Canadian City Proposals

[J.OT13]

Affordable (as opposed to Community) housing proposed in Mechanicsville, between Tunney's and Bayview stations.

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) has acquired 147 Forward Avenue, and is expanding their previous proposal for 159 Forward Avenue.

The proposed development now consists of a four-storey, universally accessible low-rise apartment dwelling, with a proposed gross floor area of approximately 4,301 m2 (46,296 ft2), to be located on the east side of Forward Avenue, between Burnside Avenue and Lyndale Avenue. The low-rise apartment dwelling is proposed to have 49 units, ranging from studio units to 3-bedroom units, to provide a mix of unit sizes and affordability to accommodate the needs of a diverse population.

Location:




Siteplan:




Rendering:

[kool maudit]

Fantastically grim.

[TorontoDrew]

I was trying to think of something to say but Kool nailed it already.

[JHikka]

Federal and Provincial funding has been confirmed for site remediation at Fundy Quay in Saint John. Site is home to a $300M+ mixed-use proposal. Proposals for the site have been very off-and-on for the past 15 years but are now moving towards finalization and shovels in the ground. Seawall refurb and site prep will take two years before foundation work can begin.

Fundy Quay is middle bottom right in this photo from a few years ago.


https://huddle.today/governments-commit-24-million-to-prepare-waterfront-site-for-development/

[Martin Mtl]

Downtown Montreal The Bay project

25 storeys - 120 meters

Demolition of the 1970's section on De Maisonneuve, complete restoration of the historic building and construction of a new commercial spaces (first fire floors) and office building on top.
Archiect:Menkes Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux.

[Martin Mtl]

Symphonia VIU - Nun's Island, Montreal. Approved - spring launch.

43 storeys. Highest residential building in Montreal outside of downtown.

Architects: Provencher_Roy

[ericmacm]

I love those Montreal proposals. The tiered office proposal for The Bay reminds me a little bit of Renzo Piano's Paris Courthouse.

[MTLskyline]

I like the proposal for The Bay. Montreal doesn't really have any towers with rounded corners like that.

My only concern is the annex that is remaining (from the 1920s I would assume). Will that just be a facade or are they preserving the building and merely building on top of it? Not that it's that nice inside, but I don't like the idea of it being gutted/demolished.

The St. Catherine Street revamp of the old Morgan's portion of the Bay is excellent. It will go very well with the renovation of St. Catherine Street and Phillips Square. Good to see they are finally opening up the windows and removing that marquise overhanging the street. It should be stunning when they're done. Strangely though, there is barely any signage indicating what the store is aside from that small one at the top.

All this said, it should breathe some new life into both this building and the downtown core.

[J.OT13]

Awesome HBC proposal in MTL. I too hope they preserve the entire heritage structure, including the 20s annex.

Victoria gave us an excellent example of how a historic HBC structure can be repurposed. Now Montreal is showing us how we can re-adapt an existing HBC to restore the heritage structure and make the best of the remaining available land.

It gives me hope for other former and active HBC flag-ship department stores.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Awesome HBC proposal in MTL. I too hope they preserve the entire heritage structure, including the 20s annex.

Very unlikely. Almost certainly 90% of building will end up at the city dump with just exterior walls surviving. Perhaps the southern end of the building will see interiors saved but even that isn't a given.

[J.OT13]

I'm fine with gutting the interior to the steel structure if there' nothing of heritage value left, but it seems the 20s annex will end up as nothing more than facadism based on what you're saying.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

I'm fine with gutting the interior to the steel structure if there' nothing of heritage value left, but it seems the 20s annex will end up as nothing more than facadism based on what you're saying.

That seems to be par for the course these days. The problem is that we'll eventually end up with little or no intact heritage buildings a generation or 2 from now. We won't be able to have 'building tours' as they won't exist. Facadism is really just a nod to what once stood there. Go 2 feet beyond the 'skin' and the actual building is gone.

