[wolfewood]

I really don't get the hate-fest for Mizrahi lots of folks on here seem to have. He's delivered some good projects, has others in-progress, and has taken on a big one here that, warts and all, will be a pretty neat addition to the city and neighbourhood.

The petty and unsafe destruction of Stollery's and his self-aggrandizing and arrogant persona are what I take issue with. On top of that, I'm skeptical of a guy who has never built taller than 12 storeys pulling off an 82 storey supertall essentially overnight. Finally, the rumours of his debts to creditors don't inspire confidence either.

 

[Johnny Au]

At first, I thought that Hue's Kitchen is a holdout. Good thing it's being demolished.

 

[ADRM]

The petty and unsafe destruction of Stollery's and his self-aggrandizing and arrogant persona are what I take issue with. On top of that, I'm skeptical of a guy who has never built taller than 12 storeys pulling off an 82 storey supertall essentially overnight. Finally, the rumours of his debts to creditors don't inspire confidence either.

I get all that, but count me nonetheless firmly in the "I hope he pulls of this project super well and cleanly despite it" camp over the "screw this arse I can't wait to see him fail spectacularly" camp.

(And that's to say nothing of the fact that arrogant self-aggrandizers are something pretty close to par for the course in the industry.)

I just don't really subscribe to the train of thought that is fine with Menkes putting up shit like 365 Church because they do so more politely and quietly but takes Mizrahi to task for being loud and brash whilst hiring Foster.

 

[MetroMan]

At first, I thought that Hue's Kitchen is a holdout. Good thing it's being demolished.

It's actually quite a nice building, very much in keeping with the restored heritage buildings along Yonge. However, I'd rather they move it somewhere else further down Yonge and leave the lot wide open for an uncompromised main floor for The One.

Is the plan still to leave the facade in place?

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

Is the plan still to leave the facade in place?

Yes - as is happening at the King Blue project.

 

[maestro]

I really don't get the hate-fest for Mizrahi lots of folks on here seem to have. He's delivered some good projects, has others in-progress, and has taken on a big one here that, warts and all, will be a pretty neat addition to the city and neighbourhood.

It's a joke on the agonizingly slow demolition process that has gone on here. You are right, of course. Mizrahi wants to build a supertall. We shouldn't concern ourselves with his methods or his ability to deliver on a project bigger than his entire combine portfolio. That's just hateful.

 

[buildup]

The petty and unsafe destruction of Stollery's and his self-aggrandizing and arrogant persona are what I take issue with. On top of that, I'm skeptical of a guy who has never built taller than 12 storeys pulling off an 82 storey supertall essentially overnight. Finally, the rumours of his debts to creditors don't inspire confidence either.

The legal demolition of Stollery was critically important because there was a clear and present danger someone would insist its be included the project. I have no problem with larger than life personalities in Toronto, we need more of them.

 

[wolfewood]

The legal demolition of Stollery was critically important because there was a clear and present danger someone would insist its be included the project. I have no problem with larger than life personalities in Toronto, we need more of them.

Legal but in bad faith considering the city's request. Also, barely legal as he did not set up the site safely in his rush to smash the only architecturally interesting and worthwhile aspects of the building. I doubt Stollery's would have been kept had he waited as well. His choice came across less "larger than life" and more "greedy and desperate."

 

[Lenser]

The legal demolition of Stollery was critically important because there was a clear and present danger someone would insist its be included the project. I have no problem with larger than life personalities in Toronto, we need more of them.

"Clear and present danger?" What, that corner was in danger of being nuked by the evil Anti-Mizrahists? This isn't a Tom Clancy novel. Holy hyperbole Batman!

 

[hawc]

"Clear and present danger." Hahah. WTF?

 

[LMVDR]

I get all that, but count me nonetheless firmly in the "I hope he pulls of this project super well and cleanly despite it" camp over the "screw this arse I can't wait to see him fail spectacularly" camp.

(And that's to say nothing of the fact that arrogant self-aggrandizers are something pretty close to par for the course in the industry.)

I just don't really subscribe to the train of thought that is fine with Menkes putting up shit like 365 Church because they do so more politely and quietly but takes Mizrahi to task for being loud and brash whilst hiring Foster.

It has nothing to do with being ambitious or arrogant. There are ambitious and aggressive developers everywhere you look in Toronto. The Minto Midtown project comes to mind as a bold move for its time yet no one was harping that Minto couldn't pull it off or that they were not a legitimate organization. It's simply a matter of credibility. For a handful of reasons this developer lacks credibility, experience & trustworthiness and therefore those in the industry with a deep understanding of the economics of these sort of projects, not to mention the engineering challenges, are skeptical that an upstart with a questionable past can pull it off without causing significant collateral damage along the way.

Can a single engine Cessna pilot land a 747 at night in deep fog and high winds? Possibly. Do you really want to let him try though?

Don't underestimate the potential scar that a failed project can leave on an urban landscape. Bay Adelaide Stump anyone?

 

[ADRM]

It's a joke on the agonizingly slow demolition process that has gone on here. You are right, of course. Mizrahi wants to build a supertall. We shouldn't concern ourselves with his methods or his ability to deliver on a project bigger than his entire combine portfolio. That's just hateful.

I'm not criticizing the exercising of skepticism, I'm pointing out both what I perceive to be a double standard when it comes to how he's perceived and, much more annoyingly, the fact that folks seem so be rooting for failure here so as to have their suspicions proven right.

If we pointed out all the developers who had sketchy money, sketchy pasts, and thin track records when they attempted something grander, we'd hit the character limits with each post. It just doesn't make for particularly interesting conversation, especially when it's infused into project updates that don't really need to invoke a broader discussion about the developer's CV.

Remember when Brad Lamb was an all-talk blowhard broker? Now he's a blowhard developer*, and I don't see people on here just waiting for his projects to fail.


*oh, and definitely still talking; yesterday's Lamb newsletter included the lesson "in a democracy..."

 

[jje1000]

The legal demolition of Stollery was critically important because there was a clear and present danger someone would insist its be included the project. I have no problem with larger than life personalities in Toronto, we need more of them.

It's a tactic done in places with high property values (i.e. New York where you occasionally pass by the overgrown fenced-in lot). Nuke the site and leave it empty until the zoning/planning/financing stars align.

Avoids community reaction (community grounds can be a bit slower to react) and 'pesky' heritage issues.

 

[Christopher Brown]

The legal demolition of Stollery was critically important because there was a clear and present danger someone would insist its be included the project. I have no problem with larger than life personalities in Toronto, we need more of them.

Here, here. Otherwise no Riechman's or Campeau's or Del Zotto's or Love's or E. P. Taylor's or Weston's. Just the likes of the Sewell's and Vaughan's and Wong-Tam's and nothing would ever get done. Remember the genius 45 foot height limit of Sewell? 45 feet, not stories !! Let's see by my math The One would be, hmmmmm, 2 floors, not 82. In other words, Stollery's, pt deux, or a Toronto without anything that's been built downtown over the last 20 years.

 

[interchange42]

The hyperventilation over this one is getting a bit hysterical.

For those with their knickers in a knot about the state of progress, we did say in a recent front page story that there's equipment on its way from Europe to tackle the spacial foundation work here, and that you'll be seeing and hearing lots more in September about this development. It's summertime, relax a little!

BTW, it was Crombie, not Sewell, who introduced the 45-foot height limit.

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