A community consultation took place at the Hyatt Regency tonight. There was only one new rendering on a board at the meeting…
…but there are new elevations planned for the Bathurst and Stewart frontages than are more like the heritage building than the first plan. I'm a little happier with this one now than I was.
City Planning has not been able to complete a preliminary report yet, but planner Dan Nicholson outlined some of the concerns which will be in the report when completed. He emphasized that 663 King West is a designated heritage building, and is considered to contribute to the heritage character of the area, being the
King-Spadina Heritage Conservation District which is still coming into being as an HCD. The City wants more of the existing buildings saved, or in places where the they're not saved, they want any new build to be set back further, with sidewalks being widened.
An ERA Architects rep explained that mostly owing to water penetration issues, they are not recommending total retention of the existing building, but more of a replication. Michael Leckman of Diamond Schmitt explained that their design steps back significantly from the heritage building as it rises above, in part to make certain that no-one mistakes the modern extension for being part of the heritage component.
There were about 3 dozen in the audience. 4 who live on either side of Stewart St just east of the proposal monopolized 90% of the question and comments period. 3 of them live in 1 or another of the 6 Victorians on Steward between the proposal and the Thompson Residences. 2 in particular complained about the seeming unending construction they've put up with, and the lessening light they get on their yards.
In one way feel badly for them, but in another way they played totally dumb when it comes to progress, the nature of the area that they are living in, and the political climate. Classic case of potentially sympathetic characters pushing it so far that you start to change sides.
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