[AlvinofDiaspar]

Going before the Dec WT DRP:

10:30–11:45
1West Don Lands Block 20 –Issues Identification
10:30 1.Introduction: Leon Lai, Design Review Panel Manager, Waterfront TorontoHenry Tang, Senior Community Planner, City of Toronto
10:40 2.Presentation:Michael Sørensen, Partner, Henning Larsen Architects
11:05 3.Questions and Discussion
11:25 4.Panel Comments
11:40 5.Proponent response

https://waterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/wcm/connect/waterfront/1cddf7d6-75f0-43ae-bfed-1da1d8ddd1ba/Dec+11+2019+WDRP+Agenda.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

AoD

 

[smably]

This is the skinny parcel next to the rail corridor, south of Block 8. Quite a cluster of Danish architecture forming here.

Map:

 

[innsertnamehere]

Wasn't it scheduled to be a school or something? I'm interested to see what this is.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Wasn't it scheduled to be a school or something? I'm interested to see what this is.

I thought so - and it was supposed to be Steven Holl's district energy centre even before that:

https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threa...ct-energy-centre-steven-holl-architects.6217/

AoD

 

[mrxbombastic]

Wasn't it scheduled to be a school or something? I'm interested to see what this is.

IIRC the school is going on Block 8, adjacent to the park.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Presentation from the Dec WTDRP:

https://waterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/wcm/connect/waterfront/8477c5b9-034b-4625-8ef6-30d68700eae8/1_Dec.+2019+WDRP+West+Don+Lands+Block+20+Issues+Identification_Intro+%2B+Presentation.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

AoD

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

Whole lot of nothing in that report, except a 2020 Q1 date for ZBA application submission.

But we do get a peak at planned land use:

And this massing model of the area was pretty cool:

 

[smably]

A bit of context from the presentation: this lot was originally planned to be a parking garage serving all of the west don lands + distillery, but given that other WDL buildings have been built with underground parking, there is less parking demand than anticipated and I believe this is being planned as mostly office, potentially with retail on the ground floor. The crash wall required on the rail corridor side is being explored as a major design feature. The Cherry Street switching tower currently located near the streetcar loop will be moved to the far east end of the site. I think the plan is to have the parking here built as part of Block 8 to the north, though there will still need to be vehicle access for loading and servicing.

 

[PMT]

125R MILL ST
Ward 10 - Tor & E.York District

Application Information Centre

Search for details about current planning applications and Minor variance and Consent applications. Application Information Centre For best results, please use the latest version of Microsoft IE/Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. The Application Information Centre allows you to: Search by...

app.toronto.ca

Official Plan & Zoning by-law Amendment application to facilitate the development of the site for 45-storey and 32-storey mixed-use towers atop a 6-storey podium. A total of 24,353 of non-residential gross floor area, and 54,455.0 square metres of residential gross floor area and 661 residential dwelling units are proposed.

Proposed Use ---​ # of Storeys ---​ # of Units ---​

Type​ Number​ Date Submitted​ Status​ Applications:​ OPA & Rezoning​ 20 151415 STE 10 OZ​ Jun 2, 2020​ Application Received​

 

[mrxbombastic]

Saw this image posted in a ULI article.

Vibrant New Neighborhoods Rise on Old Industrial Sites in Toronto - Urban Land Magazine

West Don Lands and the Canary District, Liberty Village, and Concord CityPlace demonstrate urban renewal done well.

urbanland.uli.org

No indication this is an actual rendering of the project as it mentions the work COBE and Dundee Kilmer are doing on the left side at block 8.

Regardless it provides context for the scale being envisioned at a minimum if it isn't the actual project

 

[ADRM]

125R MILL ST
Ward 10 - Tor & E.York District

Application Information Centre

Search for details about current planning applications and Minor variance and Consent applications. Application Information Centre For best results, please use the latest version of Microsoft IE/Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. The Application Information Centre allows you to: Search by...

app.toronto.ca

Proposed Use ---​ # of Storeys ---​ # of Units ---​

Type​ Number​ Date Submitted​ Status​ Applications:​ OPA & Rezoning​ 20 151415 STE 10 OZ​ Jun 2, 2020​ Application Received​

45s is a super aggressive height ask for this site; will be interested to see by how much Planning wants to negotiate it down. Though you can see from their most recent WTDRP submission that they were already trying to set the table for how a clothesline should be interpreted -- I would think they're teeing up a settlement somewhere between the Gooderham towers and RC3 (40/37 and 29):

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

Docs are up

 

[smably]

This was surprising to me (from the cover letter):

With respect to phasing, Block 20 is planned to be completed prior to the completion of Block 8.

 

[.dwg]

In terms of design and urban scale, it feels out of sync with everything just planned for Block 8... Hmm.

 

[ADRM]

This was surprising to me (from the cover letter):

Especially given that Block 8 is, what, roughly halfway excavated?

Edit: Ah, I see where it's referenced in the CL: "With respect to phasing, the rail safety measures for Block 20 are planned to be completed prior to the completion of Block 8."

So I'm wondering if they're just referring to completing the rail corridor crash wall (as opposed to the whole Block 20 development) prior to the completion of Block 8.