Northern Light

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New App. into the AIC for this: (includes SPA also)

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Streetview:

Larry the Liquidator retail (former drug store) and associated parking

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Aerial pic:


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Site Size: ~4900m2/52000ft2

Context: To the immediate south are purpose built apartments in the 6/7s range, across the street are 2s townhomes, to the rear (east) are mostly 1s bungalows and the north is 1s retail.

This one may be reaching a bit on height given the neighbours and lack of immediate precedent, there's no MTSA or other special circumstance for this one. To be clear, I don't see anything intrinsically wrong w/this height here,
if the massing and site plan are done correctly, just noting a possible obstacle.

The reference point here will be a purpose-built rental of 12s in height, roughly 250m to the north.
 
I live close to this development. Obviously I'll spend more time looking at when the documents are up, but I'm excited for this.

The Rexall was built here maybe around 2010? It was rarely busy, and now Larry the Liquidator is in the same boat.

This is a better use of the land for sure.
 
* Docs are Up *

Architect is Partisans.

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* interesting note here, one additional height precedent I had forgotten about was cited in the Planning Report, 11s; for an un-built, but approved proposal on the lands just to the north.
 
im with the developer and we're using a platform called CoUrbanize to engage with the community. Feel free to check it out to learn more about this unique apartment project and engage with our team and other community members. https://courbanize.com/projects/1925vicpark/comments?ordering=-created

Welcome to UT!; and thanks for the post, and the link. That led me to the development website itself which is quite informative. I will post some of the images/details from your site below.
 
Ok, UT this site is getting more interesting.............it was an intriguing looking design from Partisans which, lets admit, we all wonder whether that will actually get built, in a spot like this......

But this is looking promising.........and some of the details are really well thought out.

So here's the website: https://www.1925vicpark.com/form I'm linking directly to the 'form' section which is about the building itself; there are other sections of the site as well.

From the above, these are some slides/images I thought worthy of discussion:

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I like this idea; but will now ask our new member @jdiamond how they propose to manage snow/ice in the open-air corridors?

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New to UT renders:


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There's a few more, but I'm outta space!

Really, really interesting!
 
UT's own @AlexBozikovic has picked up on this project with a very enthusiastic endorsement though his column in today's Globe and Mail:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/article-1925-victoria-park-avenue-toronto/ (currently behind the paywall)

A couple bits from the article:

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***

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There's a lot more in the article and I would encourage everyone to take a look-see.

Everything about this building, the architecture and design choices and the stated motivations of same has me enthused.

There are certainly some details that need to be seen; but this has all sorts of potential.
 
Featured in this Toronto Life article:



The new proposed 11-storey building at Victoria Park and Lawrence Avenue East is designed to look like a laid-back vacation destination. The purpose-built rental complex is completely open air, with all of its corridors exposed to the elements. There’s a leafy courtyard at the centre of everything and vertical gardens throughout. The beach vibe is meant to encourage residents to socialize instead of just shuttling into and out of their units, studiously ignoring their neighbours. Now that’s a radical idea.

The complex will be built using pre-made timber-and-concrete segments that can be assembled on site, cutting construction time by 20 to 50 per cent and reducing noise disturbance.

There will be vertical gardens throughout the building, with an irrigation system to keep everything alive—giving everyone the benefit of a garden without anyone having to remember to water it

The outdoor hallways will be 10 feet wide and will double as social areas where residents can hang out

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Love the ambition, but open air corridors, vertical gardens and irrigation give me heebie jeebies when I think about maintenance costs and hassle.
 
For year-round greenery, I wonder if spruce trees might grown in special planters, they way the do on the cliff edges of the Niagara Escarpment. Otherwise, the plants show in the rendering above look like they'd only be viable outside for for or five months, half a year at best.

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For year-round greenery, I wonder if spruce trees might grown in special planters, they way the do on the cliff edges of the Niagara Escarpment. Otherwise, the plants show in the rendering above look like they'd only be viable outside for for or five months, half a year at best.

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Just had a look at the plant list.

There are conifers proposed in the courtyard. 11 Eastern Hemlock

There are also multiple white spruce proposed at elevation on the out-face, in containers!
 
This one seemed awfully quiet, and I find it such an interesting proposal...........so I went looking in the AIC....

Resubmission in May '23.

Nothing too radical appears to have changed, but some tweaks on height (up 1s on VP); balconies on east side removed, a few other odds n' ends.

1 new render:

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The Cover Letter:

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Surprised to see this is as a one-page thread, given how pioneering this building might be. I blame @Towered, his anti-Scarborough bias must have spread to others who refuse to look at anything interesting east of Victoria Park Avenue, LOL

Someone else who should have commentary here is @ADRM ; of course, he's mostly taking the summer off UT, as he's not even reading his DMs. LOL
 
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