Toronto Aura at College Park | 271.87m | 78s | Canderel | Graziani + Corazza

[gweed123]

This building, plus the precedent being set by Five and 501 Yonge are going to be adding tremendous densities to the area. Yonge (and a lot of the core) has not seen a reshaping his thorough since the 1970's. This boom might be short on big-ticket imaginative items as that one was, but it's changing the city, fast.

I think a precinct plan, as you guys mentioned, would be a good idea - with a comprehensive review of Yonge from Bloor down to Lakeshore. A thorough look at the entire stretch - as is now being done for John Street - would be in order - with all the options presented there presented for Yonge.

I think that that area in question is really from Church to University, and Dundas to Bloor. South of Dundas, it's really just the north end of the Financial District. This area has already seen tremendous growth, but realistically its potential buildout is only halfway there, if that.

Just by my count from Google Earth, there are 9 large empty lots (vacant lots or parking lots) that could be potentially redeveloped just in that small area. That's not even beginning to count the slew of low-rise buildings that exist in that area. A Secondary Plan for this area would really go a long way in shaping the development of the area.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

This building, plus the precedent being set by Five and 501 Yonge are going to be adding tremendous densities to the area.

Hold on now, there's no precedent set for 60 stories on this section of Yonge Street yet. It's a long way from being approved, or declined.

 

[Northern Magus]

Hold on now, there's no precedent set for 60 stories on this section of Yonge Street yet.

Agreed: yet.

The city has thus far been pussyfooting around this by shifting 40+ floor buildings to adjacent side streets, but given the lowrise/underdeveloped character of most of the existing structures, their near ground-zero proximity to public transit, and the appeal of living on Yonge Street, I'm pretty confident that developers are salivating at the prospect of adding more Aura- and One Bloor-like towers on Yonge St proper. 501 Yonge is arguably the most prominent vanguard of this.

Hello density in a big, big way.

 

[drum118]

June 8
The days of getting close up shots are over and you are going to have to shot from a distance.

 

[caltrane74]

The cranes have been jacked.

 

[Big Daddy]

When construction first started here, one of the first things they did was guild a receiving "tube" to the adjacent building. Did that "receiving tube" become part of the building or was it dismantled as the building grew?

 

[Ramako]

I recall someone mentioning earlier in the thread that the building will be built around the existing ramp.

 

[mysteryman]

Yes, the ramp was built into the structure of the building.

 

[College Park]

I fear that the Hairy Tarantula is not long for this world...

Where will all us misfit geeks go to get our fix of delightfully scuzzy comic book/gaming shop?

I expect that the Yonge-type retail that still cling within the interstices between towers will make a gradual migration to Parkdale and Leslieville, where Queen retains the fine-grained quality and gentle degradation that nurtures small geeky stores.

 

[Redroom Studios]

who knows, we could see our first Dollarama with 20 ft ceilings here!

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I expect that the Yonge-type retail that still cling within the interstices between towers will make a gradual migration to Parkdale and Leslieville, where Queen retains the fine-grained quality and gentle degradation that nurtures small geeky stores.

And that's what I love about Yonge Street downtown, "geeky" stores, services and a terrific array of food joints that just don't fit into a shopping mall environment. Judging by foot traffic on Yonge Street, I'm not the only one. What I don't like - in fact what alarms me - are the amount of buildings that appear to be falling into disrepair, mostly between College & Bloor. Head further north and the old stock is mostly in well maintained condition.

 

[DC83]

I never realized the current College Park Bldg is only 1/4 of the originally planned College Park Eaton's Bldg.. I thought it was at least half.
It's such a shame this never materialized

 

[Geekaroo]

Quick Pic on the way to work

 

[KA1]

Thanks for the picture, Geekaroo. Please keep posting pictures wheneve you can.

 

[gweed123]

I never realized the current College Park Bldg is only 1/4 of the originally planned College Park Eaton's Bldg.. I thought it was at least half.
It's such a shame this never materialized

I'd love to see a developer come in and bring the original proposal back to life, or a variant of it using a similar building style. It would be awesome to see a 1920's style skyscraper be built.