Toronto The Sloane & The Trafford | 103.4m | 30s | Fitzrovia | Arcadis

Both P+S/IBI, and AA have brought forth some of the most uninspiring condo designs we have ever seen in Toronto's history. I'm looking forward to the elimination of curves once the design gets refined to another glass P+S/IBI box tower.
 
I've looked at this site plan a few times.

I understand why they've done; what they've done..........

But...

Its wrong.

They need to get together w/other area landowners, notably Oxford, and the MTO and the City and talk about that insane looking street grid.

That the Dufferin, southbound off-ramp goes over Bridgeland, and Dufferin, while Bridgeland curves back, to meet Dufferin at grade, while Dufferin then goes under the 401 etc etc.......

Too much anti-pedestrian, over-built, wasted land, going on.

A series of trade offs are needed.

Option 1: retain off-ramp, but have it take over the existing Bridgeland alignment, cleanly meeting Dufferin at grade, and eliminating the balance of the curved ramp, but possibly using a portion of that space for a wider combined Bridgeland/off-ramp.

This eliminates one over pass of Dufferin, frees up some land so that the Gupta site can be squared off w/Dufferin and create a more logical, Dufferin-centric built form.

Option 2:

Can the Dufferin off-ramp outright, as there is no exit to Dufferin from the westbound highway, none is required from the eastbound.

The traffic moving south here can be accommodated through an alternate access to Yorkdale, if required, located on the east side of Dufferin.

This produces all the same advantages as option 1, but frees up more land, and reduces potential traffic conflicts. Depending on whether alternate access to Yorkdale is constructed, this could also
produce meaningful maintenance savings.

An alternate access may require some of Yorkdale's parking.

This can be dealt with by either paying the cost of a parkade/underground parking in exchange for the land...........or, offering a unilateral, no application upzoning worth far more money; which would also
encourage better urban form. The parking shortage could be addressed through new development, at Oxford's cost.
 
What the site looks like now from across Dufferin:

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I dream of a day when all such depressing streetscape vistas are vanquished from Toronto.
 
Now that the Gupta name has been floating around on UT for good or for bad I've realized that they are now proposing an additional 24 storeys of office space to this project.

from their website
YORKDALE RESIDENTIAL, HOTEL, AND OFFICE PROJECT
Located across from Toronto’s renowned Yorkdale Mall and just steps from Highway 401, this is a proposed redevelopment of 3450 Dufferin Street. The project comprises three towers with 1,044 residential units and townhomes, 255 hotel rooms and restaurant space. Furthermore, there will be 24 floors of office space in this highly anticipated, mixed use development.
https://guptagroup.ca/portfolio/yorkdale-residential-hotel-and-office-project/
 
Materials submitted in support of the council-approved settlement:

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