[caltrane74]

I was wondering why a site that focuses on highrise development doesn't have a thread devoted to the impact these new towers and other projects have on the way people interact with the city. Here is a chance for you to discuss how the recent developments in your city, with regards, to local bylaws, new organizations, developments highrise and otherwise are impacting the vibrancy of your community and share them with a wider audience in the Canada thread.

There is no height limit here.

[caltrane74]

Now this is what I'm talking about!!


http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/arts/photos/2011/04/19/li-winnipeg-cube-620.jpg

3 Winnipeg buildings get architecture awards

The Cube, a downtown open-air performance space, is one of three Winnipeg buildings selected for Awards of Excellence from Architecture Canada.

Both the Canadian Museum of Human Rights and Manitoba Hydro Place, also in Winnipeg, received honourable mentions for innovation in architecture for the awards, given every two years.

The Cube, also known as OMS Stage, was hailed for its innovative metal mesh design, which draws back to reveal a stage and can be adapted for everything from concerts to parties.

The jury called the work, by 5468796 Architecture Inc., a "little gem that restores the architects' role within rituals of daily life in Winnipeg."

Jurors praised the mesh design for the way it refracted light and images to the outside when closed.

"The Cube is a brilliant work of architectural art. It takes a simple object like the cube and transforms it into a piece of art. The use of materials and their assembly is quite imaginative and evident in how light is refracted," the jury said.

Smith Carter Architects and Engineers and Antoine Predock received an honorable mention for use of BIM (building information management) technology to lower construction costs and improve long-term management at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, currently under construction. The Canadian Construction Association has been promoting the use of BIM, which is popular in Europe, by its members.

Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg and partners got a mention for the design of Manitoba Hydro Place, which incorporates energy efficiency. The building is said to be the most energy efficient large office tower in North America.

More of the article here:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2011/04/19/architecture-awards.html

[trueviking]

^i was a big supporter of the cube initially, but it didnt really meet my expectations in the end....its pretty drab in the daylight and it has been widely panned by the performing arts community as being non-functional......


the pulled back opening compresses the performers visually and is not comfortable to be on.

http://red.memberlodge.org/Resources/Pictures/Cube%20Unveiled%20June%2017.jpg


they even had to put a temporary stage in front of it at last year's fringe festival...with hanging speakers on wires....not terribly elegant.

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2640/img6789g.jpg


there is even a facebook page complaining about it

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=146705245362859&v=wall


CBC interview discussing its shortfalls...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCFU7tn4OGE


it was supposed to be capable of having projected images on it to allow films to be shown in the park but they had to buy a separate screen and sit it in front for those occasions.

its a cool idea that didnt quite work out in the end....it won a whack of international awards though because it photographs nicely at night and its deficiencies dont have to mentioned in any awards submission.


http://www.5468796.ca/images/omsstage/OMSstage_night01.jpg

[SpikePhanta]

NIMBYs control the city of Vancouver.

[Darkoshvilli]

NIMBYs control the city of Vancouver.

NIMBYs own, control and terrorize the city of Montreal. (though things have been getting better lately)

[caltrane74]

In Toronto the NIMBY's have been run out of town...

There are some NIMBY's left, but how can they be taken seriously when they live in 50 storey towers and are just trying to protect their views.

[Darkoshvilli]

I bet you killed them off one by one cal^^:haha:

[caltrane74]

No, no I didnt... honest.

Here is a good one, Rob Ford, our mayor here in Toronto is planning on selling off prime waterfront real estate in central Toronto to balance the city budget instead of beautifying the waterfront, like what has been done in Chicago.

Obviously you can't build skyscrapers at the waterfront, but I don't know where I fall on this one... Is it better for the city to develop the waterfront land with money it doesnt have or let private companies deal with it?

[big T]

^well my rule of thumb is, if Chicago did it, chances are it's the way to go.
seriously, imo there is not much that Chicago got wrong, at least in the downtown (loop + river north) area.

[PoscStudent]

Downtown St. John's is seeing a fair bit of development, though many of the projects are not complted yet. There has been a lot of redevelopments of the older buildings downtown, either into condos, stores or offices, and I think it has made a big difference. It is much more more vibrant now and it seems a lot of people are travelling downtown to go shopping. The residential neighbourhoods around downtown have also seen big transformations.

I believe there are about five or six condos either proposed or underconstruction at the moment. While they are not large developments, due to the restrictions in place, there should be about 500 new condo units built. So with between to 1000 to 1500 people moving into the core it should make a difference.

Office buildings are also getting built which will change the skyline for the first time in close to 20 years, and they will also bring more people downtown. Some of the new projects will add a number of parking spots and parking this is often a reason people use for not going downtown so hopefully that makes a difference.

Here's what St. John's may look like over next couple of years.

http://www.pbase.com/image/134040006/original.jpg
This was done by Architype

Some condo projects are covered by the rock to the right.

[Bdog]

In Toronto the NIMBY's have been run out of town...

There are some NIMBY's left, but how can they be taken seriously when they live in 50 storey towers and are just trying to protect their views.

Nimbyism is definitely alive and well in Toronto. Try getting something of modest height developed in the Annex. Or along the bloor subway line for that matter...

[caltrane74]

Nimbyism is definitely alive and well in Toronto. Try getting something of modest height developed in the Annex. Or along the bloor subway line for that matter...

The provincial development board will change this as the land available for open development diminishes, intensification will occur on transit routes. No one can stop this now.

[caltrane74]

Canada's 7 architectural Wonders


http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1302913924876_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x

http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1302913924974_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x


http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1302913924680_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x

http://www.torontosun.com/travel/canada/2011/04/11/17963106.html

Plus 15 Skyway Network, Calgary: As the world's most extensive pedestrian system off the ground, Plus 15 was considered a hallmark in urban development. The architect, Harold Hanen, even won an award in 1970 for urban planning. There is a total of 16 km and 59 bridges in the system. (Shutterstock)

[freeweed]

Plus 15 Skyway Network, Calgary: As the world's most extensive pedestrian system off the ground, Plus 15 was considered a hallmark in urban development. The architect, Harold Hanen, even won an award in 1970 for urban planning. There is a total of 16 km and 59 bridges in the system. (Shutterstock)

Ironically, many urban Calgarians view the Plus 15 as a blight on the city. It takes most pedestrians away from the street level and results in a very quiet-seeming downtown at times. Unless it's one of the 2 or 3 warm summer months.

[osmo]

No, no I didnt... honest.

Here is a good one, Rob Ford, our mayor here in Toronto is planning on selling off prime waterfront real estate in central Toronto to balance the city budget instead of beautifying the waterfront, like what has been done in Chicago.

Obviously you can't build skyscrapers at the waterfront, but I don't know where I fall on this one... Is it better for the city to develop the waterfront land with money it doesnt have or let private companies deal with it?

Chicago had there Waterfront prepped by Olmsted in the 1800's this is clearly on a different level. It was designed in the publics best interest then, I dont agree that the private sector will build anything other than crap. Look what has been built each times they have been given the keys to large chunks of land on the lake

The first Condos when the Waterfront was a wasteland, I don't even know there specfic names but the concrete tombs with my least favorite building in the whole city the Westin Habourfront.:yuck:

Next up CityPlace. Its complete crap, aside from some cool art commissions it has had installed the development is a Jr. Saint James Town.

So why would we believe the private sector will take it upon itself to build anything decent. ... they won't.

Only Public hands can ensure something will end-up nice in the end for the ture enjoyment of the public. Waterfront TO has done a amazing job at planning this thing out, let them keep doing what there doing its not perfect but its better than the alternative.

The thing is with this parcel of land is that if its developed correctly its land value will soar and the City will gain from that. If you put what Doug Ford wants on there; big box stores, and a stadium :haha: it will just bleed money and be a dump.

[osmo]

Ironically, many urban Calgarians view the Plus 15 as a blight on the city. It takes most pedestrians away from the street level and results in a very quiet-seeming downtown at times. Unless it's one of the 2 or 3 warm summer months.

I remember somebody on this board bringing up the same effect PATH has in Toronto. It keeps a lot of the hustle and bustle that would going on outside on the street trapped, and hidden.

They should close Plus 15 down in the summer? force people outside.:yes: But i'll admit I'm not terribly familiar with this system though, is it strictly just walk-ways or are there shops and services integrated within them also?

[caltrane74]

I remember somebody on this board bringing up the same effect PATH has in Toronto. It keeps a lot of the hustle and bustle that would going on outside on the street trapped, and hidden.

They should close Plus 15 down in the summer? force people outside.:yes: But i'll admit I'm not terribly familiar with this system though, is it strictly just walk-ways or are there shops and services integrated within them also?

My assumption is there are probably shops integrated into this path system in Calgary.

[Bdog]

The provincial development board will change this as the land available for open development diminishes, intensification will occur on transit routes. No one can stop this now.

