RBC Centre and Ritz Carlton Under Construction

[caltrane74]

http://www.thestar.com/images/thestar/img/050927_office_towers_200.jpg


Ritz Carlton Residences and Hotel
Heights Value Source / Comments
Spire 208.4 m Ontario Municipal Board
Roof 188.4 m Ontario Municipal Board

RBC Centre - Dexia

Heights Value Source / Comments
Roof 185.9 m Cadillac Fairview





Looks like the parking lot is closed as of August 1, 2006.

looks like some issues with the hieight? is it the 43 story tower we are expecting..or has it been revised down to 41 or revised up to 51 stories.

only time will tell. - but nonetheless it starts in less than a week.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

What issues? Also I'm sure since sales have been going so well for the Ritz, it will be rising at the same time. Now that's a building that will become a new icon in our skyline.

[caltrane74]

There was an amendment made to the size of the building on July 12th.

Looks like the size is increasing. But I dont know if it means the building will be taller or shorter. Some over at UT are suggesting it might be an increase in the size of the podium and a decrease in the size of the tower.

podium 10 stories and office tower 41 = 51 story building.

I wait for confirmation of these details.

[OrientExpress]

Hope they don't do anything to drastic to it tho.

[icescraper]

Wouldn't hurt if it had a little more height to create a rising skyline towards downtown. I'm very excited about this development coupled with the Ritz. - ice

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

I'm hoping that any change will be just to make it look better. If they increase the height it will make the Ritz look more like its twin. Let’s leave the twin tower lover affair to those in Calgary. Remember the Ritz and Shangri-La are both going to give more of a rise to the skyline west of the core. 2 More surface lots bite the dust, another great day for density in Toronto.

[tristp]

damn parking's gunna be a bitch

[OrientExpress]

Ride a scooter, park anywhere you please.

[OrientExpress]

Anyone know if scooters need to be insured or can you just ride them on the sidewalks like bikes.

[CMD UW]

/\ I believe scooters have to be licensed, so that would mean you would have to show proof of insurance. Insurance on motorcyles and mopeds is cheap anyways.

[WhipperSnapper]

"Anyone know if scooters need to be insured or can you just ride them on the sidewalks like bikes."

rather hilarious - but scooters (as in a vespa and not a motorized wheelchair) are not only illegal on the sidewalk but the road as well (this may recently changed though)

[caltrane74]

Can someone edit the title of this thread. Looks like RBC Centre and the Ritz Carlton Hotel will be both starting construction this week.

[caltrane74]

It hast begun. -

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

My friend works at CBC, he said that a bunch of construction trucks are on site, this is going to make a huge impact on our skyline from the North, West, and South. The Ritz is going to be one of my favorite towers out there when done. I'll start saving now so I can spend a night there.

[caltrane74]

Mine too. - But I'm saving for the Four Seasons.

[Tony]

Can someone edit the title of this thread. Looks like RBC Centre and the Ritz Carlton Hotel will be both starting construction this week.

what exactly do you want it to say?

[caltrane74]

"RBC Centre and Ritz Carlton Under Construction"

Short and sweet.


Thank you!!

[caltrane74]

http://www.upside-down.ca/sdphotos/ritz.jpg

new renders... or at least renders never seen by us before.

Nice to know this baby is under construction as we speak.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Where did you find these? Nice!

[caltrane74]

3d at UT found it at the Page and Steele Website. I think....

[zerokarma]

Good to see these projects are under way.

[habsfan]

http://www.upside-down.ca/sdphotos/ritz.jpg




Now that's what I call a beautiful tower!:cheers:

[samne]

nice work Cal. What a beautiful design.

Im with you as I dont know if Im saving for a room here or the Four Seasons.

[architect1]

Now thats what i call architecture. Vary impressive. what an amazing building.

[caltrane74]

http://img319.imageshack.us/img319/5075/aug0206cadillacfairviewal8.jpg


Its beginning baby. _ everything set up and ready to go.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Soon that will be a big hole! Can't wait for all these new towers to rise. Did you take that picture today?

[caltrane74]

No taller, better took it at ssc.
looks like its at least a week and a half old though maybe more.


This is from the Ritz Carlton Website:

http://img446.imageshack.us/img446/4348/sdsoh3.png

[Calgarian]

That is a damn nice tower! TO is kicking ass! In 5 years you will have a better skyline than every city in the US. Except New York of course

[bhbhbh]

and chicago

[Calgarian]

and chicago

Are there any plans for a 400m tower in TO, otherwise you are right. I cant beleive i forgot about Chi town:shrug:

TO has some impressive towers in the works (see above:tup: ) but you need a signature tower (CN tower doesn't count)

[bhbhbh]

yes it does, the cn tower is the pinnacle and centre peice of toronto. a symbol that is recognized around the world, like the empire state building or paris's ifle tower. most cities dont even have a centre peice like the cn tower.

[bhbhbh]

although a actural building that is unique is new city hall

[Calgarian]

yes it does, the cn tower is the pinnacle and centre peice of toronto. a symbol that is recognized around the world, like the empire state building or paris's ifle tower. most cities dont even have a centre peice like the cn tower.

