TORONTO | Highrise Developments Compilation Thread

[TOBoy]

From Ed at UT





Some facts:
- zoning of 2.5 million sq ft for entire site
- up to 639,000 sq ft of residential
- west tower height limit of 715 ft
- east tower height limit of 590 ft
- 1,100 parking spots
- north tower height limit of 393 ft

[SSLL]

From: http://www.canada.com/components/pri...d-92806a39422b
___________________________

Piazza is a good start, but city needs more

Peter Kuitenbrouwer
National Post

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Mayor David Miller was in great spirits yesterday at the unveiling of a new piazza in front of the Princes' Gates, which transforms an asphalt wasteland into a gorgeous frame for Toronto's finest example of Beaux-Arts excess.

No wonder: our Mayor loves to be outdoors meeting with his citizens, and what better place to do it?

Yesterday, he lingered to chat with everybody, from the College Street merchants to the guys in straggly hair wearing leather baseball caps. (The organizers served espresso, juice and snacks to the assembled on the lawn behind the square, missing the point of the square itself, but that is a minor point.)

Mr. Miller promised more public spaces to come, which is welcome news for our fast-growing metropolis.

"This is the model now," the Mayor said. "Public spaces should have an excellence of design. We can do this kind of project in every neighbourhood of the city."

Piazzas such as this right a historic wrong in Toronto, the Mayor added. "The importance of public space wasn't always recognized in Toronto."

He singled out Dundas Square as a recent attempt to expand the public realm.

"Some like Dundas Square and some don't, but it was the right sentiment," the Mayor said. "There is also a new mural at Bathurst and Wilson, on the side of Highway 401. It used to be you saw people waiting at the bus stop frowning, now you see them waiting for the bus and smiling."

It is high time the city wakes up to the need for more spaces where pedestrians can gather, stroll and feel welcome.

"Barcelona went through a whole public design process in the 1980s," said Roberto Narduzzo, an architect at Toronto's MBTW Group, which designed the piazza with two Milanese firms. "Now with the flourishing of the city, it's the opportunity to start developing the public infrastructure. As we introduce more people to the city, they are looking for places to gather.

"Unfortunately, the bold moves never transpire to more than paper," he added. "It's a challenge for people to develop the whole public realm. That's what visitors photograph and remember."

Last fall, my wife and I strolled Paris, which perfected spectacular, enduring public squares, such as the Tuilleries gardens next to the Louvre, during its heyday in the 19th century. Toronto today is growing at about the rate Paris did then. Are we up to the public-space challenge?

The piazza in front of the Princes' Gate is a good start and would be even better if architects had been allowed to complete their design. Alas, that vision survives only on the plaque unveiled yesterday on the north side of the piazza.

On the plaque, a sketch shows the cobblestones continuing across Strachan Avenue, symbolically extending the pedestrian realm to the parks on the east side. That did not happen.

"The city doesn't like to use any materials other than asphalt or concrete on its streets, so we had to scrap [the cobblestones]," said Yvonne Yeung, another MBTW architect. The original plan also included a crosswalk on the north side of the entrance to the Ex. "But because of liability issues, the city does not want crosswalks, except at the corner of Lake Shore," she said.

Thus, leaving the piazza for his car, Mr. Narduzzo did what everyone else will do here: He jaywalked across the busy street.

On the plus side, the work here has significantly narrowed Strachan, added bike lanes north and south, expanded sidewalks and added 73 trees, so jaywalking is much safer than it used to be.

And there is more good news for pedestrians: Maple Leaf Square, a $400-million project including two 54-storey condo towers, west of the Air Canada Centre, also includes a publicly accessible private square.

"Imagine if the Leafs are in the Stanley Cup finals in June of 2008, and all the fans can gather in the square and watch it on a big-screen TV," the Mayor said.

He may be getting ahead of himself: Regardless of our boys' prowess on the ice, the square won't open until 2009 at the earliest.

Some remain pessimistic.

"The city is rich in promises [for new public spaces] but there is no expression of the promises," Anna Milella, partner at Milan's Sistema Duemila, co-designer of the square at Exhibition Place, said yesterday.

Correction: There is some progress. We need much more.

[bosmausasky]

Brookfields Press Release:
Brookfield Properties Launches Bay Adelaide Centre Development in Toronto's Financial Core
July 19, 2006

KPMG to Anchor First Tower of 2.6 Million Square Foot Project


TORONTO, July 19, 2006 - Brookfield Properties Corporation (BPO: NYSE, TSX) and its Canadian-based subsidiary, BPO Properties Ltd. (BPP: TSX), today launched the 2.6 million square foot Bay Adelaide Centre development in Toronto's financial core in a ceremony attended by Toronto Mayor David Miller. Construction on the development commenced with the ceremonial knocking down of the "stump," a six-storey elevator core erected fifteen years ago by the previous owners of the site. The stump will be replaced by a new urban park that will serve as the focal point of the new project.

