Ajax 425 Bayly Street West | 193.24m | 60s | VanDusen Realty Holdings | Icon
- Thread starter interchange42
- Start date
Northern Light
Superstar
It's go big or go home in Ajax!
New proposal coming our way from Van Dusen Realty Holdings at Bayly and Westney, so within walking distance of Ajax GO, so it's GO big and GO home here? Ehh?! Ehh?!
Ahhhhh, sorry about that... front page story here!
42
The design is 'Icon' and it shows.
I'm fine w/densifying here, but this looks both bad, and monotonous.
Several of the towers have no apparent setbacks above the podium, that's visually jarring and likely to cause wind issues.
The giant drive oval in the middle of the site is profoundly unappealing too!
Send it home, err to the shop for a re-work.
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Msleylar
Active Member
That much density and height and no real public space other than a nominal POPS at the corner? Come on.
NY99
Active Member
It's a vertical subdivision, nothing more and nothing less. Not a human-scaled development.
I can't help but fear that these master-planned, multi-tower communities popping up like weeds in the inner suburbs will experience the same unfortunate fate as the tower-in-the-park developments of the 60s and 70s. They certainly seem as isolated from communal city life as the former (if not way more).
I can't help but fear that these master-planned, multi-tower communities popping up like weeds in the inner suburbs will experience the same unfortunate fate as the tower-in-the-park developments of the 60s and 70s. They certainly seem as isolated from communal city life as the former (if not way more).
3Dementia
Senior Member
These towers are Iconic indeed. This firm must save a bundle on payroll since none of the staff have degrees in architecture... apparently.
The Preservationist
Active Member
60s in the middle of nowhere? Looks like the car is still king in the GTA...
Irishmonk
Senior Member
I have yet to see a more stark depiction of dystopian misery than what's on view here. On the plus side, it's conveniently close to the local crematorium.
neuhaus
Senior Member
This does not make sense at all! It’s not even reasonably walkable to a GO Station.
Even if it’s adjacent to a transit hub, it’s way too tall, monstrous and grossly out of context from the rest of the neighbourhood or town.
This will potentially add more than 6,000 residents to this block. Where are community amenities to help support it (grocery stores, shops, restaurants, parks, community centre, schools, day care, libraries, etc.)? The 1,400 sq.m of retail and 2,100 sq.m of office space is insignificant compared to the amount of residential proposed here.
The appearance of six very tall, lookalike banal high rises in the suburbs, when the buildings around there are no more than two stories is pretty jarring. I don’t know what the developer is thinking and I’m sure the town of Ajax would shoot this proposal down right away. There should be some affordable and rental housing to add some housing diversity that is needed. This is something I would expect in China or Russia.
What kind of units will be in these buildings and who would want to live (or buy) in such an oppressive development? The development is in a middle of an area that seems to be mostly an industrial park, not the most pleasant of neighbourhoods.
Even if it’s adjacent to a transit hub, it’s way too tall, monstrous and grossly out of context from the rest of the neighbourhood or town.
This will potentially add more than 6,000 residents to this block. Where are community amenities to help support it (grocery stores, shops, restaurants, parks, community centre, schools, day care, libraries, etc.)? The 1,400 sq.m of retail and 2,100 sq.m of office space is insignificant compared to the amount of residential proposed here.
The appearance of six very tall, lookalike banal high rises in the suburbs, when the buildings around there are no more than two stories is pretty jarring. I don’t know what the developer is thinking and I’m sure the town of Ajax would shoot this proposal down right away. There should be some affordable and rental housing to add some housing diversity that is needed. This is something I would expect in China or Russia.
What kind of units will be in these buildings and who would want to live (or buy) in such an oppressive development? The development is in a middle of an area that seems to be mostly an industrial park, not the most pleasant of neighbourhoods.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
This is probably one of the more ridiculous proposals I've seen on this board.
Msleylar
Active Member
I'd actually argue it's worse than a typical subdivision, greenfield/sprawl issues aside. Generally in new greenfield with this level of units, you will have new parks, new school blocks, SWM ponds, rec trails ect integrated as part of the overall subdivision. This proposal is just lazy, and certainly not a masterplanning exercise. It's insular, and contributes nothing to the public realm or community infrastructure for the number of units proposed.
JBR
Active Member
While I agree it’s a terrible proposal I have to disagree it’s not walking distance to the GO. It’s about 15-20 walk.
Msleylar
Active Member
Northern Light
Superstar
On google maps, I get a distance of 1.1km. Which is consistent w/your 15 minute supposition.
Is that walking distance? In a general sense, yes, but its at the outer limits of most people's tolerance for a routine trip by foot.
For planning purposes, you would normally draw the circle at about 800M.
One has to remember, if argument is that people will walk to transit, its not will they do so when the weather is perfect, a mix of sun and cloud, late September, no chance of rain, and 18C.
Its about whether they would make that walk in winter, when its cold out, and the sidewalks may have snow/ice; will they make that walk when its raining (that's a long trip under an umbrella); and will they make it when its a hazy, humid
day in July, at 28C feels like 35C?
The determinative issue being, would they feel the need to own a car, for those 'bad days'; because once they own it, they're more likely to use it routinely.
artyboy123
Senior Member
It's go big or go home in Ajax!
New proposal coming our way from Van Dusen Realty Holdings at Bayly and Westney, so within walking distance of Ajax GO, so it's GO big and GO home here? Ehh?! Ehh?!
Ahhhhh, sorry about that... front page story here!
42
@Northern Light i saw this on the front page i immediately puked
Northern Light
Superstar
Always take anti-nauseants before looking at any ICON, G+C or KirKor work.......... or defer breakfast til after!