

Obtaining approvals from city officials, however, to bury pipes under the street took some time. Finally those approvals were given and then one Saturday last summer, three pipes were installed under York Street by site services contractor VIPE while still keeping the road partially opened, says Turney.

Concrete is pumped through one main line, while the second line serves as a backup and the third is a spare, says Turney.

Amherst spent $800,000 purchasing the German-manufactured pump and place boom, and the peripheral equipment that runs pipelines specifically for this project, but actually used it first on the 10.4-kilometre-long 14.4 metre-diameter concrete lined tunnel constructed at the Sir Adam Beck Generating Complex in Queenston.

While an expensive investment, the efficient fast-operating system requires just one person on the pump and a second to manoeuvre the on-site boom. Only about five to six minutes are required for a truck to unload the concrete into the pump. Some support labour is required when it comes time to raise the boom to another floor, he says.

“We have a real production line going here,” says Turney, who believes the operation is saving the developer time and money. Approximately 200 to 300 metres of concrete can be poured during an eight-hour working day.



^ That's a good idea.

Of course the likelihood of having a surface parking lot across the street from a project is plummeting, and in Vancouver those practically do not exist anymore, but when they are available they should help accelerate construction schedules and keep busy streets flowing. I assume most large projects pump concrete these days instead of luffing buckets.

[caltrane74]

Minto is almost finished. - A couple more months and its off the list.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2051/2317145387_2b30559274_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2079/2317145763_e6c2103031_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/2289001127_00d50a343f_b.jpg

GreatBigC on www.flickr.com

[shappy]

Minto turned out beautifully. It's very striking from the street.

[caltrane74]

Yes, Minto is sweet!

Too bad, there won't be more tall towers in this node for a while.

[caltrane74]

The verve condo..courtesy of current

www.skyscrapercity.com


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2286757843_ae8de6a36f_b.jpg

[craner]

[QUOTE=caltrane74;3399334]11. Niagara Hilton - Reno 177 Meters ( Niagara Falls)
12.Centennial Place 176.0 Meters (Calgary)
13. Jamison Place 170 Meters (Calgary)
14. Absolute Wold 167 Meters (Mississauga)- picture above
15. ArriVa 44 - 160 Meters (Calgary)
15 Minto Midtown 160 Meters (Toronto)
15. Uptown Residences - Yorkville 160 Meters (Toronto)
18. Success Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
18 Toronto International Film Festival Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
20. Residences at Hotel Georgia 156 Meters (Vancouver)
21. Absolute World 2 (151 Meters)
22. Fairmont Pacific Rim 140 Meters (Vancouver)
23. Murano South Tower 140 Meters (Toronto)
24. Epcor Tower 139.0 Meters (Edmonton)
25. Casa 138 Meters (Toronto)
26. The X Condominium 137 Meters (Toronto)
26. Montage -Cityplace 137 Meters (Toronto)
28. Telus Tower 136 Meters (Toronto)
29. Astoria on Tenth 130 Meters (Calgary)
30. Crystal Blu Condominiums 129 Meters (Toronto)
31. Capitol Residences 126 Meters (Vancouver)
31. Luna Vista 126 Meters (Toronto)
33. Patina 125 Meters (Vancouver)
34. Five West East Tower 124 Meters (Calgary)
35. W Building 121 Meters (Vancouver)
36. Le 400 Sherbrooke Ouest 120 Meters (Montreal)
36. Verve 120 Meters (Toronto)

I don't know what the "offiial" criteria is for being on this list (if any), but #34 "Five West" (Calgary) is basically completed construction by the looks of it and should probably come off the list. Now we have to get a few more Calgary proposals U/C to replace it:yes:

[francely57]

I don't know what the "offiial" criteria is for being on this list (if any), but #34 "Five West" (Calgary) is basically completed construction by the looks of it and should probably come off the list. Now we have to get a few more Calgary proposals U/C to replace it:yes:

So I guess it would become:

11. Niagara Hilton - Reno 177 Meters ( Niagara Falls)
12.Centennial Place 176.0 Meters (Calgary)
13. Jamison Place 170 Meters (Calgary)
14. Absolute Wold 167 Meters (Mississauga)- picture above
15. ArriVa 44 - 160 Meters (Calgary)
15 Minto Midtown 160 Meters (Toronto)
15. Uptown Residences - Yorkville 160 Meters (Toronto)
18. Success Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
18 Toronto International Film Festival Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
20. Residences at Hotel Georgia 156 Meters (Vancouver)
21. Absolute World 2 (151 Meters)
22. Fairmont Pacific Rim 140 Meters (Vancouver)
23. Murano South Tower 140 Meters (Toronto)
24. Epcor Tower 139.0 Meters (Edmonton)
25. Casa 138 Meters (Toronto)
26. The X Condominium 137 Meters (Toronto)
26. Montage -Cityplace 137 Meters (Toronto)
28. Telus Tower 136 Meters (Toronto)
29. Astoria on Tenth 130 Meters (Calgary)
30. Crystal Blu Condominiums 129 Meters (Toronto)
31. Capitol Residences 126 Meters (Vancouver)
31. Luna Vista 126 Meters (Toronto)
33. Patina 125 Meters (Vancouver)
(eliminated)
34. W Building 121 Meters (Vancouver)
35. Le 400 Sherbrooke Ouest 120 Meters (Montreal)
35. Verve 120 Meters (Toronto)



Montreal's tallest U/C, with the surrounding density, March 13, 2008

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_0774.jpg

More density
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_0773.jpg

[WhipperSnapper]

what's up with patina?

[Delirium]

good point. why is it marked as 'eliminated'?

a second crane was recently installed a couple weeks ago -

photo by subdube
http://nonstopdesign.com/fotos/DSC_0002-500.jpg

[francely57]

what's up with patina?

good point. why is it marked as 'eliminated'?



Oh, it's not about Patina, I just "eliminated" Five West East Tower (#34), because craner said it is basically completed.

[caltrane74]

Here's a slightly crooked shot I snapped through the window of the bus last weekend.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y142/Softee2/March15th2008028.jpg


from softee posted at www.urbantoronto.ca

Minto Yonge and Eglinton

[caltrane74]

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee140/laserboy_TO/PICT1339.jpg


http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee140/laserboy_TO/PICT1341.jpg




http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee140/laserboy_TO/PICT1368.jpg

Verve Condo

courtesy of dt toronto geek

www.urbantoronto.ca

[caltrane74]

More March 24th:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2021/2359153786_236a627569.jpg

Window Installer:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2320/2358317581_96fa46d25a.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2358316589_01f56c0f55.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2359149528_d8485361c8.jpg?v=0


Murano from Mike in TO

www.urbantoronto.ca

[Stephen Ave]

Wow, Toronto is just kicking butt in the high rise department. I can only imagine what it would be like in the midst of a building boom.

[Stephen Ave]

Sorry to step in here.. but emporis database reports:

Calgary 221 High Rise
Edmonton 235 High Rise

Calgary - 21 U/C
Edmonton - 8 U/C

When all is finished being built - Calgary will apparently have one more tower than Edmonton. See emporis.com for their definition of Tower.

Those figure are way outdated. I don't know about Edmonton, but the Calgary numbers are incorrect. Calgary actually has many more high rise buildings u/c than Emporis lists. When the high rise buildings over 12 storeys that are u/c right now are finished, Calgary will have 6 more. Not that it matters, anyway. 12 storeys is just an arbitrary number that Emporis uses. If you use 20 storeys as a comparison, than Calgary has twice as many. The comparisons could go on forever.

[caltrane74]

Wow, Toronto is just kicking butt in the high rise department. I can only imagine what it would be like in the midst of a building boom.

Me too. We are in a really shitty economy here right now. Construction is one of the few bright spots. Lots and I mean Lots of jobs, but people still don't feel good about entering the trades for some reason.

Thankfully my little cousin is almost finished his apprenticeship. He will do quite well.

[wild wild west]

Those figure are way outdated. I don't know about Edmonton, but the Calgary numbers are incorrect. Calgary actually has many more high rise buildings u/c than Emporis lists. When the high rise buildings over 12 storeys that are u/c right now are finished, Calgary will have 6 more. Not that it matters, anyway. 12 storeys is just an arbitrary number that Emporis uses. If you use 20 storeys as a comparison, than Calgary has twice as many. The comparisons could go on forever.

I still don't understand the "12-storey" number in determining how many high rises a city has. 20 makes more sense. I'd actually argue that a specific height, such as 50 or 100 metres, would make more sense than a set number of floors.

[WhipperSnapper]

^The actually cutoff is a height value though ... 35 metres. However height values are hard to come by hence the 35 metres or 12 storeys.

12 storeys/ 35 metres came into being when Emporis realizing it being next to impossible to document all developments was looking for a cutoff point while, at the same time, a member was submitting a list of Minneapolis buildings that was compiled 12 storeys and above. SSP followed suit.


8 storeys is the more common the highrise cut-off based again on fire truck design

[Boris2k7]

I just realized, the first pic of Verve in post #253 makes it look a LOT like Arriva from the south.