This is absolutely true! however I think Toronto needs a building (not an observation tower) as its signature tower. A signature tower is a symbol of a cities economic prowess. it is a functional monument to show the rest of the world how powerful your economy is. An observation tower (especially the tallest free standing structure in the world) while being a good symbol, doesn't make it look like your economy is one of the strongest in the world IMO.

[bhbhbh]

touchez

[bhbhbh]

but you must remember, few cities in the world have such a building. i would say that NY has the empire state building, chicago has the sears tower. and im sure there are some huge ass towers in asia. the other thing is that a building that is taller then the CN tower would look rediculous. we should acturally put in hight restrictions so no tower is taller then a height somewere between the observation tower and the skypod

[Calgarian]

I'm not saying taller than the CN tower, just taller (and much nicer) than the rest of the office buildings. The CN tower is Toronto, but IMO, most of the big bank buildings are boring. Look at all of the super tall proposals in the works right now, While TO has some great looking buildings in the works (i.e this thread), it needs a building than can compare to what is happening in the rest of the world. I mean Moscow. where the hell does the money to build a supertall come from in Moscow? Toronto has a way stronger economy than moscow does. you need a building that has a roof that is about level with the observation deck.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

I agree Toronto could use a few more signature towers to surpass the height of BMO, but those will come in time. As for Toronto’s economy being stronger then that of Moscow on a whole it may be true, but Moscow is a much larger city with far more money to draw upon. I will be happy if we continue to go the way we are with quality towers that emphasis street presence while densifying the downtown core. An impressive skyline might look good from afar but what really counts is what’s going on street level.

[caltrane74]

a good whack of 200 meter towers is better than one 350-400m tower. IMO

at least for now.

[ungodlycrosscheck]

but IMO, most of the big bank buildings are boring

I guess not everyone is a fan of Mies van der Rohe.

[bhbhbh]

the reason toronto does not have extremely tall towers already is because the ontario government formulated a strategy to create employment around the GTA instead of concentrating it all downtown. that way gridlock is reduced. EX. Vaughan has more people working in it then living in it.

[caltrane74]

More examples of decentralized working:

Don Mills and Eglinton
Yonge and Eglinton
Consumers Rd
MCC
NYCC
Beaver Creek/West Beaver Creek in Markham
East Mall /West Mall

and thats off the top of my head.

Man if Calgary had to deal with this, it would be as flat as a pararire waste land.

[Calgarian]

I guess not everyone is a fan of Mies van der Rohe.

Mies Van der Rohe's building were famous because of their simplicity. I believe most shyscrapers were gothic ornamented building with gargoyles. So when Mies proposed that a building could be simple it was a revolutionary idea. TD is probably made with high quality materials, and it has a dramatic effect on your skyline, but come on it is a big black box!

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

I'd rather take a simple black box then a plethora of half assed 1990 designs by hack architects. I'm really glad that the Toronto style for the most part has retained this conservative and smart look as opposed to the vertical business parks being proposed in other cities. mies van der rohe is best known today as the leading and most influential exponent of the refined glass-and-steel architecture of the mid-20th-century. I for one am proud to have his work in our city, an important tribute to the modern day skyscraper.

[WZ1]

I agree 100% Whistler!

[WhipperSnapper]

I definitely wouldn't like to see the current skyline's shape disrupted with a 400m jutting out of its middle

[bhbhbh]

i would prefer to have all the boxy ugly 60's/70's buildings torn down and replaced with today's much more modern archetecture. especially the buildings that border the DVP

[TOBoy]

Something about Commerce Court West when you walk up Bay street, just seems to make it seems so sleek and powerful. Scotia is just amazing to see in real life and not just pictures. I hate boxes if they are clumsy looking concrete shells, but with the proper quality materials they can be really cool to see. Not to mention some of the tacky postmodern buildings going up in Asia and Australia will look dated far quicker and look like ass in the sky.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

i would prefer to have all the boxy ugly 60's/70's buildings torn down and replaced with today's much more modern archetecture. especially the buildings that border the DVP

They're part of our history, and as more and more glass towers rise the number of "ugly 60's/70's buildings" will seem few and far between. The only buildings from the 60's and 70's I would gladly see go are the old apartment blocks. I'm sure that day will come.

[caltrane74]

RBC Centre / Ritz - Update August 16, 2006

Hoarding is going up.

Parking lot is getting torn up.

[CMD UW]

I guess not everyone is a fan of Mies van der Rohe.
Mies is one of my favorite architects......"Less is more.", a motto I truly believe in.