Just because the unelected OMB decides to overrule what's been decided at community council doesn't mean that "Nimby's have been run out of town". Nimbyism is alive and well in TO, and I guess to a certain extent, you can thank Jane Jacobs for that...

[caltrane74]

Just because the unelected OMB decides to overrule what's been decided at community council doesn't mean that "Nimby's have been run out of town". Nimbyism is alive and well in TO, and I guess to a certain extent, you can thank Jane Jacobs for that...

My point is, sure there is NIMBISM, but it's on the run, just due to environmental constraints of available land to develop. INTENSIFICATION will occur.

THIS CANNOT BE FOUGHT. - Bloor street and the annex will have to get use to more intensive development in the future, even if they are protected in the somewhat immediate future from skyscrapers, the heights in the area are increasing as is the number of dwelling units.

[freeweed]

They should close Plus 15 down in the summer? force people outside.:yes: But i'll admit I'm not terribly familiar with this system though, is it strictly just walk-ways or are there shops and services integrated within them also?

The latter. Much of Calgary's downtown retail is highly dependent on Plus 15 traffic. Which is much of the complaint - it seriously reduced street-level retail.

Winnipeg's Skywalk system, although not quite as extensive, suffers from this as well. Back in the 70s the city closed down Portage & Main to pedestrian traffic with the specific intent of driving pedestrians underground and into the enclosed environment. In fact, it was one of the demands of the developer when they constructed one of the major skyscrapers on the corner. The official line is safety and traffic flow, but opening that corner to pedestrians would likely bring a lawsuit from the landlord.

[Bigtime]

Winnipeg's Skywalk system, although not quite as extensive, suffers from this as well. Back in the 70s the city closed down Portage & Main to pedestrian traffic with the specific intent of driving pedestrians underground and into the enclosed environment. In fact, it was one of the demands of the developer when they constructed one of the major skyscrapers on the corner. The official line is safety and traffic flow, but opening that corner to pedestrians would likely bring a lawsuit from the landlord.

I hate that intersection so much when I am in Winnipeg. As I would rather be outside enjoying myself than walking through the underground section. I will actually walk a block out of my way to cross instead of going underneath.

[LeftCoaster]

I'm not familiar with what Chicago did, but from my past experience living in Vancouver I'd say you can have your cake and eat it too.

Much of the public space in the false creek area (Yaletown etc...) was paid for by Concord and other developers in exchange for density allowments and other concessions. The city assisted (or mandated) the design, but from what I understand much of the funding was borne by the developers. Of course the costs eventually get passed off to the consumer in the form of higher unit prices, and the city in lower land prices, but it is a way to find a common ground between wholesale land dumps to developers, and expensive city beautification programs.

The end result in Vancouver was a cohesive, walkable, albeit somewhat homogenic neighbourhood, at a minimal cost to the city and great benefit to its citizens.

I remember somebody on this board bringing up the same effect PATH has in Toronto. It keeps a lot of the hustle and bustle that would going on outside on the street trapped, and hidden.

They should close Plus 15 down in the summer? force people outside.:yes: But i'll admit I'm not terribly familiar with this system though, is it strictly just walk-ways or are there shops and services integrated within them also?

That's the reason Vancouver actively discourages underground pathways, hence the city is left with a fragmented system of disconnected concourse levels. It is definitely a positive in the summer, but there are some rainy winter days where I just remember cursing the decision as I ran across the road trying futilely to shelter myself from the rain with a soggy newspaper.

[caltrane74]

Oh I read this article about a week ago.. fantastic...

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/975801--millionaire-tenant-leaves-trail-of-angry-landlords


Millionaire' tenant leaves trail of angry landlords


http://ca.ilneurone.com/wp-content/plugins/rssposter-pro-0.8.8/cache/49b92_15911dd140e8b1880047ce951460.jpeg


The self-described financial guru lists his first name as “Goodgracious” in public records and has the letters “GG” branded (not tattooed) into his right arm. But he said in an interview that his birth name is Tovarance Mensah.

On the websites for 144fx, Joseph refers to himself as “the world’s foremost financial shaman and currency money king. I am just like a bridge over troubled water for bankers, traders, and analysts everywhere. I am a friend to the lost souls. A teacher. A leader. A mystic. Basically, a man of the future, and a master of reality. Let me guide you. Let me show you the way.”

His Toronto landlords say he boasted of his wealth and business affiliations with music stars Beyoncé and Jay-Z, all while passing bad cheques, filling his units with furniture he picked from the garbage and driving a beat-up Mazda pick-up truck rather than Lamborghinis or Range Rovers.

Ontario corporate registration documents show “Goodgracious (Jordan) Joseph” is the 38-year-old president of Maxum Marketing, a holding company involved in investments and acquisitions. It was registered in February.

Joseph’s rental application for Kerkez’s house last month claims his income is $18,000 a month. He listed his automobile as a 2004 Bentley GT.

“Those cars (in the online videos) are all mine,” Joseph says, citing six luxury vehicles currently in California. “My income comes from a variety of sources. During the financial crisis I sold the hell out of the British pound and the Euro. I made money.”

Joseph has also registered as a principal in a new Ontario corporation called BFX Positive Inc. which he says will be “acquiring small foreign exchange outfits in Toronto.”

To prospective landlords in Toronto, Joseph’s financial pedigree made him the perfect tenant.

In August 2010, he responded to a Craigslist ad and moved his family into a two-bedroom Little Italy unit above retail shops on a short-term sublet agreement, says the landlord, who asked not to be identified fearing repercussions from her own landlord.

The woman says Joseph spoke of his California mansion and wealth when he rented her place.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/975801--millionaire-tenant-leaves-trail-of-angry-landlords

This fools website

144fx.com



Youtube page

GhGQwmK42_U

[caltrane74]

http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01268/WEB-property26r_1268701cl-3.jpg

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
For rent: Office w/gr8 views, lots of light, green amenities

There was a time when sufficient square footage, a floor plan and the right price was enough to secure a great tenant. But the way commercial buildings are being marketed is changing dramatically. Today, it's all about the employee.

“How's the staff going to feel working here? What's the quality of the light like? Where is my staff going to go for their workouts? Where’s the nearest parking lot? Where's the nearest green space?” said David Allison, author of Branding Buildings Better and co-founder of the Vancouver marketing firm Braun/Allison Inc.

Mr. Allison works primarily in residential and recreational real estate, where quality of life and amenities have been a focus for 20 years. But in recent years Braun/Allison has started working on commercial projects and applying marketing methods from the residential world.

“The idea is, there's a lot of good, smart thinking that's been going on for a couple of decades now. Why are we reinventing the wheel? Let's use it.”

For landlords, the goal is “a building people don't want to leave. They renew their lease, they're willing to pay a little bit extra. When the leases expire, there's a waiting list in the best of all possible worlds because you've got the cool building.”

One of Braun/Allison's projects, Sun Tower in Vancouver, is a heritage building that's being rebranded as Creative Commons. The building's website proclaims, “This is not office space, this is creative space,” and emphasizes the building's architecture, its onsite fitness centre, the neighbourhood's cuisine and entertainment options.

“What we're trying to do is tell people this is a particularly awesome building in a great location, and if you consider yourselves to be creative thinkers – whether it's a creative law firm, photographer or government agency – then this is going to be a creative hub for Vancouver,” said Mr. Allison.

“It's not just about a name and a logo, it's about establishing our brand. It's a great example of how you can take a commercial building and use some of the rules for residential and tell great stories and help people understand why [relocating here] is a good decision.”

Employees are also a driving factor behind the incorporation of environmentally sustainable features into new buildings, said Mark Fieder, president and managing director for Avison Young's Ontario division.

“You will never see a new building built in Toronto that is not in some way LEED certified,” said Mr. Fieder. “It's a branding issue – clients want to see their suppliers are doing the right things within the environmental side of the business. And human resources is driving it, I'd say more than anything, because this is what employees want.”

“If you want to attract the best talent, you have to get on board with these concepts.”

Landlords have been making substantial investments in older buildings in Toronto's downtown financial district as they attempt to upgrade their properties to compete in this new green landscape, Mr. Fieder said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/for-rent-office-wgr8-views-lots-of-light-green-amenities/article1998082/

[caltrane74]

Picture of the NPS revitalization and ongoing construction from Jasonzed at UT

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/NPS042811-Jasonzed.jpg

[caltrane74]

Looks like work is beginning on some massive UFC store at Yonge and Dundas. Also appears to me they are installing huge billboards with LED/Electronics Signage which seems to cantileever over Yonge Street. I didn't get close enough to inspect it, but it also coinsided with a street party they were having in the square.

[caltrane74]

I just went through North York Centre. That place is getting crazy busy. Forsure even though it is smaller than Misssauga the foot traffic there is 1000 times greater. I can see why visitor here not familiar with Toronto could sones confuse this place with downtown Toronto. It's also so massive albeit centred on one street for 4 miles covered on high-rises.

