Parkdalian

Parkdalian

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I couldn't find an existing thread for this proposal. Please merge if there is one already created!

I received a notice in my mail and my email about a proposal for this site. There will be a meeting on Wednesday, August 30th about it. I have taken a photo of the card so you can register if you'd like:

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Here's a photo of the existing building. The photo is from a Parkdale Residents' Association email I received:

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Parkdalian said:
I didn't make it to the online session yesterday, but some people on FB's Parkdale Community Updates report that the developer is KingSett, and this rendering was shown. (Note: the urban conversations on FB are like a demented version of UT.)

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Great post!

Lets have a look a the site.

First the aerial view:

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King St. is the street to the south here, (bottom) and Cowan to the west.

Streetview: (@AlbertC already showed us the King frontage, so let's look at the Cowan side)

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Site Size: ~1640m2 / 17 500ft2

Comments:

The one render above suggests some potential in terms of the podium and use of brick, but I don't see this getting through with those minimal setbacks.
The height ask here, while by no means outrageous lacks good precedent.
My feel here is that it gets a small haircut but has to deliver at least an additional 2M setback on the King frontage, and probably a bit more on the SFH-facing sides.
 
Towered said:
People in the Parkdale FB group are going apeshit that no affordable units are being proposed.
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Yes, and I'm generally on their side when it comes to that. But they are also getting mad about all sorts of nonsense things. One person went on a rant about how this is replacing the library ... which it's not.

Sadly, no one was mourning the imminent passing of the Sand Trap, Toronto's premier golf simulator: a business whose existence I am continually surprised by.
 
Northern Light said:
Look at that, a Dominion! A supermarket, and the forerunner of what is now 'Metro' in Ontario.

Couldn't have been much over 5,000ft2 in that space, quite possibly less.
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Apparently it was one of the first "modern" supermarkets. From Adam Wynne's history:

"1304-1318 King Street West is also notable for being one of the very first purpose-built-and-designed self-serve (modern) grocery stores in Toronto through the design commissions for Dominion Stores Ltd. 1304-1318 King Street West is also notable for being the first "modern" commercial plaza in Parkdale."
 
This one is now public in the AIC:

For the title : Architect is BDPQ * Project is listed by its King Street address 1304 King West

www.toronto.ca

Application Details

www.toronto.ca www.toronto.ca

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Site Plan:

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Ground Floor Plan:

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Parking Ratio: Less than 0.1

Elevator Ratio: 2 elevators, 263 units : .76 elevators per 100 units

Comments:

Elevator Ratio is inadequate.

Height, while not unreasonable lacks precedent

Setback on King is completely and utterly inadequate (at-grade), only 2.1M of public sidewalk, zero trees. uh uh, 4M minimum and I want trees! Their Block Context Plan shows another tower on the block, so the sidewalk precedent is very important; and one must account for growing number of pedestrians in the future (their context plan envisions this as one of 3 new towers on the north side of King in this area).

Their context plan also affirms by assertion that they lack good precedent for the height, you have to go close to 2km away (Dufferin just south of Queen) to find anything as tall or taller.

I'm ok w/the height w/the right setbacks, but I suspect they City will not be, the proponent here will need to come with a good package if they want to be the precedent setter for height here.

Offsite parkland acquisition would be ideal here, and I would suggest :

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The above home being added to Spencer Cowan Park which is a very narrow, mid-block connection style park. The properties on Cowan abutting this park also seem suitable.
 
Lived on Cowan for 8 years just a couple houses north of the little park (when I moved to Toronto in 1834).

21 storeys is tres tall... assume a haircut will be scheduled but glad it's BDPQ... though the materials mix seems rather fussy for them.
 
3Dementia said:
Lived on Cowan for 8 years just a couple houses north of the little park (when I moved to Toronto in 1834).

21 storeys is tres tall... assume a haircut will be scheduled but glad it's BDPQ... though the materials mix seems rather fussy for them.
Click to expand...
I never knew you are a time traveller!
 
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