Toronto Massey Tower Condos | 206.95m | 60s | MOD Developments | Hariri Pontarini

First, my apologies to all who are reading this hoping for new information.

I simply have a question directed towards thecharioteer. Is all the interior restoration work complete at this point? Would you also be able so share some updates on the locations outside of the main presentation room (e.g. the rear room and staircase you showcased back in post #845). Also, can you speak to whether the current finishes in the main area, most notable the faux-victorian wallpaper, are final?

Edit: I guess that is more than a question.
 
Xray_Crystal_Junkie said:
First, my apologies to all who are reading this hoping for new information.

I simply have a question directed towards thecharioteer. Is all the interior restoration work complete at this point? Would you also be able so share some updates on the locations outside of the main presentation room (e.g. the rear room and staircase you showcased back in post #845). Also, can you speak to whether the current finishes in the main area, most notable the faux-victorian wallpaper, are final?

Edit: I guess that is more than a question.
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Quite simply, none of what has been done to date is "final". The ground floor of the heritage building was cleaned up to use as a sales centre, but what is shown are not the final finishes. The upstairs, including the staircase, was sealed off, as a condition of the sales centre building permit. These elements will be restored as part of the overall construction. The process that Preservation Services at the City insists upon is that the heritage architect (ERA) submit a "Heritage Impact Statement" which outlines how the development proposal will deal with all the heritage elements of the project. In the case of 197 Yonge, being a designated building, there is already on title a Heritage Easement Agreement with the City which itemizes all the various aspects of the building, both exterior and interior, which make the building significant. These items are discussed in both the "Heritage Impact Statement" and the detailed "Conservation Plan" which goes into greater detail the construction aspects of the restoration. Preservation Services will report on these Plans to the Preservation Board as part of the approvals process.

The plan is to preserve the four-storey portion of the building in its entirety, and demolish the one-storey portion at the rear (which is where the faux-victorian wallpaper is). The circular mosaic floor will be removed prior to demolition and relocated into the new project into a new "rotunda", approximately in the same location as it presently exists. Similarly, the wooden pilasters in this room will be removed during construction and relocated into this new rotunda. Renderings by Cecconi Simone show how these spaces will ultimately look.

Proposed:

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urbantoronto-5977-19037.jpg
urbantoronto-5977-19036.jpg


Existing:

masseyjoy4.jpg
masseyjoy3.jpg


masseyjoy5.jpg


Massey20Tower_02_1267.jpg


Massey20Tower_07_1594.jpg
 
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Wow, incredible. Glad I asked. Thank you for such a detailed response. I'm a little disappointed the wood wasn't restored to its natural luster, but I suppose the typical buyer's tastes don't line up as such. It's a small quible.

Great job thus far by the way. Clearly plenty of pride in your work.
 
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Xray_Crystal_Junkie said:
Wow, incredible. Glad I asked. Thank you for such a detailed response. I'm a little disappointed the wood wasn't restored to its natural luster, but I suppose the typical buyer's tastes don't line up as such. It's a small quible.

Great job thus far by the way. Clearly plenty of pride in your work.
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Thanks! The woodwork will ultimately be refinished in an appropriate stain in which the grain shows through.

Current condition:

197b.jpg
 
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How wonderful that we're getting true preservation here, not just façadism. And it's great to see the interior design respect the building's heritage without being slavish to it. It doesn't pander to nostalgia. It's basically contemporary or, rather, traditional filtered through a contemporary lens.
 
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The city should strongly support this type of development by allowing developers to build taller than they propose. As of right now, there is no guarantee this one will be approved at 60 or approved at all.
 
fedplanner said:
The city should strongly support this type of development by allowing developers to build taller than they propose. As of right now, there is no guarantee this one will be approved at 60 or approved at all.
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Huh, i thought this was a done deal, but then again it hasnt been a year since they submited plans to the city
Anyways 80% sold, and we should see this go up at 60-65 storeys:cool:
 
Boy are you guys in for a surprise... I've been ranting and raving in this thread about an issue few took notice of. And now my worst fears have been confirmed.
 
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fedplanner said:
Boy are you guys in for a surprise... I've been ranting and raving in this thread about an issue few took notice of. And now my worse fears have been confirmed.
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Didn't see that coming: http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2013.TE22.6 and http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2013.TE22.7

This application proposes to redevelop the lands at 197 Yonge Street and adjoining properties for the purposes of a mixed use building and to retain the front portion of the existing heritage structure. Included in the proposal is a 60-storey (207 metre) residential tower to the rear of the heritage building. The heritage property is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act and is protected by a Heritage Easement Agreement. The proposed base is 9 storeys and contains the lobby within the heritage building, above grade parking, amenity uses and retail uses.

Although the proposal strives to achieve the long term revitalization objectives for the Theatre Block, the development as proposed undermines the policies of the Official Plan as they relate to Built Form and development within Mixed Use Areas. The proposed building does not provide separation to the adjacent structure to the south creating an unsupportable adjacency issue, is deficient in vehicular and bicycle parking and represents over-development of the site.

The approval of the proposed project does not implement Council approved guidelines such as the Design Criteria for the Review of Tall Building Proposals.

This report reviews and recommends refusal of the applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law.
 
Please tell me this can be appealed at the OMB? I usually hate how easily developers can overrule city by-laws but this really does need to be built. I'd even be fine with a significant height decrease, just please finish the work on the lobby.
 
wolfewood said:
Please tell me this can be appealed at the OMB? I usually hate how easily developers can overrule city by-laws but this really does need to be built. I'd even be fine with a significant height decrease, just please finish the work on the lobby.
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The real issue seems to be "massing and profile". From the report:

1. City Council refuse the applications for Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law
Amendment at 197, 197R, 199 and 201 Yonge Street for the following reasons:
a. The proposal represents an over-development of the property;
b. the proposed massing and profile are inappropriate for the development of the lands and creates negative impacts in terms of adjacency;
c. the proposal does not conform to the Official Plan including policies related to Built Form, Mixed-use Areas and Area Specific Official Plan Policy 174;
d. the proposal is inconsistent with Council-approved guidelines/policies such as the Design Criteria for the Review of Tall Buildings; and
e. the massing and profile of the proposal, if approved, has the potential to create a negative precedent for other applications within the downtown area.
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In short, it seems that the crux of the issue is that this project is just too big for what is essentially the heart of downtown. Such an utter lack of vision. What a god damned joke.

If the ultimate result of our planning regime is that projects like this are rejected, then count me in as someone who is intensely in favour of the OMB's continued evisceration of said regime.
 
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The OMB is the only hope unless City Council undermines its planning staff and rules against their recommendations. I am sure people have taken notice of my pro development rhetoric: my hate of height and density limits, my hate of zoning bylaws from 1986 when the car ruled the world, the need for people that support development to show up at public meetings to counter the racist retirees masquerading as ratepayer associations, and the need of the OMB to get the city to get the best development possible rather than just denying outright as is the case here. Shame, this is the best development in Toronto from one of the best developers the city has ever seen. Shame.

Urban Toronto, take action! Write the ward councilor and the planner responsible.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about it - councillors do vote against the recommendation of the planning staff from time to time. That said, the merit of the proposal isn't the issue - it is the precedent that is. On what planning basis will the city deny proposals of a similar nature, when no complementary benefits are offered? Surely this is something one should think about regardless of where one stand with respect to this particular proposal?

AoD
 
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