[habfanman]

I just went through North York Centre. That place is getting crazy busy. Forsure even though it is smaller than Misssauga the foot traffic there is 1000 times greater. I can see why visitor here not familiar with Toronto could sones confuse this place with downtown Toronto. It's also so massive albeit centred on one street for 4 miles covered on high-rises.

What on earth would ever draw a visitor up to North York Centre? Unles they're from the Pyongyang School of Architecture or playing the 'How many Tim Horton's can you spot in 10 blocks?' game, why would anybody even recommend that they go there?

[habfanman]

Looks like work is beginning on some massive UFC store at Yonge and Dundas. Also appears to me they are installing huge billboards with LED/Electronics Signage which seems to cantileever over Yonge Street. I didn't get close enough to inspect it, but it also coinsided with a street party they were having in the square.

Gee, and here I thought that Ad-Nauseum Square couldn't get any tackier! And let me guess: It was an alcohol-free street party? Rock on Toronto lol!

[SpikePhanta]

^^ I don't get how you're so Anti-Toronto.

[habfanman]

^^ I don't get how you're so Anti-Toronto.

Have you ever been to North York Centre or Dundas Square? Would you recommend that a foreign visitor (that you like) go to either place? If so, why?

[caltrane74]

Because people from the United States use the 401 highway when they come into Toronto not knowing the city but knowing the main street (yonge) come straight into North York centre and could be unwittingly fooled into believing they were somewhere near the main core of the city.

Anyways guy instead of being useless ( and I don't wanna make any assumptions here) why don't you contribute something positive to this thread which was my intention instead of your negative drivel.

[vanman]

Because people from the United States use the 401 highway when they come into Toronto not knowing the city but knowing the main street (yonge) come straight into North York centre and could be unwittingly fooled into believing they were somewhere near the main core of the city.



Hahaha I believe it. I remember my mom telling me once about how she overheard some American tourists lament how downtown Vancouver reminded them of Seaworld. They were standing outside of the dolphin fountains in front of Metrotown lol.

I think for most American cities, the idea of high rise clusters outside of downtown is still quite foreign. Just look at Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego etc. Toronto and to a lesser extent Vancouver have an absolute absurd number of towers in the suburbs compared to their American counterparts, so you can't really blame the ignorant tourists.

[ue]

^The same could be said for all the other major Canadian cities population-wise, from Halifax to Montreal.

[Coldrsx]

Great little video on the 'comfort of cities'

http://www.guggenheim.org/guggenheim-foundation/collaborations/bmw-guggenheim

[Darkoshvilli]

Montreal has a ton of high-rise clusters, they're just not tall enough to be seen from anywhere. :haha:

[caltrane74]

On top of the non descript high-rises in North York Centre there is also quite a bit off pedestrian foot traffic now which adds to the city centre feeling from Yonge and the 401 all the way up to Steeles almost 3 miles of suburban downtown core.

[caltrane74]

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad8/caltrane32/photo-9.jpg

New LED signage at the new UFC store at Yonge and Dundas

By me

[caltrane74]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/dave-leblanc/taking-stock-of-changing-streetscapes/article2019708/

Taking stock of changing streetscapes



10:30 a.m. St. James Park/St. Lawrence Market: En route to St. Lawrence Market, my wife and I admire the symmetrical “Nineteenth Century Gardens”– presented to the city by the Garden Club of Toronto in 1980 – as we discuss the incredible similarities between our landmark (1803) and Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market (established 1893). Once inside, we’re struck by how diverse the selection has become: I can buy a leather fedora, a choice cut of meat or a Paua shell from New Zealand. We note that much of the signage seems bigger and more colourful, and that those fantastic, old square stools surrounding the staircase will be completely full by lunchtime. When I come back to grab a sandwich from Mustachio’s two hours later, they are.

[caltrane74]

Follow up to my previous post - one of the reasons for choosing toronto to be the second most successful city in the world was our "sktscraper construction"..

Let's keep 'em coming.

http://i884.photobucket.com/albums/ac46/Fastwalking/Number2.jpg

When I saw this post I though of a particular forumer here.

[-Harlington-]

I thought this was an appropriate article for this thread :



You can’t fight sprawl without downtown development

By ROGER TAYLOR Business Columnist
Fri, May 13 - 4:54 AM


No disrespect to Halifax — or Detroit, for that matter — but the Nova Scotia capital has a long way to go before it could be considered the Detroit of Canada’s East Coast, as some suggest it is in danger of becoming.

For one thing, Halifax Regional Municipality, one of the largest municipalities by area in the country, has a population of about 400,000, which is still not nearly as large as Detroit even after it was decimated by a declining economy, crime and urban decay.

In many respects, it is like comparing apples and oranges.

Despite losing a large portion of its population to the suburbs, urban Detroit has a population of slightly more than 700,000 residents. When you throw in the population of the suburbs, metro Detroit has a population of about 4.3 million.

Yes, Halifax is growing, but the sprawl here is nothing compared to the other major centres in the country. Anyone who has tried to get around metro Toronto knows what I’m talking about.

Some people who live in the former city of Halifax consider long-standing communities like Lower Sackville, Bedford and even parts of Dartmouth to be sprawl. But that’s not sprawl.

Those communities have been there and the city has simply grown to melt those communities into one larger entity.

The Halifax purists may moan about the creation of retail centres like Dartmouth Crossing, but that is not sprawl. It is a legitimate development within an area of the regional municipality.

While some want to create laws to rule various aspects of life including where you can live, the real answer to preventing sprawl is to make living and working in the urban core more attractive.

Part of the problem has been opposition to downtown development, including some by the same people who lament urban sprawl. Arguing against downtown development while at the same time fighting the natural evolution of the city growing outward seems like a losing proposition for everyone. A choice has to be made.

The fight to block downtown development is partially responsible for downtown Halifax becoming pockmarked with empty lots while developers move to reduce taxes while waiting for conditions to improve. There’s nothing attractive about it.

Redevelopment of the downtown needs to be economical because of the costs involved, therefore a higher density is necessary. But there is a vocal segment of the population who still believe downtown construction should be restricted to six storeys.

That forces developers to move office buildings and jobs to the industrial parks and other parts of the city where the costs are less and they can get a legitimate return on their investment.

Such action also encourages people to move closer to their jobs in the suburbs.

Even if you use a car to get to work in Halifax, the commuting times are still reasonable, especially when compared to larger cities like Toronto. In many cases, the commute in Halifax only becomes much longer if you choose to use the transit system.

Fixing the transit system would be another answer to preventing sprawl. Most people can live outside the downtown and still get to work using their car in reasonable time, so there is little benefit to living in the urban core.

I’m not endorsing sprawl. It is happening, but it’s not within Halifax’s control.

A growing number of people are commuting to Halifax daily from Truro, the South Shore and the Annapolis Valley.

( rtaylor@herald.ca)

[someone123]

That article is so confused I don't even have time to get into all of its problems. He is wrong. Suburban subdivisions and big box stores are sprawl -- these areas were not pre-existing "communities" (I hate that silly platitude). He's also confused about the difference between the overall extent of a city and the efficiency of its land use. Halifax is small but horribly planned. There are many larger cities with better land use.

The ridiculously incorrect generalizations about the downtown are really tiresome. It's not true that the area's losing population. It's been gaining for years. One downtown census tract grew by 16% from 2001-2006. People are just out to lunch.

The horrible defeatist culture in Halifax is perhaps the thing I like the least about the place. The local print media in particular are abysmal now and keep getting worse as the industry declines.

[BretttheRiderFan]

When I saw this post I though of a particular forumer here.

Toronto #1 in sports? In what universe? :shrug:

:haha::haha:

[Vaillant]

Toronto #1 in sports? In what universe? :shrug:

:haha::haha:

no in Ontario

[BretttheRiderFan]

no in Ontario

lol...I don't know about that even....well I guess the Argos made the playoffs ;)

[caltrane74]

I'm in a North York Centre coffee shop right now, the lady next to me is talking about stars and quasars and the like. She is also talking above Love and life and Jerry springer.


North York Centre is crazy busy and so it's also getting more lively everyday.

Where I'm at: Empress Walk Second Cup
What I got : Vanilla Latte
Switching from 3G to WiFi now.

[Dwils01]

If you want to get all the insights into Cal's day you no longer have to follow him on Twitter.
You can now follow him on Skyscraperpage. (It's not just about buildings anymore).

[caltrane74]

Yeah, I dont use my twitter page, even though I have 400 followers, they are all adscam and SEO artist. Plus they dont love urban development and skyscraper construction.

BTW: I'm still in North York Centre at Empress Walk in the big circle atrium. There is this store enclosed in glass, and there are tonnes of lightly dress girls in hooker heels showing off their shit. I could pick up all these girls if I wanted.

The Time: 8.15pm Sunday EST Toronto.

