I hope they build something really, really tall here. As well as super super tall. As long as they make sure that it's very tall.

It's only wishful thinking that The Star building is even coming down, but if it were that kind of height is way out of context for this location and so close to the lake. Whatever eventually replaces this mess must be iconic and serve the street well, a common problem along much of Queen's Quay.
 
It's only wishful thinking that The Star building is even coming down, but if it were that kind of height is way out of context for this location and so close to the lake. Whatever eventually replaces this mess must be iconic and serve the street well, a common problem along much of Queen's Quay.

I wasn't being serious.
 
I mean what was supposed to be built.


You do understand the Chicago Spire was never going to be built. Kelleher ran a massive world wide campaign during the peak of real estate investment and only manage 25% sales in about 9 months.

May as well post then go with my vision of a 32 kilometre tower with unobstructed views of outer space.
 
Can we hire Wile E. Coyote to dynamite One Yonge to hell?

That is honestly my most despised building in downtown. I'd prefer a 300 m parking structure (kidding obviously).
 
Can we hire Wile E. Coyote to dynamite One Yonge to hell?

That is honestly my most despised building in downtown. I'd prefer a 300 m parking structure (kidding obviously).

Yeah it kind of reminds me of a smaller version of, One HSBC Center in Buffalo NY which is also an eyesore...
both buildings were built in the same era (1970)

Buffalo.jpg
 
Perhaps whatever building gets constructed could simply engulf the Toronto Star building, and hide it inside.
 
Gee, it surprises me that there's a lot of active dislike for the Toronto Star building. True, it's no beauty. But I remember it from my first trips to Toronto, when buildings like that looked like...the future. If a building had smooth concrete facing (and even better - 45-degree angles altering everything) - it was a vision of progress. Even more points for sunken moats, stepped plazas, globe lamps, potted plants and orange and brown tile. Now, this was 1977-8.

When the Toronto Star building was built - along with the Harbour Castle and part of Harbour City, there was nothing there. The entire area was largely a brownfield industrial wasteland, littered with scraps, fences, shacks and mud - much like certain parts of the Portlands now. I remember the tunnels under the tracks to get from Front to Queen's Quay were twice and three times the length that they are now.

So, the Toronto Star and it's neighbours were built like little fortresses.

I wouldn't weep much if the printing press warehouses off the back of the building were demolished or thoroughly refitted. But I don't think the building itself should be removed. It's base could probably use a spruce-up to open it up to the street some. But I'd be sad to see it go. It's a wee, forthright bit of history. There's no guarantee that anything that takes it's place is going to be any hot shakes, anyway.There's a lot of room to build around it. It should stay.

Nothing says "outdated" like yesterday's "futuristic". That's a good excuse in Toronto to keep the wheels of demolition and erasure turning. But there's no place to start like the present to enrich our understanding of our own history, and gain patience with it's oddities, loose ends and reminders.
 
Then again, I *could* see the Toronto Star boldly/starchitectly rebuilding on-site--maybe the prime circumstance where it'd be "excusable".

Oh, and to paint One HSBC Center as an eyesore is rich, even if it's certainly in every single respect the antithesis of anything a New Urbanist would love. (It's 70s SOM. Whaddaya expect.)
 
Application: Zoning Review Status: Not Started
Location: 1 YONGE ST
TORONTO ON M5E 1E5

Ward 28: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 11 269944 ZPR 00 ZR Accepted Date: Sep 7, 2011

Project: Non-Residential Building Addition

Description: Proposal to sever north portion of parking lot (to remain vacant until future development) and convert 3 sty portion of existing building on north side from Canada Post Storage Area to parking for existing building.

Here is some more info with area size....by the figures, it looks like something big can actually be built here.

1 YONGE ST
File Number:
B0118/10TEY
Zoning
CR T6.0 C6.R0 (WAIVER)
Owner:
1428501 ONTARIO LIMITED
Ward:
Toronto Centre-Rosedale (28)
Agent:
FRASER MILNER CASGRAIN LLP
Property Address:
1 YONGE ST
Community:
Legal Description:
PLAN 754E PT BLK A RP R5062 PART 1
THE CONSENT REQUESTED:
To obtain consent to sever the property into two lots.
Conveyed -Part 1 Address to be assigned
The lot frontage is 62.55 m and the lot area is 16 316 m². The vacant property will be used as a commercial parking lot.
Retained -Part 2 1 Yonge Street
The lot frontage is 90.23 m and the lot area is 10 651 m². The existing office building will be maintained
.
 
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As far back as I can remember my grandmother would take me to Centre Island every summer as a kid when she took her holidays - we're talking very late 60's through until about mid to late 70's. I clearly remember that dreadful walk from Union station down to the ferry docks, it was so grim but once we got on the ferry and were on our way to Centre Island the adventure began. It was so wonderful down there when I was a kid - a place I still enjoy today where time appears to have stood still. I have no reference to when Toronto Star/Harbour Castle/Harbour Square condos were built, at some point they were just there - much like when they rebuilt the ferry docks loading area. Today I can live with the mistakes of the Harbour Castle and Harbour Square but I can't get past the Toronto Star building, I find no redeeming qualities to it at all. I respect that these buildings helped pave the future for the downtown waterfront but one day I'd really like to see something substantial and very special replace the Toronto Star building at One Yonge Street, and well planned westward development.
 
Today I can live with the mistakes of the Harbour Castle and Harbour Square but I can't get past the Toronto Star building, I find no redeeming qualities to it at all.

Ironically, Torstar's a bit off-orbit relative to your youthful Union-Station-to-ferry-dock procession (unlike Harbour Square)
 
Looked a lot nicer in the original render...

Yeah, talk about artistic license run amok. To my recollection the water was never anywhere near that building. Captain John's slip is the closest body of water. In the end how many renderings reflect the post-building reality anyway?
 
That's actually really cool looking, and would have still looked good by today's standards. Too bad that's not what we got.
 

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