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Should the Queens Park view corridor be preserved?

  • Yes

    Votes: 168 43.3%

  • No

    Votes: 145 37.4%

  • Don't Know

    Votes: 15 3.9%

  • Don't Care

    Votes: 60 15.5%
  • Total voters
    388
One Bedford, and Murano "intrude" on U of T viewscapes. U Condos, One Bloor, Burano, the new Ontario government building and the Four Seasons will intrude to an even greater degree.

The CN Tower intruded on the viewscape of every historical building in this city.

This is simply a consequence of living in a big city. Height and density are unavoidable. Now, would it be strange to have these condos built in low-rise Kensington Market? Absolutely. But they are being built in Yorkville, and will be surrounded by several high-rises. Moreover, they will be located hundreds and hundreds of feet behind Queen's Park. Consider this the "Central Park Effect," and a good one at that.
 
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Indeed, approved......

Controversial condo towers visible above Queen’s Park approved

Planning policies don’t protect historic vista from proposed Avenue Road high-rises


John Lorinc

From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Published on Wednesday, May. 19, 2010 7:41PM EDT

Last updated on Wednesday, May. 19, 2010 9:10PM EDT


The Ontario Municipal Board approved a controversial plan Wednesday to build a pair of condo towers that will be visible above the Ontario Legislative Assembly when seen from University Avenue south of College Street.

Board member S. J. Stefanko ruled that high-rises proposed for the Four Seasons Hotel property at 21 Avenue Road are “consistent” with provincial and city planning policies, and rejected arguments that the project will undermine the “postcard” views of the legislature.

The application, from Menkes Developments, had been opposed by the Office of the Speaker of the House, representing the Ontario Legislative Assembly.

Characterizing the decision as “unbelievably disappointing,” heritage expert Catherine Nasmith, former president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, predicts the project will set a precedent for other properties on Avenue Road just north of Bloor. “We’re gradually going to have no sky behind Queen’s Park,” she said.

During the lengthy approvals process, it became apparent to Toronto’s heritage community that an earlier generation of planning policies designed to protect historic “view corridors” had been purged from the city’s new official plan.

Earlier this year, Menkes proposed slightly lower towers, but city planning staff continued to oppose the plan. Council, however, approved the modified version, which will be visible over the Queen’s Park roofline south of College Street.

Ironically, while both the city and the province had commissioned a detailed consultant’s study confirming the delicate historic quality of the Queen’s Park vista, there were no policies in place to ensure its preservation, as exist in many other cities with important institutional structures.

That policy vacuum urgently needs to be remedied, says Ms. Nasmith, noting that on the last day of the hearing, the board member asked rhetorically, “If this is so important, why isn’t it protected?”
 
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I suppose someone's cherished view was obliterated way back when, when the quirky Queen's Park building rose to dominate the site.
 
FG:

Except that The Legislature is meant to be a view terminius - one can't say the same that a condo is meant for that same role.

AoD
 
I for one, am glad. I was tired of Ontario's seat of Government looking like it was located on a Prairie. This is Canada's largest city and the capital of the most populace province. It's about time it started looking like it. I am all for the Central Park effect.
 
I was also thinking of how much I like the Central Park effect of highrises demarking the park. When I am on the U of T campus, I like the emerging line of highrises along bloor. It accentuates the boundaries and provides needed density along the subway line. Highrises in the area actually raise the status of important buildings like those in Queens Park and on U of T because it is an acknowledgment of their value. I do support limiting 15+ story highrises within the U of T and Queen's park boundary (N of College, South of Bloor, East of Spadina, West of Bay, although I think the proposals of U Condos just west of Bay is okay).
 
What if they decide to install one of those hideous blue neon light fixtures a top their tower like the one found at Quantum? Is that acceptable as well? That beacon is visible from space! It's like the bat signal.
 
Traynor said:
I for one, am glad. I was tired of Ontario's seat of Government looking like it was located on a Prairie. This is Canada's largest city and the capital of the most populace province. It's about time it started looking like it. I am all for the Central Park effect.
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Granted, but I just dont see the benefits of this development outweighing the loss of this view terminus, one of the best termini (singular?) in the city, an infamous postcard shot as well.. Also it will look nothing like the central park effect, central park is 15-20 stories consistently with some taller and very handsome buildings on the upper west. We are talking about Queen's park, a small park with no substantial buildings around it. Not every shot has to have buildings in it, I think Grand central was ruined by the Pan-Am building, I know its a bit different, but still
 
mckarisma said:
Also it will look nothing like the central park effect, central park is 15-20 stories consistently with some taller and very handsome buildings on the upper west. We are talking about Queen's park, a small park with no substantial buildings around it.
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Maybe not right now, but inevitably it will be surrounded by more towers, like this proposal for new government office towers at 880 Bay, which is even closer than 21 Avenue Rd...

880BayRender4.jpg
 
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