[caltrane74]

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad8/caltrane32/photo-35.jpg

Pic here

[caltrane74]

Just got word that the famous developer of the Bow in Calgary (Norman Foster) will be developing a project in Toronto. If my thinking is correct this will be a multi-tower development although I wouldnt expect any real height here, but surely some fantastic design. The East Toronto Downtown needs this, it needs Norman Foster, so much wasted here already time to develop all new, I await the formal confirmation, and design renders. 10 years from now no one will complain about the Toronto waterfront.

The Lowdown: 12.20 am EST Toronto.
Watching: Termintor (1984)

[Dwils01]

Thats sound like really good news. Toronto needs some fantastic designs.
And the one who developed the Bow I think can come up with some real interesting designs that we can all appreciate.

Jeez Cal were do you find all these woman like this. When I go to Toronto, I never see anybody like that. They are all in business attire. I guess I need to go at a different time or something.

[caltrane74]

Well finally the weather has gotten better, best place to scope out mature honies:

Yorkville, Little Italy

For the 20 somethings, and skater chicks:

Yonge Street, and Dundas Square.

905 chicks:

Eaton Centre

Russian and Jewish Chicks

Yorkdale

Spanish chicks:

Bloor West and St. Clair West.

Indian Chicks:

Brampton

Philliphina chicks:

Eglinton West and Forest Hill

Old Money Anglo Saxon Chicks:

Mount Pleasant and Rosedale.

Black Chicks:

Malvern & Teasdale

Iranian and Korean Chicks:

North York Centre

[caltrane74]

Obviously you love what you cant have, so then guess which neighbourhood I never go to.

[Architype]

^ The above content is not appropriate for this thread, or probably anywhere else on this forum, and it borders on racism.

[caltrane74]

Guy you are reading into scoping honies far too deeply.

What I am doing is reveling in the multicultural beauty of this city, and where these clicks of girls like to hang out, regardless of race, heritage, age, and/or cultural standing.

[artvandelay]

But where dem hipster girls at?
Queen West?

[Architype]

Guy you are reading into scoping honies far too deeply.

What I am doing is reveling in the multicultural beauty of this city, and where these clicks of girls like to hang out, regardless of race, heritage, age, and/or cultural standing.

It may not be racist, but has nothing to do with urban development anyway.

[caltrane74]

It may not be racist, but has nothing to do with urban development anyway.

Ah yes, but what about the development of an urban vibe. As habfanmann would love to point out what makes a city great is not it's skyscraper construction but it's belle de jour, or as we say in English, "The Beauty of the Day".

[Architype]

The showcasing of ethnic diversity via carnal instinct, and urban development are not the same thing. Nice spin though.
But then it's your thread so you can take it wherever you want. ;)

[caltrane74]

Hey this odd thought just came into my head. Now that we will likely see the demolition of existing buildings downtown for new landmark skyscraper construction, I was thinking that those prime examples downtown for redevelopment must include the Delta Chelsea Hotel Across the street from the Aura Tower, and that 2 storey building across from the world's biggest bookstore. These two buildings are not making the most effective use of the valuable land their sitting on.

Where: York Mills Centre
Doing: Laying a beat down on the Rush Hour Subway Crowd.
Time: 7.10 am EST Toronto Time

[caltrane74]

Hey this odd thought just came into my head. Now that we will likely see the demolition of existing buildings downtown for new landmark skyscraper construction, I was thinking that those prime examples downtown for redevelopment must include the Delta Chelsea Hotel Across the street from the Aura Tower, and that 2 storey building across from the world's biggest bookstore. These two buildings are not making the most effective use of the valuable land their sitting on.

Where: York Mills Centre
Doing: Laying a beat down on the Rush Hour Subway Crowd.
Time: 7.10 am EST Toronto Time

There are drilling crews across the street from the Aura on the lands of the Delta Hotel, just as I predicted, this is likely to be one of the next pieces of land to get a ridiculously tall proposal..

from rdaner at UT

There was a crew drilling for soil samples on the parking lot at the corner of Bay and Gerrard this morning. Considering it's rapidly rising neighbours, I expect a very tall proposal here.

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/17448-Southeast-corner-of-Bay-and-Gerrard

[caltrane74]

Delta owns the parking lot and the hotel next to it.

http://d2whcypojkzby.cloudfront.net/imageRepo/3/0/36/684/518/Delta_Chelsea_Dusk_Exterior_hires_G.jpg

So I would expect a major hotel renovation, and a brand new tower. (condo-hotel)

Or:

The hotel gets demolished and a brand new mega tall tower is built.


Here is a rendering of a reclad, which doesn't look like it's moving forward, now. Especially if they choose to just demolish to old site, and build something new here.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/7333/111929main.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/121/111929main.jpg/)




http://wgdarchitects.com/projects.php?catid=1&pid=49

[caltrane74]

It's still hard for me to comprehend these old, but not really really old hotels, all getting demolished. This along with the Four Seasons, and Inn on the Park from a few years back. Just madness.

[caltrane74]

Here's the big news:

3C Lakeshore Names Lead Architect for New Waterfront Project - Foster + Partners to Lead Design
*


TORONTO, May 18, 2011…Following a comprehensive international search, 3C Lakeshore Inc. is pleased to announce that renowned firm Foster + Partners has been selected to serve as lead architect of their new Toronto waterfront project.
*
3C Lakeshore Inc. is a joint venture between Cityzen Development Group and Castlepoint Realty Partners of Toronto and Continental Ventures Realty of New York.
*
"This is a further signal of our efforts to lead by design,” says Sam Crignano, president of Cityzen Development Group. “Foster + Partners are among the very elite of architects in the world today."
*
Castlepoint Realty’s Alfredo Romano sees bringing* Foster + Partners here as a "huge win for the City of Toronto and the Waterfront. It’s a game changer."
*
A joint venture of award winning architects Peter Clewes of Architects Alliance, Bruce Kuwabara of KPMB of Toronto, and Landscape Architect Claude Cormier of Montreal complete the Design Team.
*
Led by Foster + Partners, the design team and 3C are meeting this week in London to start the process of designing a vibrant neighborhood on Toronto’s waterfront. Subsequent design sessions are scheduled for both Toronto and New York and newly minted plans will be unveiled later this year.
*
"The Waterfront represents a special opportunity for Toronto’s growth. We are elated to have Foster + Partners lead in designing this exciting new neighborhood and our first venture in Canada," states Jane Gol of New York's Continental Ventures Realty.
*

At over 13 acres, the 3C site is the largest contiguous tract of land on Toronto’s East Bayfront. Zoned for 2.5 million square feet of residential, retail, hotel, entertainment and cultural uses; it is also the single largest development project in downtown Toronto. **
*
-30-
*
About The Design Team:
*
Led by Pritzker Prize winner Sir Norman Foster, Foster + Partners (http://www.fosterandpartners.com) was founded in 1967 in London, England and is responsible for iconic buildings such as the Swiss Re Tower in London, the Bow in Calgary, the Beijing Airport Terminal 3 and the Hearst Building expansion in New York.
*
Bruce Kuwabara and Peter Clewes have together set a new standard for design in Toronto. KPMB’s buildings (http://www.kpmb.com) include the Royal Conservatory of Music, The Gardiner Museum, Festival Tower, Ice Condominiums at the Air Canada Centre; Architects Alliance (http://www.architectsalliance.com) buildings include Pier 27, Spirit in the Distillery District and the National Ballet School complex.
*
Claude Cormier’s (http://www.claudecormier.com) innovative landscape creations include Sugar Beach on Toronto’s waterfront and the forthcoming L Tower Public Plaza at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
*
About 3C Lakeshore Inc.
*
3C Lakeshore Inc. is a strategic joint venture of New York based Continental Ventures Realty (www.continentalventuresrealty.com), Cityzen Development Group (www.cityzen.ca) and Castlepoint Realty Partners (www.crpl.ca) of Toronto. Cityzen and Castlepoint have recently joint-ventured Daniel Libeskind's striking L Tower and Page & Steele's Backstage, both projects now under construction. Continental Ventures signature projects in New York include Element Condominiums on the Upper West Side, MercerGreene in Soho, and a new prestigious residential site on the Upper West Side.
*
3C is currently seeking out new opportunities in both New York and Toronto.


Toronto east redevelopment project, which will be lead by Foster partners, the company that designed The Bow in Calgary. We might get 100 little Bows... :)

This is the largest ever redevelopment project in downtown Toronto. (it will likely spawn many residential towers, probably not exceeding 140 to 160 meters in height, if there are even Towers as a component of this development)

[Travis007]

This is very promising news, the East Bayfront has so much potential. I'm glad Cityzen Group is once again taking the initiative in hiring a world class architectural firm in ensuring a quality designed product. Foster's design for Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District along the waterfront is pretty inspiring, incorpoarting well dsigned buildings and great public/cultural facilities. I'm pretty confident the design for this proposal will be quality as well.

[caltrane74]

This is hardcore!!

http://chinaurbandevelopmentblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/foster_hk.jpg
http://chinaurbandevelopmentblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/foster-partners-wins-hong-kongs-west-kowloon-cultural-district-master-plan-competition/


Fosters!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do your thing baby!