[icescraper]

Those blocky 60s and 70s towers were planned to be a greater collective entity than their limited individualistic selves. I remember when commerce court when up beside the toronto dominion center. Man it was grand black verses white(ish). What a contrast. Royal Bank backed away from an early 76 storey idea and ended up with the golden split towers. Still one of my favourite sites. Scotia's red/brown tower in the eighties trumped all before and for than matter after. - ice

[icescraper]

As for density downtown we've been through that before. There are only so many businesses who require a downtown address. Its cheaper for most to do business elsewhere in the city. Honestly though I haven't seen so much devleopment in the city since the early 70s. How can anyone complain? - ice

[icescraper]

a good whack of 200 meter towers is better than one 350-400m tower. IMO

at least for now.
I'd have to agree. I don't believe we will see a building significantly taller than BMO for decades unless its built not on ecomonic principles. Land and demand in downtown Toronto is expensive/high but not at the levels to justify such tall buildings. Once a concrete framed building gets over 50 floors the size and proximity of the columns on the bottom floors gets very conjested. The first few floor plans at the base of the scotia tower were very bunkerish. Heck you never know, Harry S. made oneday get his act together but I wouldn't hold your breath. I'm just happy Ritz is under construction. This building rocks!- ice

[caltrane74]

The shoring equipment is on site at the RBC Centre construction site. Boy its moving fast.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Great to hear it's moving along so quick, I'm going to try and get some pictures this week of the projects in the core.

[LordMandeep]

i saw them working from the Cn tower 2 weeks ago.

[tradlak]

Luv that ever so slightly canted side elevation - what a relief from all the rectilinear boxes going up.

[caltrane74]

OMG this thread's title will finally make sense.

Ritz is 65% sold and "official" construction starts in December.

Harrah!!!

[LordMandeep]

we all thought it started construction in september because the buildings beside it started construction. It is very close to it as i haven't seen ad for this in a long time. It will well loved when built.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

With this building getting closer to a sellout it'll make way for Shangri-La to start sales. The Ritz, what an awesome Christmas gift for T.O.

[LordMandeep]

Don't forget Maple Leaf Square. Its impact will be massive from the lake...

Also don't forget the Four Seasons...

[WhipperSnapper]

"we all thought it started construction in september because the buildings beside it started construction."

not all

[icescraper]

Ahh that majic 65% sold. This building will spread the core and bring some class to the west downtown end. - Ice

[icescraper]

Ahh that magic 65% sold. This building will spread the core and bring some class to the west downtown end. - Ice

[icescraper]

Ahh that magic 65% sold. This building will spread the core and bring some class to the west downtown end. I can't believe construction started on pinacle 3 at 50 floors without serious sales. That's a first in Canada for such a large building. Talk about confidence in the market!- Ice

[LordMandeep]

yes that is beyond reality....


Its in a good location right near downtown....if it does not sell they will just slow construction down...

[Taller Better]

Now, if only Trump will announce a start date!!

[caltrane74]

Ahh that magic 65% sold. This building will spread the core and bring some class to the west downtown end. I can't believe construction started on pinacle 3 at 50 floors without serious sales. That's a first in Canada for such a large building. Talk about confidence in the market!- Ice

Likely the reason they named the building Success.

All those Chinese ex-pats will buy this thing up in no time. Dont worry about no sales yet. Look at Cityplace. They might as well call Pinnicle Centre- Cityplace 2.

[caltrane74]

we all thought it started construction in september because the buildings beside it started construction. It is very close to it as i haven't seen ad for this in a long time. It will well loved when built.


I always figured, I just doesnt make sense for the developer of 2 buildings side by side to stagger the construction. If you turning the earth there, why not turn it over here too. The buildings will likely have some shared facilitys on the ground and below ground why "fudge" around on the base(podium-loading-entry points) and sub base ( parking). Not to mention the old economics addage of scales of efficency. If you have men and equipment on the site of one project why have them not operating at full capicty on the 2 sites which are both being developed by your company (i.e Cadillac Fairview).

[WhipperSnapper]

it's not that simple or Monarch would be building its Battery Park project which shares a common underground parkade all at once (and that's just one example)


because of the RBC development blocking access to Simcoe Place's docking, I think we will see the RBC Tower at least 15 storey above ground before excavation begins on parkade below the RBC podium

[Taller Better]

Why the name Battery Park? Just ripping it off other Battery Parks or is there an historical connotation?

[WhipperSnapper]

I can imagine it having some historical conotation


the two cities do share similar british roots (eventhough the dutch founded it)

you should participate in the city photo section

[icescraper]

Ritz... Ritz... Ritz... Man if I was five years older I'd buy there. Can't shake the house just yet. Still like my space. - Ice

[Taller Better]

I can imagine it having some historical conotation


the two cities do share similar british roots (eventhough the dutch founded it)

you should participate in the city photo section

I've just never heard of Battery Park outside of NYC.
I will participate in the photo section! I'm just feeling my way out around
here but will start a picture thread soon! :cheers:

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Why the name Battery Park? Just ripping it off other Battery Parks or is there an historical connotation?

Well it's located next to Fort York so I would assume it got it's name from there. I'm sure many cities in North America on the East have a Battery Park of some sort.

[Taller Better]

^^^Uhmm.... I suppose, but the connection is exceedingly weak. It is just that condo developments have a way of ripping off buzzwords or neighbourhood names from other cities that make me cringe. Good example, "SoHo" hotel. Great hotel, cringe-worthy name. "Murano" is another. Ours is not the only "Murano" condo going up in the world right now. Why didn't they call the development "Fort York", or "Old York"? The answer is, Battery Park carries a connotation of NYC with it and therefore "cooler" than something that is part of our history. Rubs me the wrong way to ape something from another city.

