Canadian City Proposals II

[Biff]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Indeed however the renderings lack reality. There's nothing holding up the floors.

What are you talking about?

They are likely hard to make out, but those look like 2x8's on the main floor and possibly single ply 2x12's on the second and third clad in structural glass.

[WhipperSnapper]

I'm guessing around 25 feet of column free space. You're right. It probably can be done but, at what costs? Rents have to justify the costs. That's what I meant afterall. How often do built developments live up to artistic renditions with column free spaces encased in structural glazing?

The development permit won't embellish. If it continue to look like this than that is what will be built if built.

[GeneralLea]

That's a pretty interesting proposal which is now starting, nice! I'm not expecting a great street level with what the renders suggest, but it should be activated to the point where it functions as a much better space for residents of the area and the buildings than what was on the site.
A few years ago I'd be a bit apprehensive about older stock office buildings being torn down for condo developments, but in this case it's no loss, especially in a time like this economically.

[giallo]

Excellent Calgary proposal!

[Maldive]

41-45 Spadina Road | 55.5m | 15s | ProWinko | a—A l Recommended for Approval

This floating magic trick in the Annex is now recommended for Approval.


UT

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15 Hollis | 156.05m | 48s | Gairloch | a—A l site demolition soon(?)

Demolition application before community council for approval.


UT

[J.OT13]

This Ottawa proposal at 335 Roosevelt Ave has evolved quite a bit over the last 12 years. From towers, to mid-rises with a couple low-rises and now mid-rises with a park. Lot of back and forth, tweaking the plan.

Off the quickly intensifying Scott Street corridor, steps away from glorified Transitway Dominion Station about to become full Kitchi Sibi O-Train Station (2026ish), this should be a decent addition to the area that will provide some height variation (most proposals are 20 to 40 storey towers).

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...193282&page=11

[samne]

Calgary proposal looks great. Some nice retail and public space.

That floating black box on Spadina Rd can be hit or miss.

[WhipperSnapper]

The floating box is just completely unnecessary. It is a cool take on an addition however, I can't see cantilevering the floor plate off of the two small cores being viable. This is just bait to get zoning approval. It'll change to a facade at a later stage of development.

[WhipperSnapper]

GFA of 30,000 square metres for only 341 units? 30,000 square metres would be around 450 units in Toronto.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

GFA of 30,000 square metres for only 341 units? 30,000 square metres would be around 450 units in Toronto.

Ottawa still building a few family sized units I guess.

[rbt]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Ottawa still building a few family sized units I guess.

Yep. Buyers can afford them, largely because construction costs are quite a bit lower in Ottawa than in Toronto.

If you gifted 200 young families in Toronto land, and donated architect/engineering/legal time they'd still struggle to cover the construction costs for 200 x 1000 sqft units.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by rbt

Yep. Buyers can afford them, largely because construction costs are quite a bit lower in Ottawa than in Toronto.

If you gifted 200 young families in Toronto land, and donated architect/engineering/legal time they'd still struggle to cover the construction costs for 200 x 1000 sqft units.

Construction costs? or other soft costs? The labour rates, raw material costs should be veryu similar. It's development costs, cash in lieu etc that might be more but I think it's mostly land cost that is the difference in Toronto vs Ottawa prices.

[suburbanite]

Originally Posted by rbt

Yep. Buyers can afford them, largely because construction costs are quite a bit lower in Ottawa than in Toronto.

If you gifted 200 young families in Toronto land, and donated architect/engineering/legal time they'd still struggle to cover the construction costs for 200 x 1000 sqft units.

The difference in construction costs between Ottawa and Toronto are negligible in the overall scheme of affordability.



When demand is driven largely by people looking for a unit to live in, who earn a local income, then prices and unit mix will trend towards what the local homeowners can actually afford/want. When demand is fueled by people who want simple commoditized investor units and are willing to pay a premium, then the market will trend towards the path of least resistance.

The Toronto market is willing (or at least was) to pay well over $1,000 PSF for shoebox units, regardless of whether the developer spent $350 or $420 PSF to build it, and so that is what they will sell for. The difference flows through to the residual value of the land and what developers are willing to pay to acquire density that they can sell at $1,000 PSF+.

[rbt]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

The difference in construction costs between Ottawa and Toronto are negligible in the overall scheme of affordability.

Hmm. Is that chart recent? GTA construction inflation of concrete residential has been much much higher than elsewhere in Canada over the last few years (Stats Canada). Closer to 20% in the GTA vs 10% for most of Canada (including Ottawa), and Toronto's 2017 reference rates were higher to begin with. I don't think they say why in the free data.

I get a pin-hole view of construction (work in an unrelated field but see a few numbers here and there, so largely anecdotal) and central Toronto numbers were closer to $520/sqft (includes finishes) in late 2023 and Ottawa closer to $380/sqft for projects of similar scale.

Toronto tenders for public housing seemed to come in at around $450/sqft in 2023 for fairly tiny projects so what I was seeing didn't seem unusual.

EDIT: It would be great if the cost difference was largely just land values because that's probably the easiest component for a large number of angry renters who get in control of either Toronto or Ontario to change; automatic up-zone within 1km of rapid transit stations (including existing ones along Danforth) and push through an MPAC reassessment. Small business and landlords along Yonge got wiped out by rapidly increasing property taxes; this urgency to redevelop could be replicated.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

T


.

I wish you could build that cheaply in Winnipeg...anything above six storeys starts at $390 per square foot.

[Maldive]

1837 Bayview | 100.6m | 27s | Gupta | Arcadis l site demo complete


PL1

UT


2475 Dundas Street West | 109.67m | 29s | Fairway | BDP Quadrangle l pre-construction

Affordable rental, condo and retail in the Junction Triangle.


UT

UT

[Maldive]

7 Labatt | ?m | 48 & 44s | TAS | Sweeny&Co l Redesign


Located on the east side of the Regent Park master-planned community, this has been redesigned by Sweeny&Co as 2 towers with 1119 residential units.


AlbertC

AlbertC

AlbertC

AlbertC

[craner]

More developments, more people mark new era for downtown Kelowna

http://https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/506211/More-developments-and-more-people-downtown

[TorontoDrew]

I like 7 Labatt. It will block the view of some of Daniel's less attractive Regent Park towers from view from the east.

[GeneralLea]

Wow, they already knocked down the houses on Bayview by that church? That's a five minute walk from me...I haven't gone that way in a few weeks. This tower will look huge, but it's near an LRT stop, so it makes sense to be there.

That Ottawa proposal is interesting, though I'm not sure I'd say its the greatest with regards to its site planning.