Northern Light
Superstar
A look at the interim state here, minus the 'base camp'; taken June 10th, 2022:
- Thread starter Dr. Snoot
- Start date
DSC
Superstar
Does anyone else see a strange 'conflict' between Mr Ford trying to raze and sell this site at great speed and with much secrecy and the push to build more housing with the fact that NOTHING seems to be happening with the site. Looks like another example of the Tories unloading public assets to their chums with no obvious sign of any public benefits. In short, WHERE IS THE PROMISED HOUSING???
Dr. Snoot
Active Member
What's going on with Toronto foundry property 2 years after demolition crews moved in?
CityNews contacted the Ontario government and the Toronto foundry site's new owner to ask for updates, but responses weren't received.
toronto.citynews.ca
City News is reporting that the site was sold in March, 2022 without an open tender process to a company possibly related to Aspen Ridge Homes (owned by the DeGasperis family) for $101 million.
There is no development application as of yet.
Does anybody know of a high-rise development company related to Aspen Ridge? Any sense of value for money paid on a site like this?
Northern Light
Superstar
What's going on with Toronto foundry property 2 years after demolition crews moved in?
CityNews contacted the Ontario government and the Toronto foundry site's new owner to ask for updates, but responses weren't received.
City News is reporting that the site was sold in March, 2022 without an open tender process to a company possibly related to Aspen Ridge Homes (owned by the DeGasperis family) for $101 million.
There is no development application as of yet.
Does anybody know of a high-rise development company related to Aspen Ridge?
Aspen Ridge does hirise, they are the Charles at Church.
Land values are higher now than when Greywood bought the Esso at Church + Dundas, that was 73M, for a 53-storey build.
Different area, of course, others will be better able to peg relative value. But the buildable area, if you don't touch the remaining heritage is about double the aforementioned site.
That would likely allow for two tower forms. If they encroach on the remaining heritage, the site is potentially large enough for 3.
Of course, how many you try to eek out depends on height, and what you think you get in sales per ft2.
emphurent
Active Member
This supposedly 'affordable' housing 'now' will be on hold for a while now (up to at least two years). Really just demonstrating there was never any intention to actually provide affordable housing with this plot of land in the first place. The current owner is also a rather troublesome one, so much potential here for some quality deeply affordable housing and community space really going to waste.
Source:
Source:
Wahed
New Member
This might actually be a sign that things are moving ahead. Planning and design work including site plan approval which must take place prior to construction will take at least two years. This may be a sign that there is an agreement between the province the developer and maybe even the city on broad principles and objectives to serve as a basis for design. Might as well earn some parking revenue while the site goes through the design and approvals process for a few years.
UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
There should be a by-law set against surface parking lots in this city and with no grandfather clause, IMO. That will hopefully deal with vagrant sites with clueless holdout owners in desperate housing times, among other problematic issues.
Dr. Snoot
Active Member
The right thing to do would have been to maintain the heritage structures (especially the office building along Eastern) until there was an actual reason to demolish them. Now, for nothing, nearby residents have to stare at a depressing parking lot for years.
The whole history, especially the fact that there isn't a development application, belies the province's position that the site was urgently needed for affordable housing. It's now been 2.5 years since the province started demolition without notice and nothing has happened.
The truth is they tried to get away with bulldozing the entire heritage site, sold it off without an open tender to a insider developer, and lied to the public about their plans.
We're also stuck with Aspen Ridge Homes, which has never completed a project that I would call "great". I am skeptical we are going to see anything high-quality here, on a site that should be of the highest quality.
everydayhim
Active Member
They are certainly hard at work laying out what looks to be a parking lot! Oh how this story has unfolded..
UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
It's a floundery complex alright... /sigh
3Dementia
Senior Member
DSC
Superstar
I had always assumed that the City could refuse an application to open a new surface parking lot - were they asked? did they need to be asked? and if they were asked and said "go right ahead' we need an explanation!@AlbertC
As a huge fan of your posts, I'm glad you're angrytoo about the province of Ontario's new slogan... "A Place to Park".
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^ I realize any humour in this thread may be ill-considered.... but the what has gone down so far is almost laughable (if tragic).
Northern Light
Superstar
Dr. Snoot
Active Member
I could be wrong, but I don't think a parking lot qualifies as a "building" under the Building Code Act, so a building permit might not be needed. However, they will need a commercial parking lot licence from the City.
Northern Light
Superstar
Something may be stirring.
New entry at the Lobbyist Registry:
@HousingNowTO will want to keep an eye on this one.
New entry at the Lobbyist Registry:
@HousingNowTO will want to keep an eye on this one.