A building is more than its shell. Do we really want to arrive at a point where the only interior architectural heritage left is a photograph?

[franktko]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Very unlikely. Almost certainly 90% of building will end up at the city dump with just exterior walls surviving. Perhaps the southern end of the building will see interiors saved but even that isn't a given.

The entire building will be restored - it's only the brutalist addition on de Maisonneuve that will be destroyed.

The entire lot of La Baie is zoned at 65 meters max. The project will have to go through the OCPM (public consultation) because of its proposed height. Both neighbours on de Maisonneuve are zoned 120 meters so it shouldn't be too difficult. But there is no way in hell this would go through if they were destroying one of the most treasured building in town! The fact that they are restoring the building is one of the main reason the urban committee of the city is giving a thumbs up to this project.

[Martin Mtl]

Originally Posted by isaidso

Very unlikely. Almost certainly 90% of building will end up at the city dump with just exterior walls surviving. Perhaps the southern end of the building will see interiors saved but even that isn't a given.

As it is now, the interior of The Bay store is heritage stuff only on the ground floor of the two oldest parts; very nice and classy with mouldings, columns, etc. The floors above are rather nondescript with in any large multi level department store; that part needs a redo and there is not much worth reserving.

The exterior, it's another story; it will be entirely restored to its former glory. Can't wait!

[TorontoDrew]

The first Montreal proposal reminds me of several completed and u/c projects along King St in Toronto. I like it.

The Nunns Island one is ok, nothing special. I always thought Nunn Island is a perfect location for Montreal to go vertical and to go as high as they like.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by isaidso

That seems to be par for the course these days. The problem is that we'll eventually end up with little or no intact heritage buildings a generation or 2 from now. We won't be able to have 'building tours' as they won't exist. Facadism is really just a nod to what once stood there. Go 2 feet beyond the 'skin' and the actual building is gone.

A building is more than its shell. Do we really want to arrive at a point where the only interior architectural heritage left is a photograph?

Agreed. Ottawa is terrible with facadism. We're losing so much, including our grandest department store a few years back. It's been reduced from its 1940s glory to a mere facade representing it's 1908 look, about a fifth of the size. Worse yet, the new building's floor can be seen running through the third floor window of the facade. At least the actual facade was nicely restored thanks to the heritage architect.

Often times, you can clearly see the facadism from outside. The facade loses its soul. When you enter, you don't get that whiff of history or the visual if old wooden or steel beams. And I can't help but wonder, what will happen when the new building is demolished? Will they save the old facade? Or just replicate. Maybe just replace with a plaque.

There is also the environmental argument of reusing an existing structure instead of trashing it and replace with a new structure with often less sustainable, and/or durable, materials.

Originally Posted by franktko

The entire building will be restored - it's only the brutalist addition on de Maisonneuve that will be destroyed.

The entire lot of La Baie is zoned at 65 meters max. The project will have to go through the OCPM (public consultation) because of its proposed height. Both neighbours on de Maisonneuve are zoned 120 meters so it shouldn't be too difficult. But there is no way in hell this would go through if they were destroying one of the most treasured building in town! The fact that they are restoring the building is one of the main reason the urban committee of the city is giving a thumbs up to this project.

Good to hear!

[goodgrowth]

Not from Toronto but happened to just see this on The Verge:

https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/22/22295177/toronto-esports-arena-overactive-overwatch-call-of-duty

7000 seat "esports Arena"



• Video Link

[MonkeyRonin]

Here's another angle. A 4-year buildout seems pretty ambitious considering it has yet to even go through any municipal approvals though. Who knows how serious of a proposal this even is?



https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/02/toronto-getting-futuristic-looking-new-venue-exhibition-place/

[uzi]

i was wondering the same thing. 2025 seems like very ambitious and is it even possible to build a fancy venue and a hotel for $500 million? may be they will water down the design in the final stages.

[J.OT13]

uOttawa's proposed new Health Sciences building at Lees Campus.


https://twitter.com/MathieuFleury/status/1363902539595476995