[WhipperSnapper]

city documents were refering to the area as a 'district' similar sounding to battery park but can't remember exactly what it was



I'd say its alot harder to successfully transplant a specific name such as 'Fort York' or 'Ole York' (which are both to the east by varying distances) from within the city than an outside source which most people are unlikely to know anything about except in name


I thought I remember passing a battery park in London but, I must be mistaken as google most definitely is not

[Taller Better]

It is just a bug-bear of mine. There was a block of flats built in an English city like Leeds, or somewhere... and given an exotic name like Malibu or California and it struck me as being ludicrous. Fort York may be down the road a bit from this development, but the real Battery Park is even further down the road! :) I like to see local colour and history used more than importing someone else's.... Tribeca is a cool nickname for a 'hood in NYC, but inevitably it will be the name of condo's all over the world.

[TheSkyIsTheBeginning]

I like it; the whole facade, especially in the base's front, is very contemporary and still very classy-looking. But where exactly is the building going to be?

[caltrane74]

The hole for RBC is already 25 feet deep. Dig baby dig.

[Jackhammer]

Taller,

I couldn't agree with you more, except that Fort York itself is an example of ripping off a name in that York or the "Town of York" is a result of our British ancestors not having a creative bone in their bodies. Thankfully we ditched that for Toronto.

However, it just goes to show, people have a history of transplanting names. Look at any map of Ontario, you can basically tell where immigrants from various countries settled by the names of the towns in certain areas (London, Paris, Windsor, Hanover), the province is littered with rip offs. I would prefer to see more Indian names or even just throw some consonants and vowels together and create something new.

[Taller Better]

^ ^ Doesn't bother me at all that placenames in Canada are named after towns in England and France. The British part of our history is a pretty big part of our heritage, although a lot of people seem to be quite negative about it for some reason. The settlers risked their lives travelling over here, and setting up a town in the wilderness. We actually owe them a bit of respect instead of dismissing them as not having a creative bone in their body and being rip off artists. I can think of no other city in the new world where people have so little respect for their founding citizens than Toronto.. it is as if people are ashamed of our history. That saddens me.
Later they reverted to the original Iroquois name, Toronto, and I think most of us are happy with that.

[SD]

^ ^ Doesn't bother me at all that placenames in Canada are named after towns in England and France. The British part of our history is a pretty big part of our heritage, although a lot of people seem to be quite negative about it for some reason. The settlers risked their lives travelling over here, and setting up a town in the wilderness. We actually owe them a bit of respect instead of dismissing them as not having a creative bone in their body and being rip off artists. I can think of no other city in the new world where people have so little respect for their founding citizens than Toronto.. it is as if people are ashamed of our history. That saddens me.
Later they reverted to the original Iroquois name, Toronto, and I think most of us are happy with that.

Well, it's not nearly as romantic as you make it out to be. Yes, they came across the sea, but essentially destroyed an established civilization, subjugated it's people and perpetuated many offensive acts. They also did worse in Asia.

So, while it's quite easy to romanticize their history, a realistic view of it doesn't exactly paint them in the best light.

As for Toronto, you have a lot of immigrants, many of whom have a negative history with the British. While I don't think people are ashamed of Toronto's history by any stretch, I think people are far less than willing to give them a free pass when it comes to historical matters as time goes by.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

This has gone way off topic; we should just start a new thread for buildings names we don’t like. Lets try and get this back to the issue of a new office tower and the new Ritz condo hotel. Let's get back to how this area is going to vastly change with 2 new 600+ footers u/c.

http://static.flickr.com/34/66583935_b197d7e91b_b.jpg

[Taller Better]

Well, it's not nearly as romantic as you make it out to be. Yes, they came across the sea, but essentially destroyed an established civilization, subjugated it's people and perpetuated many offensive acts. They also did worse in Asia.

So, while it's quite easy to romanticize their history, a realistic view of it doesn't exactly paint them in the best light.

As for Toronto, you have a lot of immigrants, many of whom have a negative history with the British. While I don't think people are ashamed of Toronto's history by any stretch, I think people are far less than willing to give them a free pass when it comes to historical matters as time goes by.


Ok, I don't really see what any of this has to do with the Ritz and RBC, but as horrible as it was that the aboriginal populations around the world were even in some cases destroyed by European colonization, I don't see that as any reason to be dismissive and ashamed toward the settlers who started the town of York. I cannot think of any other city in North America where people are so negative about the European settlers who founded the city as so many people here seem to be. And the irony is, the settlers like Simcoe who landed here in 1793 actually cooperated and worked more with the natives than was done in other cities like Quebec City and Montreal. Hence there were no great bloodshedding massacres on Toronto Bay that I am aware of.
Sadly I see the shame of our history here to be indicative of an all too popular feelings of inferiority that a lot of people in Toronto have. Even our history is all bad, apparently.
"As for Toronto, you have a lot of immigrants, many of whom have a negative history with the British".
Oh dear.... I see... people who move here might have a negative history with the British. Best we rewrite our history so as not to offend anyone, then. I do wonder why anyone who bears a strong grudge against the British would choose to immigrate to an ex British colony if it is going to be a problem for them to read about its history. But, I guess I'm just not into wallowing in shame over what happened hundreds of years ago.
In any case this is getting way off topic for the thread.

