Is this because the Ford government just removed all height restrictions? I have a feeling his buddy buddy developers were given the heads up well in advance and they were just waiting for his housing & greenbelt announcement to release updated plans. I wonder how many other proposals will increase in height? Removing height restrictions is the only part of his plan I agree with touching, the greenbelt though will be a disaster and I hope people block the bulldozers!

Edit: Really excited about this height increase here!
Hi, I hadn't heard about the removal of height restrictions. How does that work exactly? Did Ford remove all height restrictions in cities and towns in Ontario? Specifically, does that mean developers in Toronto who want to build high-density skyscrapers basically have cart Blanche to build as high as they like in places like the downtown mainly? Or are you referring to building low and mid-sized housing in residential areas that presently don't allow anything but houses to be built? Thanks!
😀
 
Hi, I hadn't heard about the removal of height restrictions. How does that work exactly? Did Ford remove all height restrictions in cities and towns in Ontario? Specifically, does that mean developers in Toronto who want to build high-density skyscrapers basically have cart Blanche to build as high as they like in places like the downtown mainly? Or are you referring to building low and mid-sized housing in residential areas that presently don't allow anything but houses to be built? Thanks!
😀
I'm not sure if my comment is accurate now sorry. I had seen memes posted on reddit about Ford's housing plan and one of the points was he removed height limits to encourage higher density then I saw this CBC News article that was specifically about Hamilton that mentions in the first in the first paragraph that height limits have been removed in Hamilton. I just assumed if they did it in Hamilton they probably did it province wide? So I'm not sure if it's Hamilton specific or province wide. Obviously height limits would need to respect flight paths but I hope they are a thing of the past.
 
I'm not sure if my comment is accurate now sorry. I had seen memes posted on reddit about Ford's housing plan and one of the points was he removed height limits to encourage higher density then I saw this CBC News article that was specifically about Hamilton that mentions in the first in the first paragraph that height limits have been removed in Hamilton. I just assumed if they did it in Hamilton they probably did it province wide? So I'm not sure if it's Hamilton specific or province wide. Obviously height limits would need to respect flight paths but I hope they are a thing of the past.
Hi, thanks. I hope that's the case in Toronto. That might be why this developer is applying for more height. But I'm assuming the city still has to approve any height increase or skyscraper height proposals anyway. I'm confused about this and not sure if it applies to Toronto and if it means the Province itself will override any refusal by the city council to approve skyscrapers based on height alone. I think I've read they are removing restrictions and council demands based on things like shadow and sun and so forth. I think? 😀
 
Hi, thanks. I hope that's the case in Toronto. That might be why this developer is applying for more height. But I'm assuming the city still has to approve any height increase or skyscraper height proposals anyway. I'm confused about this and not sure if it applies to Toronto and if it means the Province itself will override any refusal by the city council to approve skyscrapers based on height alone. I think I've read they are removing restrictions and council demands based on things like shadow and sun and so forth. I think? 😀
I wonder if it mainly applies to Toronto in areas where the new subway lines are being built, too?
 
Are height limits that much of an issue in Toronto when skyscraper proposals with 60 or more floors are popping up everywhere? I would say the 9 foot ceiling height is more of an inhibitor for reaching 400 metres than planning. Maximum residential densities is a non starter as well. New York builds residential supertalls for much, much less than 35 proposed FSI here.

If I remember this right, the Empire State is barely 102 floors. The number would be closer to 85 were it not for the zeppelin landing dock turned observation deck. There's more than a dozen floors leading up to the dock that are not much bigger than a post-2010 condo den.

Downtown Hamilton has a strict 30 floor limit and every recent proposal includes at least one tower that reaches that maximum.
 
Seems like Doug wants his cake (tall) and eat it too (sprawl). I guess the silver lining here is that we may benefit from the former. Hopefully...

...that said, I presume though things like shadowing and whatnot will still come into play. And that developers still can't build 400 metre buildings just anywhere.
 
Seems like Doug wants his cake (tall) and eat it too (sprawl). I guess the silver lining here is that we may benefit from the former. Hopefully...

...that said, I presume though things like shadowing and whatnot will still come into play. And that developers still can't build 400 metre buildings just anywhere.
Good comments. I'll just say I'd be very happy with just 1 400 metre tower somewhere, anywhere in the city in the near future!

In my dreams: A modern sequel (kind of) to the CN Tower. A tower with condos and hotel rooms. A large observation deck with a restaurant and theater or nightclub. A 2nd higher observation tower with a view for people, including tourists. The tower would be topped by a tall spire. The total height would be 1250 metres! The lower observation deck would be around the 800 metre point, and the upper deck about 1000 metres.

And then I woke up! 😀
 
I just assumed if they did it in Hamilton they probably did it province wide?

Downtown Hamilton has a strict 30 floor limit and every recent proposal includes at least one tower that reaches that maximum.
I think that's the crazy 3x50s in the middle of detached houses proposal made possible by a zoning change quirk decades ago.
 
Last edited:
A larger version of the new render via HP:

1667844763942.png
 
Technically the Hamilton height limit removal was deleting an attempt by the city to extend the height limit city-wide to block developments like the 3-50 storey towers on the QEW service road.. the downtown 30 storey height limit continues to be in force.

So welcome to Hamilton, where you can build a 50 storey building as-of-right on the side of a freeway, but never dare even think about building 31 storeys in the middle of downtown!
 
Technically the Hamilton height limit removal was deleting an attempt by the city to extend the height limit city-wide to block developments like the 3-50 storey towers on the QEW service road.. the downtown 30 storey height limit continues to be in force.

So welcome to Hamilton, where you can build a 50 storey building as-of-right on the side of a freeway, but never dare even think about building 31 storeys in the middle of downtown!
That's bizarre! I don't know much about Hamilton, but this doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

Having said that, there could be a new song in all this somewhere from your description. Maybe Lights come up with something?
😀
 
Last edited:

Back
Top