When will Canada get a supertall??? - Page 9

WhipperSnapper · #**161** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 2:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by koops65

Some people have mentioned that a company will consolidate all of its offices under one roof, instead of being spread out. Is it possible RIM might do that, with a large skyscraper in Uptown Waterloo? As of right now, there are 26 RIM buildings in Waterloo Region, each approximately 2 -3 floors high. Some are indutrial size with huge floorplates. Most are office buildings with average sized floorplates. I would imagine if they were to be consolidated someday the total could equal a supertall...

or a dozen six storey buildings in Mississauga

isaidso · #**162** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 2:23 PM**

Tech companies tend to build campus style headquarters in the suburbs rather than tall office towers in a CBD.

#**163** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 3:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by koops65

Some people have mentioned that a company will consolidate all of its offices under one roof, instead of being spread out. Is it possible RIM might do that, with a large skyscraper in Uptown Waterloo? As of right now, there are 26 RIM buildings in Waterloo Region, each approximately 2 -3 floors high. Some are indutrial size with huge floorplates. Most are office buildings with average sized floorplates. I would imagine if they were to be consolidated someday the total could equal a supertall...

If RIM were to do that, it would leave a huge glut of vacant office space for years. But I think the resulting tower, while maybe not being a supertall, would at least fit in nicely among the skyscrapers of Tor/Mon/Van/Cal.

Isaidso, you're right that tech companies tend to prefer suburban 'campus style' environments, but there are exceptions to the rule.

For example, Google just moved it's Canadian Headquarters to the Lang Tannery, which is a large old warehouse building in downtown Kitchener that is almost done being converted to office space. Another notable local tech firm, Desire 2 Learn, has located there as well. Also, while not tall, the Lang Tannery is around 400,000sq ft, or a skyscraper turned onto its side.

http://www.thetannery.ca/

Tony · #**164** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 7:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cambridgite

If RIM were to do that, it would leave a huge glut of vacant office space for years. But I think the resulting tower, while maybe not being a supertall, would at least fit in nicely among the skyscrapers of Tor/Mon/Van/Cal.

Isaidso, you're right that tech companies tend to prefer suburban 'campus style' environments, but there are exceptions to the rule.

For example, Google just moved it's Canadian Headquarters to the Lang Tannery, which is a large old warehouse building in downtown Kitchener that is almost done being converted to office space. Another notable local tech firm, Desire 2 Learn, has located there as well. Also, while not tall, the Lang Tannery is around 400,000sq ft, or a skyscraper turned onto its side.

http://www.thetannery.ca/

That sort of reinforces the fact that tech companies seem to like sprawly offices rather than separation into multi-floor mid or highrises. And where they can find it, they'll locate in the CBD / inner-city, probably for the prestige / hip-urban image factor.

niwell · #**165** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 7:45 PM**

Tech firms / "creative" companies seem to love occupying converted warehouse space, particularly smaller ones that don't require huge the huge amounts of space to justify a campus setting. You'll find plenty of them outside of Toronto's CBD in the King's areas, Liberty Village and more recently closer to older industrial areas in places like the Junction. Ubisoft recently opened their Toronto office taking up a full floor of an old warehouse of Lansdowne Ave (I used to be able to see the water tower from my old bedroom window). http://www.blogto.com/tech/2010/10/d...tion_triangle/ Their Montreal office is in a very similar building in Mile End.

#**166** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 9:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

Tech firms / "creative" companies seem to love occupying converted warehouse space, particularly smaller ones that don't require huge the huge amounts of space to justify a campus setting. You'll find plenty of them outside of Toronto's CBD in the King's areas, Liberty Village and more recently closer to older industrial areas in places like the Junction. Ubisoft recently opened their Toronto office taking up a full floor of an old warehouse of Lansdowne Ave (I used to be able to see the water tower from my old bedroom window). http://www.blogto.com/tech/2010/10/d...tion_triangle/ Their Montreal office is in a very similar building in Mile End.

That sort of raises the question on how to attract high-tech tenants to the core after you've run out of abandoned industrial buildings.

This one is basically the final straw for KW.

http://www.thebreithauptblock.com/

After this one's been converted, there's no abandoned buildings left in uptown/downtown. 10 years ago, the cores areas were a mess of abandoned buildings. Sooner or later we'll have to start redeveloping the parking lots. That should scare the locals..I can hear them now. "What will we do without our beloved parking?!".

MolsonExport · #**167** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cambridgite

That sort of raises the question on how to attract high-tech tenants to the core after you've run out of abandoned industrial buildings.

This one is basically the final straw for KW.

http://www.thebreithauptblock.com/

After this one's been converted, there's no abandoned buildings left in uptown/downtown. 10 years ago, the cores areas were a mess of abandoned buildings. Sooner or later we'll have to start redeveloping the parking lots. That should scare the locals..I can hear them now. "What will we do without our beloved parking?!".

yep. we have this issue in the unforested city.

The_Architect · #**168** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 11:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cambridgite

Almost due credit.