[shappy]

good post TB, I echo your sentiments.

[caltrane74]

2 of my skyscraperpage idols are fighting. hmmm..

[Taller Better]

2 of my skyscraperpage idols are fighting. hmmm..

Fighting? This is nothing compared to the good old days of City vs City scraps on SSC.. now THAT was down and dirty! :hell:
Hopefully soon this will get back to RBC Centre and the Ritz, which is frankly more interesting! ;)

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

My money's on SD ;)

[Taller Better]

My money's on SD ;)

You are probably right, Whistler. If I were a betting man, I would not bet that anything I ever say will change a thing about the generally negative attitude and shame that most people in Toronto seem to share about this city's history. Frankly I think it was a bit of a waste of my time to even get involved in the discussion.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

I was kidding, just trying to start an argument within an argument.

[Jackhammer]

^ ^ Doesn't bother me at all that placenames in Canada are named after towns in England and France. The British part of our history is a pretty big part of our heritage, although a lot of people seem to be quite negative about it for some reason. The settlers risked their lives travelling over here, and setting up a town in the wilderness. We actually owe them a bit of respect instead of dismissing them as not having a creative bone in their body and being rip off artists. I can think of no other city in the new world where people have so little respect for their founding citizens than Toronto.. it is as if people are ashamed of our history. That saddens me.
Later they reverted to the original Iroquois name, Toronto, and I think most of us are happy with that.
I think you're reading a little too deep into my comments. I have the utmost respect for the pioneers of our country and have no negative feelings toward our British part of our history. The important figures of the time should be honoured with statues and their acheivments celebrated.

My point is what is so different about naming a building or a neighbourhood after another place than to name a town or a city. Perhaps the people who name these buildings have a history with the place they are incorporating into the structure. Is that really any different than an pioneer who wants to honour their heritage.

Perhaps it was harsh of me to say they did not have a creative bone in their bodies. Regardless, I still feel If you're going to boldly go where no one has gone before then forge your own identity or at least respect the identity that already existed.

Regarding the negative attitude toward our history, I have not experienced this phenomenom. Do you have any examples? I'm quite curious about the experiences you have had that has lead you to this conclusion. As far as I know the city has a lot of heritage sites that reflect our past ie (Fort York, Blackcreek Pioneer Village, Montgomery's Inn, The Bradley House). Hell, we even have a Lord Simcoe Day and I have yet to see an effigy of him burned during this holiday.

[Taller Better]

Aside from the occasional flare up on SSC or SSP of people dissing the settlers of Canada or Toronto, I have found in my 21 years of living here that not only do people know next to nothing about the history of this city, they truly do not want to know. How many average citizens actually know why we have a holiday every year called Simcoe Day? How many know who he was, what he did and when he did it. How many couldn't care less? Did anyone celebrate the 200th anniversary of the settlement of Toronto by Europeans, in 1993? Of course not. Will there be a celebration in 2043 for the 300th anniversary of the building of Fort Rouille? Highly unlikely. Did Montreal make a crapload of money about ten years ago celebrating (and I mean celebrating) one of their anniversaries? Absolutely. They filled that city with tourists for an entire year with an extremely clever advertising campaign, and mass produced t shirts with a highly attractive logo. Know why? Because they genuinely value and respect their past far more than the citizens of this city. Same with many of the other great cities on this continent.. New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, and even Halifax. Perhaps I feel a bit strongly about the subject, as some of my family were fairly early settlers, moving here in desperation during the potato famines in Ireland in the mid 1800's. After trecherous boat rides over, if they were lucky enough not to die of the diseases onboard, they arrived in places like Guelph, and then eventually made their way out West to try and find some land and a way to feed the mouths of the family. They had absolutely nothing when then came here, otherwise they would have stayed at home. Life in the colonies was extremely harsh and difficult. The first settlers who arrived in 1793 had to live about a year and a half in tents before a few cabins were completed. It takes that long to make a cabin, for you have to leave it quite a while to "settle" before you chink it. And I think it is safe to say winters were somewhat colder around 1800 than they are today. There was no welfare or government assistance or medicare programmes for these people, and any food they ate they had to catch. No electricity, no fridge full of food, "no nothing". When my family arrived, they were not exactly treated as royalty, being Irish. I suppose it is difficult to imagine that people experienced discrimination all the way back then, but they did. The world was like that, everywhere. If you died and you did not belong to the correct religion, it could be very difficult to even be buried in a cemetary. It was probably not much easier for the Scottish half of my family who arrived around the same time, for much of the same desperate reasons. Even my parents during the 50's had to struggle hard to raise a family.. my dad worked 7 days a week, 365 days a year and they did not take a weekend off for 24 years. And, believe it or not they didn't whine and complain about it either and tell everyone how hard done by they were. It was just the way life was, and it was hard for everyone in the small community. So, perhaps I have a special interest in standing up to people who feel we have no history, or that the history we have is boring because of the nature of the people who settled this country. Had all those settlers stayed home, there would be no city today like the one we build this forum around. But luckily they came, sacrificed a great deal and worked their butts off so that we can enjoy a fairly cushy existence today. Yes I am proud of the people who settled this land. No, I wish they had not treated the natives the way they did when they arrived here in the 1500's/1600's and even 1700's mostly in order to send back goods and money to France and Britain (and mostly because of the fur trade by two European companies operating in Canada, The Northwest and the Hudson Bay Company) , but it happened. I like to try and remember that they did an awful lot of good things, too. I like to try and remember things like the Underground Railway, whereby American slaves were smuggled into a Free Canada to end their slavery. I don't even hold it against them that they named some of the settlements that they cleared of trees, after their homes and families in Great Britain and France that they missed very much. Maybe they just weren't feeling all that "creative"! ;) The vast majority of places they settled had no names.. the natives of these parts of Canada were nomadic, and did not build permanent settlements. Sometimes, if there were native names of the area, or of tribes, like Toronto, Mississauga or Winnipeg, then they were used. There are a surprising number of native placenames across our country. Sometimes they just "made up" new names that seemed to suit the landscape:"Port Hope", etc.
Ok, seriously I have gone on too long about it. Sorry. Back to RBC and The Ritz.

