Mercenary
Active Member
This whole plan will get heavily redesigned. There is not a chance in hell that this will be the final design. This is Toronto after all.
- Thread starter Conrad Black
- Start date
Lenser
Senior Member
Yeah, we should abandon reviewing projects altogether and just let the big'uns put up whatever they want! Chaos for the win!
ProjectEnd
Superstar
What does that even mean?
Lenser
Senior Member
I'm guessing it means we are to wave our hands over our head in abject despair.
maestro
Senior Member
I don't like the office park/ central business district fundamentals so I welcome a complete redesign. I'll be thoroughly disappointed if this is a reference to The Cheapening height and/or architectural design wise. I don't care all that much about the former and the latter isn't that great from the start.
syn
Senior Member
Usually the preliminary concept is a lot better then it's reduced to something like this.
Midtown Urbanist
Superstar
People were right to point out how the Front Street frontage will look.
The answer thus far, appears to be rather underwhelming.
The answer thus far, appears to be rather underwhelming.
ericmacm
Active Member
I highly doubt that this is going to go through a severe redesign at this point, if anything it will be mostly podium level refinements.
Given that it has been years since the original Oxford Place proposal was killed, one could consider the redesign and rebrand to Union Park the drastic refinement step. With their tight timeline and breaking the project into phases, it's very likely that they've been working with input from the city in order to hopefully get this thing through quickly, instead of having to spend another few years totally redesigning the towers. This is not to say that these are guaranteed to go through without a major redesign, but at this point, the project has been active for nearly a decade now so it is highly unlikely we will see significant changes from this.
Given that it has been years since the original Oxford Place proposal was killed, one could consider the redesign and rebrand to Union Park the drastic refinement step. With their tight timeline and breaking the project into phases, it's very likely that they've been working with input from the city in order to hopefully get this thing through quickly, instead of having to spend another few years totally redesigning the towers. This is not to say that these are guaranteed to go through without a major redesign, but at this point, the project has been active for nearly a decade now so it is highly unlikely we will see significant changes from this.
ushahid
Senior Member
i dont know how much i can belive the timeline they presented at the presentation but the timeline says that the city staff is already reviewing the project application. they are definitely in a hurry. but y?
There is no formal submission to the City yet. Planning may have given brief comments at a pre-application meeting, but that'd be about it so far.
If they're in a hurry, it's because they perceive a necessity to get the new office space to market quickly. It's tight now, the new stuff is being absorbed quickly, and they obviously want something in the pipeline after they lease up The Hub.
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AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
I would not be surprised if it pops up in the AIC very soon - I can't imagine you would create these rather detailed renderings just for a public meeting - it is clearly meant for the application.
Speaking of that...I wonder if our @MoshiMoshiii has any intel?
AoD
AHK
Senior Member
From my perspective, after going to the session yesterday, is that Oxford is not necessarily 'a hurry' behind this project, but that there is a lot of commitment and momentum to it. Individuals at the meeting spoke of The Hub as being a done deal, no 'conditional', no 'subject to', about it. Completion in the 2023 timeframe, around the anticipated start of construction for the Union Park project. When asked about the timeline, whether the anticipated 2023 start would be for the actual construction, with the existing buildings to be taken down in advance, in a couple of years time, or whether the start of construction was actually meant to be the start of the demolition process - the answer was - it would be the start of the demolition activities, which by themselves are anticipated to take around ten months. The actual construction process was expected to take four to six years, in part dependent on the arrangements for site access and prevailing traffic conditions - obviously, logistics for construction material delivery will be an issue, and will need to be carefully planned and coordinated..
So, with approximately one year for completion of the demolition, followed by at least four years of construction, occupancy of the office component would be in the 2028 - 2029, maybe even 2030 timeframe. So matter how well this project goes, Union Park probably will not be a smooth transitional flow in leasing activity following availability of The Hub for Oxford, unless The Hub runs into major unexpected delays..
Mongo
Senior Member
The diagram shows Mirvish-Gehry West and East at 305m and 275m, but this is out of date, their currently planned heights have been increased to 329m and 301.6m. The tallest Union Park tower is shown as being a bit taller than Mirvish-Gehry East, so 306m looks about right (assuming that the diagram has currently planned heights for the outlines).
There is some support for this. The difference between the heights of Mirvish-Gehry East and West is about 27m, This would make the height difference on the diagram between the tallest Union Park tower and Union Centre (171 Front West) at 267m about 40m (eyeballing it), making the tallest Union Park tower roughly 307m tall.
Also, the second Union Park office tower appears to be about 270m by comparison with Union Centre.
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Automation Gallery
Superstar
Contra
Senior Member
I assume if they have it labeled as 275m then the outline is 275m. So I suspect the tallest tower would be just shy of 300.