[caltrane74]

An article detailing thy Toronto always ends up with boxes with stuck on (historic) facades at the base
.
.
.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/john-bentley-mays/a-guilty-conscience-stifles-good-urban-design/article2011027/

A guilty conscience stifles good urban design

JOHN BENTLEY MAYS | Columnist profile | E-mail
Toronto— From Friday's Globe and Mail
Published Thursday, May. 05, 2011 10:46AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, May. 05, 2011 12:15PM EDT

http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01272/mays-king0506re_1272456cl-3.jpg

The appearance of the average tall Toronto building these days is the result of several forces, the least powerful of which is architectural imagination.

Too often, an architect is called in by the developer merely to put some decorative touches on a structure whose shape and size have already been determined by the economic bottom line and civic bylaws, and sometimes by the demands of the heritage people at city hall. With the contemporary building art so frequently marginalized, it’s no wonder that boomtown Toronto has few new towers that are architecturally memorable. (I try to keep you posted in this column on the ones that are worth thinking about.)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/john-bentley-mays/a-guilty-conscience-stifles-good-urban-design/article2011027/

[SpikePhanta]

Delta owns the parking lot and the hotel next to it.

http://d2whcypojkzby.cloudfront.net/imageRepo/3/0/36/684/518/Delta_Chelsea_Dusk_Exterior_hires_G.jpg

So I would expect a major hotel renovation, and a brand new tower. (condo-hotel)

Or:

The hotel gets demolished and a brand new mega tall tower is built.


Here is a rendering of a reclad, which doesn't look like it's moving forward, now. Especially if they choose to just demolish to old site, and build something new here.

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/7333/111929main.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/121/111929main.jpg/)




http://wgdarchitects.com/projects.php?catid=1&pid=49

Is this the Delta that had the love triangle murder ?

Anyways talking about foster+historic facades, they designed Jameson house in Vancouver that has part of its facade several historic buildings.

[caltrane74]

May 21
It was only yesterday that this tower grew from nothing like the rest of the block is going to do shortly.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/5745739416_1bf5d127d6_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2239/5745738368_5b6bb189cf_b.jpg

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http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2194/5745187599_2b9b9973a6_b.jpg

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http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5144/5745184551_ef0b44f3ab_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/5745722794_741ed0dd6f_b.jpg

From drum118, see how the new festival tower meets King Street West.

Thread here:

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/682-Bell-Lightbox-Festival-Tower-(Daniels-42s-KPMB)/page152

[Travis007]

The Bell Lightbox is always a happening place whenever I pass by. It has greatly enhanced the streetscape of (that stretch of) King West.

[Travis007]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/995831--alexandra-park-community-yearns-for-a-facelift

Alexandra Park community yearns for a facelift

Published On Mon May 23 2011
Donovan Vincent
Staff Reporter


So as she takes a reporter on an impromptu tour of the decaying housing in the Dundas Ave. W and Bathurst area neighbourhood one afternoon, she speaks passionately about an ambitious, 15-year revitalization plan developed with significant local input. It calls for demolishing and replacing 333 co-op townhouse and apartment units, and gradually shifting from mostly subsidized housing to a mixed-income neighbourhood.

Currently in the rezoning stage, the plan also calls for renovating 473 existing units, improved green space, new underground parking, and commercial and retail space.

Final planning approvals are expected by early next year, when requests for bids will go out.

Like Regent Park and Don Mount/Rivertowne, Toronto Community Housing’s other big-budget revitalization initiatives, the Alexandra Park project would leverage land value to generate funds for replacing and upgrading housing.

As to market-rate housing, some 1,530 new condo units and nearly a dozen townhouses are slated to be built around the site.

But at Alexandra Park, the first clusters of new housing would be built where there are now just parking lots and open space. People would move directly from their old units to the new — and the process would leapfrog from there, explains local councillor Adam Vaughan.

“It means the project will happen a bit slower,’’ says Vaughan — about 15 years to complete. But zero displacement was a principle residents insisted on. “That’s the most critical thing in this whole project.”

The seven-hectare site is tucked between Kensington Market and Queen Street W., and in terms of TCHC’s housing portfolio is among the highest in land value.

The site is home to a diverse population with black, Chinese and South Asian residents predominant. Its 800 or so units are home to about 2,500 people.

But like many public housing projects of its era, Alexandra Park is challenged by its isolation from the surrounding community, vacant and underutilized spaces, disorganized site layout, aging stock, outdated design, and high operating, maintenance and security costs, according to Jeffrey Ferrier, a spokesperson for Toronto Community Housing.

In Lawrence Heights, an aging TCHC housing project slated for a 20-year redevelopment, residents in adjoining neighbourhoods have voiced strong concerns about the size and scope of the plan. But so far, neighbours seem to have bought into the Alexandra Park project.

Businessman Grey Coyote, chair of the Kensington Market Action Committee, says he’ll be watching to be sure rental rates for new commercial space that pops up there are accessible to smaller operations and not just big chains. But overall, he feels the revitalization will be a “positive thing for the area, when all is said and done.’’

[caltrane74]

Toronto is so funny:

All the poor neighbourhoods, are the ones that are becoming trendy, cool and hip - Regent Park, Parkdale, and St. Jamestown.

Gentrification is fun!

[caltrane74]

May 21
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3364/5745487928_e419113ef8_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5745366134_6d382584e6_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/5744815281_a7a67a28e7_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/5744816301_32673de0bc_b.jpg


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2291/5745356460_435e16a613_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5745355336_e0e957b347_b.jpg

Those bollards are sure taking a beating and wondering what the cars look like after hiting them
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2264/5744808867_ee86f94165_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/5745463450_fd7d34b6e9_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/5744920003_f6f21b9857_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2452/5744804329_8b4a7ca939_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/5745342670_a852e07289_b.jpg

Some amazing shots of X from drum at UT

Thread here:

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/538-X-The-Condominium-(Jarvis-Charles-Great-Gulf-44s-aA)/page137

[caltrane74]

The condo where the economy used to live

http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/static/business/article2032392.html

CHRIS ATCHISON - The Globe and Mail

It’s the new norm for the waterfronts of Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and other cities: Lands once used for shipping and industry are morphing into cities of the future, with winding promenades lined by tree-filled parks, lux condos, and buildings occupied by trendy retailers and fashionable offices.

Many argue this is a promising new use of tired, underutilized and highly valued land. Makes sense, right? With the exit of the manufacturing economy lining the water, why not house the chic information workers of tomorrow there?

Not so fast, say commercial property insiders and urban planners.

With gas prices spiking and businesses seeing bottom lines hit dramatically by transportation costs, a theory abounds – and it is only a theory at this point – that the future will see an increasing need for downtown industrial lands, particularly on waterfronts, as manufacturers and light industrial players seek shorter routes to market for their products.

“It’s a prediction based on what I think is very sound reasoning, and I agree with it,” says Brent Toderian, director of city planning for the city of Vancouver. “I think we’re going to see a change in globalization because of energy costs. Cities that have preserved their flexible job-space land and lands for industrial uses are going to be the more resilient, successful cities in the future.”

In Mr. Toderian’s view, many cities have surrendered their waterfront industrial lands for mixed use projects (and he’s quick to point out that, to a certain extent, Vancouver is the poster child for this phenomenon) without asking a critical question: Is the industrial land really not viable?

Rest of the article here:

http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/static/business/article2032392.html

[caltrane74]

Bloor Street Revitalization project captured by androiduk at UT

http://andrewfare.com/UTB/mytoronto14/bloortrees.jpg

Thread here:
http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/596-Bloor-Street-Revitalization-(Bloor-Yorkville-BIA-City-of-Toronto-aA)/page97

[caltrane74]

Condos, condos everywhere! Sales reach record in April

TORONTO, Ont. - It appears that new condominium developments are springing up faster than the flowers these days, and those living in the GTA are snapping them up just as fast.

Sales of new condo units set a record in April after rising by 89 per cent compared to the same time last year, making it the best April on record.

"It's in the top three of any month of any year, and it's about double the average since 2000," said Stephen Dupuis with the Building Industry and Land Development Association.

"There's a new condo being sold every 13 minutes in this city, and frankly if you look at the time that the sales offices are actually open, it's probably one being sold every five minutes in terms of when you actually go in and put your money down."

However, the surge in purchases is not just in Toronto proper, as the suburbs are also experiencing a boom.

"Particularly in Halton and Oakville has got some new condominium development, and York Region, Richmond Hill, Markham are strong for new highrise condo developments. Quite a new trend," Dupuis told 680News.

Read the rest of the Story here:

http://www.680news.com/news/local/article/230850--condos-condos-everywhere-sales-reach-record-in-april

[SpikePhanta]

I do have to say I'm impressed with Toronto, major change the last few years, and the spring pics this year are great.

:cheers: props

[caltrane74]

I won't be able to get there before noon.