"The Bay Adelaide Centre represents exciting growth for Toronto's downtown core, an area that has not experienced significant development in over a decade," said Toronto Mayor David Miller. "Expansion and growth in the country's most established financial centre demonstrates that both Toronto and Canada are firmly established as one of the world's great cities and economic centres."

Brookfield announced that it has signed a long-term lease with KPMG, one of Canada's leading professional services firms, for approximately 250,000 square feet in Bay Adelaide Centre West, the first tower of the three-phase project.

"KPMG is delighted to be the anchor tenant in this major new development within Toronto's core," said Rob Brouwer, KPMG's GTA Managing Partner. "We look forward to this new era in the development of downtown Toronto and in bringing KPMG to the Bay Adelaide Centre."

Comprising approximately 1.1 million square feet, the 50-storey tower is the first new development in Toronto's financial core since BCE Place was completed in 1992. The Bay Adelaide site consists of two city blocks with approved density of 2.6 million square feet. The first tower, Bay Adelaide Centre West, will be located on the northeast corner of Bay Street and Adelaide Street.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to transform this premier location in Toronto's downtown core into a world-class office and mixed-use project," said Ric Clark, President & CEO of Brookfield Properties Corporation. "We are grateful to the City of Toronto for helping to make Bay Adelaide Centre a reality and we look forward to welcoming one of the world's most highly-regarded professional firms, KPMG, as our anchor tenant."

Built to a LEEDS silver standard which mandates the use of environmentally-friendly materials and the maximum recycling of building materials, Bay Adelaide Centre West will feature state-of-the-art operating and life safety systems. Floor plates vary from 23,850 to 25,270 square feet. Hard and soft construction costs are estimated at C$300 million.

The design of the 50-storey Bay Adelaide West by WZMH Partners integrates the 11-storey historic façade of the former National Building, which will be rebuilt and restored to its 1926 grandeur. Toronto's Path system, 27 kilometers of public walkway and retail located one level below grade, will be completed with the connection through Bay Adelaide Centre under Adelaide Street into Scotia Plaza.

Occupancy of Bay Adelaide Centre West is expected in 2009. Phases Two and Three of Bay Adelaide Centre will likely be a mix of office and hotel/residential.

Brookfield Properties acquired a 50% interest in the Bay Adelaide site in 2001 with existing infrastructure in place, including the HVAC plant, loading facility, and an 1,100-stall parking deck. The company purchased the remaining 50% of the site in 2005.


Renderings, floor plans, fact sheet etc:
http://www.brookfieldproperties.com/development.htm

[intrepid]

Just one simple question: Any idea when they are going to start to build the Trump International Hotel in Toronto?

[WhipperSnapper]

^no

and whoever gives a date is bound to be speculating

wait 'n see (more fun that way anyways)

[WZ1]

my guess is never..

[caltrane74]

Look for construction to start late this year or early next. - Its speculation but with 35-40% sales of this hotel, I doubt very much they want to unload 250 million dollars cash back to the investors.

[bhbhbh]

does anybody know when the richmond adelaide centre will start construction?

[caltrane74]

Dont hold your breath.

And RBC is set to start on August 1, 2006. Yippie kie yeah

[neilioo]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

Dont hold your breath.

And RBC is set to start on August 1, 2006. Yippie kie yeah

do we know if the ritz will be starting along with it or later on??

[OrientExpress]

The veiw from Trump will be blocked from pretty much all angles now that BA west has started. Don't see this as good news for attracting investors, maybe it's time for trump fold.

[OrientExpress]

Originally Posted by intrepid

Just one simple question: Any idea when they are going to start to build the Trump International Hotel in Toronto?

now or never

[bhbhbh]

does anyone have any clue about what is happening with the saphire tower?

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Originally Posted by bhbhbh

does anyone have any clue about what is happening with the saphire tower?

It's gone through another major redesign. It's also had a significant height decrease. Expect to hear something on this before September.

[bhbhbh]

what ever happened to the hummingbird centre?

[duper]

Originally Posted by bhbhbh

what ever happened to the hummingbird centre?

Funny you should ask.

There's this: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2006/a...0718/it066.pdf

And this article from today's Globe:


Hummingbird Centre reveals revamp plans

JAMES ADAMS

The chief executive officer of Toronto's Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts says the landmark building is well on its way to "rebranding" itself as a multipurpose, multicultural facility after the departure this year of its two long-term tenants, the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada.

Yesterday, Dan Brambilla announced that the city-owned centre is donating $10,000 to the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention, tying the donation to both the 16th International AIDS Conference that takes place in Toronto Aug. 13-18, and Hummingbird's presentation of Bombay Dreams, a Bollywood musical, Aug. 16-20.

Hummingbird also plans to "top up" its donation to ASAAP by as much as $90,000, using a portion of revenue from the Bombay Dreams run.

"It's all about reaching out to the community," Mr. Brambilla said in an interview, "and not just through programming."

Meanwhile, city council has approved a business plan to finance the redevelopment of the Hummingbird's physical plant, including the construction of a 41-storey condominium tower designed by Daniel Libeskind. The tower is to be mounted on a nine-storey podium that will include a theatre, exhibition hall, interactive centre and other facilities.

