They royally screwed up, didn't they? Or is that giving them too much credit. It must have been intentional, this unfortunate compromise of a build.

From yesterday afternoon, when we were in the area to catch Ronnie Burkett's latest show at the St. Lawrence Centre.

Now I realize what's been bugging me about this design. That one building with the tapered massing in its bottom third reminds me of... a commode.

Put me down as a huge fan of alleged "unremarkable" Victorian housing. I guarantee that, should they be eradicated, multitudes of Torontonians will bemoan the relative paucity of historical examples in the city's building range of typologies. It's not a spartan, either/or equation. There's...

From earlier today, having made the trip to see Burn Baby Burn, a fantastic dance performance at the Fleck Dance Theatre.

That looks pretty smart. Much depends on the cladding materials but I like the variety and design nuance depicted here.

The massing was always fairly interesting but the execution details let the project down. Could have been a daring, bold contender - now it's just clinical, somewhat respectable infill. It certainly doesn't deserve any rewards. Such a shame; the potential was immense.

Wow... I am gobsmacked. This has been such a sleepy, rather decrepit zone for decades on end.... time for a new era to be ushered in.

Same basic reaction here. I just don't think they've thought it through; rather, they're just trying to gussy up the building as cheaply and as quickly as possible - they're certainly not thinking in terms of longevity.

Two from earlier today.

This building needs glass tinted aubergine or it's a massive fail. /s

The project late last night, as I was on my way home from life drawing, and again a half hour ago.

I''m going to go with British Racing Green.... or if you want something more electric but jolly, lime green. But really, just give us the umbrellas, thanks very much.

Yeah, the place is as yet a bit sterile. It's a massive improvement from what was there before but it could still go the extra mile. More colour would deffo be welcome, as would be shade elements like umbrellas and, in time, some proper tree cover. But it's lovely all the same. And the sight...

Truly one for the history books.

Point of clarification: Eastern has long been a dependable east/west arterial into and from downtown, well before most Torontonians even knew the Portlands existed. It has a rich industrial history, although there are relatively few remnants of that left. It's been a messy but vital thoroughfare...

Yeah, the diss on Eastern is not warranted. I'd welcome a smart 14 story building here. Besides, that stretch will doubtless change up again soon enough, further shaking off its somewhat bleak and crusty industrial vibe. I often find myself wondering about how long Canada Post, awash in red ink...

This is a pleasant surprise... hope the finished product keeps with the vibe.

Ugh. Wasted opportunity.

This project has also taken a remarkably long time to execute. Either they have substantial capitalization problems or the project is simply badly mismanaged. As it stands, it's been a bleakly comical series of cascading missteps.