greenleaf said:
Wake me up when aA can do a decent ground level. Until then, snooze...
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It's pretty meh to me. Would like to see aA produce more designs like X, market wharf and Ice...less of this kind of stuff. And yes, I dislike the podium. A giant snooze. Wish we could get away from these kinds of podiums.
 
Heh, make an aA design black and suddenly it looks great. Wonder if this is true of projects from other firms.

Aside from the reduced density and altered unit mix, the project's retail and commercial office components have also been slightly modified. As in the 2014 submission, retail space will be concentrated along the first two podium levels and in an underground concourse, with a total of 6,399 m² of GFA given over to shopping. Meanwhile, the entire upper level of the three-storey podium will be taken up by 2,844 m² of office space.
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Underground concourse confirmed, meaning very likely a PATH connection? That is fantastic.

I hope the ground level is leased to restaurants while the concourse and second podium level to retail. Surprised there will be office component on the third floor. That is a welcome addition for diversity of uses.
 
For me it's not that aA projects were previously bad, many are amazing, just too similar in colour. Variety is nice, and though I'd love to see more REAL colour, I definitely like black towers. They never look stuck in a certain time period, and are bold and attractive.
 
Not sure how I feel about this project, but I'm happy to see AA "thinking outside the blue glass box."
 
The really big deal with this pending approval, it would seem, is that the building would come with a new entrance for Dundas subway station. We have detailed that in the front page story that just went up.

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rdaner said:
I would love to see Simon's go in there.
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I'd rather see Simon's take something more interesting. I don't think they would be interested in an Edward Street location, cut off from Yonge. I'd rather see them in the rumoured Atrium on Bay renovations, or the building on the corner of Yonge and Shuter (Urban Behaviour/Urban Planet)
 
Ya I was hoping they would go in the old guess location as well. Though this space is not the best possibility it could be a long time before a large enough space becomes available elsewhere in the area.
 
ShonTron said:
I'd rather see Simon's take something more interesting. I don't think they would be interested in an Edward Street location, cut off from Yonge. I'd rather see them in the rumoured Atrium on Bay renovations, or the building on the corner of Yonge and Shuter (Urban Behaviour/Urban Planet)
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The Atrium had planned to add a few levels, but I think it was just office. I don't think they are planning a retail expansion.
 
Waterloo_Guy said:
The Atrium had planned to add a few levels, but I think it was just office. I don't think they are planning a retail expansion.
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They were planning a large retail reconfiguration and the introduction of a big-box/department store into the space. I'm not sure what the current plan is.
 
I haven't been keeping track of this proposal up until now, was this ever brought up in consultations?

Plans to build a condo tower on the site of the old World's Biggest Bookstore site sent back to the drawing board

City Centre Mirror
By David Nickle
Plans to build condos on the site formerly occupied by The World’s Biggest Bookstore hit a snag Wednesday, Sept. 7, as the Toronto and East York Community Council voted to send it back for more analysis on its transportation and accessibility impact.

The Community Council voted to send the project to build a 30-storey, 572-unit condo to city staff, to deal with issues that arose from deputations at the meeting — notably, worries that the disabled residents of 25 Elm Street, located behind the 20 Edward Street site, would have difficulty navigating the increased traffic.

The proposal, by Lifetime Developments, would occupy the lot that for decades was the home of the World’s Biggest Bookstore near Yonge and Dundas Streets.

Part of the Chapters-Indigo chain at the time, the bookstore was closed in 2014, several months after the site was sold to Lifestyle. At the time, Lifestyle maintained it would be building four restaurants on the site.

The plans for the condominium tower does include about 9,000 square metres of office and retail space, and 254 underground parking spaces.

The height of the project was kept to 30 storeys, in order to protect flight paths to St. Michael’s Hospital to the south and the Hospital for Sick Children to the east.

But the community council heard that the design of the structure would also impede disabled and elderly residents of the neighbouring rental building at 25 Elm Street.

Local councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam said that indicated the project wasn’t ready for approval, although Toronto planning staff were recommending that council do so.

“We’re not going to come to a conclusion — we’re not there right now,” said Wong-Tam. “People living with disability challenges have a different way of moving through the world. If I don’t like a condition I can just cross the street. For those actually restricted in mobility… if they are feeling confined to a unit, sky view, sunlight, quality of life is absolutely essential… I’m asking the planning staff to put onto this application an inclusive design, not just regarding the built form but the impact it will have around the neighbourhood.”

The project will come back to community council at its November meeting.
 
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