[Taller Better]

Posted by Caltrane74 yesterday, over on SSC:

Attention News Directors/City/Assignment/Real Estate Editors:

J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr. and Partners Break Ground for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, Toronto
TORONTO, Nov. 30 /CNW/ - A ground-breaking ceremony today heralded the
beginning of construction of the 53-storey Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences,
Toronto, with completion scheduled for 2009.
Groundbreakers included J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO of
Marriott International; Ron Harrison, President, Marriott Lodging of Canada;
Peter Sharpe, President and CEO, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited;
Garnet Watchorn, President of Graywood Developments Ltd. and Michael Beckley,
Senior Vice President of Development for Marriott International Inc., owner of
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
Destined to be a Toronto landmark with its striking, modern architecture,
the 700,000 sq. ft. Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, Toronto was
jointly-designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) Associates Architects and Planners
of New York and Toronto-based Page & Steele Architects. The $350-million
development is located on the south side of Wellington Street, between Simcoe
and John Streets.
"Marriott and Toronto are perfect partners, and now is the perfect time
to build on that partnership with this new full service, five-star
Ritz-Carlton," said Mr. Marriott. "The demand for luxury hotel accommodations
is tremendous right now and is especially strong in cosmopolitan areas,
financial centres and gateway cities like Toronto."
"We anticipate this is the first of several Ritz-Carlton combined hotel
and condominium residences planned for Canada," said Michael Beckley,
Vice-President of Development for Marriott International Inc., the parent
company of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. "The concept of situating
residences above a five-star hotel has proven successful for Ritz-Carlton
internationally."
"The response to this development speaks for itself. We instituted an
aggressive sales program for the Residences and already approximately
two-thirds of the 153 suites have sold to local and international purchasers,"
added Garnet Watchorn, President of Graywood Developments Ltd. "We know this
building and RBC Centre which Cadillac Fairview is developing next door, will
dramatically alter Toronto's cityscape."
For the interiors at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, Toronto, the
international design team includes HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates Design
Consultants of Atlanta and Babey Moulton Jue & Booth of San Francisco. For RBC
Centre, KPF has teamed with Toronto's Bregman + Hamann Architects.
The slim and elegant tower with its striking design - above the 26th
floor, the building grows wider as it rises - will have 267 five-star hotel
rooms on storeys six to 20. Storeys 22 to 53 will contain 153 luxury
condominium residences and a five-storey podium will contain conference and
meeting facilities, fine-dining restaurants and a 2,000-square-metre,
full-service spa.
Already under construction to the east of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and
Residences, Toronto is RBC Centre, a 42-storey, Class AAA office tower with
1.2 million sq. ft. of commercial space with an estimated construction value
of $400 million. RBC Centre complements the existing Simcoe Place at the
northwest corner of Simcoe and Front Streets.
"Both RBC Centre and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences are important
additions to Cadillac Fairview's portfolio. With construction underway, RBC
Financial Group and RBC Dexia Investor Services will occupy approximately
500,000 sq. ft. We anticipate the tower will be ready for occupancy around
mid-2009," said Peter Sharpe.

ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY L.L.C.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., (USA)
operates 63 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
It is the only service company to have twice earned the Malcolm Baldridge
National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service. Since
2001, The Ritz-Carlton has successfully opened 23 hotel and resort properties,
an expansion program driven by the company's philosophy of gradually evolving
to accommodate the changing needs of a clientele seeking more contemporary
design standards and a less formal, more relaxed atmosphere of elegance.

ABOUT GRAYWOOD DEVELOPMENTS LTD.

Graywood Developments Ltd. has completed major residential, commercial,
office and hotel projects in both Canada and the United States. In the Greater
Toronto Area, the company's condominium developments include Number One York
Quay, Landmark of Thornhill and 370 King West.

