It's pretty hard to believe that this site is actually getting developed.

This plot of land is the home of perhaps the most failed development attempts documented on the Urban Toronto Forum.

Going back to about the year 2000, the first proposal here was the Graphic Arts Tower, a sleek point tower design.

Then came the First Toronto tower, which actually claimed to be 70% sold before being pulled from the market for reasons unexplained. This design featured Toronto's highest flagpole at the top.

Then 'The Harry' Harold Stinson introduced one failed concept after another for this site.

He started with the Downtown Plaza, which was so architecturally atrocious that Harry actually threatened the city he would build it if he couldn't get approval for more height.

Then came his first iteration of the Sapphire tower, perhaps the best architectural design proposed for this site, with it's Jerusalem stone base and distinctive two cylinder design topped with a glass sphere.

When Toronto's 'condo king' acquired more land on this site, he then revised (and butchered) his design into a misproportioned monstrosity that was supposed to reach over 80 floors.

Following the city's rejection of this proposal due to NPS shadowing issues, Stinson released his concept for the innovative Emerald Tower, with it's double skin facade and shadow mitigating stepped top.

After the collapse of the Stinson 'empire', the site was purchased by an Israeli developer who proposed the Canada Tower.

This elegant design seemed to pick up where the Emerald tower left off, a refinement of the former oncept's design, with a reversal back to a blue glass facade ala the Sapphire Tower.

The Canada Tower concept seemed destined to go ahead, and was advertised online with comprehensive fly through video renderings.

However, this was not to be, as the developer decided to pull the plug on their proposal before even going to sales, and sold the site.

This brings us to INDX, which will finally defy this development site's curse of failure.

Unfortunately, INDX features an architectural design that is somewhat boring, plain, and less adventurous then some previous proposals.

Although it will be the only design in this site's history that will see life beyond renderings, it is a marked step backward in the evolution of design in our downtown.

The construction of INDX, which will finally seal this site's fate is a bittersweet occasion for our city in my humble opinion.
 
Great recap of the site history. As disappointing as INDX is, nothing good was going to happen on this site under Harry's stewardship. Yeah, yeah he eventually got something built at one king but we all know what a mess that was for investors (not to mention Harry sitting in the lobby like a crazed banana republic dictator). A few UT members have "enjoyed" the Harry Experience first hand. Cass was involved in rendering the Emerald Tower (no need for an architect when all you need is a pretty picture) and Sapphire. The orgasmic, sky-scraping Sapphire was "designed" by a firm that specializes in building Home Depot big boxes (again, few working drawings to my knowledge, just a pretty picture). I was involved in a laughable bid for marketing work... he displayed draft marketing materials (used for a pitch) in the sales office for months without returning phone calls. Anything for free (or almost free) was much-loved by Harry. Unprofessional? Take a guess. Visionary? In his own mind.
 
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All the failed attempts are technically from the same indecisive developer. Stinson was a lead partner in the Sheppard Group that develop the Graphic Arts Building and proposed the tower. I can imagine his constant tinkering is what led to the partnership dissolving. I think there have been a few documented properties over the years that multiple developers have tried to develop.
 
I never got the sense that "Canada Tower" was a serious proposal, but rather a preliminary concept that could be used to market the property to legitimate local developers. It looks like Lifetime just took the Canada Tower proposal and kind of ran with it. INDX has effectively identical massing to Canada Tower.
 
3Dementia said:
Great recap of the site history. As disappointing as INDX is, nothing good was going to happen on this site under Harry's stewardship. Yeah, yeah he eventually got something built at one king but we all know what a mess that was for investors (not to mention Harry sitting in the lobby like a crazed banana republic dictator). A few UT members have "enjoyed" the Harry Experience first hand. Cass was involved in rendering the Emerald Tower (no need for an architect when all you need is a pretty picture) and Sapphire. The orgasmic, sky-scraping Sapphire was "designed" by a firm that specializes in building Home Depot big boxes (again, few working drawings to my knowledge, just a pretty picture). I was involved in a laughable bid for marketing work... he displayed draft marketing materials (used for a pitch) in the sales office for months without returning phone calls. Anything for free (or almost free) was much-loved by Harry. Unprofessional? Take a guess. Visionary? In his own mind.
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That's a pretty darned accurate depiction you wrote there, 3D. Getting him to sit in one place and/or focus on one thing for more than a few minutes was like pulling hair. Not to mention his aversion to being committed to anything, like agreements or contracts.

Water under the bridge.

I'm happy to see this site finally having something move forward, even if it isn't an architectural masterpiece. It's almost completely hidden from most views of the city, and should make great infill.
 
I don't think this design looks that bad. Sure it's no award winner architectually but it seems different then just your average Cityplace glass tower. So I'll give it points for that. Like anything, I reserve my judgement until it's built. I won't turn down a 590 foot tower any day.
 
travis3000 said:
I don't think this design looks that bad. Sure it's no award winner architectually but it seems different then just your average Cityplace glass tower. So I'll give it points for that. Like anything, I reserve my judgement until it's built. I won't turn down a 590 foot tower any day.
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That is true since it is just a parking lot. I will take the tower anyday. If it was an old historical building than it might be a different story
 
INDX had brilliant marketing combined with the luck of launching just before the market hit its peak.
It is also the only condo in the financial district and has direct connection to PATH. You can't ask for a better combination.

Yes, the design is rather mediocre, but I would take this over any hideous amateur designs Stinson could come up with. I'm so happy he has left Toronto.
 
wyliepoon said:
Graphic Arts Tower in Google Earth... setbacks galore!

(height of model to spire is approximately 615')

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Great view!

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Here was the first proposal for the site. This is what should have been built here. Very well proportioned and reminiscent of Cesar Pelli's Wells Fargo Tower, arguably one of the best examples of POMO ever built. I agree the height will be nice, but INDX is cheap unispiring filler that will line Lifetimes pockets with lots of dough.
 
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Sorry, that looks like a pretty clumsy and cheap art deco knockoff to me. Thank goodness it never flew.

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