[Architourist]

Hey there,

Well, you forumers have helped me before. If you remember, we all contributed to a column I wrote about a year (or more) ago called "Fantasy Conversions", which was about unrealistic buildings or structures that would make for cool fantasy living spaces (I think my editor is still laughing about life in the KFC bucket beside the Gardiner!).

Anyhow, I was wondering if you'd all like to contribute again? Of course I'll give full credit for your ideas.

This time, I'd like to focus on realistic conversions. Buildings that are abandoned, under-used or just plain ripe for development into condominiums or mixed-use buildings (residential/commercial). They can be small, one-storey places or giant complexes, I don't care. As long as a developer could look at it and say, "Yes, that's a realistic possibility."

For instance, about a month ago I pulled into Saulter St. (Broadview and Queen E. area) to park so I could visit a shop along Queen. Nice little residential street with typical Toronto "Bay 'n' Gable" houses on one side but, right across the street is this massive, low-rise, U-shaped industrial building that I could totally envision as a great loft building with a courtyard/entrance where the open part of the 'U' is...maybe even with some sort of partial shelter over it to create a micro-climate and to shelter residents when it's raining...you get the idea.

So, got anything like that for me? I'd need to know where it is and what your vision for it would be.

Who knows, maybe there's a developer out there who'd take our ideas seriously!

Thanking you all in advance,

Dave LeBlanc
(Globe and Mail)

 

[junctionist]

There are these two concrete silos that have potential in the Junction. Floors would be added, parts of the concrete walls could be cut, and glass would then be added.A more realistic suggestion for the Junction. A large century old commercial residential block on the south corner of Keele and Dundas, such as the Campbell Block, could be completely restored and converted. Lots of lofts could be built in the Viceroy Reliable building, and this would be a large project that easily seems the most attractive to developers. There have been "for lease" signs on it for years, so it doesn't seem well utilized, and the West Toronto Railpath will run right beside it.

 

[TKTKTK]

The Wellington Destructor area

Such great possibility to create a new low-rise neighbourhood with a mix of retrofitted industrial buildings and new mixed-use construction. The scale could be kept intimate and pedestrian, and exploit the small yards and courts that are already there. The Destructor could form the centrepiece to the new mini-neighbourhood linking the upper and lower sections. I guess the people who'd live or work in the abattoir buildings would have to like meat The whole place has a raw grittiness that would clean up well.

That old house/club/thing on Wellington is an obvious one. That should be restored and incorporated into some new residential building.

The Globe and Mail building itself. They should first tear down the parking garage and build a new office tower in its place. Next, move into the tower, rent out the rest, then tear down the rest of the Globe and Mail building. In it's place 1 high-rise office/residential on Front, and a mid-rise residential on Wellington.

 

[ProjectEnd]

3D's CATHEDRAL SQUARE CONCEPT!

 

[HiRiser]

The former Far East Theatre on Spadina Ave and the building on the north east corner of Spadina & Dundas. These old buildings should be converted to great lofts above vibrant retail

 

[junctionist]

3D's CATHEDRAL SQUARE CONCEPT!

It was worth bringing that up, but the focus is supposed to on existing buildings that could be converted, and 3D's concept relies on a parking lot.

 

[TKTKTK]

What about the old King Sol building? Is that still standing/empty?

 

[adma]

King Sol's standing, and well along in restoration mode.

The Globe and Mail building itself. They should first tear down the parking garage and build a new office tower in its place. Next, move into the tower, rent out the rest, then tear down the rest of the Globe and Mail building. In it's place 1 high-rise office/residential on Front, and a mid-rise residential on Wellington.

That's not conversion, that's a demolition/rebuild in several phases. And considering that we're talking about a clean modern early 60s Peter Dickinson work, Dave LeBlanc's probably among the *last* people you ought to be suggesting such a scheme to.

OTOH, the G&M *would* make a good conversion + tower addition candidate; but more in a restorationist than demolitionist spirit--goes well with a lot of the recent neo-modern in that Queen/Bathurst/Spadina zone. (And might Dickinson's Continental Can at 790 Bay make a good condo-type conversion too?)

While I wouldn't exactly want it subdivided into living spaces, the big glass Gropiusgasm at Dupont + Dovercourt might merit *something*--maybe living spaces inserted independently within the glass cage...

