Yep I can see that ... a poorly managed condo board is a huge pitfall ... more so in the past when there was much less regulation then today (yes, many argue there isn't enough as it stands) though the new condo act will hopefully improve things.
A major issue I see is dispute resolution, and again the new condo act will attempt to improve this, but that's always been another serious issue.
Regarding fully glass condos, well, I imagine similar concerns should be shared by fully (or mostly) glass office buildings no ? Not saying this is not a concern though.
That's an interesting point.
I would think that the banks would build well and build for longevity since the buildings are physical symbols of them. They would have wanted to portray stability, wealth, power, and longevity when they were built 30-40 years ago (this is also why they used stone heavily for their neo-classical branches in earlier times). Since the TD building (one of my favourites) was built by Mies Van der Rohe I would think it would be built with quality.
I don't really know much about construction, building materials etc., but I guess the concern is: are the developers building this new wave of skyscrapers making choices so that the buildings can age well? Or are they taking short cuts to cut costs since they aren't responsible after the units are sold? Personally I don't know, I would expect some to be good, some not. I certainly hope they age well, since I think they can be beautiful when mixed with the other types of buildings (various ages & heights) in Toronto. The apartment buildings from the 60's and 70's don't seem to have aged well, but maybe if the new condos are owned by people who care (and/or live there) and the condos are managed well, they will age better.
Personally I've lived in an early (80's) high rise condo that was mostly made of brick. It has aged pretty well, and I'd personally like to see more of a diversity in materials in new buildings.
The documentary probably over-exaggerated or sensationalized certain concerns, although those concerns are probably valid. I enjoyed watching it though, you get to see Jennifer Keesmaat walk out of Eglinton station to Davisville, then take the subway downtown
I do hope restaurant row on King St. stays.