Downtown Update

[thistleclub]

Prediction: Tagged beyond recognition by the time summer arrives.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by thistleclub

Prediction: Tagged beyond recognition by the time summer arrives.

Esp. those white parts..

Although little known to most most taggers have a code - they won't tag a building until it has actually been abandoned. It is their way of "claiming" it.

[LRTfan]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Esp. those white parts..

Although little known to most most taggers have a code - they won't tag a building until it has actually been abandoned. It is their way of "claiming" it.

ummm, well then someone should remind our local taggers of this code. Several of them have hit almost every building in huge swaths of our hood...clearly not abandoned buildings either. Fully occupied.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by LRTfan

ummm, well then someone should remind our local taggers of this code. Several of them have hit almost every building in huge swaths of our hood...clearly not abandoned buildings either. Fully occupied.

It depends who the taggers are - like gangs there are different "groups" of taggers- for example PAC used to tag the tops of buildings in crazy out of reach areas.

Taggers like "GNAR" will tag a building all over once it's been boarded up or slated for demolition.

And of course there will be overzealous new "gangs".. sometimes it's people you would never expect. I watched a 14 year old who looked like a country kid with curly hair tag the inside of a bus once. For some it's just their way of "looking cool".

[StEC]

Originally Posted by LRTfan

ummm, well then someone should remind our local taggers of this code. Several of them have hit almost every building in huge swaths of our hood...clearly not abandoned buildings either. Fully occupied.

EXACTLY! I'm actually furious and disgusted at the amount of tagging happening lately and it's happening on brand new builds and restored buildings! It's such a blight on this city and it pisses me off so much that citizens don't give a shit about their home and would rather it look like a ghetto!??

I see TOK tagged everywhere and a couple others but their tags are slipping my mind at the moment....

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by StEC

EXACTLY! I'm actually furious and disgusted at the amount of tagging happening lately and it's happening on brand new builds and restored buildings! It's such a blight on this city and it pisses me off so much that citizens don't give a shit about their home and would rather it look like a ghetto!??

I see TOK tagged everywhere and a couple others but their tags are slipping my mind at the moment....

Yeah there are a few notable brands - some is a backlash to the gentrification and thus lack of affordability sweeping the city. People don't like change - you let the ghetto roll in and it will resist being evicted. These people should be charged and put behind bars, and cameras should be mounted everywhere.

[ChildishGavino]

What's left of the Capitol Theatre is being renovated. (Urbanicity Magazine)

[matt602]

That's just a For Lease ad? It does mention a "new glass facade" being installed but I can't see Ambitious Realty sinking all that much money into the property so its probably just a fancy new window and entryway to help sell it better. I doubt the rest of the building will be touched.

[ChildishGavino]

Even if they dont touch the inside, the outside will certainly look better than it does now, all boarded up.

[Hawrylyshyn]

I don’t have a picture, but Queens Terrace and it’s sister are getting recladded

[ChildishGavino]

So THAT'S why they had lifts up the side lately - I thought they were just replacing the balconies.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Yup. Top 3/4 is light/sky blue and the bottom 1/4 is a darker blue. Balconies are glass

[ChildishGavino]

It's probably to make it look more modern. If they actually pull it off, however, remains to be seen.

[Crapht]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Yup. Top 3/4 is light/sky blue and the bottom 1/4 is a darker blue. Balconies are glass

I think the light blue is in preparation for stucco.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by ChildishGavino

Even if they dont touch the inside, the outside will certainly look better than it does now, all boarded up.

Sean hartly and his wife Anna were the ones who were originally going to redesign this building - they added the footings for the glass to be installed, but ran out of money. They couldn't run a bar because they couldn't get a public license due to fire safety rules until they got that glass up. Sadly they ran out of money as they had other things they were focusing on.

So even if this does get even a fraction of what was going to go into it it is good. There are already renovations they already did inside that should still be good. They used it as an art gallery space - it's really nice inside

here is what their original proposal consisted of - looks like they might be going ahead with at least part of their vision:



and yes even they would only lease it - the guy who owns it refuses to sell it = probably cuz he knows its a cash cow with the right tenant. Unfortunately he also refuses to maintain it so that's up to the tenant as well..