Maybe there are also a few things within the port lands worth converting, around Commissioners et al--my fave is that long blueish/greenish clerestoreyed corrugated metal thing perpendicular on the north side (still there?); I think I *may* have caught wind that it might be really early (i.e. mid-40s/wartime) Parkin...

Might Toronto be prepared to offload any of its R. C. Harris-era works tour de forces? Just that things like the Symes transfer station are looking awfully grotty, and practically *begging* some happy second life.

Would the Constellation cheese-grater count in this thread (i.e. or is it too late)?

 

[TKTKTK]

That's not conversion, that's a demolition/rebuild in several phases. And considering that we're talking about a clean modern early 60s Peter Dickinson work, Dave LeBlanc's probably among the *last* people you ought to be suggesting such a scheme to.

Nah, at most you'd have to save the main building along Front, the back parking garage and old press area / 3rd floor is pretty expendable. The main block could easily be built on top of, like you suggest. It would make a handsome base. On the other hand, the floating mass on the roof is what really does it for me with this building and I guess that'd have to be sacrificed for building up

 

[junctionist]

Might Toronto be prepared to offload any of its R. C. Harris-era works tour de forces? Just that things like the Symes transfer station are looking awfully grotty, and practically *begging* some happy second life.

Would the Constellation cheese-grater count in this thread (i.e. or is it too late)?

Places like the Symes Transfer Station could definitely be amazing conversions or commercial spaces with those Art Deco elements. It's unfortunately surrounded by a really uninspiring environment. There's the neighbouring factory, the dirty road and the stench of the slaughterhouse and meat related businesses. If only the location was better, its "pleas" would be answered so much sooner.

 

[adma]

Though it hasn't discouraged brownfieldsburbia infill, so who knows...

 

[HiRiser]

There is an abandoned building on corner of Ossington & Queen, used to be a rental place. Been boarded up. With West Queen West being so popular now, I think that would be a prime spot for some form of redevelopment.

 

[adma]

Maybe in connection w/the old fire station a few doors up?

As far as "single-storey places" go, I've always been intrigued by that junk store on the Danforth t/w Main w/the HUGE sign scaffold on top--and it seems to be physically connected to some ex-dairy or something in the rear. What kind of re-use could that be used for--sign scaffold and all, preferrably...

When it comes to the Symes zone, perhaps the floodplain location might be a barrier to what it's used for, but there's the big 60s/70s-ish ex-Cooper sporting goods factory on Humber Drive + Alliance(?).

Oh, and there's long been talk about reusing the old New Toronto Hydro building on the N side of Birmingham--I think brownfields conditions have been a persistent barrier to that--and there are more than a few other intriguing industrial-type possibilities in S Etobicoke. (And what about whenever the Christie plant closes? Film studio possibilities?)

 

[adma]

Another "reality conversion" idea might be to reconsider a few proposed demolitions--Macy DuBois' 45 Charles East stands out among them. (Though I don't know how residentialized it can get without impairing its character.)

Speaking of brutalism, once the Ontario Archives bolts from Grenville, I can envisage that toxic joint undergoing a total de-brutalizing perhaps-residential makeover (a la that office-turned-condo on the N side of St Clair E of Avenue Rd); and presumably by expanding south into that awkward parking space off College.

And speaking of St. Clair + Avenue, there's the eternal riddle of whatever'll happen to Imperial Oil. A "fantasy conversion" might involve someone living in its glass penthouse; a "reality conversion", though, could see the Imperial penthouse becoming a quite stylish uptown eating or entertainment venue of some sort--who knows, if Scaramouche is being evicted from Benvenuto, that might be the perfect place for it. (And it *was* once an observation deck, back when it was built; so it has a public history.)

(Maybe it's explained by security issues, but it's a wonder that with all our highrises and point blocks and supertalls lately, there's hardly any modern versions of Panorama Lounge-esque publically accessible rooftop fun. A shame, really.)

 

[0.01%]

Casa Loma would make an awesome boutique hotel with condos Dave! The city could definitely use the money too! Throw a restrictive covenant that the exterior structure can't be modified and you can still maintain the historic value of the property.

Got one more for you Dave:

Turn David Miller's office into an actual place of business as opposed to a tax hiking, union-friendly, socialist Fantasy Land!