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30 stories and units the size of a shoebox. Thats what ever city needs or wants

True about the shoebox. Suites should be larger. Unless the developer has a public storage unit buildings as a side business.
 
[People move into a certain neighbourhood because of the existing architecture. A developer shouldn't be able to change the character of the hood for the worse. Toronto doesn't need any more shoebox suites in huge towers. Bloor/Duff is a great neighbourhood with lots of character. Dufferin Grove Park is a great community oriented park. Bailao is right to oppose massive development there.
 
Sometimes I just don't get many of the land owners and developers in this city. Bloor and Dufferin is the perfect location for a massive retail complex directly connected to the subway underground, with residential above. Bloor and Dufferin is a perfect location for a mixed use commercial / residential transit hub.

Why does it seem that many land owners and developers are opposed to connecting their projects to transit and focused on cheap narrow visions of what to build? If this was my land I would have already pushed or even paid the city to rough in a direct connection to my property underground from the subway and I would build a minimum of two storeys of full retail, effectively a shopping mall acting as a direct pathway between the subway and the Dufferin Mall. The residential component would go above but it would be the gravy not the focus of the development.

To me the focus on the condo tower at the corner and the resistance to the transit connections is a clear indication that there is no appreciation for the true value of the site and no one with business sense influencing the project direction.
 
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Sometimes I just don't get many of the land owners and developers in this city. Bloor and Dufferin is the perfect location for a massive retail complex directly connected to the subway underground, with residential above. Bloor and Dufferin is a perfect location for a mixed use commercial / residential transit hub.

Why does it seem that many land owners and developers are opposed to connecting their projects to transit and focused on cheap narrow visions of what to build? If this was my land I would have already pushed or even paid the city to rough in a direct connection to my property underground from the subway and I would build a minimum of two storeys of full retail, effectively a shopping mall acting as a direct pathway between the subway and the Dufferin Mall. The residential component would go above but it would be the gravy not the focus of the development.

To me the focus on the condo tower at the corner and the resistance to the transit connections is a clear indication that there is no appreciation for the true value of the site and no one with business sense influencing the project direction.

The mall's current configuration is not designed to take advantage of the subway being a block away. The south arm should have been on the north side of the mall. Maybe when it comes time to update the mall, they may do just that. At the moment, it geared towards the automobile.
 
To me the focus on the condo tower at the corner and the resistance to the transit connections is a clear indication that there is no appreciation for the true value of the site and no one with business sense influencing the project direction.

I wasn't aware of any resistance to transit connections. Can you elaborate? Sincerely curious, as I think most people would support access to the subway from this southwest corner (would avoid the pedestrian/car conflicts that currently exist).
 
It's not a project yet!

Just wanted to point out that there is no "project" yet for this site. The land is for sale, and after April 18th will be available for any buyer (not just educational/gov't).

The drawing shown by our city councillor at the public meeting was used to advertise the parcel of land to would-be buyers, so it is meant to show what might be possible on the site in terms of development blocks, roads, building heights, etc. It is not an urban design or architectural document, but more of a sales and marketing tool.

The building heights noted on this document are what is being discussed. The 30-storey tower at the corner would be directly south of the existing New Horizons seniors home, which I believe is approx. 15-stories. They also show a 23-storey tower fronting onto Bloor directly further west of Dufferin. The 30-storey tower makes some sense since the seniors home is already right there. The other tower would be very out of place IMO in the midst of 2-storey retail and single family homes directly north of Bloor Street. On the other hand, it is adjacent to a subway station, so no one should expect status quo.

The city councillor indicated that the city would consider 12- to 14-stories as a reasonable height given the site conditions. I know many in the 'hood would freak out at these heights too, but I think it's appropriate given where the land is located, transit access, densification, etc.

Also, given the "hot" nature of the 'hood these days, I would be surprised if whoever might buy the property to develop wouldn't take full advantage of it. I think it's premature to assume someone is going to frack the whole thing up, though I do think it's wise to be vigilant during the process. For example, the councillor mentioned that MOCCA (contemporary art museum) is looking for a new home. Wouldn't a smart developer see that as a great asset for sales and marketing of any condos, especially in an artsy 'hood? I agree with other commenters that a mixed-use project would make sense, including retail, institutional, and residential, especially since it would tie into the existing diverse land uses and make the most of the great location.

There is also a Facebook community group if anyone wants to check it out (Building a Better Bloordale).
 
The mall's current configuration is not designed to take advantage of the subway being a block away. The south arm should have been on the north side of the mall. Maybe when it comes time to update the mall, they may do just that. At the moment, it geared towards the automobile.

Good point. And any redevelopment on the TDSB land may spur an expansion of the mall, hopefully with an eye towards urbanizing the built-form to fit its location. A mixed-use development on the TDSB land could act as a virtual connection to the subway and take advantage of the high volume of foot traffic between the mall and the subway that currently happens along Dufferin. That is a very unpleasant short walk currently, with vehicles racing by, and meandering awkwardly around the fast food joints at Dufferin/Croatia and the big parking lot of the mall.
 
Good point. And any redevelopment on the TDSB land may spur an expansion of the mall, hopefully with an eye towards urbanizing the built-form to fit its location. A mixed-use development on the TDSB land could act as a virtual connection to the subway and take advantage of the high volume of foot traffic between the mall and the subway that currently happens along Dufferin. That is a very unpleasant short walk currently, with vehicles racing by, and meandering awkwardly around the fast food joints at Dufferin/Croatia and the big parking lot of the mall.

Found this article from 2011, at this link:

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If they do redevelop the area, they should include the Our Lady Queen of Croatia Church at 7 Croatia Street, located between Dufferin Mall to the south and the schools to the north. Make it into a town square setup.
 
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The Globe is reporting that the Catholic board will make a bid on the TDSB properties here. Personally, I'd rather see that than a condo development at this site. I hope that the public park mentioned in the article includes the basketball courts at the Southwest corner of the Bloor/Dufferin intersection - I've always thought they could make for a nice public square, an oasis on Bloor halfway between Christie Pits and High Park.

EDIT: In addition, perhaps the Catholic board could sell off one of their (much uglier IMO) secondary schools in the area. The Catholic school on the edge of Dufferin Grove Park would make for a better development site - certainly the views over the park would be nicer than the views at the Dufferin/Bloor corner.
 
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I find it interesting that the Beer Store had been within a stone's throw from Ursula Franklin Academy (when it was at Brock and Croatia).

I believe that there is a rule that alcohol cannot be sold within 200 metres of a publicly-funded school.
 
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I honestly don't see anything wrong with putting a 30 storey building at Dufferin and Bloor. This is just typical fear mongering about height from Bailao, cynically pandering to the selfish NIMBY's of the neighbourhood.


I agree.

It'd be right along the Bloor-Danforth Line ... precisely the kind of density the City of Toronto needs.

Also, the New Horizons Tower is already on the north-west corner of the intersection, so what's the problem?
 

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