[Amare]

Wow. This is going to be taller than expected. I think 229m now for the sky tower?

They did agree to put all parking underground (vs some in a three story parking structure between the towers and lakeshore) so they do have leverage...

229m would be excessively high for this area. Definitely appropriate for downtown or midtown, but this is on another level for the area. There is definitely no precedent anywhere else in the area (the closest would be Palace Pier but that doesnt break 200m). However, this is more dense of a development compared to Palace Pier.

 

[junctionist]

Tall towers are going to be norm. Most land in the city can't be developed because of development guidelines protecting stable neighbourhoods. You generally can't buy out 10 houses on a side street and build an 8 storey midrise building in their place, even if the market supports that. Land that can be developed is expensive and hard to get. Developers have to max out the height with every project and fill the towers with small units sold for as much money as they can get.

If we allowed neighbourhoods of ranch bungalows and Bay and Gables to be replaced with condos through developer land assemblies, we'd probably have a city of midrise buildings with larger and more affordable units. It would be cheaper to build, and there would be fewer towers. The city would eventually come to look like other major metropolitan cities. A built form comprised mostly of detached houses and high-rise towers is rather unusual for major metropolitan cities around the world.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Tall towers are going to be norm. Most land in the city can't be developed because of development guidelines protecting stable neighbourhoods. You generally can't buy out 10 houses on a side street and build an 8 storey midrise building in their place, even if the market supports that. Land that can be developed is expensive and hard to get. Developers have to max out the height with every project and fill the towers with small units sold for as much money as they can get.

If we allowed neighbourhoods of ranch bungalows and Bay and Gables to be replaced with condos through developer land assemblies, we'd probably have a city of midrise buildings with larger and more affordable units. It would be cheaper to build, and there would be fewer towers. The city would eventually come to look like other major metropolitan cities. A built form comprised mostly of detached houses and high-rise towers is rather unusual for major metropolitan cities around the world.

There are medians besides low rise sprawl, midrises and highrises. We are missing dense, low rise housing in the equation.

Perhaps our zoning laws should allow for one to buy out 2-3 houses on a side street at a time and build a denser low-rise build form, ala the Missing Middle.

 

[stjames2queenwest]

229m would be excessively high for this area. Definitely appropriate for downtown or midtown, but this is on another level for the area. There is definitely no precedent anywhere else in the area (the closest would be Palace Pier but that doesnt break 200m). However, this is more dense of a development compared to Palace Pier.

I say great! this community needs a focal point right now everything is of similar height which does not make for a great skyline

 

[interchange42]

229m would be excessively high for this area. Definitely appropriate for downtown or midtown, but this is on another level for the area. There is definitely no precedent anywhere else in the area (the closest would be Palace Pier but that doesnt break 200m). However, this is more dense of a development compared to Palace Pier.

Approved at 216m/709 feet, this is already the highest building outside a downtown area in Canada, so yes, this is on another level for this or nearly any other area in the country. As it's already that high, is 229m/750' that much more "excessive" in terms of overall dominance of the area? I say no, a 6% increase in height is not a big difference…

but I believe that the original approval at 216 metres had something to do with the shadows cast by the tower. I don't know what was going to be threatened shadow-wise by the original height which caused the height to be lowered to 216 metres in the first place, but maybe Empire does not believe that the CoA will care much about the potential extra shadow.

42

 

[krzlou]

GROUNDBREAKING EVENT
Saturday, May 23rd, 2015

Finally the project is going to break ground. Been waiting a long time for this.
This forum should get lively from now. I will try to be there even though its going
to be a 2.5 hr drive.

krzlou

 

[Edward Skira]

And so it begins.

 

[Filip]

GROUNDBREAKING EVENT
Saturday, May 23rd, 2015

Finally the project is going to break ground. Been waiting a long time for this.
This forum should get lively from now. I will try to be there even though its going
to be a 2.5 hr drive.

krzlou

What time is this? I'll go.

 

[krzlou]

It's 1 to 3 pm
Live entertainment and food trucks.
I think they hope to get more people to come to sell off the unsold units

 

[Keyz]

On May 9th. Piledriver on site.

 

[Edward Skira]

Thanks for the photo. Good to see.

 

[Big Daddy]

As much as I love this project, it's too bad the shorter tower will obstruct much of the view of the skyline of the city for the taller tower.

If only it could have been flipped with the shorter tower on the west side - but I guess the site was not suited for that.

 

[ahmedyusali]

are those two buildings raising simultaneously or shorter one will go up first ?

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

same time

 

[MillerEmpire]

April 18th I believe. Pics of Eau Du Soleil from Westlake! 45th floor ,,,