from today's National Post...
City dragging its feet on Distillery condo towers, developers say
Posted: September 09, 2008, 9:07 PM by Barry Hertz
Politics, Neighbourhoods, Real estate
By Allison Hanes, National Post
The developers of Toronto’s Distillery District expressed frustration yesterday that the city is dragging its feet approving the details of the final condo towers that will complete the cultural, residential and commercial site.
The city is seeking a $1-million donation to theatre groups, a levy for park space and a delay in construction until the flood plain is reconfigured among other minor concessions before signing off on the $300-million construction of two high-rise condo buildings and a four-storey mixed-use building in the Distillery.
But after investing $50-million up front to restore the Victorian-era brick industrial buildings and transform them into restaurants, stores, galleries, theatres, offices, studios, public squares, walkways and patios, the developers said they have already contributed plenty to the fabric of the city and just wanted to break ground after two years of delays.
“It feels like double dipping on the city’s part,†said Michael McClelland, an architect for the project by Cityscape and Dundee Realty.
“We’ve already done lots of community benefits, probably more community benefits than any other site…. It’s like a memory loss because there’s been a huge amount of commitment already made on the site.â€
The matter goes before the Ontario Municipal Board, which can overrule city decision-making, in October. But Mr. McClelland told the Toronto and East York Community Council that the developers would prefer to sit down with city officials and resolve outstanding issues together.
However after the session, it was unclear yesterday if that sit-down will happen before the hearing — which won’t determine whether the project will proceed, only on what terms and when.
“We’d actually like the city’s cooperation to go ahead ... in a much more smooth way without so much red tape,†Mr. McClelland said. “
Councillor Pam McConnell (Toronto Centre Rosedale) agreed yesterday that the project has been “wrapped in red tape to the point it almost suffocated†since the redevelopment of the disused Gooderham and Worts distillery began in the 1990s.
She gave the developers credit for creating a world-renowned treasure that is Toronto’s newest tourist destination before getting the payoff from the condo towers that make the venture commercially viable but said the city still has a duty to be vigilant.
“I think it’s a balance but it makes it good planning,†she said.
The finishing touches on the Distillery District include 35- and 40-storey towers on the southeast quadrant of the site, including one that will use Tankhouses G and J as a podium for a glass tower. Office and retail space will be included on the ground floors.
David Jackson, a partner in the Distillery and Cityscape, said the city was on board when the major overhaul of the district began and doesn’t understand why they’re holding out now.
“There was a big servicing and restoration component required. We worked with the city. They were great supporters, certainly at the outset, but this last piece has been dficult,†he said. “It’s taken us two years to get to this point.â€