Toronto Sun Life Financial Tower & Harbour Plaza Residences | 236.51m | 67s | Menkes | Sweeny &Co

wow 75 million ... is that quite a bit higher then other sites downtown though ? It is a very huge site.
 
Didn't Vaughan 'fight' to get Leon's to change their sign to something more 'contextual?' Could not something similar happen here?
 
sixrings said:
since this is being torn down is there immediate plans to build something once its gone? otherwise whats the purpose of taking the building down?
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Parking lots have lower land assessment values, therefore the owner pays less tax on vacant land than if they leave the building up. There's a significant tax savings, even if the building is unused and decrepit. There's also a gap between taxes on surface parking lots and other properties, so they can also turn it into a parking lot to generate income until they're ready to build.
 
grey said:
Parking lots have lower land assessment values, therefore the owner pays less tax on vacant land than if they leave the building up. There's a significant tax savings, even if the building is unused and decrepit. There's also a gap between taxes on surface parking lots and other properties, so they can also turn it into a parking lot to generate income until they're ready to build.
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This is true. I paid DeGasperis 20$ parking for 10 minutes on their studio site this weekend--very last parking spot available too.
 
You know what's amazing? Just to look for this thread I had to go three pages just to find it.
I just got back from a day trip to Buffalo, and the poor dears there are desperate - desperate! - for any developments. It makes you realize, if you love architecture and construction, how lucky we are here, right now.

Anyway, here's a quicko fantasy render of a nine-hundred footer on the 90 Harbour site, with a seven-hundred footer right across York Street, on the 'Flatiron' site. This fantasy render also includes a wee 450'-er behind the Harbour Commission building, with a small plaza/park there fronting Bay Street.
So this is what 900' feet would look like on that site.
Something to chaw on.

Cheers!

yorka.jpg



yorkmodelc.jpg
 
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Love your stuff CN, but there are at least 5 towers missing from South core - added to your fantasy would make it......fantasia??


Oh, and I quite agree with your assessment about how lucky we are in terms of construction - but architecture?
 
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We are definitely straddling the line where too much demand begins to affect the architecture- it's when even generic and mediocre designs sells wildly.
 
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Any more pics? I caught a remote glimpse of the frontispiece stonework in mid-removal...
 
The Southcore cluster as proposed, approved and under construction.

90 Harbour and it's sister property across the street, 120 Harbour, are in yellow. The lot around the Harbour Commission building is in pink. There's no plans for it right now to get beautified, but one can hope.
The Ice model and the PWC building on York are by Wyliepoon, and the Infinity Model is by Jon from the Sketchup model bank.

southcoremodelz.jpg



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It's surprising how large the 90 Harbour site is. It doesn't look that big from the street.
Funny - just two properties left on York street - one on each side - and it will be completely built out to the lake.
 
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ganjavih said:
90harbour.jpg


I agree that 90 Harbour is not an amazing piece of architecture, but it is worth saving. It's a unique style not often seen in Toronto. It would make a great coach terminal, library, or market. It could house any sort of amenity for the community really. This neighbourhood is becoming horribly sterile and bland. Diversity, even if accomplished through a less than stellar piece of architecture, can be a good thing. I don't want Toronto to look like the sterile suburbs.

Thanks for your contribution, Rebecca.
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Agreed. I'm sad to see it go. While it may not be a remarkable piece of 20c architecture, I think it has a certain character that newer developments like Pinnacle (in the picture) can't match.
 
There's an opportunity for some great architecture and height between this site and the flatiron one. Hopefully our developers don't cheap out on the design and materials as they do far too often. A red granite building, like Scotiabank Plaza, would definitely fit well here as illustrated in CN's rendering.
 
CanadianNational said:
The Southcore cluster as proposed, approved and under construction.

90 Harbour and it's sister property across the street, 120 Harbour, are in yellow. The lot around the Harbour Commission building is in pink. There's no plans for it right now to get beautified, but one can hope.
The Ice model and the PWC building on York are by Wyliepoon, and the Infinity Model is by Jon from the Sketchup model bank.
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Thank you CN - I must say, you are a talented young lady - if in fact you are a lady - I have worked with Sketchup but was never able to do what you seem to do with such ease. I am a visually oriented individual and, like yourself, I can virtually see these things in my head. Transcribing it to paper or digital though takes something more and I for one greatly appreciate your efforts.
 
Urban Toronto needs to secure a feature interview with City Planning to bring them into the UT conversation about the future... otherwise we have nothing more than "what if" renders/ideas. Skyline cone obsessions (these exist... BMO forever), height thresholds, shadow issues, preferred architects... sounds like a conspiracy issue eh? Not.
 
Wow, if and when this build out is complete,

I am hard pressed to think of any stretch of freeway that travels thru a canyon like that!! It is already a crazy stretch..... but add Ice and then a possible 900 foot wall to the south side, plus another 700 foot???? WWWOOOOWWWW!!:rolleyes:

What is the status of the Ice office component?? I've read mixed comments on that. :confused:
 
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