From today...the Square is now open....a lot of people passing through checking it out
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga4/20110518007.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga4/20110518006.jpg

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http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Mississauga4/20110518029.jpg

Mississauga city centre redevelopment by Jasonzed at UT (Urbantoronto.ca)

[Travis007]

Looks decent. What Mississauag City Centre needs now, are more active pedestrians. That situation should improve when the Amacon "Parkside Village" is complete.

[SteelTown]

Restoring the 20+ years abandon Lister Block will obviously have a positive impact for Downtown Hamilton....

The Lister Block (Canada's first indoor mall) is slowly being revealed....

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/230801_148799511855950_122710564464845_282411_54035_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/222283_148799528522615_122710564464845_282412_3036403_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225933_148799541855947_122710564464845_282413_1455734_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/227143_148799585189276_122710564464845_282416_4887311_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224306_148799625189272_122710564464845_282420_2848497_n.jpg

Photos from Tourism Hamilton
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.148799498522618.34255.122710564464845#!/media/set/?set=a.148799498522618.34255.122710564464845&closeTheater=1

Soon the building will be open for the general public to tour.

[caltrane74]

Will the Lister Block actually be used as a mall or will it be a historic site?

IBnL7XXHiqM

And an Article

Snapshot in time

Emily Hochheimer has created what could be a snapshot of the day the Lister Block opened.

Her six- by two-metre mural depicting its heyday was unveiled in the King William Street parkette Tuesday morning. The Lister building is being renovated by the Labourers' International Union of America and soon will be home to city employees and other tenants.

The mural resembles an old postcard, with a highlighted streetcar rumbling past on James Street North.

That's exactly the feeling the artist, a third-year McMaster arts and communications student, wanted.

The mural is one of the first major pieces to be installed on the King William Art Walk.

The walk will link a trail of visual art stretching from James North to Ferguson Avenue, and is a joint project of Arts Hamilton, the Downtown Hamilton BIA, the International Village BIA and the City of Hamilton.

The idea, says steering committee chair Mauro Brunetti, is to create and maintain through various partnerships a trail that uses as canvases a variety of surfaces — everything from a police station wall to electrical boxes on city streets — to encourage cultural and artistic experiences while contributing to economic renewal through increased tourism and investment.

Art at the central police station, further east from the parkette, will be introduced May 19.

Read the article here:

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/530408--snapshot-in-time

[SteelTown]

The arcade will have retail. The upper floors is being turned into AAA office space for the City.

The City opted out building a bigger City Hall to restore the Lister Block. The City restored City Hall and the Lister Block.

Phase II is suppose to include a multi-storey residential unit.

[kw5150]

The latter. Much of Calgary's downtown retail is highly dependent on Plus 15 traffic. Which is much of the complaint - it seriously reduced street-level retail.

Winnipeg's Skywalk system, although not quite as extensive, suffers from this as well. Back in the 70s the city closed down Portage & Main to pedestrian traffic with the specific intent of driving pedestrians underground and into the enclosed environment. In fact, it was one of the demands of the developer when they constructed one of the major skyscrapers on the corner. The official line is safety and traffic flow, but opening that corner to pedestrians would likely bring a lawsuit from the landlord.

Yes, but, if people want to go outside, they do. If people want to stay inside, they do. There is no shortage of people walking around Calgary on a sunny day. When it rains or when it is -20, we have to option to stay inside. What is so wrong with that?

It would be a problem if these corridors were all dead spaces, but on the contrary, it is a hub of activity and actually very interesting to walk through. It is Calgary's little secret. The best part is, the city has worked very hard to keep the spaces vibrant and feeling public. I really like these plus 15 corridors.

Plus, I can walk to a meeting 10 blocks away and not get any winter road salt on my new leather shoes.

[caltrane74]

New LED Signage up and Running at Yonge and Dundas

http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/daily_images/1000437503-1000437504.jpg

http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000437503

Digital Billboard a Media Beacon for PATTISON, Mercedes Benz
The busy retail and entertainment district of downtown Toronto is a magnet for shoppers and advertisers alike, and the area now has its own new Media Beacon.



Located on the north-west corner of Yonge and Edward Street, high above Yonge Dundas Square, the huge Yonge Street Media Beacon is a 736 square feet multi-screen display that can be utilized as one spectacular or divided into multiple configurations.



The dynamic 10' high by 60' wide Mitsubishi LED digital spectacular is the latest screen to fire up in PATTISON Outdoor Advertising's national digital signage advertising networks, which now count 90 faces in 18 markets across Canada.



Mercedes-Benz is the first advertiser to utilize the Media Beacon and showcase two of its new 2012 vehicles.



"Part of our challenge was to seek out never-before-seen media opportunities to feature these stunning new vehicles. The Yonge Street Media Beacon is an opportunity to reach a successful and urban audience in a ground-breaking way," said Marc Boderke, Vice President of Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc., in a release.



"This landmark digital display raises the profile of one of the busiest entertainment and advertising areas in Toronto. The installation of this 90th digital display is yet another milestone for us and we look forward to bringing advertisers more innovative out-of-home products as we continue to expand our digital advertising networks across the country," added Randy Otto, President, PATTISON Outdoor Advertising.



PATTISON Outdoor uses electronic Light Emitting Diode (LED) RGB displays with a pixel pitch of 16mm in installations such as its large format digital display along the south side of the Gardiner Expressway between Kipling and Islington Avenues , where a 14' x 48' screen from YESCO, the Young Electric Sign Company, is installed.

Headquartered in Mississauga, ON, PATTISON Outdoor Advertising is a division of The Jim Pattison Group.

[Travis007]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/05/25/three-levels-of-government-gather-for-underpass-park-kickoff/

Three levels of government gather for Underpass Park kickoff

National Post Staff May 25, 2011 – 9:15 PM ET

A new phase of Toronto’s waterfront redevelopment will get its official kickoff Thursday morning when politicians from all three levels of government gather under the Eastern Avenue and Richmond Street overpasses, site of the future Underpass Park.

Waterfront Toronto touts the venue as “the most extensive park to ever be built under an overpass in Canada, and the first of its kind in Toronto.”

The idea is to turn an overlooked and often derelict section of the city into useful public space in the soon to emerge West Don Lands neighbourhood.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is among the politicians expected to be on hand for the ceremonial shoveling. Real construction will begin once the photo op has ended.

[caltrane74]

nice shot of TIFF Tower

http://74.208.32.226/tekonomic/01/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/FestivalTower.jpg

from
http://74.208.32.226/tekonomic/01/?page_id=100


_____________________________

Rendering of Underpass Park

http://www.thesquarefoot.ca/getmedia/e8cacebb-f81b-4905-ab5f-9da5a4cce257/WATERFRONTo_Before-Underpass-Park-Rendering.aspx

From here

http://www.thesquarefoot.ca/content/news/2010-(1)/100315/Waterfront-Toronto-unveils-Underpass-Park


Waterfront Toronto unveils Underpass Park

A derelict area beneath a series of overpasses in the West Don Lands is going to be transformed into an urban jewel. Waterfront Toronto unveiled plans for Underpass Park, the most extensive park to ever be built under an overpass in Canada, and the first in Toronto.

Located within the West Don Lands - home to the 2015 Pan American Games Athletes' Village - Underpass Park will cover a total of 1.05 hectares (2.5 acres) under and around the Eastern Avenue and Richmond/Adelaide overpasses, between Cherry Street and Bayview Avenue.

http://www.thesquarefoot.ca/getmedia/7476be41-02af-406d-ba83-92b4f9d35a4b/waterfont-TO_West-Don-Lands.aspx

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/c0/fd/bfe606b8487989e288dc4279d029.jpeg

[Travis007]

Nice photo of TIFF. That block which includes the TIFF Centre is going to be incredibly dense, with Pinnacle (on Adelaide) and Cinema Tower rising right behind it. That's approx. 1,500 units within one city block!!


I'm really excited by Underpass Park news. It's changing what used to be unaccessible barriers and unused land into something for everyone to enjoy. The whole West Donlands proposal looks very promising. Here's a couple of photos I took from my trip of how HK has successfully transformed underpasses into parks/public space:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5012/5530433664_19a1c6a8e7_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5495019534_16ece4aa69_z.jpg

[caltrane74]

Looks very promising, to turn a no-man's zone into a place, you might actually want to visit.

[caltrane74]

This from Waterfront CEO Report to their May 2011 meeting:

Hines Canada (“Hines”) has commenced the process of preparing a Plan of Subdivision application for the Bayside lands. This involves the retention of various consultants to address issues such as traffic, servicing and community facilities. As part of this process Hines and Waterfront Toronto (“WT”) have met with City staff to ensure that the application addresses all of the issues that affect these lands. And in support of this application WT has engaged an environmental consultant to ensure that all environmental approvals are in place to support the projected development.
The Construction Documentation drawings for the promenade have been finalized but have not been submitted to the City of Toronto. Submission to the City of Toronto has been postponed until the drawings can be coordinated with the future Bayside Development.
The Plan of Subdivision process is a statutory process that will involve public engagement and consultation throughout. In addition, Hines will take advantage of the EBF Stakeholder Committee as a forum for discussing issues.
Assuming overall support for the plan, then it is expected that servicing of the first phase of the project will commence in 2012 and, subject to market conditions, the first buildings could be under construction as early as 2013.


