TORONTO | Highrise Developments Compilation Thread

[greg_a]

Updated downtown Toronto commercial space availabilities for January from Altus InSite and Cube Cities:

• Video Link

[shakman]

I was in Toronto from February 14 until February 19. I was very impressed with the amount of cranes in and around Downtown. It reminds me of Dubai. I was just as impressed with the Mississauga skyline.

[Dr Nevergold]

Originally Posted by shakman

I was in Toronto from February 14 until February 19. I was very impressed with the amount of cranes in and around Downtown. It reminds me of Dubai. I was just as impressed with the Mississauga skyline.

I wouldn't call it Dubai since Toronto isn't building a skyline from scratch in 10 years as they've done, but Toronto does have more construction than any city in North America even in the post recession era.

If residential is to start waning, I could see office construction pick up. Toronto hasn't built as much major office floorspace as it has capacity for in recent years, so the highrise boom may very well continue even if condos slump.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by Brandon716

I wouldn't call it Dubai since Toronto isn't building a skyline from scratch in 10 years as they've done, but Toronto does have more construction than any city in North America even in the post recession era.

If residential is to start waning, I could see office construction pick up. Toronto hasn't built as much major office floorspace as it has capacity for in recent years, so the highrise boom may very well continue even if condos slump.

We are adding about 6,000,000 square feet to the downtown right now, or about a 10% increase over our current 60ish million square feet. That is a considerable amount, it's just all being added in shorter office buildings so it doesn't seem like we are adding a lot. There are 5 buildings going up over 700,000 square feet, but nothing over 1,000,000 or 200 meters tall. There just simply isn't a market for 2 million square foot office buildings rising 250+ meters. The only big buildings with office in it proposed is the Oxford towers, which has 300,000 square feet of residential in each 1,300,000 square foot building.

[koops65]

There is also 45 Bay.

[isaidso]

Perhaps they'll be the one to build the next great office building for Toronto. Lord knows the others won't. They're content building completely forgettable 30 floor cubes all over the place.

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

There just simply isn't a market for 2 million square foot office buildings rising 250+ meters.

There is, but we have a lot of different developers wanting a piece of the pie and they're excruciatingly conservative firms. They got a bit ahead of themselves before and got burned. Now they've swung to the other extreme.

Downtown Toronto needs a ton of additional office space, but the problem is that most of this new space won't come on stream for another 2-3 years. A tight market is going to get even tighter.

By 2015, we'll likely have built up 2 more years of demand. Developers are going to be in catch up mode for many years to come.

[softee]

A 55 storey tower was just proposed for University Avenue right across the street from the Icon, which is another proposed 55 storey tower. Like the Icon, it seems this one will also incorporate the existing office building on site.

481 UNIVERSITY AVE
OPA / Rezoning 13 123864 STE 27 OZ Ward 27
- Tor & E.York Feb 22, 2013 --- --- --- ---
Rezoning application to permit the re-development of the lands for the purposes of a new mixed use building, 55 stories in height complete with 49,858m2 (748 units) of residential space, 3,192m2 of retail space and 22,207m2 of office space. This proposal includes a total of 378 parking spaces all of which are below grade.

[isaidso]

I've always considered the buildings on University Avenue far too small for the scale of that street, so it's a promising development. More residential and office will do wonders for foot traffic and the feel of this boulevard. This is one street where you could put 400 m buildings and they wouldn't over power the street. I'll settle for 200m+ buildings though.

The ICON design needs a complete re-do. The podium is creative and well done, but the tower just doesn't work with it at all. Either carry the podium design all the way up the tower, or start over.

Hopefully this new proposal across the street at 481 University won't be glass. One of the great things about this street is the 70s architecture and use of heavy materials. It would be sad if that were lost in the name of looking current.

[Dr Nevergold]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I've always considered the buildings on University Avenue far too small for the scale of that street, so it's a promising development. More residential and office will do wonders for foot traffic and the feel of this boulevard. This is one street where you could put 400 m buildings and they wouldn't over power the street. I'll settle for 200m+ buildings though.

Absolutely true, University Ave is the grand boulevard of Toronto, yet you don't see large towering buildings. It needs to become 400m row.

[yaletown_fella]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I've always considered the buildings on University Avenue far too small for the scale of that street, so it's a promising development. More residential and office will do wonders for foot traffic and the feel of this boulevard. This is one street where you could put 400 m buildings and they wouldn't over power the street. I'll settle for 200m+ buildings though.