The City of Waterloo's sign was recently updated to 120,000 and the Region of Waterloo at 545,000 (includes Cambridge and some close-in rural townships). But it's okay, it's hard to keep track of the growth.

On Wikipedia it says 98,000 so that is what I was going by..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cambridgite

I don't know about UW alone, but if you included WLU and Conestoga, I'd say you're looking at easily more students than Charlottetown has people.

Again according to Wikipedia, Waterloo has about 25,000 full-time undergrads, whereas Charlottetown has a population of just over 30,000, so it is very close!

As for about RIM building a skyscraper in Uptown Waterloo, I was under the impression that Uptown has a height restriction to prevent skyscrapers.. that's for downtown Kitchener!

caltrane74 · #**169** Posted **Nov 17, 2010, 11:55 PM**

Instead of building a skyscraper in Waterloo or Kitchener, RIM should focus on building competitive advantages against Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung, Dell and Apple, whom appear ready to sap every bit of blood from RIMs lifeless body.

MolsonExport · #**170** Posted **Nov 18, 2010, 4:32 AM**

^of course, you mean RIM

Chad Berry · #**171** Posted **Nov 20, 2010, 1:40 AM**

Who moved my forum???!!!!!!!!!!
It says Canada clearly in the title. Move it back to Canada!

craner · #**172** Posted **Nov 20, 2010, 6:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Quite frankly I'd be happy for Calgary to break the 800' and 900' foot mark first, even if that were to delay a supertall in the city by another 10-20 years.

I'm in total agreement with BT !

Having said that I'm confident we'll see a few supertalls in Toronto and at least one in Calgary in the next 25 years.

craner · #**173** Posted **Nov 20, 2010, 6:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traynor

I don't care which city gets the first Canadian Supertall, as long as it's really a Supertall without a cheater spire. I'll have none of that sh@!.

If Canada's first Supertall ends up being some 270 meter piece of crap with a tall spire, I will personally climb to the top and saw the spire off and sit and wait for a REAL Supertall.

It has to be something safely in the 350 meter range for the roof and then you can add whatever fancy spire to that and I won't care. As long as I can hold my head up and be proud of a Canadian building over a thousand feet where you can actually stand on a floor above that mark.

I am so glad the original Trump didn't end up being Canada's first... Stupid spire!

Seconded !

Tony · #**174** Posted **Nov 20, 2010, 4:35 PM**

^ Third !!

Simpseatles · #**175** Posted **Nov 20, 2010, 5:20 PM**

^ Fourth!

miketoronto · #**176** Posted **Nov 22, 2010, 7:57 PM**

I think you we will be waiting a long time to a supertall legendary skyscraper in Canada.

The forces are just not there to create a supertall like we saw in the 70's with Toronto's supertall boom.

Back then companies wanted to be in the heart of city and cities were not pushing for decentralization like they are now. With decentralized cities, you just will not get supertalls as everything is just spread out in 6 story buildings as was mentioned with the Mississauga example.

Second: Two decades ago, companies had a vision and liked to show off with nice tall towers. Today, most companies could care less and are are just too cheap to ever build a legacy anymore.

The only cities I think you will see supertalls in N.A. are not even in Canada. And those cities are Chicago and NYC. Those cities are still aggressive with getting headquarters downtown, etc. They are the only two North American cities to have put up tall tall office towers in the last decade.

#**177** Posted **Nov 22, 2010, 8:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by miketoronto

The only cities I think you will see supertalls in N.A. are not even in Canada. And those cities are Chicago and NYC. Those cities are still aggressive with getting headquarters downtown, etc. They are the only two North American cities to have put up tall tall office towers in the last decade.

Well, I wouldn't consider the Bay-Adelaide Centre, RBC, and Southcore Financial Centre "small" by any means.

Bigtime · #**178** Posted **Nov 22, 2010, 8:03 PM**

Or The Bow, Eighth Avenue Place, etc.

caltrane74 · #**179** Posted **Nov 22, 2010, 8:09 PM**

Don't worry with Mike.

All the smartest people live downtown.. And that is the case in Toronto. If you want smart people to work for you, you will set up shop downtown. For example you will find the smartest people in Toronto live on King West, Harbourfront, Rosedale, Forest Hill, Annex, or High Park.

I have never met a smart or rich person from Scarborough... TRUST.
how else do explain Rob Ford, who was appealing to broke ass immigrants in the outer burbs telling them he was gonna cut spending on culture downtown. haha jokes!!

You know what kind of businesses people in Scarborough start? - some clues

Rent-A-Wreck
Pawn Shop
Car Wash
Crap Electronics Retail haha jokes. selling cordless phones , like it's the latest shit. hahah jokes!

#**180** Posted **Nov 22, 2010, 9:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by caltrane74

I have never met a smart or rich person from Scarborough... TRUST.

lol

I have. But the key here is that, in most cases, they have no intentions of staying. They leave the first chance they get.

As my one friend put it "No one wants to stay in Scarborough. The only reason you stick around in Scarborough indefinitely is because you've done nothing with your life."

But that's just mostly what I've heard/seen. I don't live there.