Northern Light
Superstar
Cool description, but still shocking to think of you way out in the suburbs of the Interchange Estates.
- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
Cool description, but still shocking to think of you way out in the suburbs of the Interchange Estates.
Towered
Superstar
Done that several times myself
milanista
Active Member
Received a flyer in the mail for the online community meeting (May 8th @ 6:30pm)
Proposed details from the flyer:
- "transit oriented" 12-storey mixed use building with indoor/outdoor amenity space
- new retail space and enhanced public realm along Bloor
- innovative mass timber building targeting several sustainability certifications
Proposed details from the flyer:
- "transit oriented" 12-storey mixed use building with indoor/outdoor amenity space
- new retail space and enhanced public realm along Bloor
- innovative mass timber building targeting several sustainability certifications
MrWhale
New Member
I received the Gord Perks newsletter yesterday via email and he shared the details on the upcoming PAC meeting for this development proposal (copied below).
I'm looking forward to seeing the concept/massing. Mass timber can be beautiful.
Intensification around Jane TTC station is certainly needed. I'd even support 3 extra storeys in order to add an affordable housing component.
Designing the retail podium will be important, too - e.g., utilizing a transfer slab to minimize # of columns, favoring smaller unit sizes for independent retailers, optimal frontage/depth, etc.
I'm looking forward to seeing the concept/massing. Mass timber can be beautiful.
Intensification around Jane TTC station is certainly needed. I'd even support 3 extra storeys in order to add an affordable housing component.
Designing the retail podium will be important, too - e.g., utilizing a transfer slab to minimize # of columns, favoring smaller unit sizes for independent retailers, optimal frontage/depth, etc.
| 2453-2569 Bloor Street West Pre-Application Community Meeting A plan has been proposed to redevelop 2453–2469 Bloor Street West into a 12-storey mass timber mixed-use building with retail on the ground floor. A meeting will be held on May 8th from 6:30pm-8:00pm to allow you to view the proposal and share your thoughts, consisting of a short presentation of the development followed by a Q&A session. Councillor Perks and City Planning staff will also be in attendance to help answer any questions that may arise. You can register for the meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pmCf34nNQeiYr4XIQ0kQGw#/registration. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. |
HousingNowTO
Senior Member
Adding to the watch list...
Northern Light
Superstar
Hold on! I feel like I miss very few things at UT, but I was a bit late catching this update on the Mass Timber among other things.
Credit to @milanista for breaking that news here on :UT.
That said as important as the innovative aspects of this proposal are; and as much as I support affordable housing here.........is there anything more stunning than the news that @Towered and @interchange42 have shared a culinary experience?
I mean this is the biggest story to hit UT since we found out about Interchange going to those raves under the Humber River Bridge with former member 'Sunrise Champion'.
LOL
Credit to @milanista for breaking that news here on :UT.
That said as important as the innovative aspects of this proposal are; and as much as I support affordable housing here.........is there anything more stunning than the news that @Towered and @interchange42 have shared a culinary experience?
I mean this is the biggest story to hit UT since we found out about Interchange going to those raves under the Humber River Bridge with former member 'Sunrise Champion'.
LOL
A Torontonian Now
Senior Member
Just attended the pre-application community meeting. It was a doozy. A few in support, most participants quite opposed, some constructive criticism in the middle. Will post more of a summary here later.
Architect is BDP Quadrangle. There is no fleshed out design yet, only massing. The developer said they will file their application to the City by the end of the month.
(Sorry for the small image size - did a screen grab of a few slides, but it seems to have gone poorly)
Architect is BDP Quadrangle. There is no fleshed out design yet, only massing. The developer said they will file their application to the City by the end of the month.
(Sorry for the small image size - did a screen grab of a few slides, but it seems to have gone poorly)
HousingNowTO
Senior Member
Jane & Bloor --- is the borderlands between "Bloor West Village Residents Association" and "Swansea Area Ratepayers Association" --- so yeah, it's going to to be a tough-room...
