Toronto Cielo Condos | 120.35m | 34s | Collecdev-Markee | KPMB

Automation, I would counter with a "come-on" really? The opinions of most of us here are far more pro-development than that of the general population. I support development on this site. That said bad development is bad development.
 
Lot of hype on this one.....125-year-old Bloor Street United Church to sprout glass condo tower
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The 125-year-old Bloor Street United Church near Huron could soon be a 125-year-old church connected to a massive, modern condo development. According to the church’s website, the congregation wants to create a newer, more flexible and greener building to house a service and meeting space and the headquarters for the United Church of Canada, plus some condos (natch). Though the preliminary plans look pretty glassy, Michael Hilliard, the chair of the church’s redevelopment committee, assured BlogTO that the historic façade would remain intact. B+H architects are reportedly behind the designs—the firm has some neighbourhood history, having worked on the gallery space for the equally loved and loathed Royal Ontario Museum overhaul
http://www.torontolife.com/daily/in...utm_medium=plugin&utm_campaign=further-inform

http://www.bloorstreetunited.org/GCOProposal.html
 
That's a truly bizarre design. I lived around the corner from this church for a few years. While there aren't many old stone churches I don't like, I have never passed this one without wondering just what the architect was thinking. It's handsome-ugly at best, and I don't see how slapping a glass box inside the facade could make it any uglier.
 
This is an insult. Hard to believe that even now a developer would still have the nerve to propose something that blatantly flies in the face of heritage sensitivity. I would even say proposals like this show an almost psychopathic contempt for it, gleefully mocking any who would like to preserve notable examples of our past built history. The city absolutely must reject this travesty.
 
Plans to redevelop Bloor Street United Church — including a condo tower on the property — are causing concern among area residents, says Councillor Adam Vaughan.

If approved by the city, the revamped church will feature space for community activities like choir and yoga classes. The United Church of Canada hopes to move its headquarters here from Bloor St. W. and Islington Ave.

For more....

http://www.thestar.com/news/article...evelopment-of-bloor-street-united-church?bn=1
 
What I find "interesting" about the appalling way that the heritage structure is treated is that this being done by the church itself, and not just some random developer who purchased the property. I am really surprised (and more than a bit disgusted) that Bloor Street United would be so disrespectful of its own history. It is just mind-boggling.
 
I even agree with CapitalSeven that the original church building is not a particularly outstanding architectural piece but that doesn't take away a bit from my opinion that the proposal is just plain bad. Sadly, even the worst of our catalogue of historical stone buildings to me put our contemporary structures to shame.
 
Let's see:

- Moronic reference to New York City in project name? Check.
- Savage facadectomy of a heritage structure? Check.
- Destruction of heritage structure without actually taking advantage of site (i.e. air rights) that were occupied by former structure? Check.
- Superfluous use of boxes that have no visual consistency to one another? Check.

Worst condo project in Toronto history? Pretty close.
 
http://gleanernews.ca/index.php/2012/06/21/u-of-t-community-in-talks-over-bloor-united-project/

U of T, community in talks over Bloor United project

June 21st, 2012
By Sadie McInnes


The project is still very early in its development, but after meeting with residents they intend to partner with developer Northrop to build something that will have slightly less impact.

Scott Walker, a consultant with N. Barry Lyon says they will try their best to downsize. A 39-storey proposal was initially proposed, he says, adding “We’re going to try to be creative and come up with a design that has less storeys.” He said that their current goal is to be somewhere between 30- and 35-storeys.
Click to expand...

Walker assures residents that the University of Toronto is not at all involved in the development, and never were, though it is possible that they will occupy some of the 40,000 square feet of office space that the building will house.

Contrary to what Vaughan believed, the building will not replace the church, but instead will be set back from the street on Bloor United property. The rentable space it will house will help the Bloor United Church with their struggling finances, and several offices will be occupied by the United Church of Canada. On top of office space, the church will be building a new sanctuary, adding 11,000 square feet of new community space, as well as renovating their current building to preserve the historic façade.
Click to expand...

Walker says they will be designing the space with the community by using a working group process. “It’s this or nothing,” he said of the redevelopment, since Bloor United’s finances have been struggling for some time, leaving them very few options. “They’re trying to make the best of a bad situation, and we’re trying to do better,” said Walker, “we’re trying to do something great.”

Walker says he thinks the building will improve the area. “Right now it’s a mish-mash of buildings at Huron and Bloor, the development will add some liveliness,” he says. “I think at the end this will be quite impressive.”
Click to expand...
 
Hi...I am very curious as to the status of the redevelopment project of Bloor Street United Church. I have a sentimental interest only. A good chunk of my child life was spent inside that building. My Dad (who passed away in Oct. 2013) was the head caretaker there from 1959 to 1992. I knew every nook and cranny of that building and although I have lived away from there since 1975 (married at Bloor Street United Church in 1975) the memories and times I spent there as a kid are still special.

Having said that, my wife and I visited the church in August of 2013. The caretaking staff was good enough to open the locked doors of many of its rooms. We took a ton of pictures in hopes that it would rekindle some memories in my Dad's head. Alas, he never saw them...Alzheimer's took him less than 2 months later. While we were there, we asked a lot of questions about the redevelopment plans. There are a lot of complicated issues to building there (such as building too close to subway walls (the subway tunnel runs under the church parking lot on Huron Street).

We have heard very little about this project since. We did know that the United Church Head Offices were part of the planning there; but we've also heard that the United Church has struggled financially and have had a recent staff cut.

Is there anyone on this forum that can update me on the plans?
 
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