Toronto Forma | 308m | 84s | Great Gulf | Gehry Partners

Sometimes you have to sacrifice something good for something great. This was replaced:
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By this:

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I'd make this decision in a heartbeat. Same with the Mirvish proposal. We are gaining far more than we are losing.
 

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freshcutgrass said:
First of all, this isn't the bigger question at all. And the answer to (a) & (b) should be self evident.
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freshlycutgrass - I like your style! Questions of relativism, absolutism, and the question Why? Why is Gehry preferable to an inoffensive warehouse? Who can say?
 
freshcutgrass said:
Perhaps Mirvish can post a Kijiji ad for that?
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A similar land swap took place with the acquisition of the First Parliament site and was facilitated by the city and the heritage people. They didn't use kijiji.
So perhaps smartypants, Mirvish can acquire a more suitable site to build his dream project and sell or restore the existing block of buildings as they are. If the city (and Adam Vaughan) are enthusiastic about this project to the degree they are willing to overlook heritage designations then they could be expected to be accommodating in the rezoning of a new parcel for this purpose. But that might look like favouritism, but then so does the proposal as it has already been presented.

WRT condo whoring, as a pitch I find it tacky, but no, that's not the real problem here. Get it?
 
That would have been great but the point is New York couldn't and didn't. Mirvish owns this land and not some other site that you'd rather have developed. And three 80+ storey Gehry designed buildings can't and won't just be built anywhere. Location is an important consideration here on many levels.
 
neubuilder:

So perhaps smartypants, Mirvish can acquire a more suitable site to build his dream project and sell or restore the existing block of buildings as they are.
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So smartypants, perhaps you can tell me where the city has a chunk of prime land worth the same as the stretch currently owned by Mirvish with similar characteristics in terms of developability, visibility and accessibility? Swapping a small plot is one thing, a block and a tad right beside the Financial District? Not to mention, why the city should swap when the sale of said imaginary property could be used (by land or cash) for other worthwhile causes?

AoD
 
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AlvinofDiaspar said:
neubuilder:



So smartypants, perhaps you can tell me where city has a chunk of prime land worth the same as the stretch currently owned by Mirvish with similar characteristics in terms of visibility and accessibility? Swapping a small plot is one thing, a block and a tad right beside the Financial District? Not to mention, why the city should swap when the sale of said imaginary property shouldn't be for other worthwhile causes?

AoD
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Finding a suitable chunk of land Mirvish's problem, but the land he's got is occupied and as far as I know most of it is designated heritage. Just because one owns a piece of land doesn't entitle one to do with it whatever they choose.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
neubuilder:



So smartypants, perhaps you can tell me where the city has a chunk of prime land worth the same as the stretch currently owned by Mirvish with similar characteristics in terms of developability, visibility and accessibility? Swapping a small plot is one thing, a block and a tad right beside the Financial District? Not to mention, why the city should swap when the sale of said imaginary property could be used (by land or cash) for other worthwhile causes?

AoD
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Hey don't be so hard, what's so complicated about swapping land? Its certainly easy enough to say (I just said it aloud) why should it be any harder to do?

And while we're at it, drill some more subway tunnels.
 
neubilder:

Just because one owns a piece of land doesn't entitle one to do with it whatever they choose.
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And just because it is designated as heritage doesn't mean it is automatically worth saving for eternity.

AoD
 
i really don't see the big deal with this project being put here. the buildings aren't all that attractive or worth keeping theres plenty around the city that look just like them. keep those ones. this location is a great spot for this project. the buildings preposed are not ugly. and amongst all the rest of Toronto's unique buildings they will fit in just lovely. a city is always transforming its self. just look at Newyork's world trade centre towers. out with the old in with new. and hey will forever change that section. for the better.
 
Hypothetical situation here, what if Lalani 5 years ago had proposed a Gehry designed supertal with some sort of splashy amenity offered as an enticement. Should he have been given the right to demolish the Empress?
 
neubilder:

If the proposal is superlative architecturally and offers a comparable level of amenity to the public, sure. Sorry, that wasn't the case, but nice try with the analogy.

AoD
 
UT:

Actually I do miss it, but the ache has more to do with the needless loss of the structure by a totally inappropriate manner, without any worthwhile replacement(sorry, a food truck parking lot ain't it).

AoD
 
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