Amare
Senior Member
Wow how did i miss this proposal.
...Well, there goes my dentist office
...Well, there goes my dentist office
Northern Light
Superstar
Towered
Superstar
A more than reasonable ask. The locals of course will not tolerate anything above 2 floors
A Torontonian Now
Senior Member
The request is 12 floors. The president of the Swansea Ratepayers Association said it should be 6 floors. Councillor Perks was in agreement that it was too tall, but refused to say how high it should be, and kept blaming any outcome on the Land Tribunal ("Which used to be called the OMB", he stated every time he mentioned the name Land Tribunal, knowing this would score points).
Most amusing was the man who said "I'm sympathetic to the need for housing, but I'm what you call a NIMBY". I actually did have some sympathy for him, as he owned one of the houses on Larkin that backs onto the development and was concerned about use of the laneway. The right approach is to do our best to mitigate impacts on him, not to halt development, but there is no doubt that this will affect his life.
Perks did fight back on the concern raised that property values would drop, stating that in his experience, they always rise in neighbourhoods subject to investment.
The proponent from Leader Lane (Windmill's involvement was mentioned, but not present) emphasized that they were trying to be a different kind of more responsible developer by:
My main concern is the retail. There was a stated desire to break up the space, but I am not sure this is genuine because the ground floor plan shows it as a large block probably suitable to just 2 - 3 tenants vs. the 8 or so there presently. I think there is a net loss in square footage as well, although those numbers were not presented.
I will try to get my screen shots in order and post a few more of the slides next.
Most amusing was the man who said "I'm sympathetic to the need for housing, but I'm what you call a NIMBY". I actually did have some sympathy for him, as he owned one of the houses on Larkin that backs onto the development and was concerned about use of the laneway. The right approach is to do our best to mitigate impacts on him, not to halt development, but there is no doubt that this will affect his life.
Perks did fight back on the concern raised that property values would drop, stating that in his experience, they always rise in neighbourhoods subject to investment.
The proponent from Leader Lane (Windmill's involvement was mentioned, but not present) emphasized that they were trying to be a different kind of more responsible developer by:
1) Using mass timber (resulting in less construction impact to the neighbourhood due to less concrete forming & a less carbon-intensive build)
2) Creating larger, liveable condos for those priced out of single-family homes, including families.
I think the first point is genuine, the second point might be leaning towards hype, because while they may be larger units than you would find downtown, they are not what I would call large units, and the building is 100% market-rate units. The units will range from 530 square feet to 1060 square feet, and be a mix of 8% studio, 55% one bedrooms, 26% two-bedrooms, 11% three-bedrooms.My main concern is the retail. There was a stated desire to break up the space, but I am not sure this is genuine because the ground floor plan shows it as a large block probably suitable to just 2 - 3 tenants vs. the 8 or so there presently. I think there is a net loss in square footage as well, although those numbers were not presented.
I will try to get my screen shots in order and post a few more of the slides next.
Northern Light
Superstar
Excellent synopsis! Thanks for reporting all that.
I think you're completely on point; how the retail is handled in overall size, in number of units and aesthetically would be a critical concern for me.
Bijou is 12s, that precedent will favour the applicant here.
However, this proposal is on the south side of Bloor and will cast more shadow on Bloor as a result though its shadow on housing should be limited mostly to sunset/late-day I would think.
I would bank on approval at 9-11s. I lean towards the latter but with tiering.
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A Torontonian Now
Senior Member
Here are the slides I caught:
The materiality is interesting. In addition to it being mass timber, they are looking at other carbon-sensitive materials, porcelain tile cladding being one such possibility. They are also considering OKO Skin. Hopefully there is not too much value engineering to come.
The materiality is interesting. In addition to it being mass timber, they are looking at other carbon-sensitive materials, porcelain tile cladding being one such possibility. They are also considering OKO Skin. Hopefully there is not too much value engineering to come.