London Construction - Development News Thread #1

[MrSlippery519]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

“This is not a firm proposal at all,” warned city planner John Fleming, saying any “real plan” is likely some time in the future."

I think I've seen this show before. "Just approve my proposal for London's newest, tallest signature tower, which I won't be building. And yes, I will need the city's land to build this building, which I won't be building."

How many times do I have to watch this show?

I agree and am a little skeptical as well, however at the same time I do feel this proposal holds a little more weight than past situations.

Also add in I really think Farhi wants to be relevant again, in that I mean there was a time in London when he was more highly regarded. Now with Tricar and other bigger players coming into the core I think he wants to put his mark on something. I am not suggesting this will end up being the tallest in London however that would hardly be a difficult thing to accomplish.

I hope he actually does something for a change...

[K85]

I don't believe a damn word this jackass says... Nothing but lies have come from him as long as I can remember, and some people at the blood donor clinic said something about him stealing his dads money to jump start his own career or something along those lines? I believe that more than what he spews.

[Simpseatles]

This sounds like an interesting proposal, but I really think we should start focusing more on building high quality, lowrise infill downtown. We've built more than enough highrise residential towers in the core over the past few years, but we still have a sea of parking, and broken street walls. Not saying that we should stop building highrises, but I think we need to bridge the gap between the 3-5 story 19th century buildings and the more modern, larger skyscrapers. Anyways, this is just a thought. It's not particularily relevant to this Farhi proposal, but I think we should start thinking about it. Increasing the population downtown doesn't necessarily mean building 15-30 story skyscrapers imo.

[MolsonExport]

Farhi is just whistling dixie to get what he wants: parking lots for his existing downtown projects. If the economy improves, maybe he will build something. Maybe a multistorey parking garage, maybe a condo and parking garage, maybe a mixed tower with parking. Sure as shit on a shingle, he's going to put in parking; anything else is just gravy but we may have to wait many thanksgivings for that turkey to deliver. If the economy doesn't improve, well heck you can't blame it on old Farhi who really did want to build the tower, but so sorry, at least you got the soul-sucking garage.

[haljackey]

Originally Posted by K85

I don't believe a damn word this jackass says..

I want to see more before I can even begin to comment.

[manny_santos]

Farhi is rich enough that he should be a dragon on Dragon's Den. He would be competing with Kevin O'Leary for the most arrogant dragon.

[K85]

If he sold his land he would be. Right now, no.

On top of that, I don't think fucktard is a worthy enough title for him.

[haljackey]

Well the historic house is coming down... It was approved on the basis that Farhi pay 25000 to have it removed and rebuilt somewhere else.

However nothing was finalized about the development project itself... the lot could sit as an empty pit for some time....

[Wharn]

Typical London planning. Approve a removal without first making sure that something will take its place. Also, do you mean $250,000? Because $25,000 sure as hell isn't enough to dismantle a house and rebuild elsewhere.

Onto a less depressing topic, I got a new phone (Samsung Galaxy T989D) and decided to give the camera a spin by providing some construction update photos. Here's the new apartment building going up beside the Westminster Diamond on Richmond Street:


20121022_123816 by Wharn[cliffe], on Flickr

I remember seeing something about this project mentioned in the Gazette way back in 2010, but what the specifics are I'm not sure. From the looks of it we have a small 4-storey lowrise that has gone up rather quickly (in September this was still nothing more than an elevator shaft).


20121022_122600 by Wharn[cliffe], on Flickr

A view from the diamond. There seems to be a fatter core going in beside the existing skeleton, so I assume there will be multiple buildings, either that or the thing I thought to be a separate lowrise is going to form part of a larger structure.


20121022_124534 by Wharn[cliffe], on Flickr

This project on Windermere Road, by contrast, is not moving quickly; this was started sometime in August of last year. It looks like people were hard at work today, digging a trench about 6 feet deep, and putting the finishing touches on a driveway with heavy, municipal-style curbs. This sorta tempts me into hoping that this will be a medium-density development of some sort, but the sign on the property indicates it will just be another McMansion.

[Simpseatles]

^Thanks for the pics, I was not aware of either of those projects.

Couple of my own updates from today.
The Renaissance:



Market Lane Redevelopment:

[Whisper09]

Nice pictures! I sure wouldn't of known about those construction area's unless you posted.

I took this about a month ago, just forgot to upload.

All pictures taken at Fanshawe Park






Aaaaaand what Westmount Mall has turned into:

[MolsonExport]

^haha (westmount mall: watch us transform!)

[LondnPlanr]

Originally Posted by Wharn

Onto a less depressing topic, I got a new phone (Samsung Galaxy T989D) and decided to give the camera a spin by providing some construction update photos. Here's the new apartment building going up beside the Westminster Diamond on Richmond Street:


20121022_123816 by Wharn[cliffe], on Flickr

If this is the project just north of the Richmond Street 'twin' bridges, then this is not an apartment building, but rather a medical/laboratory facility.

