Canadian City Proposals

[TorontoDrew]

This one took a while but will soon be off of the proposal list. Demolition is underway at the site. I was starting to think it was dead. The parking lot next to it is also being dug up, I'm not sure if they just leased or bought the property to use for staging, or if it's something completely different.

The Woodsworth
Lamb Developments
191ft / 58.2m

Source: www.thewoodsworth.com

[GeneralLea]

This has taken a few years to get going, I'm surprised to see it still around, even after it was said to be cancelled by a few articles online.

[Innsertnamehere]

It was relaunched after it was cancelled under a different marketing name.

[WhipperSnapper]

And it was relaunched because Fortress was shut down by the FSCO. I'm pleasantly surprised to see this going ahead even after the relaunch.

[SignalHillHiker]

Via Marty_McFly... a hideous bit of infill in the Ecclesiastical District. But the good news is it will block some of the view of The Rooms from the Harbour.

[Marty_Mcfly]

I can't judge the buildings since they lack any sort of detail.....but it's an ideal spot for this type of development since it's built very well into the steep hill there.

[rbt]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Land value are ultimately capped on the allowable zoning. No one will pay
$40 million for a site that has a binding zoning policy for a maximum of 20 units. Isn't that the point of city planning to define densities that optimizes quality of life? The densities being built in Toronto are not conducive of a high quality of life with developers getting caught up in bidding wars and than receiving sympathy from staff to overbuild sites. Its still popular opinion on SSP/UT/etc. that these record setting densities should be increased to improve affordability. Infrastructure and amenity costs rise exponentially at higher densities.

Land value does gets capped but it's not necessarily at a rate comfortably affordable to the average household income. At a certain point you've just restricted the number of people who can afford to live there, but haven't restricted demand. San Francisco is good example of that as the vast majority of the city and surrounding areas does have fixed zoning.

There needs to be a way of driving down demand, ideally without making it less appealing or an economic crash.

Houston works thus far by out building demand but commute time is starting to show as a significant pricing factor. People might settle on a 1 hour commute, but 2, 3 ... hours isn't appealing to most.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

This one took a while but will soon be off of the proposal list. Demolition is underway at the site. I was starting to think it was dead. The parking lot next to it is also being dug up, I'm not sure if they just leased or bought the property to use for staging, or if it's something completely different.

The Woodsworth
Lamb Developments
191ft / 58.2m

Source: www.thewoodsworth.com

Daaaym...

[yaletown_fella]

That is sleek! I'm guessing due to its blank wall on one side, another building is planned next door?

[Hawrylyshyn]

KIWI Condos - 14 Floors | Hamilton, Ontario

Originally Posted by atnor

http://imgur.com/bmsn7k7

[BIMBAM]

Originally Posted by rbt

Land value does gets capped but it's not necessarily at a rate comfortably affordable to the average household income. At a certain point you've just restricted the number of people who can afford to live there, but haven't restricted demand. San Francisco is good example of that as the vast majority of the city and surrounding areas does have fixed zoning.

There needs to be a way of driving down demand, ideally without making it less appealing or an economic crash.

Houston works thus far by out building demand but commute time is starting to show as a significant pricing factor. People might settle on a 1 hour commute, but 2, 3 ... hours isn't appealing to most.

It's pretty obvious what you should do - meet demand by allowing density in the spaces people want to live on. Make existing homeowners rich and allow the market to meet the demand of people who want to live in the city. Population should be allowed to increase organically, not through a centrally planned quota system. Density can be managed in ways that still result in pleasant environments, look no farther than Vancouver's West End for an example. The whole city could look like that.

[WhipperSnapper]

The market is increasing density under a managed system to create pleasant environments. Vancouver could probably increase densities without infringing on the pleasantness but, it's too simplistic to say Vancouver's problems are a result of supply and demand. There are other fast growing cities in tight confines that maintain affordability. Their markets are localized and not commoditized. Housing (that includes large apartment buildings) is traded like stock and, like oil, both Toronto and Vancouver could very well end up with an unexpected over supply at some point and big enough that it could take time to absorb.

[dleung]

Originally Posted by vanman

Just no. Way too —-like. Also I'm not a fan of this wavy-trend in Vancouver, even on the Butterfly building. It belongs in Miami Beach, not here.

[Wpg_Guy]

Address: 98 Albert street Winnipeg, MB
Location: https://www.google.com/maps/place/98+Alb...fc1b038dd!8m2!3d49.8976086!4d-97.1405111
Developer: Unknown
Architect: https://www.atlrg.ca/

Mix-Used Building

Located on a unique and prominent site adjacent Old Market Square in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District. A 3-storey wedge provides main floor restaurant space with future sidewalk patio, 2 prestige residential units and rooftop terrace with garden. The structure lightly touches and integrates the character of the neighbouring heritage building facade, a former brass foundry. Views and relationship to the vibrant streetscape and public square are paramount.

[Wpg_Guy]

Address: 44 Hargrave street Winnipeg, MB
Location: https://www.google.com/maps/place/44+Har...fcceb2a5e3b!8m2!3d49.885731!4d-97.141098
Developer: Unknown
Architect: https://www.atlrg.ca/

A six storey, 63 suite downtown in-fill apartment building with surface level open-air parking behind the building.

[Chadillaccc]

Hmmmm... I think I like the first one. Not sure about the second.

[Rico Rommheim]

Impressive Winnipeg projects (especially the first one). Do I dare say they remind me a bit of Montreal?

It's with smaller projects like these that Winnipeg will fill out its ocean of empty and parking lots. Well done.

[esquire]

^ It's those kinds of smaller projects that are needed to restore the urban fabric that was damaged in the 60s and 70s.

[Rico Rommheim]

Exactly. It took Montreal more than 60 years to fix it's urban fabric to a point where we are today. We're not 100% there yet, but the changes since the 1990's are astonishing. And this was accomplished in a climate of stagnation and political and societal upheavals. Smaller , high quality projects were crucial to this regeneration.

Looks like Winnipeg is on it's merry way there.

[le calmar]

Montreal came a long way indeed. Looking at old pictures from the 60-70's, Dorchester boulevard (René-Lévesque) looked like it went straight through a wasteland. Agreed that those small infill projects will do wonders over time.