Toronto Rail Deck Development | 239.43m | 72s | LIUNA | Sweeny &Co

Automation Gallery

Automation Gallery

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433 FRONT ST W
Ward 20 - Tor & E.York District

The proposal is to develop a rail corridor overbuild (deck) over the existing active rail corridor to accommodate development, while maintaining the rail activities. The ORCA Project proposes a mixed-use and open space development, consisting of 8 buildings with a combined gross floor area (GFA) of 368,100 m2. The proposal includes the portion of the Rail Corridor bounded by Front Street West between Spadina and Bathurst; Blue Jays Way; Ice Boat Terrace; and Bathurst Street.
Proposed Use --- # of Storeys --- # of Units ---
Applications:
Type Number Date Submitted Status
OPA 17 164359 STE 20 OZ May 23, 2017 Under Review
 
Holy Moly:)

An aerial view

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This is where the public park was supposed to go?

Well this one at least has a chance of happening I suppose.
 
innsertnamehere said:
this is where the park will be. This is likely a strategy by the person who had claimed to already own the parcel. We will have to wait and see.
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Yeah could be, but then again the park is just a 1-3 billion dollar vision, unless developers like Oxford and others get involved nothing will happen in our lifetime
 
Automation Gallery said:
Yeah could be, but then again the park is just a 1-3 billion dollar vision, unless developers like Oxford and others get involved nothing will happen in our lifetime
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Agreed. This raildeck park could happen, but there will need to be towers along the edges in certain places to make it economically viable. The city and province are already stretched and essential infrastructure is unfunded as is, so working with developers is the way to go.
 
I think they should consolidate the 8 buildings to a fewer number of taller buildings (maybe 3-4?)- basically Wellesley on the Park or Hudson Yards.

I also wonder if they might propose setting space aside for a GO station in the proposal- I would imagine that if this ever gets built, sticking a GO station in afterwards would basically be impossible.
 
Yeah - I believe this is from Craft
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Brings us back to this - from the Globe:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/new...s-for-toronto-rail-deck-park/article32252388/
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Of note:

Architect Dermot Sweeny and a firm called Craft Development Corp. want to line the site with condos, offices and retail, and include a park that would be less than half the size of the one in Mr. Tory’s plan. But they say their vision would also mean a much cheaper price tag for the city.

Craft chief executive officer Peter Griffis said he plans to have a development application “formalized and ready to go” for the site by the end of November, despite the city’s intention to rezone the entire area for a park. He warned the battle would end up at the Ontario Municipal Board.
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AlvinofDiaspar said:
And the Star:

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_h...ir-that-rail-deck-park-would-be-built-on.html
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But Matthew Castelli, a GTA developer behind Senator Homes and the Kingsman Group, says those air rights have already been sold to a consortium of developers that includes the Craft Development Corporation, based in Etobicoke.
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Councillor Joe Cressy, whose ward encompasses the proposed park space, said Craft came to meet him with a proposal for seven to 10 “giant” condos built on a deck over the rail corridor, which would include a small park.
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Cressy said it’s possible the developers — who do not appear currently to be big players in the downtown development game — have secured conditional ownership, which would hinge on the lands being zoned for development.
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This might be the last significant battle at the OMB before it disappears, interestingly enough. Maybe this application is a quick foot-in-the door to ensure that it gets to the OMB in time?
 
According to its website, Craft has not attempted a project approaching this magnitude in the past: It has only nine smaller developments in Toronto, but has built plazas and retail developments in smaller cities around Southern Ontario, including Kitchener and Keswick.
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I'm a little concerned that a project of this scale could be out of Craft's league.

Hopefully the consortium of developers includes some bigger names as well.
 
jje1000 said:
I'm a little concerned that a project of this scale could be out of Craft's league.

Hopefully the consortium of developers includes some bigger names as well.
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Personally I wouldn't mind seeing the portion of the land above the layover (future site of the RER station) getting development on top and leave the rest as a park - from the Metrolinx Spadina IBC

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Well this shall be interesting. I think we still have an open debate at the Rail Deck Park thread about whether or not you can stratify and then buy/sell air rights here. I have yet to go through a number of potentially relevant SCC cases posted by @steveintoronto and add my thoughts. That issue alone would potentially be a matter to go to the courts in this case. But if we are to assume that they do have those rights and they can submit the OPA, this still gets very juicy.

But I'll propose hypothetical stuff, including rights, potential court cases and lawsuits goes in the Rail Deck Park thread, and we save this one for the specifics of the proposed development. Thoughts?
 
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