Its redeeming qualities are that it provides HOUSING, huge short-term and some long-term economic activity, increased property taxes, development charges, community benefits etc. etc. The critiques of built form and architecture are probably valid (let’s wait and see but… not holding my breath) but they don’t make it a total failure. There are important things other than massing and architecture.
I mean sure but it's very rare that a developer puts more effort into the interior than they do the exterior. I'd also argue massing is incredibly important far more so than the architecture itself but that's just me
 
It's an ugly building, and I have no idea what the interiors look like, but it's going to be a home for a lot of people, and that counts for something.
 
This is precisely why crap gets built.

BTW, it was a dealership AND a grocery store.
I'm not sure what your point is when you say "AND a grocery store." This was a Sobey's Urban Fresh store that closed at the same time as Sobey's closed other Urban Fresh stores (2014). The site clearing didn't start until 2018 so Sobeys made a business decision to close the store approximately 4 years before they had to. Based on this and my recollection of the store always being a ghost town, the store closed because it wasn't needed.
 
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I'm not sure what your point is when you say "AND a grocery store." This was a Sobey's Urban Fresh store that closed at the same time as Sobey's closed other Urban Fresh stores (2014). The site clearing didn't start until 2018 so Sobeys made a business decision to close the store approximately 4 years before they had to. based on this and my recollection of the store always being a ghost town, the store closed because it wasn't needed.
The Sobeys opened at about the same time as the No Frills opposite. There was really not the demand for two grocery stores 50 yards apart (at least at that time) and there's a Metro and a Loblaws pretty close too). The NO Frills was a bigger store and they 'won'.
 
I'm not one to be a NIMBY that's for sure but this just feels like it tears the fabric of the neighbourhood apart. Could they not have at least tried to match the feeling of the surrounding buildings at street level?

I certainly wouldn't want this place going up near where I live either.
The developer overpaid for the site. They needed this density to make it work.

Granted, City Planning could have allowed taller towers instead of a hulking mess if they weren't so heightist, and they could've reduced parking minimums so that some of that above-ground parking could be allocated for some of the residential density.

To those wondering what went wrong with this project, those are good places to start.
 
The developer overpaid for the site. They needed this density to make it work.

Granted, City Planning could have allowed taller towers instead of a hulking mess if they weren't so heightist, and they could've reduced parking minimums so that some of that above-ground parking could be allocated for some of the residential density.

To those wondering what went wrong with this project, those are good places to start.
AFAIR, there was also the problem that they had a large 'by right' density due to some OMB decision several decades ago and could have built right up to the lot line on all sides.
 
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I'm not sure what your point is when you say "AND a grocery store." This was a Sobey's Urban Fresh store that closed at the same time as Sobey's closed other Urban Fresh stores (2014). The site clearing didn't start until 2018 so Sobeys made a business decision to close the store approximately 4 years before they had to. Based on this and my recollection of the store always being a ghost town, the store closed because it wasn't needed.

The point is what was there previously is superior to what is there now. As long as it's housing people then we should be happy with it? It sucks and a terrible addition to the neighbourhood. I would certainly take wha was there before because at least it would eventually be redeveloped. This piece of crap will be here for many decades to come.

I don't understand the nitpicking when it's agreed that this is hot garbage.
 

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