k.w.l.
New Member
The former. We're certainly not running out of office space, though sites like this, in the immediate vicinity of union station are not unlimited.
- Thread starter AlvinofDiaspar
- Start date
urbandreamer
recession proof
^When the Gardiner eventually comes down, the CofT will be sitting on a huge swath of prime office land; then there's the R.R. tracks.... But with Ontario in a recession now, why would there be a need for more office towers?
lordmandeep
Banned
what makes you think it is coming down any time soon.
It to late for Miller to do it and there isn't a snowball's chance in hell he will win a third term.
It to late for Miller to do it and there isn't a snowball's chance in hell he will win a third term.
urbandreamer
recession proof
^Soon? I mean within the next 100 years!
freshcutgrass
Senior Member
I don't see any other factors that would be applicable. The market is the only thing that determines whether something gets built or not...and what that something's use is. The "city" planning or zoning department has no control over this. The best they can do is tweak the numbers of whatever the market has produced.
A mixed-use area slanted more towards residential than office is probably the best scenario anyway in general terms. Throw in some of the major sports/entertainment/recreational/tourist/convention amenities this area has the unique benefit of, and I just can't manage to see the big disaster. So it only has a few million square feet of office space.
It might not be the eye candy material some people want everything to somehow be...but it sounds like a real, highly usable, multi-functioning addition to the downtown core. And at the end of the day, isn't that what the priority should be?
Remember...its original incarnation was primarily an office project (I think Marathon's Southtown called for a total of only 1000 residential units). If we want to wait around to fill it up with office towers, we will be looking at a brownfield for another 40 years.
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
Ah, the usual suspects: Toronto can do no wrong, we have absolutely no ability to direct non condo/office uses (such as institutional, sport or park land) to these several blocks along York, how dare you get in the way of The Market, accusations of desiring spectacle everywhere, we need to develop all available land in the city as soon as possible, etc., etc.
You've conveniently ignored the part where I said none of this stuff really matters because these blocks are getting developed in a certain way and to that end the Ice/16 York complex should be a success. Aim for a C+ and a B- like Ice will seem just great...three cheers for the B- district!
adma
Superstar
If you havent seen it, here's a model of the site layout (showing only the bases of the proposed buildings)
Wow, that's a veritable moonscape. It looks like it's made of green cheese
Dan416
Senior Member
Ice is a B-? I think it's at least a B+ or A-
freshcutgrass
Senior Member
My feelings about this is...if you are going to be that far off the mark in putting words in my mouth...just refrain from doing it. Being embarrassed for you gets exhausting.
Ha Ha Do you really think most things in life fall short of A+, because they choose to be C+ and B- ???
I hate to burst your bubble, but the reason A+ isn't the norm, is because most people aren't talented enough...even the talented ones aren't consistent.
Trust me...the Conservatory Group thinks Infinity is an A+. It isn't their fault that they have little talent, and what's worse, they don't know they have little talent. And there isn't much you can do about people who are intent on practicing whatever level of talent they have. They are a market-driven company, and since the market validates their delusions by snapping them up, don't look for it to change...until the market changes.
There's no point in getting upset about it, because everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humour...even though they all couldn't possibly have.
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
They're your words, which you're free to go back and reread if you're not too exhausted becoming enraged at strangers on the internet. Well, "Toronto can do no wrong" isn't your words, but based on your recent near-rabid defense of this city, they really are your words, too.
The Conservatory Group isn't entirely at fault for Infinity...the city has its share of blame. Talent, for example, has nothing to do with forcing Infinity's retail to eke out an existence under a dismal precast arcade. Dispose of enough vision and make enough compromises and you really can't aim for much over a B (keeping in mind that a B in real life was probably an A as a watercolour concept with planning arrows and archispeak). And why bother aiming higher when there's people around who will support absolutely anything as long as the targeted brownfield or parking lot doesn't survive for one unbearable minute longer?
4grand
Active Member
Space Age design from the 60's looks bad nowadays, why would they try and copy that?
What happened to classic, classy, architecture?
This looks like too much.
The towers are nice, the base just seems superfluous.
What happened to classic, classy, architecture?
This looks like too much.
The towers are nice, the base just seems superfluous.
grey
Senior Member
Don't mean to be rude, but if you educate yourself a little you might develop an appreciation for this architectural style and find that this is, in fact, classy and classic.
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
The base is the best part!
There may not be much genuine Alsop-style Space Age stuff here (and the rayguns at Scarborough Town Centre don't count), but the Logan's Run age (like Moriyama & Teshima) has had a place in Toronto for quite some time. I don't think Toronto has ever shied away from the "fun" side of modern architecture...seems like we regularly reward ourselves with outbursts of whimsy.
There may not be much genuine Alsop-style Space Age stuff here (and the rayguns at Scarborough Town Centre don't count), but the Logan's Run age (like Moriyama & Teshima) has had a place in Toronto for quite some time. I don't think Toronto has ever shied away from the "fun" side of modern architecture...seems like we regularly reward ourselves with outbursts of whimsy.