The design of the glass, with the exception of the arch, is pretty much exact.. so yeah. I contacted anna and sean to let them know this is happening - maybe they can re-lease it after and finish their dream.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by Crapht

I think the light blue is in preparation for stucco.

It will probably be white and blue as most of the "modernizations" of the apartments in the city have been going lately. I do admit the modernization does make them look a lot less dated.. but the question is what the insides look like.. You can put lipstick on a pig but a pig's still a pig..

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

It will probably be white and blue as most of the "modernizations" of the apartments in the city have been going lately. I do admit the modernization does make them look a lot less dated.. but the question is what the insides look like.. You can put lipstick on a pig but a pig's still a pig..

A TON of the downtown apartments have been getting renovated when people move out of them. Some have been less than ideal makeovers, not fixing key issues like holes that let bedbugs between units, and not fixing leaking water. But others have been amazing and we're designed to command a higher price tag.

Nearly all of the them skip the balcony though. I saw a few that were nice but then they didn't even sweep the balcony...

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheRitsman

A TON of the downtown apartments have been getting renovated when people move out of them. Some have been less than ideal makeovers, not fixing key issues like holes that let bedbugs between units, and not fixing leaking water. But others have been amazing and we're designed to command a higher price tag.

Nearly all of the them skip the balcony though. I saw a few that were nice but then they didn't even sweep the balcony...

My buildings balconies are being jackhammered as we speak.. so at least CLV group is doing all they can to modernize and repair our building - although it was in pretty good shape as it was, just it hadn't been updated at all in 40 years..

This isn't my building but here is an example along barton st of a building that got the "modernization" treatment - grey and white - looks pretty nice compared to the beige colour of the other buildings:

[hamilton23]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Sean hartly and his wife Anna were the ones who were originally going to redesign this building - they added the footings for the glass to be installed, but ran out of money. They couldn't run a bar because they couldn't get a public license due to fire safety rules until they got that glass up. Sadly they ran out of money as they had other things they were focusing on.

So even if this does get even a fraction of what was going to go into it it is good. There are already renovations they already did inside that should still be good. They used it as an art gallery space - it's really nice inside

here is what their original proposal consisted of - looks like they might be going ahead with at least part of their vision:



and yes even they would only lease it - the guy who owns it refuses to sell it = probably cuz he knows its a cash cow with the right tenant. Unfortunately he also refuses to maintain it so that's up to the tenant as well..



The design of the glass, with the exception of the arch, is pretty much exact.. so yeah. I contacted anna and sean to let them know this is happening - maybe they can re-lease it after and finish their dream.

Ambitious Realty is the real estate company working to sell or lease this building. They are not the owners as some of you have mentioned. I'm fairly certain that the owners are Forge and Foster.

They have started work on improving the exterior facade of the entire strip they own across from the Connaught (minus the city property where coffee culture used to be and where Effort Trusts proposed low rise loft building will go)

It seems like they have people working there on and off, similar to the old London Tap House Building that they also own... I know this based on just watching the progress from my construction office at the Connaught every day. They have people coming in and out to work a few days a week.

I know that "Spin Co" will be opening in one of the retail spaces (expected for the summer, but I don't know if they can reach that goal) Spin Co is a spin chain based out of B.C., with locations in Toronto, Oakville, and other places....

I think the owners of this building finally realized they had to either finally clean this building up, sell it, clean it up and then sell it after it looks nicer.

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by hamilton23

I think the owners of this building finally realized they had to either finally clean this building up, sell it, clean it up and then sell it after it looks nicer.

I would have to agree with you there. It would be nice if they incorporated some of the original design elements. My friends sean and anna said they are not looking to start it back up again which is regrettable. I just hope this place gets the attention it needs. It is quite the mess inside esp. on the very top floor. There are 3 floors in total inside, with the bottom being a split level so kinda 5 levels in total as the main entrance has a level that goes up and one that goes down. So there is a lot of space inside, but in reality this are used to just be a grand entrance so everything has been artificially added.

One cool thing about the building is it still has the giant cables inside on the top floor that were used to anchor the marquee above the entrance of the building. I'd also love to see the top cornice of this building restored. Hasn't been there for a loooong time. Although I think it was more of a top marque than a cornice originally.



Still it is a great spot. It's just sad that the theatre behind it was demolished.