» 2013 » August

According to blogto.com, there is a recent condo project that could change the face of Yorkville. What is this project, you ask? We’re talking about the one Oxford Properties is hoping to build at 2 Bloor Street West.

Oxford Properties has intended to build a condominium in the Yorkville area since 2010 when they had first received zoning approval from the city. Their plans were thwarted due to an appeal by local residents to the Ontario Municipal Board.

Now, in their second try, they’ve recently been approved to construct two completely different towers. According to blogto.com, one is set to be 125.3 metres while the other has a planned height of 162 metres. One will be located possibly mid-block and one closer to Yonge, with the existing shopping mall that is on the south side of Cumberland St. most likely demolished and replaced with new retail. Blogto.com has further stated that a set of digital renderings were revealed online by ArchitectsAlliance with the designs depicting a very early concept for the L-shaped Yorkville site stretching from Bay to Yonge and down to Bloor.

But there’s a lot to still consider with this recent project. The price of installing these two towers is not just numerical in nature. For instance, it would potentially mean the removal of the 34-storey CIBC building (which is owned by Oxford). If that were to happen, the CIBC building would be the tallest building to ever be demolished to make room for a condominium. Aside from this, there are other factors to take into consideration such as other condominiums currently going through the approval process to be constructed in the Yorkville area. Not to mention, the “plan to create a mid-block pedestrian retail mews from Bloor Street through to Yorkville Avenue.”

Nothing is certain at this time, we will just have to wait and see what becomes of 2 Bloor Street West as time passes.

Sources:

http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2013/07/renderings-surface-sky-high-2-bloor-west-redevelopment-concept

http://www.blogto.com/city/2013/07/giant_condo_project_could_change_the_face_of_yorkville/

http://blog.newinhomes.com/news/renderings-2-bloor-west/

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the College and Spadina intersection of late. Some of these new developments are more controversial than others. The most talked about project is the new student residence planned on the site of two historic buildings- the Hotel Waverly and the Silver Dollar Room. The iconic site is a place full of interesting stories. James Earl Ray, the person who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr., is thought to have spent his days on the run at the Hotel Waverly. Milton Acorn, a famous poet, wrote some of his best work at the hotel. Bob Dylan and Levon Helm both visited the Silver Dollar decades ago, unannounced.

The Wynn Group now owns the 113 year old hotel and bar and is planning to construct a 22-storey tower for University of Toronto students, called “The College.”

Not everyone is in favour of these plans. City Councillor Adam Vaughan thinks the plans are a terrible idea, stating economic concerns that students will not necessarily utilize the residence. Others assert that it’s time the site was renewed to serve a better purpose.

Another major transformation possibly coming to the neighbourhood is a brand new 20,000 square feet Loblaws. Many residents of Kensington Market have started protesting this new addition, saying that it will kill the business success and charm of the independent shops and restaurants in the nearby Market. A group called the Kensington Market Action Committee has organized protests in the area. Activists are worried the new Loblaws will make the Market obsolete, destroying a century of history.

The final large development in the area is the transformation of 1 Spadina Crescent, an old Gothic-style building.

This seemingly-odd site in the neighbourhood was built by the Presbyterian Church as a theological college in 1875. It has also been used by the Department of Optometry and the Visual Arts Department of UofT. Now, the building is set to become the new site of the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. A revitalization project is in the works, which will include adding 100,000 square feet of glass, stone and steel. It will also add studio spaces, an advanced fabrication lab, a large hall for events, and a public gallery. The University expects the project to wrap up by the end of 2015. The design team was selected by the University and will include: Nader Tehrani (from the Boston firm NADAAA) as the architect, along with Toronto consultants Public Work on landscaping and ERA Architects as preservation architects.

Didn’t we say there’s a lot going on around Spadina and College? Let us know what you think of these changes!

Sources:

http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2013/05/development-proposal-waverly-hotel-site-spadina

http://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/the-college-condominium-at-spadina

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/dilapidated-spooky-landmark-to-get-50-million-facelift/article12467014/

http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2013/06/iconic-spadina-building-be-transformed-architecture-school

http://www.blogto.com/city/2013/02/will_new_loblaws_on_college_kill_kensington_market/