[verticalvillage]

It's regressive to demolish entire blocks of heritage buildings for a single project.

...if the project was architecturally uninteresting and provided no public spaces and institiutions.

 

[verticalvillage]

Exactly, you have just refuted the city's unreasonable assumptions about the height of the project.

 

[diminutive]

Building large amounts of 80-story residential towers makes no sense from a planning perspective in Toronto, yet Yonge-Bloor, the waterfront, and now the ED are seeing a significant amount of proposals in this range. Surely it's become economically advantageous.

I think one of the bigger problems here with regards to the heritage components here is that the precedent of destroying them would be set for all towers and not just for 80-story ones.

Well, not really. All the proposals you mention are fairly far from eachother. You're comparing apples and oranges. There aren't many (any?) properties in the Entertainment District which are remotely similar to One Yonge.

The "precedent fear" is pretty explicitly built around the idea that approving M-G will open the gates to a large number of >80 storey projects in the area. But where? Almost every parking lot in the ED has a project already schedule for it. Maybe the lot near Clarence Square? You can always assemble smaller lots, but Mirvish is pretty unique in having assembled such a large parcel over decades.

In areas where super tall condos have been approved (Aura...), there's been no evidence that developers have just gone nuts with super-tall proposals nearby. These projects don't have comparable economics to smaller towers, it doesn't make sense to apply parallel reasoning between them and smaller towers. Mirvish-Gehry or One Yonge will take billions of dollars of investment and decades to complete. It's not credible to argue that they will just pop up like mushrooms.

At some level, isn't it completely counterintuitive for supertall residential buildings to cluster in the first place? Why would you invest billions and so many years to build a glut of units next to a glut of units? Residential buildings aren't like office buildings where there's a huge advantage to co-locate.

 

[RC8]

because 1 yonge is just so close to the entertainment district..

Do you enjoy missing the point? 1 Yonge and others simply shows that it has become economically viable for developers to build 80-story residential buildings without it being some sort of special occasion, and even if they are next to one another.

@diminutive,

If this proposal was on a parking lot it would be nowhere near such a threatening precedent. The block-busting aspect of it is probably the bigger concern.

Aura hasn't, but One Bloor definitely has led to a large number of similarly tall proposals in the immediate vicinity - usually involving the demolition of what's there now.

 

[junctionist]

Mirvish should address the heritage issue as soon possible in a responsible way. The buildings can be incorporated into the complex, or they can be moved. We're seeing too many people becoming apologists for heritage destruction or telling us bullshit about how they're not really heritage buildings. I don't want to see the project go ahead if the heritage issue isn't properly addressed.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Metro News article about NIMBY uprisings. http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/924919/is-toronto-in-the-grips-of-a-nimby-uprising/

I can't agree that Toronto is a city of 'no'. Perhaps with the exception of the Walmart, people appear to be very supportive of these projects*. I think the people who oppose these projects are very vocal about their opposition while supporters tend to be more passive.

 

[greenleaf]

Mirvish should address the heritage issue as soon possible in a responsible way. The buildings can be incorporated into the complex, or they can be moved. We're seeing too many people becoming apologists for heritage destruction or telling us bullshit about how they're not really heritage buildings. I don't want to see the project go ahead if the heritage issue isn't properly addressed.

I've heard through the grapevine that discussions at the created committee have reached a standstill regarding the heritage component of the project (the Mirvish side is completely ignoring it; they are not budging).

If I were a betting man, I'd wager this goes further to the OMB.

 

[Automation Gallery]

I don't want to see the project go ahead if the heritage issue isn't properly addressed.

Gee, funny cause i would expect them to address losing one of Toronto's main theaters, than a bunch of so-called heritage warehouses that have contributed nothing but a dead zone

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I've heard through the grapevine that discussions at the created committee have reached a standstill regarding the heritage component of the project (the Mirvish side is completely ignoring it; they are not budging).

If I were a betting man, I'd wager this goes further to the OMB.

So if this does go to OMB and M+G loses, does this mean that the project will be dead?

 

[Automation Gallery]

So if this does go to OMB and M+G loses, does this mean that the project will be dead?

Probably, and the losers will be the residents of this city, who lose out to an architectural wonder that includes a new museum and OCADU facilities to a few warehouse's that are a “dime a dozen to this city....oh well we'll see, hopefully they'll cut a last minute deal

 

[yyzer]

the Mirvish side is completely ignoring it; they are not budging)

and so they shouldn't.....incorporating second rate warehouse facades into these sleek towers would be absurd - an absolute travesty...

the level of ignorance and lack of perspective demonstrated by the some of the heritage crowd is breathtaking....

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Probably, and the losers will be the residents of this city, who lose out to an architectural wonder that includes a new museum and OCADU facilities to a few warehouse's that are a “dime a dozen to this city....oh well we'll see, hopefully they'll cut a last minute deal

M+G will be yet another opportunity lost to the conservatism seen amongst some in this city. I suppose selling the banal status-quo will be easier than doing something extraordinary.

 

[Automation Gallery]

and so they shouldn't.....incorporating second rate warehouse facades into these sleek towers would be absurd - an absolute travesty...

the level of ignorance and lack of perspective demonstrated by the some of the heritage crowd is breathtaking....

+1
and so they should ignore it

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I've heard through the grapevine that discussions at the created committee have reached a standstill regarding the heritage component of the project (the Mirvish side is completely ignoring it; they are not budging).

If I were a betting man, I'd wager this goes further to the OMB.

Is it possible that this will go to Council for approval if all else fails?

 

[innsertnamehere]

Anderson building would be a bit sad to lose though, you have to admit..