Their early adds promised that they would dominate the district and on that they have delivered. Verve and 500 Sherbourne were built on reclaimed lands from knocking down 2 large hospitals, located adjacent to the highest population density in Canada, forcing patients to run the gauntlet of restricted or reduced road lanes (over 6 lanes in each direction eliminated between the St James neighborhood and the cluster of hospitals south and west of Church/Shuter) while life and death for a stroke or heart attack victim can be 4-6 minutes…. Oh, then drop in another 10,000 inhabitants from Bloor to Wellesley and watch the EMS traffic pile up! Bring back the helipad at the rear of Jarvis Collegiate, to fly patients to St Michael’s or Toronto General. Surely, that will be cost effective more than cleaning up the asbestos at Wellesley hospital?
 
Um, wait, are you saying you think it'd be faster for a stroke patient to go to Jarvis Collegiate to wait for an air taxi to get to St Mike's than it would be for an EMS ambulance with lights and sirens to take someone the whole way? And that that would be cost effective?

I think I have an idea why it may feel like no one asks for your advice on such matters...
 
Um, wait, are you saying you think it'd be faster for a stroke patient to go to Jarvis Collegiate to wait for an air taxi to get to St Mike's than it would be for an EMS ambulance with lights and sirens to take someone the whole way? And that that would be cost effective?

I think I have an idea why it may feel like no one asks for your advice on such matters...
My bad. Once again, we are reminded how sarcasm and irony do not translate well on the internet, especially during this hyper-sensitive era in which we live. There were several take always from my humble post, but
Um, wait, are you saying you think it'd be faster for a stroke patient to go to Jarvis Collegiate to wait for an air taxi to get to St Mike's than it would be for an EMS ambulance with lights and sirens to take someone the whole way? And that that would be cost effective?

I think I have an idea why it may feel like no one asks for your advice on such matters...
Um, wait, are you saying you think it'd be faster for a stroke patient to go to Jarvis Collegiate to wait for an air taxi to get to St Mike's than it would be for an EMS ambulance with lights and sirens to take someone the whole way? And that that would be cost effective?

I think I have an idea why it may feel like no one asks for your advice on such matters...
Whatever, thank you for reminding us that sarcasm and irony do not translate well onto the internet, especially during this hyper-sensitive era we live in. As a senior poster, you issue a warm welcome to a newbie - or perhaps a veteran of the blog wars, which I believe has the prime directive of: Never attack or insult the writer, just the message.
Perhaps you are unaware that there used to be a helipad above the reinforced teacher’s parking garage? Or that traffic between ground zero (let’s say, 200 Wellesley St E) and St. Mike’s Emergency (the closest) would never be the critical 4-6 minutes to save a life. Maybe at 4 a.m. Twenty years ago, a victim could crawl into Wellesley hospital and be admitted. Of course, a helicopter ride is expensive. I think the cost of a typical ambulance, with supporting equipment has hit $1M.
No worries. When my spouse needed medical attention, I drove to St.Mike’s myself. The EMS vehicle has to show up, first. In the same world class traffic.
We are so far off welcoming 159 SW to the neighborhood - and this being the 5th summer that horribly delayed project has ruined with its 5:30 a.m deliveries and jackhammering or sheet metal sheering at any time of day, six days per week, since July 2017. The two towers which filled the the hole where StudioII, PM Toronto/Zippers nightclub used to be (there was a brief straight club there when Studio II closed, but the manager was killed which turned out to be bad for business and it closed), began to excavate just after the 159SW project - they both Occupied more than a year ago.
Verve and 500 Sherbourne - two properties I’ve known well - do fit in well with the surroundings, that being 545/555/565 Sherbourne of similar height. The Alterra project is a monstrosity on a postage stamp lot and overwhelms 155 Wellesley St., beside it. It is twice the height as it’s 54 year old neighbor, but don’t blame the. City. I’m sure Starlight investments was paid handsomely for the inconvenience of ridiculously invasive 4.5 years of noise and dust, complete loss of any privacy to more than a dozen tenants who have lived from 10-25 years in their North or east facing units; who now hide behind drawn blinds where no window covering was necessary before. Tie-back Agreements are quite lucrative for tenacious landlords. As are crane over reach tariffs, although I suspect the landlords along the south dive got a windfall for that.
This was once a highly desirable neighborhood.
 
I lived in that neighbourhood, on that block, for well over a decade. If you really think it was a better place 15-20 years ago I'm not sure what to tell you. But the demolition of the hospital had nothing to do with the construction of 159SW apart, perhaps, from aiding in the overall desirability of the neighbourhood.

Sure, if you'd had a heart attack on that corner a few decades ago you would've had a shorter drive to the hospital than you would today. But by that logic I guess we should raze the entire city to put a hospital on each block?

I'm not sure if you have a point beyond that, that the neighbourhood has changed? It was a better place when it had rundown hospitals, more parking lots and gas stations, and higher levels of drug use and prostitution? Or we shouldn't build anything in case it interferes with anyone's view?
 
The city just wants to know that an elevator works, the fire alarms and hoses function, that there is heat and hydro - that’s pretty much it. Garbage chutes, you might expect 2-3 months before garbage pickup can be arranged, especially with most senior managers having 6 week’s holidays. Fight for the one or two available elevators which will be covered in genuine plywood for weeks or months. Hint: do not buy in the lower half of any building. It might shock readers what the city will turn a blind eye to.

Sadly I've experienced it first hand. Buyer has no protection....and if anyone mentions Tarion...go take a long walk off a bridge.
 
Taken yesterday, Aug 25:

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The shot above is beautiful, but if anyone's close by soon, we'd love a shot that also shows the base from somehow along Sherbourne or Wellesley streets to use in the year end poll!

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We're looking for honest photos that give the building a fair shake in the poll. People viewing get to choose if it's pretty or not, not me!

42
 
By request (from today)

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Note the ugly partitions on either side of the corner entrance, which is not open yet. I have no idea what they’re for or even what that space is going to be. The main lobby seems to be on Wellesley and has a separate entrance.

137EBCA0-8B54-4404-AC18-F3BDAB02B821.jpeg
 
So it’s going to be …, Domino’s!!! They’re literally in the next building, so I expect they’re going to close the old location. Perhaps a sign of impending redevelopment? Although that building is really narrow and wedged between this tower and a Catholic school …

A33B1C11-8A06-4F67-8665-D269072E327E.jpeg
 
Such a depressing project. :oops:
Depressing is not what I would use here. Subpar, yes...as the window wall materials could have been of way better caliber and far less busy. As well as extending those brick 'n earth tones beyond just the podium. But depressing, nah. Not with those angles...this ain't your average glass box, IMO. Marginal thumbs up for me on this one.
 
I think this turned out fairly well. The podium for me is the issue. I think the tower is attractive.

The partitions were only put up recently to detract pedestrians from short cornering the sidewalk. (Yes they are an ugly after thought).
 
Yes, the shape is nice, but there's more to beauty than shape. The materials are complete crap. This is a subpar effort IMO. There are rental buildings better than this. The brick panels are terrible. The abundance of spandrel along with the way it meets the street. Just awful to me.
 

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