[K85]

Believe you're right. I've heard there's some planning going on for a few buildings to go up there, just not sure the specifics yet.

Current map and building listings here.

http://www.geography.uwo.ca/campusmaps/images/map/westernandaffiliates.pdf

http://www.geography.uwo.ca/campusmaps/

[manny_santos]

http://www.lfpress.com/2013/04/28/plans-...ts--and-city-planning-committee--worried

It never ceases to amaze me how much Londoners get themselves tied in knots about these kinds of developments when we have much bigger things in to worry about in this world, like the recent VIA Rail terror plot or the Boston bombings. Get a grip people, it's not an industrial foundry or a drug rehab centre. "Gasps" at the meeting? Must be nice to have nothing bigger to worry about in life.

I seriously don't don't know what these people would do if they lived in most other parts of the world, or even Toronto. They live almost downtown and near the bus route to Western, what do they expect?

[haljackey]

Haha, this is London: a city where most people and politicians treat it as if it were a village.

I betcha this city could really start to turn around if we treated it with a big-city mentality.

[Pimpmasterdac]

NIMBYs run amok!

These neighbours are making a big stink since these new developments will be much nicer than the old small houses currently there. Their properties wont be as valued but they're shit out of luck though, since its zoned for duplexes.

People act like this, stop n complain about ever little change or development in London, then they're suprised that unemployment rate is at 10%...

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Pimpmasterdac

NIMBYs run amok!

These neighbours are making a big stink since these new developments will be much nicer than the old small houses currently there. Their properties wont be as valued but they're shit out of luck though, since its zoned for duplexes.

People act like this, stop n complain about ever little change or development in London, then they're suprised that unemployment rate is at 10%...

And that's the thing - when you move somewhere, it is your responsibility to be informed about zoning in the neighbourhood and what possibly will get built. In the City of Kingston, real estate agents are now legally required to inform home buyers in the east end of the city about a proposed new bridge in that area, just so they can avoid these kinds of hassles when the bridge actually gets built.

Notice all the opponents outside in the LFP picture. Almost all seniors. In my experience, including in business, they oppose change just for the sake of opposing any change, and they want to preserve everything the way it was in the good 'ol days of AM radio and black-and-white television.

[Pimpmasterdac]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

And that's the thing - when you move somewhere, it is your responsibility to be informed about zoning in the neighbourhood and what possibly will get built. In the City of Kingston, real estate agents are now legally required to inform home buyers in the east end of the city about a proposed new bridge in that area, just so they can avoid these kinds of hassles when the bridge actually gets built.

Notice all the opponents outside in the LFP picture. Almost all seniors. In my experience, including in business, they oppose change just for the sake of opposing any change, and they want to preserve everything the way it was in the good 'ol days of AM radio and black-and-white television.

That's good they do that in Kingston, people sound a bit more sensible there. IMO people could informed with billboards, years prior to anything happening and they would still complain. I've noticed it a lot lately, seems like every neighbourhood is opposed to change/development of any kind in London.

• Blackfriars is opposed to a good infill duplex development (Big whoop)
• Manor Park is opposed to converting an abandoned school into an apartment and detached houses from the lot.
• Clarke Rd area is opposed to a vacant lot that backs onto some yards being used to house autistic independent living, since they've treated it as a free extension of their backyard and don't want anything built, "privacy reasons", and undercurrent of not wanting autistic (or as they ignorantly would say retarded) people living there.
• My neighbourhood, which I hope DOES go through, is opposed a 3 story apartment on a vacant lot near the old L&PS rail tracks. Like Clarke road since they've treated it as a free extension of their backyard and don't want anything built.
• SoHo is opposed to the Fincore developments, claim to be in-favor of developing the area, but not as a good infill project like this would be or anything else

While I would bet that seniors do have a good role in the anti-change, keeping it the "good ol' way" opposition is by people of all ages. There seems to be such a NIMBY undertaking all throughout London. While people claim to care about good planning, good communities, they seem bitterly opposed to anything than the status quo.

With the Blackfriars I told some people that it was a legal and good infill development. They told me to mind your own fucking business (or MYOFB, the acronym they used) since it's their neighbourhood, and no one else's opinion matters, except what they think. Then these are the same people wonder why London is drifting into the economic abyss, businesses leaving or hesitant to invest...

[GreatTallNorth2]

It's about time people cared and voiced opinions with regards to things happening in their community. I applaud these people for caring about their homes and neighbourhoods. I am not sure I understand the co-relation between opposing monstrosity student housing and black and white televisions.

In London, developers think they can do what they please. They design and build crap and get applauded for doing so. It's about time Londoners got a say and helped develop their city.

Why is London so behind the times when it comes to planning? Sorry, but you can't say that London is a city of high unemployment because people care about their neighbourhoods. We got to the suburban, sprawl crap because nobody has cared. We have lost small businesses and created ugly tin big box stores because Londoners are duped thinking these boxes create prosperity. Rubbish!