East Bayfront:

Hope the resolution on this picture is not to high. (the pictures of the development are huge)

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3563/eastbayfront.jpg

[Travis007]

Looks like Oakville will be the next Toronto (GTA) suburb aiming for urban and pedestrian friendly development/growth.

http://homesandcondosblog.com/home/oakville-looking-to-sell-surplus-land-2822.html

Taking a page from its Toronto neighbor to the east, the City of Oakville is looking to sell a large plot of land it has deemed surplus.
The site – located at 2264 Trafalgar Road –is situated at the northwest corner of Trafalgar Road and Glenashton Drive. The 7.2 hectare property is currently zoned as agricultural, however the city is planning on re-zoning the area in hopes it can sell to a developer who will bring an urban, high density retail, commercial, office or mixed use development.
The city is hoping that any development will encourage the city’s growth as an urban pedestrian area.
The proposed re-zoning would allow a residential or office building that would climb up to 12-storeys, with ground floor retail, commercial or office spaces.
The city would allow a building to rise up to 16 stories, as long as the developers enter into an agreement with the town to provide public benefits. The site has been on the market for some time and the town intends to set up the search for a buyer who will maximize the development potential of the site.

More info here: http://www.oakville.ca/ppn-11feb02_5.htm

[caltrane74]

I've always wondered in the past why Mississaga chose to build it's downtown so far from the lakeshore community which would have had stronger transportation links to downtown Toronto in addition to a gentler and more pedestrian friendly urban aestethic. Looks like Oakville will not make that same mistake.

[habfanman]

This from Waterfront CEO Report to their May 2011 meeting:

Hines Canada (“Hines”) has commenced the process of preparing a Plan of Subdivision application for the Bayside lands. This involves the retention of various consultants to address issues such as traffic, servicing and community facilities. As part of this process Hines and Waterfront Toronto (“WT”) have met with City staff to ensure that the application addresses all of the issues that affect these lands. And in support of this application WT has engaged an environmental consultant to ensure that all environmental approvals are in place to support the projected development.
The Construction Documentation drawings for the promenade have been finalized but have not been submitted to the City of Toronto. Submission to the City of Toronto has been postponed until the drawings can be coordinated with the future Bayside Development.
The Plan of Subdivision process is a statutory process that will involve public engagement and consultation throughout. In addition, Hines will take advantage of the EBF Stakeholder Committee as a forum for discussing issues.
Assuming overall support for the plan, then it is expected that servicing of the first phase of the project will commence in 2012 and, subject to market conditions, the first buildings could be under construction as early as 2013.


East Bayfront:

Hope the resolution on this picture is not to high. (the pictures of the development are huge)

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/3563/eastbayfront.jpg

lol! Like this is ever going to happen, it's already not happening!

[caltrane74]

Half of the East Bayfront is going to be built for the Pan Am Games; so very unlikely it will not be built. As for the private development for Hines, you must realize by now looking at all the construction related threads being totally dominated by Toronto, that selling condos is not a problem we have here.

If for instance we sold condos here at, for example, the same rate they sell condos in Montreal you might have had a point. Anyways why so negative? Didn't your mommy and daddy teach you to look at the bright side of life, or has negativity and darkness so consumed your thoughts that you can't see the positive? Don't worry guy another 10 years and you'll be collecting your social security check, at least that's something you can be positive about. :)

BTW: that positive thinking consultation was totally free of charge, I figure you probably went through the last of your pocket change tonight at the bar.

[Ramako]

lol! Like this is ever going to happen, it's already not happening!

In fact, it is already happening. The building on the very left of that render was completed last year, along with the adjacent promenade and Sugar Beach. It is now the home of Chorus Entertainment:

http://stream1.corusent.com/TV/corus/corus_quay/corus_building.jpg
http://stream1.corusent.com/TV/corus/corus_quay/corus_quay.html

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Toronto/20110430099.jpg
By: Jasonzed (http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/member.php/8679-Jasonzed) at UT

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4795299644_89050d1d28_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yllus/4795299644/sizes/l/in/photostream/

http://worldlandscapearchitect.com/image/claude/cc6-beach.jpg
http://www.worldlandscapearchitect.com/sugar-beach-toronto-claude-cormier/


Just to the right of that is George Brown College's new Waterfront Campus:

http://www.kpmb.com/images/up_images/up-GBC_1.jpg
http://www.kpmb.com/index.asp?navid=30&fid1=0&fid2=91

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/GBCDockside.jpg
Urban Toronto

http://www.georgebrown.ca/waterfront/images/2010_08_12_Lake_Ontario.jpg
http://www.georgebrown.ca/waterfront/


It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2012. In these photos you can see the current progress in relation to Corus Quay:

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Toronto/20110521212.jpg
By: Jasonzed (http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/member.php/8679-Jasonzed) at UT

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/jasonzedd/Toronto/20110521207.jpg
By: Jasonzed (http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/member.php/8679-Jasonzed) at UT


You may notice that the last picture was taken from an adjacent green space. This is the newly completed Sherbourne Common, which is a park sitting atop a stormwater treatment facility. It's hard to see in the rendering that Caltrane posted, but you can see the park quite clearly in the centre of the following rendering (which also more clearly displays the location of Sugar Beach):

http://torontoist.com/attachments/Vicky%20Peters/20081027urbanplanner.jpg
http://torontoist.com/2008/10/urban_planner_october_27.php


Zooming in:

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/crops/556_sherbourne_park_ebf__bird_view_feb12_870_450_both_.jpg
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/image_galleries/sherbourne_common/?13026#11870


The purified water flows from a series of fountains...

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/crops/3083_dsc_3807_1_870_450_both_.jpg
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/image_galleries/sherbourne_common/?13026#13085


...and down a channel, into Lake Ontario:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/SherbCmnP1180288.jpg
Urban Toronto

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/SherbCmnP1180395.jpg
Urban Toronto

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/SherbCmnP1180407.jpg
Urban Toronto


It also serves as a local skating rink in the winter:

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/crops/2896_dsc_6653_lower_res_1_870_450_both_.jpg
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/image_galleries/sherbourne_common/?13026#13045

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/crops/2870_dsc_6017_1_870_450_both_.jpg
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/image_galleries/sherbourne_common/?13026#13045


Continuing our tour, in this next rendering you'll notice a massing preliminarily labelled "Parkside" adjacent to Sherbourne Common:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/WaterfrontDevlParcels.jpg


It was recently revealed that this project would be a condominium tower designed by Moshe Safdie, called Mondial, which will soon be coming to market:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/ParksideBeautyShot.jpg
Urban Toronto

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/ParksideNighttime.jpg
Urban Toronto

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/ParksideBalconies.jpg
Urban Toronto

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/ParksidePedReality.jpg
Urban Toronto


The block labelled "Bayside" in the previous aerial rendering is being designed by Pelli Architects. Rather than post my own summary, I'll quote interchange42's summary at Urban Toronto from last August:


WaterfrontToronto (http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/) has unveiled plans for Bayside (http://news.waterfrontoronto.ca/2010/08/1298/), its largest makeover yet, a 4 hectare (10 acre) parcel on the south side of Queens Quay Boulevard between Sherbourne and Parliament Streets. The winning proponent from a short list of 4 bidders is the American developer Hines (http://www.hines.com/country/canada/en/property/bayside.aspx). Hines' portfolio includes 675 buildings around the world, including the Atrium On Bay in Toronto. To assist them in creating 2 million square feet of space at Bayside, Hines has hired Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (http://www.pcparch.com/) of New Haven, CT, headed by world renowned AIA Gold Medal winner Cesar Pelli, along with Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn Architects (http://www.eekarchitects.com/), of New York, NY, and Toronto-based Adamson Associates Architects (http://www.adamson-associates.com/).

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/BaysideAnnotatedPlanF.jpg

The rendering above shows more than just the Bayside property, so we have outlined the area in question in red, and labeled significant sites around it. For example, you will note in the background Moshe Safdie's diagonally striated tower for Great Gulf that was announced earlier this year and which is going ahead separately.

So, let's zoom in a bit closer to Bayside. The buildings rendered here are concept design only, and are not at the detail design stage yet, but they represent about 2 million square feet of space, 70% of which will be about 1700 residential units. Two buildings facing Queens Quay Blvd. will be offices, while much of the ground level units across the site will be retail and restaurant uses. Day care, a fitness club, and possibly a library are also included in the plans. Streets are short to keep winds from building, and to keep cars from racing through the neighbourhood.

