Mongo
Senior Member
Should tear down the Eaton Centre while we're at it, as well. After all, it a huge block-long multistory bulk, which as UTers have established, is death to Yonge Street.
Toronto TeaHouse 501 Yonge Condominiums | 170.98m | 52s | Lanterra | a—A
- Thread starter VoiceofReality
- Start date
egotrippin
Senior Member
Perhaps not helping your point, is the fact that the stretch of Yonge along the Eaton Centre is one of the deadest along all of downtown Yonge.
I should add that yes, I recognize there's still a lot of foot traffic of passers-by, but there's no animation and walking on the west sidewalk is quite dreary.
someMidTowner
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I don't see how the street life could change as a result of this project. None of the stores or restaurants on that block are destinations, pedestrians are simply passing by. If anything the new retail would bring in more pedestrians than the current slavelabour shirt store or health code violation middle eastern restaurant.....
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Yeah, kills me how some dont want any changes down there....sorry but that strech hasnt a lot to be desired
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Change is fine for this and a few other disposable retail strips on downtown Yonge but a six storey parking garage a city block long (that huge folks!) then two 58's on top will annihilate this section of Yonge Street and will cast shadows blocks away. At best this should be no more a stepped back mid-rise with no parking offered.
arvelomcquaig
Active Member
Why on earth would this “annihilate this section of Yonge Street”? I agree that the giant parking garage would be a hideous use of visible space but what's wrong with two 58 storey towers? I don't understand the shadow issue. Personally, I love shade on streets; my problem tends to be Toronto's streets being too sunny on hot, blindingly bright days. Why would shade have such a destructive effect on this area? Also, why should a development on Yonge, arguably the most central and transit-accessible area in the country, be relegated to mid-rise? The way I see it, if anything, all new development on Yonge south of Bloor should have a minimum height regulation of 20 storeys.
Apart from the potential parking monstrosity and painfully boring, glass-coated architecture, I think this would have a wonderful effect on the area. In fact, what's currently there is such a hideous waste of this space that almost anything that replaces it will be a huge improvement.
Apart from the potential parking monstrosity and painfully boring, glass-coated architecture, I think this would have a wonderful effect on the area. In fact, what's currently there is such a hideous waste of this space that almost anything that replaces it will be a huge improvement.
Peepers
Banned
I really like this idea of directing the $Millions that the city will get from the developer directly to the restoration of Heritage facades instead of parks, art work , or day-care that are usually the recipients of this money.
For example the city could direct the funds towards restoring the block of five heritage buildings that sit directly north of this site. By restoration I don't just mean a new coat of paint and signage but a complete restoration along the lines of the restoration of the Heritage block that sits directly south of the Summerhill LCBO.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Me, I like walking in the sun in the summer, and if I don't then I can choose the other side of the street to walk in the shade, everyone has that choice if they don't like sun but not when areas are shaded on both sides. South of Gerrard off Yonge Street people mostly live in mid-rises and high-rises, north of Carlton/College there are hundreds of homes along with a half dozen mid-rise & high-rise apartment buildings & condos behind the shops on Yonge Street, that's part of why I think Yonge Street should be tamed from College to Charles St. The neighbourhoods north of College are also short on green space, highrises shadowing half of the parks in the area isn't very desirable either. My other arguments against highrises through this area on Yonge is that it simply isn't very conducive to an enjoyable walking experience, the unique shops of the area will disappear as rents skyrocket plus it doesn't encourage the 19th & early 20th century building owners (of what's left) to maintain their properties if owners hope to sell for huge money to build more damn condos.
As always, just my 2¢!
Edward
Senior Member
The building at the north east corner of Yonge and Carlton has above ground parking. Its barely noticeable and certainly has not destroyed Yonge in any way.
Xray_Crystal_Junkie
Senior Member
It sounds great but at the end of the day you're dealing with private ownership of those structures which would make things very complicated. How do you decide who gets all that free money to restore their heritage designated building? I suppose you could use the money in an incentive program but then you can't dictate location and would probably wouldn't get the full restoration of Yonge that you desire. I also think it would have the unintended consequence of encouraging decay and neglect as owners would just do nothing with the expectation that at some point in time someone else will pay for it.
I wouldn't go so far as to say it's barely noticeable but you're right in that it hasn't "destroyed" that section of Yonge. I do however think it keeps it from reaching its full potential.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
It's a fine above ground parking structure but it's not particularly pleasant to walk by. 501 will be twice the length of that parking structure and well over double the height, now try to get a visual on that.
someMidTowner
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Despite it's potential negative effects, you cant deny that the added density of the towers above combined with the retail in the base will actually make this block busier, aesthetic aside.
greenleaf
Senior Member
Sure, but busier to what end? There are already around 8,000-10,000 units being dropped in a 6-8 block radius here.
The neighbourhood is being punished with larger than necessary towers and podium because Lanterra overpaid for the property and "needs" to build this big to make money.
The city and developer are thankfully reducing the number of parking spaces and I truly hope Clewes can put some damn fine lipstick on the pig that is above ground parking.
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someMidTowner
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not debating the merits or problems of the added density, just trying to say that 501 Yonge wouldnt be "killing street life" on said block if it is adding a few thousand people and retail to a less than perfect block of Yonge. Once again I have not seen a render, just an elevation sketch, so i am neither for nor against this development....yet.
arvelomcquaig
Active Member
Your point that I agree with most is the last, that the proliferation of big new buildings like this will render the retail spaces inaccessible to more interesting, locally-owned businesses. The way I see it, I think it's more important that the most central street in the city has a built form that takes full advantage of the vertical space, and the accessibility of the place – not to mention is highly architecturally interesting – than to prevent the retail spaces becoming inaccessible. Further, I think that such new retail areas would gradually become more accessible as time went on. Basically it seems that if we were to prevent development that increases the costs of an area, we could never build anything new because that seems a necessary effect of development. And so much of the built form of Toronto – even in the core of cores, like the spot spoken of here – is incredibly wasteful and mediocre and needs to be updated as the city grows.