turini2
Active Member
Some photos from the "open house"
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- Thread starter W. K. Lis
- Start date
slickpete83
Active Member
got this idea after reading other thread about a developer wanting to buy an entire townhouse complex near eglington/don mills for condo development due to LRT nearby
so what pieces of real estate/townhouse complexes, buildings etc.. do you think developers will try and buy on or near finch LRT line once its finished ?
so what pieces of real estate/townhouse complexes, buildings etc.. do you think developers will try and buy on or near finch LRT line once its finished ?
W. K. Lis
Superstar
Likely we'll see most of the strip malls, with their free parking out front, converted into low-rise, mixed-use developments. This time with paid parking (better be).
drum118
Superstar
There are a number of small plaza that will be on the hit list as well a fair number of locations.
It boils down who is willing to sell as well how much can return on the investment. Then how many floors will it have in the new development. Most of the area is low rise in the first place,
Anything that has rental residential units will had a tougher process to go through to become X, depending on the number of units.
Islington Express Bus
Active Member
If you're really interested in the topic, you can read through a report the city made a few years back, the Finch West Real Estate Market Conditions Study:
As far as reports go, it's actually a pretty interesting read.
fiendishlibrarian
Active Member
I grew up at Keele and Finch and friends of mine who still live there tell me the brown townhouses on Romfield Drive, and the former Ferlisi plaza are both in play or will be soon.
yoshirocks702
Active Member
I think with the new changes to MTSA's there will potentially be more opportunities for increased density with developers assembling back-lotted houses along finch, in addition to the plazas and strip malls. Also I wonder if we will see more tower in the park in fills as well.
drum118
Superstar
Its time to rethink these towers in the park as they are a waste of space and lack of street edge, especially on Finch itself.
Buildings need to range from 8-25+ and not everyone needs retail at the base.
Some buildings should have street level like house enough they there maybe towers above then. I can see some green spaces in places.
Jonny5
Senior Member
Definitely on the retail. This localism trend has mutated into a twee affectation of urbanism that actual residents don't need and don't use. Centralised shopping centres are most often really great places, even if they are *gasp* more than 15 minutes away!
SashaLemon
Active Member
The main drag needs retail though, or else it is a drag to walk down.
Bureaucromancer
Active Member
But that needs to be retail that actually works. Ground floor retail in condos as we’ve been doing it.. mostly creates over expensive under sized units that either have no ROI for the developer or sit empty.
drum118
Superstar
There are so many businesses that a street/area can support that you can over saturate it to the point some will fail. Having the wrong business in the wrong area doesn't help.
Been involved with Toronto Waterfront since 2004, the BIA has complained about the lack of support for the business from the local residents that a number have come and gone even today.
There are a number of towers built over the years where retail space sit empty to day 10 years after been built.
SashaLemon
Active Member
How do you insure retail is spread around to avoid having too little or too much? Ground floor townhouse units that can be converted to retail if demand suits?
crs1026
Superstar
Please explain how this works. We have main streets in this city that are small retail, corner to corner, block to block…. restaurants, small stores, banks, services…. and this is what makes these streets so vibrant.
Along come the towers, and the small businesses are gone. Instead the ground floor is used for amenity space or for big-money chain retailers renting much larger stores. The small restaurants and bars are gone. The street loses its livability - the commercial equivalent of gentrification. Big money forces out the true entrepreneurs and small businesses. People avoid going out after dark because the streets are deserted. Everyone needs a car to go to the mall. Especially hard on businesses catering to new ethnicities and cultures joining our city, because they can only afford rents in backwater areas and not on the main streets.
In my view of the world, the small retail is non negotiable and if the developers can’t attract tenants, they lower the rates until they can.… and the street stays healthy.
- Paul
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SashaLemon
Active Member
We need to mandate a "units per sq foot" minimum. Avoid the huge mono units that will only be occupied by Shoppers Drug Mart or The Beer Store.