[AndrewJ3D]

The Verve is my least favorite u/c in Toronto right now, not sure if it's the colour, the precast, or the stupid hat.

[The Chemist]

I just realized, the first pic of Verve in post #253 makes it look a LOT like Arriva from the south.

I thought it WAS Arriva at first. So you're not the only one.

[theman23]

The Verve is my least favorite u/c in Toronto right now, not sure if it's the colour, the precast, or the stupid hat.

All of the above, but the colour is the worst part. They should have gone for a darker green.

[LeftCoaster]

Update of Fairmont Pacific Rim from a cloudy Tuesday afternoon.

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9715/dscf0853vi3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[WhipperSnapper]

The Verve is my least favorite u/c in Toronto right now, not sure if it's the colour, the precast, or the stupid hat.

It's hard to pick a worst but it's definitely among the select few. Success will top it though if it turns out anything like its rendering. And, still better than 80% of the crap going up outside the downtown.

check out RBT amazing construction update

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=148095
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=148058

those NYCC towers (i.e. Pulse) could give Edmonton a run for the money:yuck:

[caltrane74]

View from the top floor of 2 Bloor West (roughly the same height that Casa will be). Work on the second floor of the podium is moving along.

Note how Verve dominates in the first wideshot... and forgive the filthy windows.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/th_DSCN2385.jpg (http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/DSCN2385.jpg) http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/th_DSCN2384.jpg (http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/DSCN2384.jpg) http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/th_DSCN2381.jpg (http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/DSCN2381.jpg) http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/th_DSCN2382.jpg (http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z133/markus919/DSCN2382.jpg)

Casa condominum courtesy of casaguy.

www.urbantoronto.ca

[francely57]

February 20, 2008

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_4281.jpg


400 Sherbrooke West, exactly 1 month later, March 20, 2008
18.5 floors, reaching the halfway up point

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_0944.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_0946.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_0940.jpg

[Nicko999]

The difference is huge!!! Only in 1 month:tup:

[caltrane74]

Montage courtesy of current. At www.skyscrapercity.com


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/2370427250_9fb7c2eff6_b.jpg

[caltrane74]

Murano courtesy of current. www.skyscrapercity.com

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2370427282_280f393621_b.jpg

[Nicko999]

11. Niagara Hilton - Reno 177 Meters ( Niagara Falls)
12.Centennial Place 176.0 Meters (Calgary)
13. Jamison Place 170 Meters (Calgary)
14. Absolute Wold 167 Meters (Mississauga)- picture above
15. ArriVa 44 - 160 Meters (Calgary)
15 Minto Midtown 160 Meters (Toronto)
15. Uptown Residences - Yorkville 160 Meters (Toronto)
18. Success Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
18 Toronto International Film Festival Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
20. Residences at Hotel Georgia 156 Meters (Vancouver)
21. Absolute World 2 (151 Meters)
22. Fairmont Pacific Rim 140 Meters (Vancouver)
23. Murano South Tower 140 Meters (Toronto)
24. Epcor Tower 139.0 Meters (Edmonton)
25. Casa 138 Meters (Toronto)
26. The X Condominium 137 Meters (Toronto)
26. Montage -Cityplace 137 Meters (Toronto)
28. Telus Tower 136 Meters (Toronto)
29. Astoria on Tenth 130 Meters (Calgary)
30. Crystal Blu Condominiums 129 Meters (Toronto)
31. Capitol Residences 126 Meters (Vancouver)
31. Luna Vista 126 Meters (Toronto)
33. Patina 125 Meters (Vancouver)
34. W Building 121 Meters (Vancouver)
35. Le 400 Sherbrooke Ouest 120 Meters (Montreal)
35. Verve 120 Meters (Toronto)

March 26 2008

19 floors

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_2456.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_2457.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_2460-1.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_2463-1.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/UC/IMG_2464-1.jpg

by Francely57 on mtlurb

[caltrane74]

Montage is turning out to be wicked!!!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/2372644284_b34fd3fb90_b.jpg

This picture is courtesy of current on www.skyscrapercity.com

[Calgarian]

WE need some pics of the Calgary projects on here. I haven't seen any updates from Jamieson or Centennial in a long time.

[caltrane74]

I also need to update the list.

Star Tower in Etobicoke is now under construction at 140 Meters tall.

[O-Town Hockey]

I really love the glass on Murano. That slightly grey metalic colour seems to be getting more and more popular. It's worlds better than the plague of shiny blue glass throughout downtown Ottawa.

[caltrane74]

Murano's colour seems to change colour with the weather, from dark brown(black) to grey and cloudy days, to blue and reflective blue on sunny days.