The plan, approved on Tuesday, requires that Hummingbird raise $60-million by next June.

Meanwhile, the project's developer, Castlepoint Realty Partners, has agreed to pay Hummingbird $15-million for the use of the land for the condominium building, which Mr. Brambilla hopes to use as leverage to extract $15-million each from the federal and Ontario governments.

If Hummingbird doesn't raise the $60-million by next spring, the centre will enter into an 89-year lease with Castlepoint, with buy-back options.

Mr. Brambilla hopes he can secure at least $15-million through the sale of naming rights after the Hummingbird name, adopted in 1996 after Hummingbird Communications donated $5-million, expires at the end of the year.

[SSLL]

From: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...l=969483202845
___________________

Ryerson campus blends well into streetscape
Jul. 27, 2006. 01:00 AM
CHRISTOPHER HUME

The campus of Ryerson University has always been one of downtown Toronto's best-kept secrets. Though it occupies space at one of the city's busiest intersections, Yonge and Dundas Sts., it remains strangely invisible.
Now that's starting to change. In addition to several new buildings on Victoria and Gould Sts., it is also extending west to Dundas and Bay, where Ryerson's new business school will be located. The latter, designed by Zeidler Partnership Architects, doesn't open until September. It will be an interesting, if not wildly exciting, addition to the streetscape.
Most interesting, however, is the mix of uses; in addition to Ryerson, which will have the top three storeys, the building will contain a Canadian Tire, Best Buy and three-floor parking garage. This sort of mix might have seemed unlikely years ago, but now makes a lot of sense.
More than anything, it highlights the fact that downtown Toronto is becoming a residential neighbourhood. The idea that the core is strictly for business, retail and entertainment no longer applies. Tens of thousands of people have moved into areas that once would have seemed inconceivable as residential enclaves.
Appropriately, a condo is under construction on the west side of Bay, across the street from the business school and just north of City Hall. Other condo developments are popping up along Bay; suddenly, it seems everyone wants to be downtown. That's hardly surprising, given the cost, economic and environmental, of commuting.
For Ryerson, this presents a number of opportunities. For instance, when the Metropolis shopping/entertainment centre on the northeast corner of Yonge and Dundas is finally finished in 2008, five or six years late, it will include an AMC cinema complex. Ryerson has an arrangement with the chain to use 12 of these theatres as classrooms for 2,500 students, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This isn't just innovative, it's smart, an example of how the circumstances of urbanity can be used to accommodate different needs.
Of course, the arrival of Canadian Tire is itself another sign of downtown's new domesticity. For decades, people have been complaining about the lack of a hardware store in the city; well, here it comes.
This urban migration raises some intriguing possibilities. Ryerson president Sheldon Levy recently announced his intention to draft a new master plan for the campus and the timing couldn't be better. One of the proposals will be to close off some of the campus, specifically Gould and Victoria Sts., to cars.
The notion of a pedestrian precinct is especially attractive in a fully inhabited city. It should happen anyway — vehicular traffic has no place on a university campus — but its appeal becomes that much greater when the campus sits in the heart of a residential neighbourhood.
In the meantime, the old O'Keefe headquarters, an art deco landmark on Victoria, has been remade as the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education.
The carved limestone exterior is now just a façade in a new structure by Lett/Smith Architects, a handsome seven-storey building that reaches out over the circular pond/skating rink known as Lake Devo.
The only sour note in the picture is the change room, a city-maintained facility, closed for the season and now in an advanced state of decay.
But perhaps the nicest addition to Ryerson is one most of us will never see, except from a distance: the roof of the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre on Church St. Planted with grass and flowers, including lilies, this highrise garden represents the new Ryerson, the one dedicated to extracting maximum advantage from the urban condition.
While it awaits its landmark, its architectural icon, the image of Ryerson remains that of the city itself, the one inseparable from the other.

[MJPhilly]

Hi Guys. I'm going to be in Toronto on Wednesday and I'll have some time to do some photography in the early evening. I'm wondering if anyone has some ideas on a good place to do a photo set on foot.

I've already done some Downtown/Yonge St, Harbourfront Centre along the Lake, and Queen St. East. (See http://www.skyscrapersunset.com/tours.html for Sept 05, Mar 06, and June 06.) Any other ideas?

[WZ1]

pm me if you wanna meet up for a photo tour.. i know some good vantage points.. but you might need a couple bux for the ttc

[MJPhilly]

Originally Posted by WZ1

pm me if you wanna meet up for a photo tour.. i know some good vantage points.. but you might need a couple bux for the ttc

Thanks WZ1! I appreciate the offer and hopefully will get a chance to meet up with some of you guys another time, but I don't have much free time to go all over the place and on a whole photo tour or take train rides. I was just planning to drive somewhere, park, and walk around for about an hour or an hour and a half. Any recommendations that fit that description? My hotel is downtown, but if I need to drive somewhere, spending some money for parking or something similar is not a problem.