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontOverallCropF.jpg


Before we zoom in further for more detail though, here's a reminder of the site's current context, or at least the site as it was in the spring:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontAerialF.jpg


Here it is in its broader context:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontContextPlanF.jpg


And here's the local plan:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontPlanF.jpg


Ground level land uses will be as such:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontGroundPlanF.jpg


This rendering portrays Phase 1 of the project along the east side of Sherbourne Common in the summer, fall, and winter. (Imagine spring on your own.) Residential units will be built in the podium and mid-rise portions of the buildings pictured, with mostly retail and restaurant space at ground level. Note 'Bayside Hall', a climate controlled space between the two buildings which will provide public access from the Common through the block to Bonnycastle Street year round. Bayside Hall will be a place to escape the heat or the cold or the wet on extreme-weather days, and will provide food service and convenience shops for the public. Just outside the hall is Sherbourne Common's Pavilion.

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontSherbCmnSummerF.jpg

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontSherbCmnFallF.jpg

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontSherbCmnWinterF.jpg


East of these buildings is Bonnycastle Street, the neighbourhood's Main Street. It will be "double loaded" - shops on both sides - and will make for the lively, public heart of the area. Here is Bonnycastle looking south, day and evening:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontBonnycastleDayF.jpg

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontBonnycastleSouthF.jpg


East of Bonnycastle Street, the next opening from the neighbourhood to the lake is at the quieter Aitken Place Park. The renderings below picture it in summer and fall:

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontEPromenadeSummerF.jpg

http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontEPromenadeFallF.jpg


http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/images/EBayfrontSkylineF.jpg

So we end for now with a view over Bayside back toward the downtown skyline, but do look for a video of the whole site here (http://arcestra.com/flyer/show.action?token=237197548206620995108182). Once it goes up on YouTube we will link it directly.

All renderings courtesy of Hines. First image annotated by UrbanToronto.



As you can see from the report posted by Caltrane yesterday, this project remains very much on track. To reiterate:

This from Waterfront CEO Report to their May 2011 meeting:

Hines Canada (“Hines”) has commenced the process of preparing a Plan of Subdivision application for the Bayside lands. This involves the retention of various consultants to address issues such as traffic, servicing and community facilities. As part of this process Hines and Waterfront Toronto (“WT”) have met with City staff to ensure that the application addresses all of the issues that affect these lands. And in support of this application WT has engaged an environmental consultant to ensure that all environmental approvals are in place to support the projected development.
The Construction Documentation drawings for the promenade have been finalized but have not been submitted to the City of Toronto. Submission to the City of Toronto has been postponed until the drawings can be coordinated with the future Bayside Development.
The Plan of Subdivision process is a statutory process that will involve public engagement and consultation throughout. In addition, Hines will take advantage of the EBF Stakeholder Committee as a forum for discussing issues.
Assuming overall support for the plan, then it is expected that servicing of the first phase of the project will commence in 2012 and, subject to market conditions, the first buildings could be under construction as early as 2013.


The entire plot of land that I've canvassed so far is referred to as Bayside, or the East Bayfront. Though slightly off-topic, it's worth taking note of the lands labelled "Lower Don Lands" on the following map:

http://www.amitandroy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/amitandroy-water-front-revitalization.jpg


Last week it was announced that Cityzen, the developer that brought us the Absolute Towers in Mississauga and Toronto's L Tower, has hired Foster + Partners to lead the design of that land, working jointly with Peter Clewes of Architects Alliance, Bruce Kuwabara of KPMB and landscape architect, Claude Cormier.

This represents only some of the very exciting things, very much happening, on Toronto's waterfront.


In short...

http://ipo.totfarm.com/pics/pic_12013054838515.jpg

[DrJoe]

^ How humbling for him and anyone else who likes to stick it to Toronto and it's waterfront. Sherbourne Common in particular looks fantastic.

[SpikePhanta]

I liked Sugar Beach, seemed pretty cool when I was there, Lucky for the Corus workers having access to it :P

[Ramako]

I liked Sugar Beach, seemed pretty cool when I was there, Lucky for the Corus workers having access to it :P


Indeed. The inside of the building seems pretty fun as well:

http://stream1.corusent.com/TV/corus/corus_quay/corus_atrium.jpg
http://stream1.corusent.com/TV/corus/corus_quay/corus_quay.html

[Travis007]

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/999437--death-of-clubland


Death of clubland

Robyn Doolittle
Urban Affairs Reporter

At the height of the clubbing era six years ago, the city’s municipal licensing and standards division was monitoring about 95 bars in the Richmond, Peter, Adelaide and John Sts. corridor.

Today, that number is in 40s and falling, said executive director Jim Hart.

And while nightclub owners board up their doors, condo developers build sales offices.

In the early part of the decade, fewer than 1,000 people called the Entertainment District home. Today, the local population tops 10,000. By 2020, it will easily double, said Janice Soloman, the executive director of the BIA.

Landlords sick of fielding complaints from a ballooning number of residents are spending thousands renovating cavernous nightclubs into office space. The investment means fewer headaches and eventually more money. Commercial and retail tenants will pay significantly more per square foot.

This once industrial wasteland is now a bona fide residential area. The residents are overwhelmingly educated condo dwellers, mostly 20 and 30-somethings, just starting their careers and families.

They want restaurants, shops, drug stores and yes, child care. Not streets lined with windowless warehouses that only come alive three nights a week; nevermind the unrelenting vibrations of bass, the midnight street fights, the vomit on the sidewalks, and the litter.

In five years time, Soloman predicts the neighbourhood’s reputation as Jersey Shore North will be a distant memory. Instead, the area will be defined by its theatres, intimate live music venues, and fine dining.

Historically, the area to the west of Toronto’s financial district was a manufacturing neighbourhood. But with the coming of free trade in 1994, these blocks became a ghost town. Meanwhile, while the no-dancing-on-the-Danforth bylaw was being approved, the city was rezoning as mixed use the streets west of University Ave.

“The city didn’t say: nightclubs must go here. It said, nightclubs can’t go anywhere else,” said Councillor Adam Vaughan, who was elected to the ward in 2006.

At its peak, as many as 50,000 partygoers would pack into an area that was less than 1 square kilometer in size.

Don Rodbard, cofounder of the King-Spadina Residents Association, said it got to a point where he and his partner couldn’t leave their Victorian home after dark without being threatened by a drunk.

In the summer of 2005 , the area clocked 12 shootings and reported 53 gun-related calls.

“There’s guns. There’s drugs. People are doing, well, everything imaginable,” said Sgt. Mike Ferry, who regularly patrols the area as part of the police force’s Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS).

While club owners struggled to find patrons willing to pay a $20 cover and $7 a drink, chic pubs and lounges dripping with kitsch and character began popping up along Ossington Ave., College St. W. and King St.W.

All together, it created an environment that made it very difficult to operate a nightclub in the downtown core, said famed nightclub proprietor Peter Gatien.

Mike Williams, the general manager of economic development and culture, points to a booming tech industry in and around Spadina, the planned 150,000-square-foot Ripley’s aquarium at the foot of the CN Tower, and the sea of condo and retail construction as evidence.

“We’re very proud of the fact that we have more tall building cranes operating in Toronto than anywhere in North America and a lot of it is in that area of Toronto,” he said.

Anson Kwok, the vice-president of sales and marketing with Pinnacle International Realty Group, says they’ve already sold half the units at their 43 storey tower at the corner of John and Adelaide Sts. Construction will start soon.

Pinnacle has the fortune of being located along John St., which around the time residents start moving in two years from now, will be transformed into a pedestrian friendly thoroughfare.

An elaborate makeover of the small downtown street will link together the neighbourhood’s cultural icons, such as the AGO, the National Film Board theatre, the MuchMusic building and the TIFF Bell Lightbox. If things go according to plan and safety concerns can be addressed, the road will be curbless, allowing for street festivals and red carpet events.

“It will be a true cultural corridor,” said Soloman of the BIA, noting the Canadian Opera Company, theatres, Roy Thomson Hall, the symphony, the national ballet are just steps away.

“We see a very important focus on the after 6 p.m. economy. It’s about sustaining a vibrant and safe nightlife… and I think we’re the neighbourhood that can really accomplish that.”

As Vaughan likes to say, the days of the big box nightclubs — at least in the downtown core — are over.

“You’ll always come down to the Entertainment District to be entertained. You just won’t come down to get the s--- kicked out of you by an idiot with a beer bottle.”

[caltrane74]

Oh yes, I'm looking forward to the Entertainment District as a sea of Condos and skyscrapers for as far as the eye can see. Soon this will be the case.

[habfanman]

Oh yes, I'm looking forward to the Entertainment District as a sea of Condos and skyscrapers for as far as the eye can see. Soon this will be the case.

Woo! That'll be exciting! Nothing more fun than seas of condos.

Hey, weren't you the guy who was boasting about the Entertainment District being the "biggest in the world" a couple of years ago?