Canadian City Proposals

[vanman]

775 Vaughan Road is a beauty.

[GeneralLea]

I really dislike the proposal to tear down the office building at McCaul and University, or whatever street that large office building sits on.
522 University looks like an equally uninteresting version of 488 University, although the quality may be worse by what the renders suggest. Either way, I don't like the massing.

[kevinbottawa]

Originally Posted by vanman

775 Vaughan Road is a beauty.

It looks nice, but 36 storeys doesn't seem too appropriate for the area. I'm also concerned about gentrification. This whole area was always home to a lot of European and Caribbean immigrants. Some of the recent projects in the area are going to change the character of the neighbourhood.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by Maldive

950 King West | 50m | 14s | Intentional Capital | Sweeny&Co l pre-construction

Re-submitted (again and again and again) and the only change I can see compared to past itinerations is the use of darker brick on the new carbuncle behind the (to be restored) Palace Arms Hotel.

Hard to believe Sweeny&Co have their name on this given their remarkable design solutions for a number of heritage sites that are adding new buildings in sensitive and creative ways (like The Bridge)


UT

I know that is currently just an ugly painted over in pink rooming house on king but if they intend to keep it and build above it has to be done better then that. That design looks so lazy and bulky and does nothing to pay tribute to the structure at it's base.

[O-tacular]

Sadly it still beats almost every other project incorporating a heritage building by virtue of the fact that it isn't simply wallpapering its facade onto the new tower. I agree the proposal itself is boring as hell and does nothing for the character of that block though.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Maldive

^ Thank the lord... someone sporting signs of intelligent life.

I don't why I didn't stick that spammer on the Ignore list days ago... things are all better now.

As you suggested, a couple of new things today:


522 University Avenue l 233m l 62s l 522 University Holdings l WZMH l pre-construction

At first glance I thought this new proposal, like its neighbour just south at 488 University (207m) would be reinforcing the existing office building to support a new tower, but if fact they plan to demolish it and build an all new office building below the residential tower that will rise above.


Northern Light

The existing brutalist office building.

EMPORIS

Horrid!

The tower makes the mid century office building look like balls to the condo's shaft.

[WhipperSnapper]

Office balls on mixed use skyscrapers are pretty common in Canada and other places. I think this could look a lot better than Stantec potentially. We'll probably never know.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

One of several new towers proposed or u/c along the Scott Street transit trench.

why is it called the transit trench?

[WhipperSnapper]

it's an open cut used by transit.

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Horrid!

The tower makes the mid century office building look like balls to the condo's shaft.

Other than hiring HPA to fix this... just do what did HPA did with the 350 Bloor Street East brutalist office building (Rogers).

Save the east (University Avenue), south and north elevations of the original building, and build new within.

Oh... and hire someone else to design the tower on top.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Maldive

Other than hiring HPA to fix this... just do what did HPA did with the 350 Bloor Street East brutalist office building (Rogers).

Save the east (University Avenue), south and north elevations of the original building, and build new within.

Oh... and hire someone else to design the tower on top.

That would look much better.

[WhipperSnapper]

It's not a structural masonry wall made up of thousands of bricks. it's a hanging facade with a couple hundred standardized panels. I don't see a purpose to propping up a section of building and building new within. Problem with concrete is that you cant restore brittle concrete and these facades after 50 years in the elements are going to brittle.

[O-tacular]

Sounds like this sold out in 11 days with some investors buying up to 10 units. Was geared toward Ontario real estate speculators. Looks on track to make the 2026 occupancy. Farewell to another chunk of historical buildings across the street from a surface parking lot.





I don't welcome this type of development. Beyond the destruction of the pre war block it's the type of investor driven development that Toronto and Vancouver suffer from that has pushed housing prices beyond the means of most people. Not sure if age has soured me or given me more perspective beyond admiration for fancy highrises. Some Calgary posters think it will be good for increasing vibrancy and driving further development in that area but I'm skeptical.

[WhipperSnapper]

The thing that stands out is starting at $400,000s with units starting at 475 square feet. That's $850 minimum a square foot.

[Maldive]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

It's not a structural masonry wall made up of thousands of bricks. it's a hanging facade with a couple hundred standardized panels. I don't see a purpose to propping up a section of building and building new within. Problem with concrete is that you cant restore brittle concrete and these facades after 50 years in the elements are going to brittle.

Not sure what your point is given my 350 Bloor East example where this is exactly what they are proposing to do.

Difficult? Perhaps.

A challenging feat of engineering? Doubt it. Maybe a whole new layer grafted on to the back of the concrete. Whatever, seems doable...

[logan5]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Sounds like this sold out in 11 days with some investors buying up to 10 units. Was geared toward Ontario real estate speculators. Looks on track to make the 2026 occupancy. Farewell to another chunk of historical buildings across the street from a surface parking lot.





I don't welcome this type of development. Beyond the destruction of the pre war block it's the type of investor driven development that Toronto and Vancouver suffer from that has pushed housing prices beyond the means of most people. Not sure if age has soured me or given me more perspective beyond admiration for fancy highrises. Some Calgary posters think it will be good for increasing vibrancy and driving further development in that area but I'm skeptical.

What creates vibrancy is the historic building that is going to be destroyed to make way for this new building. If anything, the neighbourhood will be less vibrant. The tower and especially the retail facades are oppressive, and they don't attract the right mix of businesses. New form urban blight I call it.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Maldive

Not sure what your point is given my 350 Bloor East example where this is exactly what they are proposing to do.

Difficult? Perhaps.

A challenging feat of engineering? Doubt it. Maybe a whole new layer grafted on to the back of the concrete. Whatever, seems doable...

I can't comment on the plan for 350 Bloor. I don't know whether they will strip the panels and install them on a new structure, keep half the structure standing with the heavy loads precariously hanging on while they shake, rattle and roll around it or, simply recreate the look with new panels. Perhaps, the facade is cast in place.

Precast panels were stripped from 488 University and replaced with a glass facade. The panels on Simpson had anchor bolt driven through them and then covered up. Deteriorated concrete tiles and panels have been stripped from towers from Calgary to Montreal. Whatever happens at 350 Bloor is an outlier.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by logan5

What creates vibrancy is the historic building that is going to be destroyed to make way for this new building. If anything, the neighbourhood will be less vibrant. The tower and especially the retail facades are oppressive, and they don't attract the right mix of businesses. New form urban blight I call it.

It's always been one of the most pro development communities. The community is desperate for new development with some architectural flair. The Oliver and Sunalta Heights are people warehouses. I'm certain Chad's silence is that there is little to brag about development in Calgary right now. I'm also certain there would be little support for this if Calgary still had "more high rises under construction than Edmonton, Ottawa and, Okotoks combined!"

[905er]

I miss Chad and his posts and pics of his handsome self and cute pup around town. I love the Calgary updates!

[urbandreamer]

Some of you criticized my observations about Calgary, but this project aligns with one of them: why does Calgary continue to destroy its attractive prewar housing stock?