ABOUT THE CADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORPORATION LIMITED

The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited is one of North America's
largest investors, owners and managers of commercial real estate. For over 50
years Cadillac Fairview has been leading the way in commercial real estate
with innovative design, development and management. Cadillac Fairview focuses
on high quality office properties and regional shopping centres in Canada and
the United States and also oversees equity investments in real estate
companies and international investment funds. With a portfolio valued at
approximately $13.5 billion (and more than 47 million square feet of leasable
space), Cadillac Fairview and its affiliates own and manage 83 properties,
including some of Canada's landmark developments such as Toronto-Dominion
Centre, the Toronto Eaton Centre, Sherway Gardens, Carrefour Laval, Chinook
Centre and Pacific Centre. Cadillac Fairview is wholly-owned by the Ontario
Teachers' Pension Plan, which invests to secure the retirement income of
300,000 active and retired teachers in Ontario.

[Taller Better]

This was posted by Caltrane74 over in SSC!

Attention News Directors/City/Assignment/Real Estate Editors:

J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr. and Partners Break Ground for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, Toronto
TORONTO, Nov. 30 /CNW/ - A ground-breaking ceremony today heralded the
beginning of construction of the 53-storey Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences,
Toronto, with completion scheduled for 2009.
Groundbreakers included J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO of
Marriott International; Ron Harrison, President, Marriott Lodging of Canada;
Peter Sharpe, President and CEO, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited;
Garnet Watchorn, President of Graywood Developments Ltd. and Michael Beckley,
Senior Vice President of Development for Marriott International Inc., owner of
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.
Destined to be a Toronto landmark with its striking, modern architecture,
the 700,000 sq. ft. Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, Toronto was
jointly-designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) Associates Architects and Planners
of New York and Toronto-based Page & Steele Architects. The $350-million
development is located on the south side of Wellington Street, between Simcoe
and John Streets.
"Marriott and Toronto are perfect partners, and now is the perfect time
to build on that partnership with this new full service, five-star
Ritz-Carlton," said Mr. Marriott. "The demand for luxury hotel accommodations
is tremendous right now and is especially strong in cosmopolitan areas,
financial centres and gateway cities like Toronto."
"We anticipate this is the first of several Ritz-Carlton combined hotel
and condominium residences planned for Canada," said Michael Beckley,
Vice-President of Development for Marriott International Inc., the parent
company of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. "The concept of situating
residences above a five-star hotel has proven successful for Ritz-Carlton
internationally."
"The response to this development speaks for itself. We instituted an
aggressive sales program for the Residences and already approximately
two-thirds of the 153 suites have sold to local and international purchasers,"
added Garnet Watchorn, President of Graywood Developments Ltd. "We know this
building and RBC Centre which Cadillac Fairview is developing next door, will
dramatically alter Toronto's cityscape."
For the interiors at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences, Toronto, the
international design team includes HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates Design
Consultants of Atlanta and Babey Moulton Jue & Booth of San Francisco. For RBC
Centre, KPF has teamed with Toronto's Bregman + Hamann Architects.
The slim and elegant tower with its striking design - above the 26th
floor, the building grows wider as it rises - will have 267 five-star hotel
rooms on storeys six to 20. Storeys 22 to 53 will contain 153 luxury
condominium residences and a five-storey podium will contain conference and
meeting facilities, fine-dining restaurants and a 2,000-square-metre,
full-service spa.
Already under construction to the east of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and
Residences, Toronto is RBC Centre, a 42-storey, Class AAA office tower with
1.2 million sq. ft. of commercial space with an estimated construction value
of $400 million. RBC Centre complements the existing Simcoe Place at the
northwest corner of Simcoe and Front Streets.
"Both RBC Centre and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences are important
additions to Cadillac Fairview's portfolio. With construction underway, RBC
Financial Group and RBC Dexia Investor Services will occupy approximately
500,000 sq. ft. We anticipate the tower will be ready for occupancy around
mid-2009," said Peter Sharpe.

ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY L.L.C.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., (USA)
operates 63 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
It is the only service company to have twice earned the Malcolm Baldridge
National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service. Since
2001, The Ritz-Carlton has successfully opened 23 hotel and resort properties,
an expansion program driven by the company's philosophy of gradually evolving
to accommodate the changing needs of a clientele seeking more contemporary
design standards and a less formal, more relaxed atmosphere of elegance.

ABOUT GRAYWOOD DEVELOPMENTS LTD.

Graywood Developments Ltd. has completed major residential, commercial,
office and hotel projects in both Canada and the United States. In the Greater
Toronto Area, the company's condominium developments include Number One York
Quay, Landmark of Thornhill and 370 King West.

ABOUT THE CADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORPORATION LIMITED

The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited is one of North America's
largest investors, owners and managers of commercial real estate. For over 50
years Cadillac Fairview has been leading the way in commercial real estate
with innovative design, development and management. Cadillac Fairview focuses
on high quality office properties and regional shopping centres in Canada and
the United States and also oversees equity investments in real estate
companies and international investment funds. With a portfolio valued at
approximately $13.5 billion (and more than 47 million square feet of leasable
space), Cadillac Fairview and its affiliates own and manage 83 properties,
including some of Canada's landmark developments such as Toronto-Dominion
Centre, the Toronto Eaton Centre, Sherway Gardens, Carrefour Laval, Chinook
Centre and Pacific Centre. Cadillac Fairview is wholly-owned by the Ontario
Teachers' Pension Plan, which invests to secure the retirement income of
300,000 active and retired teachers in Ontario.