The ICON design needs a complete re-do. The podium is creative and well done, but the tower just doesn't work with it at all. Either carry the podium design all the way up the tower, or start over.

Hopefully this new proposal across the street at 481 University won't be glass. One of the great things about this street is the 70s architecture and use of heavy materials. It would be sad if that were lost in the name of looking current.

couldn't agree more! Id like to see architecture like the dead Vimy Circle proposal please!

On the bright side this proposal couldn't possibly be worse than Icon! Somthing to look forward to

[Innsertnamehere]

Not really, the site is not even owned by the same people as the proposal that we know so well for there. There is something brewing there, but we know essentially nothing about it.

[Automation Gallery]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Not really, the site is not even owned by the same people as the proposal that we know so well for there. There is something brewing there, but we know essentially nothing about it.

Well we know that (SITQ) Ivanhoe Cambridge has owned the property for over 5 years, and are holding an international design competition to eventually develop that site, rumour has it at 2 million Sq. ft of office space and bus terminal.
...what more is there to know

From todays Montreal Gazette......The expansion at Steeles comes at a time when Ivanhoe Cambridge is looking to grow its office presence in Canada’s largest city. In December, the real estate giant said it would hold an international design competition to eventually develop its 45 Bay St. site near the Air Canada Centre.
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/201...teeles-campus/

[Automation Gallery]

New 40 storey proposal for 625-637 Yonge street @ Isabella st.

from drum118 @ UT

Originally Posted by drum118

From tonight meeting. Have requested a copy of the presentation.

[Redkey]

[Automation Gallery]

Another couple tall towers proposed for the Lakeshore waterfront

1926 LAKE SHORE BLVD West (48s + 42s)

1926 LAKE SHORE BLVD W
OPA / Rezoning 13 125924 WET 13 OZ Ward 13
- Etob. York Feb 27, 2013 --- --- --- ---
Proposed amendments to the Zoning By-Law to permit the development of 2 residential towers with heights of 42 and 48 stories connected by a 4 storey podium. A residential gross floor area of 78,625 sq m is proposed. The building will contain a total of 847 units, 613 parking spaces below grade, and 248 above grade.

[caltrane74]

The highrise total for Under-Construction Towers in Toronto has fallen from 154

to now just 145 Highrise towers and Skyscapers Under Construction

Toronto's Huge Gap on the rest of North America, will be decling due to a slowdown (hopefully not crash) in the condo market.

[shakman]

Originally Posted by caltrane74

The highrise total for Under-Construction Towers in Toronto has fallen from 154

to now just 145 Highrise towers and Skyscapers Under Construction

Toronto's Huge Gap on the rest of North America, will be decling due to a slowdown (hopefully not crash) in the condo market.

145 towers under construction is still quite a bit. There are plenty of proposals.

What do you think is the percentage of proposals becoming a reality?

[koops65]

Originally Posted by shakman

145 towers under construction is still quite a bit. There are plenty of proposals.

What do you think is the percentage of proposals becoming a reality?

The short answer is: Most of them.

Here is the long answer:

I have been making drawings of Toronto proposals since 2008, most of them within a month of them being proposed. After a quick review of the Toronto diagram, I see about 16 towers that have been outright cancelled since then, and another 15 or so that have been cancelled but other towers have taken thier place on the same site. (see 1 Bloor as a prime example of this) Also, since 2008, there have been 69 towers built or are now U/C. All of these 85 towers are 400 feet or higher. (122 meters) This translates to 81% of towers proposed since 2008 (that are not still listed as proposals) being built or started construction and 19% being cancelled. Of course, there are still many towers (over 400 feet) that are still listed as proposals after all this time. One of the oldest is Cumberland Terrace Re-development, which I made a drawing of in January 2009. As of right now there are 88 towers over 400 feet listed as Proposals. It might be 80% of them getting built, but who really knows?

[Dwils01]

Neither do I, so when I go to Toronto I try to get as many pictures of different construction sites as possible. There is so much right now that I can't get them all in one day.

[Dwils01]

Some smaller projects going on in Toronto right now.
Backstage at Yonge Street and The Esplanade: 36 floors 118m.


Pier 27 at Yonge Street and Queen's Quay East: 14 floors 42.7m.


Waterlinks on Queen's Quay East just east of Yonge Street: 14 floors 50.5m


Infinity 3 at Lower Simcoe Street and Grand Trunk Crescent: 35 floors ~116m.




Pictures by me.