[caltrane74]

11. Niagara Hilton - Reno 177 Meters ( Niagara Falls)
12.Centennial Place 176.0 Meters (Calgary)
13. Jamison Place 170 Meters (Calgary)
14. Absolute Wold 167 Meters (Mississauga)- picture above
15. ArriVa 44 - 160 Meters (Calgary)
15 Minto Midtown 160 Meters (Toronto)
15. Uptown Residences - Yorkville 160 Meters (Toronto)
18. Success Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
18 Toronto International Film Festival Tower 157 Meters (Toronto)
20. Residences at Hotel Georgia 156 Meters (Vancouver)
21. Absolute World 2 (151 Meters)
22. Fairmont Pacific Rim 140 Meters (Vancouver)
22 Murano South Tower 140 Meters (Toronto)
22. Star Tower - 140 Meters (Etobicoke Shores)
25. Epcor Tower 139.0 Meters (Edmonton)
26. Casa 138 Meters (Toronto)
27 The X Condominium 137 Meters (Toronto)
27 Montage -Cityplace 137 Meters (Toronto)
29 Telus Tower 136 Meters (Toronto)
30Astoria on Tenth 130 Meters (Calgary)
31 Crystal Blu Condominiums 129 Meters (Toronto)
32 Capitol Residences 126 Meters (Vancouver)
32 Luna Vista 126 Meters (Toronto)
34 Patina 125 Meters (Vancouver)
35 W Building 121 Meters (Vancouver)
36 Le 400 Sherbrooke Ouest 120 Meters (Montreal)
36 Verve 120 Meters (Toronto)

[caltrane74]

Success Tower


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2316/2371890801_7223f4f384_b.jpg


courtesy of current on SSC.

www.skyscrapercity.com

[caltrane74]

Minto Midtown ( the crane is down - almost complete!)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/2372313153_c76fe8944a_b.jpg


courtesy of GreatBigC on www.flickr.com

[LeftCoaster]

Minto is a bit of a snoozer, but Montage looks fantastic... although if I lived there I would have the montage song from team america in my head all day every day.

[caltrane74]

Minto is an art deco classic. It's so true to it's style as to be unbelieveable.

Maybe the Tower is a little bland, but the base more than makes up for it. And the detailing on that building is unreal.

[caltrane74]

View of the downtown core from the southwest corner of the roof with a good view of Maple Leaf Gardens and Lake Ontario off in the distance.

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-view-southwest.jpg

I shot some photos around the building during a video shoot on March 20. It was a bleak day but I did manage to take a few interesting photos in and around the building.

Here's the view from PH residence 5's bedroom bedroom (http://www.tridel.com/verve/sign/r5_floor.gif).

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-r5-bedroom.jpg

This is the living room view for PH Residence 2 (http://tridel.com/verve/sign/r2_suite.php):
http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-ph2-living.jpg

The view from the living room of PH Residence 4 (http://tridel.com/verve/sign/r4_suite.php) looking towards the northeast:

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-r4-view.jpg

View north towards Yonge & Eglinton showing the dramatic weather changes happening that day:

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-view-north-roof.jpg

Northwest shot from the roof towards Yonge & Bloor.

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-northwest-roof.jpg

View from the roof looking west along Wellesley. You can see Lake Ontario off to the right.

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-view-west-roof.jpg

View down the east side of the building:

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-east-view-down.jpg

The cordless bungie jump view from the roof looking down the north side of the building to Verve's loft roof and swimming pool.

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-loft-roof.jpg

The view from the roof looking down the west side of the building to Wellesley below. To the left there is the interesting architectural feature that the southwest suites enjoy. A triangular outcropping provides almost a 270 degree view from the living room.

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-view-down-west.jpg

A view of "The Boat" on Verve's roof which houses the building's mechanicals.

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-the-boat.jpg

Inside "The Boat" housing building mechanicals and air conditioning. This was a challenging piece to form because all the mechanicals (17,000 lb air conditioning unit!) had to be installed and formed around. The air conditioning was a lot of fun to install as it had to be manhandled into position the last couple of feet due to weight restrictions of the crane.

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-air-conditioning.jpg

Looking up one of the two elevator shafts and showing that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel:

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-elevator-shaft.jpg

The suites are well along to completion. Drywall is being installed past the 30th floor and cabinetry and appliances going in to the lower quarter of the building. Here's a shot of an almost finished suite on the lower level:

http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-kitchen.jpg.

The Verve Construction video turned out well. I'll post the Youtube link when the post production is completed.

