Toronto River City Condos Phases 1 & 2 | ?m | 16s | Urban Capital | ZAS Architects

spaced said:
What's that a prohibition of? Rationality? Knowing when professional consensus should supersede your own ego?
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Seriously: You think that Rob Ford would NOT stop something due to (someone else's) idea of rationality? His whole persona is built around 'the downtown elites just know how to spend'. He would absolutely shut down WT and sell off the land to private developers if he had the chance. Luckily, WT seems to be putting up a spirited fight. I received a postcard extolling the latest projects in my mail recently -- WT is not willing to go down without a fight!
 
I honestly think sometimes you're too hard on the poor fellow. He had a general comment regarding how slow development was and how he preceived a lot of money was wasted. I bet you the majority of Torontians would share this view as they simply don't no better and haven't seen much in the way of progress until the last year or so.

Clearly for those in the know (that doesn't take that much) you'd know a ton of working has taken place.


Secondly, this is completely private, so I'm not sure why anyone would expect issues. I think he'll live WT alone. Though he may sell some lands in the port lands area which prboably won't be development for 10/15 years anyway. The infrastructure projects may get scraped though.
 
taal said:
I honestly think sometimes you're too hard on the poor fellow.
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1. He hasn't shown up for a committee meeting yet.
2. He has groused about the pace and said they should sell off the land to developers (despite the fact that that is exactly what is happening now through WT.)
3. He was a councillor for umpteen years, yet publicly gives the impression that he has no idea what's going on with WT.

He will take every dollar he can out of WT, and will not fund 'the infrastructure projects' (sewers, e.g., much less an east QQ streetcar track) which will kill the developments. Ford is a menace to this redevelopment, which is why I expressed relief that WDL is too far along for him to screw with too much.

Listen, I totally understand the belief that TCHC should be a regulator of affordable housing instead of an owner. But selling houses to fund cops instead of fixing houses? That's political. Along the same vein, Ford is aching to sell these plots to condo builders, because he doesn't believe in city building by the public sector. It's a philosophical belief, and he really, truly believes the private sector does everything better than the public sector. Given that he doesn't seem to attach any value to aesthetics, it makes him incredibily hostile to people -- like me -- who would prefer parks and beautiful buildings and boardwalks to a new cement plant and a sports stadium. So, until he makes his first compromise or advocates for the first time that a park get built before a cement plant (and he's yet to do that, unless I missed it somewhere), I'll be hard on the poor guy.
 
Riverdale Rink Rat said:
-- like me -- who would prefer parks and beautiful buildings and boardwalks to a new cement plant and a sports stadium. So, until he makes his first compromise or advocates for the first time that a park get built before a cement plant (and he's yet to do that, unless I missed it somewhere), I'll be hard on the poor guy.
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Hey nothing is going to change, he is a businessman and running the city that way...parks, beautiful buildings, and boardwalks, dont make you any money.
 
Automation Gallery said:
Hey nothing is going to change, he is a businessman and running the city that way...parks, beautiful buildings, and boardwalks, dont make you any money.
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Only someone who thinks in the simplest of terms would say something like that. Visit a great city and tell me if great buildings, parks and boardwalks don't contribute to attracting the most talented people, the most innovative companies and hoards of tourists. (think London, Paris & NYC) When you invest in a city, it pays for itself in many ways. The problem with stupid politicians, is they only think about the next 4 years and not about the long-term goals of Toronto. The cheapest option is not the best option.
 
WT are busily removing the excess earth from the berm where River City is going and there is what looks like a pile driving machine on site. It looks as though River City really may starty construction (or foundation work) in June. As they are building - partly anyway - on the berm I assume they will not have many (any?) floors below ground.
 
Torontovibe said:
The problem with stupid politicians, is they only think about the next 4 years and not about the long-term goals of Toronto. The cheapest option is not the best option.
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Not only that, unfortunately the people of Toronto have little faith on politicians after 4 years in office. (people want Ford out after 6 months..LOL)
For example here are the mayors of the cities you mentioned above
Bertrand Delanoë mayor of Paris elected in 2001 is good till 2014 and more if elected
Michael Bloomberg mayor of New york elected twice since 2002 and good till who knows
Ken Livingstone mayor of London 2000-2008- Boris Johnson since then till 2012 which by the looks of it could be there till 2016 and more.

As you can see 8-12 years is normal for many mayors.. just people here in Toronto have to give them a chance and stop whining and wanting them out after their first term.
 
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Automation Gallery said:
Not only that, unfortunately the people of Toronto have little faith on politicians after 4 years in office. (people want Ford out after 6 months..LOL)
For example here are the mayors of the cities you mentioned above
Bertrand Delanoë mayor of Paris elected in 2001 is good till 2014 and more if elected
Michael Bloomberg mayor of New york elected twice since 2002 and good till who knows
Ken Livingstone mayor of London 2000-2008- Boris Johnson since then till 2012 which by the looks of it could be there till 2016 and more.

As you can see 8-12 years is normal for many mayors.. just people here in Toronto have to give them a chance and stop whining and wanting them out after their first term.
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On the contrary, many mayors don't have "surprises" for their constituents every few weeks or so.
 
The real problem is the megacity. It's too big, with too many areas and people who care nothing city building or designing human scale transit intensive communities.
 
Though veering from the topic here, I am tempted to lay blame fundamentally with the lack of taxing powers granted the City in the days of confederation, and the consequent lack of interest in Toronto from the other levels of government - which itself can also be blamed on the riding system and the underrepresentation of Toronto votes. As evidence for this, I point to everyone's favorite complaint, transit, since the TTC is a source of shame after 40 years of underinvestment:

designing human scale transit intensive communities.
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Transit is not a City jurisdiction, but is lost in a maze. With most tax revenue going to higher levels of government, property taxes, a retrograde method of revenue procurement, are the bread and butter of City living. Metrolinx is the perfect example, with Translink as the BC doppleganger.

Metrolinx cannot get its act together due to lack of funding and underinvestment. We are the only developed world country (other than the backwards Americans) to run Diesel engines instead of the faster and more efficient 20th century electric trains. The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, is currently the only other major city in the world that I am aware of currently purchasing diesel technology for its commuter trains. At a per capita income of less than 1500 per year, I can understand this. In Canada, scandalous.

Translink is more successful. It had Olympic money to expand - and Expo money before that - and also benefits from the fact that Vancouver utterly dominates the BC population, in a way that Toronto does not vis-a-vis Ontario, giving it increased clout. However, after the recent spending binge, Translink cannot come up with operating money, and is trying unsuccessfully to delve deeper into the revenue streams it has been given: property taxes, taxes on gas, and taxes on cars of all kinds. The TTC and Metrolinx need these revenues too, but Translink cannot find the money it needs to continue expanding to meet the ever growing population.

I am very disturbed by the situation!
 
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Automation Gallery said:
Yeah i guess, "Surprises" are for the individuals that didnt believe he was going to stop the "Gravy" down at City Hall...:D
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If it isn't zoned 'drive-through fast food joint along the 401' or 'football arena', it's at risk of the ford's trying to squash it with their larda~~es.

Be prepared.
 
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