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I was vehemently oppsed to replacing those quaint townhouses which seemed to be such a symbol of Yorkville. But seeing how well the Hazelton is turning out, I'll admit, this is much better!
 
Those quaint townhouses were phony facades that replaced genuine bay and gables ( in the late '70's or early '80's, I think ). They were a symbol of Yorkville in much the same way as this new hotel is.
 
^ LOL - how true. Those 'townhouses' look better in the photo than they did in reality.
 
I loved the townhouses, not because of their architecture but because of their uses and built form. They were wonderful and pedestrian friendly, and a symbol of everything that was attractive about Yorkville. That being said, this isn't bad at all and I guess suits what Yorkville is becoming. If they do something like this on Cumberland, though, I'll be even more upset.
 
Yea.. The Hazelton is one of the finest projects Yorkville has seen since the Prince Arthur. It's very respectful of its surroundings. I hope 100 Yorkville turns out decent (it has potential, with all the retail and midblock connections).. The Regency, however, is seriously scaring me.. Either it will be a normal, run-of-the-mill Yorkville condo, or it will flop and look pretty damn bad (right now I wonder where the granite running up the Bay facade has gone.. LOL).
 
alklay said:
I do not mind the busy-ness of the building and I like the use of materials (which actually look better in real life than the photos). What I am unsure about it, are all those pillars out front. I am not a huge fan of retail behind pillars and I am not sure whether this building suffers from it. I remember seeing that much of the retail was almost flush with the very pronounced pillars but it is hard to tell from these photos.

I will pass ultimate judgment (and I am sure the developers and architects can't wait) when its is clear how the building integrates with the street.
Click to expand...

I just went to check out the building and you can relax on the pillar front. Other than the two pillars at the western end of the structure, all of the others are connected to the main structure by windows. I didn't feel like the building was overwhelming the street at all - blends in quite nicely.

Any tears for the former row of houses that occupied the site were shed when the original brick was replaced by "antiqued" brick which seemed to have a curious purple hue. It reminded me of the colour of grape flavoured chewie - very unnatural looking.
 
I think now is an appropriate time to cast our memories back a few years when various civic worthies were denouncing this development using the most alarmist and intemperate rhetoric.

Protest meeting draws crowd / Fear is highrise will destroy village

Toronto Star - Jan. 15, 2004

An 8-storey tower would be the height of madness, a high-rise dagger in the
low-rise heart of Yorkville, say opponents of a condo development scheme.

But the project is perilously close to being approved, a protest meeting was
told last night. Speakers included author Margaret Atwood and urban planning
guru Jane Jacobs.

The proposed development would replace a row of stores housed in Victorian
townhouses along Yorkville Ave. The Ontario Municipal Board is scheduled to
begin hearings Feb. 16 before making a final decision.

"And from that there is no appeal," said Mary-Helen Spence, one of the
organizers of last night's meeting. Despite the weather, more than 100
people filled the Heliconian Club on Hazelton Ave. They were asked to sign
petitions and donate money to continue the fight to the last ditch.

"It's 150 years since Yorkville was incorporated as a village, and we don't
want its birthday party to be its destruction," Spence said.
 
They were right, and this is a hugely destructive to the atmosphere of the neighbourhood. That being said, the well-executed design makes it less damaging than it could have been. The sad thing is that people won't even realize how pleasant it was before.
 
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