Tridelwebmaster gave us some interesting shots from the top of the Verve Condo. ( www.urbantoronto.ca)

[Maldive]

^that's what a big city looks like.

[harls]

wow..

[sync]

pics are epic!

[Coldrsx]

EPCOR Tower finally seeing some activity:


http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w69/newfangled2001/EPCOR1800x600.jpg

[vanman]

Sick Toronto pics!

[Nicko999]

Toronto pics=:slob:

[Canuck]

Tridelwebmaster gave us some interesting shots from the top of the Verve Condo. ( www.urbantoronto.ca)
http://www.tridel.com/verve/images/20080320-view-southwest.jpg

To emphasize Toronto's current boom:

Looking at pure Residential towers (ignoring mix use residential towers, such as condo/hotel buildings, etc), the Verve tower at 39 floors and 422 feet is:

The 12th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings.

The 20th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings and buildings under construction.

The 23rd tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, and buildings undergoing site preparation.

The 28th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, and buildings in sales.

The 29th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, buildings in sales, and buildings in pre-sales.

The 32nd tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking
at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, buildings in sales, buildings in pre-sales, and approved buildings.

And finally the 43rd tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, buildings in sales, buildings in pre-sales, approved buildings, and proposed buildings.


Let the good times roll.

[Maldive]

I had to take a math tutorial to absorb your post... but point taken.

What's amazing about this boom is the number of quality projects (that would be big news in other cities) that aren't even on the radar.

I'm not a Diamond Schmitt fan, but here's a great example of a handsome, nicely massed (with some Toronto '60s historical references) building that would never even be discussed here. And it's pretty nice.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1438/victorycharlieat8.jpg

[AndrewJ3D]

Ya I like it a lot.

[WhipperSnapper]

To emphasize Toronto's current boom:

Looking at pure Residential towers (ignoring mix use residential towers, such as condo/hotel buildings, etc), the Verve tower at 39 floors and 422 feet is:

The 12th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings.

The 20th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings and buildings under construction.

The 23rd tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, and buildings undergoing site preparation.

The 28th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, and buildings in sales.

The 29th tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, buildings in sales, and buildings in pre-sales.

The 32nd tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking
at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, buildings in sales, buildings in pre-sales, and approved buildings.

And finally the 43rd tallest Residential tower in the Greater Toronto Area, when looking at completed buildings, buildings under construction, buildings undergoing site preparation, buildings in sales, buildings in pre-sales, approved buildings, and proposed buildings.


Let the good times roll.


pretty cool however Verve's height according to the latest committee of adjustments ruling is a smidge below 400 feet (too lazy to check SSP's database for an exact height)

[Maldive]

You of all people should know that those approvals don't match what gets built.

Only recently have they (staff) started to accurately document "mechanical + architectural feature" to achieve a real height.

I'll bet you 3 jugs of draft, Verve's "boat" is way, way above 400 feet (i have access to survey technology to validate the bet, should you accept).

[raggedy13]

A shot of the Woodward's development:

Originally posted by delirium, from flickr.com
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2368452582_ce43b37d62_b.jpg

And one by Jacques:
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i60/frenchcda/the%20CITY%20I%20LOVE/Close-upWoodwardsSE.jpg

[WhipperSnapper]

You of all people should know that those approvals don't match what gets built.

Only recently have they (staff) started to accurately document "mechanical + architectural feature" to achieve a real height.


The CofA agendas have always been ahead of staff reports when it comes to the specifics of building heights.

[WhipperSnapper]

Woodward is pretty bulky for Vancouver ... probably a good thing

[PhilippeMtl]

I'm glad to see lots of canadians cities are going well. I am sure we will see Montreal in this list more often by the end of the year.

With all the proposed and approved tower, we might see something happens very soon.

Let's cross our fingers for Montreal and Winnipeg.

[caltrane74]

I had to take a math tutorial to absorb your post... but point taken.

What's amazing about this boom is the number of quality projects (that would be big news in other cities) that aren't even on the radar.

I'm not a Diamond Schmitt fan, but here's a great example of a handsome, nicely massed (with some Toronto '60s historical references) building that would never even be discussed here. And it's pretty nice.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1438/victorycharlieat8.jpg

This is a nice project. And you are correct, if you hadn't brought it up would never be discussed here. - These little infill projects really will create an interesting visual appeal to many Toronto streets.

[Maldive]

Woodward's looking very nice. I like its heft... very commanding. And the simple "mirror image" of the base is a very appealing, logical shape. Has the potential to be one of the better modern/historic "grafts" in the country.

[caltrane74]

yes, Woodwards looks nice. I didn't relize that it was intergrated with the historic base.

Very nice!!