Recent content by maestro

Mirvish Village is the peak of large scale intensification in Toronto. Still, the height and scale of the buildings and the amount of outdoor space is not more desirable than a walkable neighbourhood home with a modest private yard or space for a family car that isn't mandatory for work...

The Star Building has been vacant so it's not producing income but, losing money. A weed lot for the next decade would save tens of millions unless they were to find tenants to foot the bill. Who is going to lease and put money into space with a demolition clause and in this market? Seems...

Looks like they are shoring up the shoring which doesn't bode well.

More tech jobs that would relocate here for competitively low wages is all Toronto needs. However, it's almost a certainty with Canadians selling themselves short boasting about another Amazon back office opening. Amazon opening offices in Canada made national news before Covid during Trump's...

Any corporate logo needs a permit regardless of first or third party advertisement. Toronto's developments would eclipse Dubai if that were not the case. Would a balcony play that spells out Menkes be able to side step the sign bylaws? Inspiration...

These could turn out like Residence of College Park or premium residential towers in any major global city in the world. It comes down to the curtain wall. The site plan does leave a lot to be desired but, until shovels hit the ground, I'm not getting too invested.

Cladding is fine. I do can understand disappointment if the expectation was brick. The whole window package is the weakest element in the cladding. It's very ordinary to put it kindly. Also, the variation in the facade doesn't fully break up the huge massing. As for the units, is it possible...

There's a premium to build up and an even larger premium to provide public services and amenities for high population densities. Intensifying properties with existing property improvements (although much higher density zoning may make those improvements moot) comes with a premium as well...

The standard for "living" in the tens of thousands of units built in the last year is equally unimpressive and arguably worse than ten or twenty years ago. I just read an article that Riocan is divesting of all residential properties and development sites citing the return on investment is not...

Commuting is the best part of living in Toronto. This half of Liberty Village has so much potential and could use more residential densities. Three 40 storey towers on mid rise podiums beside a transit station that emphasizes number of commuters over building a mixed use community is not a...

Re: Next Supertall? article CTBUH standard measurement for sites on a gradient is from the main entrance lobby and not the southmost part of the building or the lowest retail doorway. 300.2 metres is from outside the doors of the residential lobby and not the heritage podium office lobby...

A St James Town tower with 32 floors above, 2 below and 560 units was delivered in 18 to 24 months in 1968. 4800 Yonge is more complex however, 2.5 to 3 years is more than possible. It's cost vs efficiency. AFAIK, there's no hard contractual deadline to deliver the condos. The developer is in...

There's nothing reasonable about 35 times lot coverage for a residential tower. It's worst when it's 650 small units vs full or half floors that has the potential of many windows vs one. This is not an office or a hotel. The standards of a home aren't up to the challenge of attracting top...

The spec builders of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s were all bust by the mid 1990s. Institutional investors have taken over and their interests aren't building office towers but, making the most on their investments. There is little patience with real estate managers that don't deliver immediately...

Perhaps they painted the brick to colour match. It's more likely it was painted for another reason. It was in rough shape with some sloppy tuckpointing and concrete parging. Patching and sealing the brick with paint is cheaper than rebuilding the facade , Rebuilding could be disassembly trashing...