adma said:
Actually, is it the earlier, or the later, on the inventory? The later one's by Parkin--the earlier one isn't (and w/its neo-classical entrance allusions, you wouldn't expect it to be, either)
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Just looked it up--the one on the inventory is

844 DON MILLS RD Commercial 26 Architectural Contextual IBM Offices, 1950; David Sheppard and Powell; adopted by City Council on Feb. 14, 2006

Well, in which case, I'd suggest the Preservation Board look carefully at the 60s Parkin one as well--look, being btw/Dickinson's doomed IOTP and Parkin's doomed Bata (and, earlier, Imperial Oil on the current Superstore site), it's *begging* for acknowledgment...
 
Well I don't know ... they are both reasonably attractive buildings, but I have to agree with CDL's comment about the original one resembling nothing as much as a high school.

It's certainly a high-profile intersection and I have thought, more than once, while passing by, that it was underdeveloped.

As for the jobs, I would seriously doubt that they would move too far. People with these kinds of skills won't want to be uprooted and moved to Timbuktu. I predict they might go up to Markham, where there are compatible uses already.
 
Remember, they might not be the greatest buildings in the city, but they'll more than likely be replaced by twelve more phases of Haven or the Chedington...
 
It's interesting - the whole area is seeing massive change, though other redevelopments have been townhouses (SE corner of Don Mills and Eglinton) or the very un-urban Superstore on the NE side. The site could be redeveloped very poorly despite the potential.

I liked the older section more, if only because of those 1980s childhood-era trips to the Science Centre, we'd pull off at Wynford from the DVP, and the facade would stare us waiting for the light to turn onto Don Mills south. I'm nostalgic for it.
 
CDL.TO said:
What year is the newer phase? TObuilt doesn't seem to know... is it really 60s?
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I think it was about 1965/66/67. Contemporary with, or maybe a touch later than, Bata and IOTP. (The off-ramp from Eglinton's contemporary with it.)
A more Aalto-sque touch from Parkin. (Very Expo-era, thinking of all the current 40th anniversary press.)
 
I remember seeing Consent for Severance + Easement application back in early 2008, in effect to allow the west building site (formerly leased to IBM) to be sold off for redevelopment ...

and I recall seeing a consultant's report floating around in City Planning that speaks to redevelopment of the west parcel for some combination of office/commerical/residential, which of course would be subject to Official Plan Amendment (seeing that this site is currently designated 'Employment Areas'), the former IBM building would be demolished and only the east Celestica building (844 Don Mills) would be maintained since it has heritage designation as described above

I have not heard anything since ... wonder what the status on this is now? IE: who bought the site??

Municipal address of the two buildings are: 1150 Eglinton Avenue East (west bldg) and 844 Don Mills Road (east bldg)
 
Solaris said:
the former IBM building would be demolished and only the east Celestica building (844 Don Mills) would be maintained since it has heritage designation as described above

I have not heard anything since ... wonder what the status on this is now? IE: who bought the site??

Municipal address of the two buildings are: 1150 Eglinton Avenue East (west bldg) and 844 Don Mills Road (east bldg)
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To repeat: while the older "heritage designated" building may be of a certain historical importance, the W building may be of greater actual *architectural* importance...
 
Just to confirm, what exactly has Celestica put up for lease.

There are office reports for about 350,000 square feet available now. So it seems development is out of the question for now.

It still seems to be headquartered here at the Don Mills location - is this only part of the site? Is the plant still in operation as well?
 
Not to sure what it implies but I noticed the for lease sign that went up a while ago has been gone for some time now.
 
I know I'm turning this into a one man show :p but ...

So it's official, they're office building segment (not manufacturing) is up for lease, that's about 300,000 square feet. It's a pretty big loss for the area and I don't see it being filled for sometime to come. There's another building - the white one (about 9 stories - beside the converted lofts and foresters), on the south east corner which is also completely empty and is all for lease / sale.

Anyone have any inside information regarding the rest of the campus, are they going to attempt to sell / lease the manufacturing component as well?

It seems lately the recession is really hurting the inner suburbs ... then again I guess they've been hurting for some time now.

Although a point about Celestica ... it's been struggling for a while, everywhere, so this doesn't say much in particular about the Toronto office market.
 
I hope they don't do anything bad to the building fronting Don Mills. They should turn that great building into lofts and then add some 5-7 story condos with streetfront retail where the parking lots currently exist. Could be a great little dense community with alot of charm.
 
Jayomatic said:
I hope they don't do anything bad to the building fronting Don Mills. They should turn that great building into lofts and then add some 5-7 story condos with streetfront retail where the parking lots currently exist. Could be a great little dense community with alot of charm.
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Yes but really it would best for this to stay an employment district - we have enough condo conversions going on already. Not that the demand exists though, that's part of the problem.
 
The prospectus for the building says that the east side was constructed in 1967, and the west 1971. I realize now that this is the IBM Canada Headquarters that was a finalist in the last Massey Medals for Architecture in 1970. I wish they had placed the more recent building on the Inventory as well as the older one.
 
Is there some kind of institutional/educational reuse possible for the IBM HQ, I wonder? (And the entire site is so megascale, I doubt it'd be too "wasteful" to retain it.)
 
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