Toronto Berwick and CityTowns at The Berwick | ?m | 17s | Andrin | P + S / IBI

It will be interesting to watch how this proposal is received by the community. It steps down sensitively to the low rise homes on the west side of Duplex with a line of townhomes facing them, but the tower on the east side of the street will likely still be controversial.

It is good to see this coming forward: if it goes through it will be usher other redevelopment projects through at the southwest corner of Yonge & Eg.

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The neighbourhood fought tooth-and-nail against Minto Midtown, which was arguably less intrusive on established low-rise residential areas. I predict a fight over this one.
 
There have been a substantial number of parking lots and tower in the park properties redeveloped in the last few years, therefore growth has been responsible and underused land is somewhat scarce. Land within the current high density boundary is almost built out, so we're just about at the point where all future growth will necessitate blockbusting.

Rather than focusing on this specific proposal, a better question is how big should Yonge and Eglinton ultimately become? A few parking lots still remain today, but if you want the area to continue growing in the future, then you will soon have no choice but to support this type of project.
 
The TTC Eglinton Station lands immediately adjacent to the north side of this development site are the real question mark for the neighbourhood: a very large development could take place there. Meanwhile, the City does have designs on the existing buildings lining the west side of Yonge south of Eglinton. Check out this study if you are unconvinced that this project is just the thin edge of the wedge.

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this is definitely the 'thin edge of the wedge' as I-42 describes ... the TTC lands are gonna be a major redevelopment proposal which I think would be comparable to the scale of Minto Midtown
 
Yonge & Eglinton is changing. Whether the residents like it or not. This area is already so dense. And although it is quite a far walk from downtown, it is still relatively close on the subway. It will see some major redevelopment in the future to go along with the massive change it already has seen in the past 10 years. That said, I'd like to see more development here. I believe it will only add to the area.
 
^ More development is definitely coming, including a couple of projects just east of the main intersection that are already in the process. And the redevelopment of the TTC lands could be one of the biggest and best new developments in the city, once the City gets its act together. But I continue to doubt whether this Berwick Ave. proposal will have smooth sailing, and I would bet not.
 
yup ... this 17s proposal by Andrin fits right into City's Yonge-Eglinton Centre Review (http://www.toronto.ca/planning/yonge_eglin.htm)

yonge_eg_rendering_lg.jpg
 
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The development doesn't look bad because most of the properties on Berwick and east side of Duplex are run down - and have been for a number of years - I assume they have already been assembled? Or maybe they belonged to the TTC goibng way back? Many are vacant.

The residents west of Duplex will fight this - it's too close to them; and these are VERY activist people in a poorman's psuedo-Forest Hill setting. I was having coffee with some of them when Minto was a dream and they were very upset and those towers weren't even close.
 
Mustapha said:
The development doesn't look bad because most of the properties on Berwick and east side of Duplex are run down - and have been for a number of years - I assume they have already been assembled? Or maybe they belonged to the TTC goibng way back? Many are vacant.

The residents west of Duplex will fight this - it's too close to them; and these are VERY activist people in a poorman's psuedo-Forest Hill setting. I was having coffee with some of them when Minto was a dream and they were very upset and those towers weren't even close.
Click to expand...


Too many NIMBYs ... besides 17s isn't that bad considering the context.
 
But when it comes to development migrating west of Duplex, said NIMBYs might have a point, i.e. galloping intensification gone berzerk...
 
Lookig at that render, the development at berwick and duplex is quite low. I actually think it will greatly enhance that corner. If I was a resident I wouldn't be opposed to this type of development. That being said I'm not, so I am curious to see how the residents will respond. For the most part, even though Quantum towers over the rest of the neighbourhood, it has gained acceptance pretty quickly. Although I could be wrong, I'm predicting less of a fight on this one. The residents know this spot (and the TTC lands to the north) are going to be redeveloped no matter what. They should take what is already proposed, seeing that height considerations have already been taken into account.
 
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