For further information: Rhoda Eisenstadt, Beth Merrick, David
Eisenstadt, The Communications Group Inc., (416) 696-9900,
reisenstadt@tcgpr.com, bmerrick@tcgpr.com, deisenstadt@tcgpr.com; Vivian
Deuschl, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., (703) 941-6225,
vivian.deuschl@ritzcarlton.com; Catherine Kee, Heath Applebaum, The Cadillac
Fairview Corp. Ltd., (416) 598-8208, (416) 598-8645,
catherine.kee@cadillacfairview.com, heath.applebaum@cadillacfairview

[caltrane74]

Well its "official" . Even though we all knew this thing had been basically under construction for 3 months.

But its all good. At least its going up for sure now.

[caltrane74]

From Dec. 1/2006's edition of Novae Res Urbis:
Ritz-Carlton project breaks ground

And they said it couldn’t be done—that another luxury condominium building in downtown Toronto would be “trumped” by other plans.

With the musical backdrop of “putting on the ritz” blaring, however, there was nothing but smiles during a ground-breaking ceremony yesterday heralding the beginning of construction of the $350-million—up from initial estimates last year of $300-million—53-storey Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences on Wellington Street. Apparently the luxury suites are selling like hotcakes.

Destined to be a Toronto landmark with its striking, modern architecture, the 700,000 sq. ft. building, which is scheduled for completion in 2009 or early 2010, was jointly-designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) Associates Architects and Planners of New York and Toronto-based Page + Steele Architects with principle architect Sol Wassermuhl. Above the 26th floor, the building slopes outward in a unique way to create the largest suites at the top and give the residents a spectacular view of either the water’s edge or the city— or both from the penthouse at the top.

Back in April 2005, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. (of Chevy Chase, Maryland, U.S.), Graywood Developments Ltd. and Cadillac Fairview Corporation announced they would build a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the heart of the theatre district in downtown Toronto. Although the plans were welcomed by Mayor David Miller and tourism and development representatives alike, the mini-boom of luxury hotels and high-rises left some wondering if the downtown condominium market is getting too flush with plush digs.

“We knew there were others like the Trump Tower underway, but we have been so successful because we put together the very best team,” Graywood senior VP Steve Gutfreud told NRU. “We had the power behind us and believed in this project to make it happen.”

“This is going to be huge for Toronto.”

People told Bill Marriott Jr., CEO of Marriott International, the parent company of Ritz-Carlton Hotels, that he was crazy to build within the theatre district, but he believed the location would make them successful.

“The demand for luxury hotel accommodations is tremendous right now and is especially strong in cosmopolitan areas, financial centres and gateway cities like Toronto,” Marriott said.

The construction will include using a deep water cooling system through Enwave Energy Corporation, a feature that will lower energy costs in the building— apparently a particular attraction to offshore purchasers. Strybos Associates of Mississauga will design the landscape that will surround the building.

Economically, the project will create approximately 1,500 construction jobs in the city as well as 500 fulltime jobs thereafter. In addition, the city will reap about $9 million in realty taxes annually. The first task, however, requires tearing down the gorgeous, $3-million presentation centre so construction can begin. Shovels are already in the ground on another portion of the site to build a 1.2-million sq. ft. office
tower just east of the hotel/condo project. The team has struck a deal with RBC Financial Group and RBC Dexia Investor Services to occupy 50 per cent. KPF has teamed up with Bregman + Hamann Architects to design the office tower.

When completed, the hotel-condo building will feature a five star hotel with 267 rooms and 153-condominium residences. In spite of the steep prices ($1.3 million to $13 million), twothirds of the suites have already been sold, with 30 per cent to beyond-thiscontinent buyers. Sources tell NRU that signatures are expected any day now on the deal to sell the nearly 11,000 sq. ft. penthouse. For those with money to burn, however, there is no need to fret—there is still a couple of other, more modest 6,000-sq. ft. suites available.

“We anticipate this is the first of several Ritz-Carlton combined hotel and condominium residences planned for Canada,” said Marriott senior VP of development Michael Beckley.

“The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences in Toronto, is a dynamic part of the city’s evolution,” he said. Beckley’s speaking notes actually read “company’s” evolution, but the faux pas was appreciated.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

“We anticipate this is the first of several Ritz-Carlton combined hotel and condominium residences planned for Canada,” said Marriott senior VP of development Michael Beckley.



Isn't one already u/c in Vancouver? 37 floors of ugly!

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

So who do we need to talk to in order to have the Ritz added to the construction list in the diagarm section?

[WhipperSnapper]

^I'm one

this however was just a ground breaking ceremony and most likely not the actually start of construction (site prep/excavation)


Even though we all knew this thing had been basically under construction for 3 months

kind of hard for it be under construction for the past 3 months with an open sales centre and parking lot on site