[Tewder]

Freezing property taxes (essentially cutting them after inflation) does not indicate we have financial woes. What it says is we are not willing to tax enough to fund our needs. We can certainly say we don't want to spend, but there is no way anybody can say that the City of Toronto is not rich enough to build what is needed.

Yes property taxes are too low, which is a revenue problem... but it is a funding problem that property taxes make up too large a chunk of the city's operating budget (in comparison to comparable US cities). This means we are getting less from other levels of government than comparable cities, and have fewer tools with which to generate revenue.

 

[Forgotten]

I do not know and neither do you. What I do know is that LED or not, the hydro expenses are far more than they would have been if the building was not illuminated.
For god's sake, not even privately owned properties are that illuminated. And that's because they have to be mindful of their expenses because those hydro expenses would be coming from their own pockets, whereas Ryerson management will be using our hard earned tax dollars to fund their extravagance.

$0.12/kWh would light over 76 household 13W LED bulbs for 1 hour, which is over 69,000 lumens of lighting. If you didn't know, that's a lot of light.

But you think they should hire more unionized workers instead? $0.12/hour vs $20/hour. I'm starting to understand all of your talk about needing more cash for more staffing now... you just want the money flowing into your pockets instead.

Something like this is probably your dream building. There would be no frills eating away at your margins, commissions, or bonuses.

 

[modernizt]

I would say that workers' rights and protections do not need to be pitted against good architecture. We can have both.

 

[Marcanadian]

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

Student Learning Centre by Marcanadian, on Flickr

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

Marc - you have a great eye for pictures - well done

 

[junctionist]

The students will appreciate the Starbucks. In the end, they're what the building is all about.

 

[Marcanadian]

Marc - you have a great eye for pictures - well done

Thanks! It's a bit tough to capture some of the angles of this building, but I love shooting it.

 

[WislaHD]

This shot of the SLC and Aura is fantastic!

 

[ProjectEnd]

Do we know this is going to be Starbucks? In any case, it wasn't like Sam (or on that matter, the still extant HMV) are particularly great at inducing street level activity now. You might have better luck with a 24/7 cafe.

AoD

It is a Starbucks and it is indeed in the first floor lobby / atrium / 'urban beach.'

 

[G.L.17]

Wow, incredible pictures Marcanadian!

 

[Tewder]

Maybe it's just me but I really do not like the design of the street-level 'podium'. The proportions feel off, the materials seem cheap, and it just doesn't seem to relate to the molar above. I'm also not happy with the retail spaces (from the pictures at least). As I understand it the mandate was to preserve the retail character of Yonge along this stretch, and I'm not sure this is the case. I do love how it meets the corner and I'm loving the blue!

 

[picard102]

Maybe it's just me but I really do not like the design of the street-level 'podium'. The proportions feel off, the materials seem cheap, and it just doesn't seem to relate to the molar above. I'm also not happy with the retail spaces (from the pictures at least). As I understand it the mandate was to preserve the retail character of Yonge along this stretch, and I'm not sure this is the case. I do love how it meets the corner and I'm loving the blue!

You're not. Mismatched patterns and blue triangles seems to have sent people into this fever state where this is anything more than a mediocre modernist cube that meets the street terribly.

 

[modernizt]

You're not. Mismatched patterns and blue triangles seems to have sent people into this fever state where this is anything more than a mediocre modernist cube that meets the street terribly.

If that's all this building is to you then you need to learn to look past aesthetics only and analyze a building from various perspectives.

The sectional qualities of this building alone make it very unique in Toronto. Take a look at the sections from Canadian Architect. It's a unique and engaging building arrangement.

Also, if you think this building is "modernist", you greatly misunderstand modernism.

 

[typezed]

This doesn't meet the street terribly. From the perspective that sees a prominent Apple Store as the pinnacle of meeting the street it might be lacking, but the business end here is really the corner and the stairs. If that's busy with students throughout the day as I expect it will be, it will bring more activity to Yonge St. than any retail would.

 

[Tewder]

... well so would a hospital. The point though was to maintain the retail character of the Yonge Dundas area. Perhaps this was a bait and switch to allow Ryerson to elbow its way in? Pretty idea of a building but i'd rather have seen their 'front door' on Church.