dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
How do you figure the walls are too thin? Isn't there code for noise transmission?
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How do you figure the walls are too thin? Isn't there code for noise transmission?
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
January 12th Update
Looking mighty fine
Looking mighty fine
JasonParis
Moderator
A picture from last Saturday...
JasonParis
Moderator
New home for queer seniors
LOCAL NEWS / And new spaces for people with HIV/AIDS
Krishna Rau / Xtra / Thursday, February 28, 2008
MOVING ON UP. Wellesley Central Residences will provide some much-needed supportive housing for queer seniors. (Jenna Wakani)
While a queers-only seniors home appears to be just a pipe dream, a new facility opening this year will offer much-needed spaces to the community.
Wellesley Central Residences — being built on the site of the former Wellesley Hospital at 490 Sherbourne St — is a joint supportive housing project between Woodgreen Community Services and Fife House, which supplies housing for people living with HIV and AIDS. The facility, scheduled to open this summer, will be a 112-unit building to be split equally between people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) and seniors. All units will be aimed at lower-income residents who need supportive living facilities.
Brian Smith, the president of Woodgreen, says the facility — because it is being funded by all three levels of government — cannot legally have a queers-only policy. But he says that queer seniors will be given first crack.
"We want to make our first outreach to the LGBT community," says Smith. "Those who want to can put their name in before we go to the wider community. Our second outreach is to the wider community if we don't get enough people. We can only try through marketing to give the first opportunity to the LGBT community."
The residence will also contain the new main office of Fife House. Fife House currently operates three houses and an apartment building in Toronto, housing a total of 122 people. All Fife House's spaces are aimed at lower income residents and the organization's Homeless Outreach Program helped find affordable housing for another 303 people in 2007.
"The need for affordable supportive housing is just as strong today as it was 20 years ago" when Fife House started, says Keith Hambly, the organization's executive director. "Recently the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS identified affordable housing as the most urgent unmet need facing PHAs. In Toronto today there are approximately 16,000 to 18,000 PHAs and yet there are only 131 supportive housing units available for these people.
"Fife House provides 75 percent of all the supportive housing for PHAs in Toronto and this year, for the first time in a decade, we will be adding to that number when we open our new building. This will represent a 35 percent increase in the number of affordable supportive housing spaces."
The 56 units for seniors will be open to those who require some help but not 24-hour care.
"The residence will be open to those 55 or older who require some assistance to live independently," says Smith.
The new residence will add to spaces for queers available in supportive senior housing operated by the City of Toronto. The city's Homes for the Aged program operates 10 supportive housing facilities across the city. Of those, Fudger House on Sherbourne St and Kipling Acres in Etobicoke have rooms set aside for queer seniors.
"The approach we've taken is to do diversity training," says Sandra Pitters, the general manager of Homes for the Aged. "We've tended to partner with community groups."
But Dick Moore, the coordinator of the Older LGBT Program at the 519 Community Centre, thinks the queer community needs to start fundraising to create its own housing. Moore, who works with Homes for the Aged, says the need is growing.
"The queer community is significant enough in size to merit a home," he says. "There is a need in the community for sure and as the community gets older it's going to be more of a need.
"A lot of lesbian seniors are poor, much poorer than their straight sisters. The trans community, that's a community that's in particularly desperate need of respectful care."
Moore points to supportive housing facilities that have been created by various ethnic communities in the city. Because those facilities receive government funding for their beds, they have to take residents from outside their community. But Moore says they were built with funds from their community and cater largely to that community.
Moore says he would also support a queers-only home, but he says efforts to build one have failed. Such a facility would have to be completely privately funded.
Michael Stewart, who tried in 2004 to build a private seniors' home, says he was unable to find the financial support within the community.
"By not taking one cent from any level of government we could discriminate," he says. "But apathy I would say was at 90 percent."
Stewart says it would have been necessary to raise an initial $1 million to institute a fundraising program through investment in government bonds.
LOCAL NEWS / And new spaces for people with HIV/AIDS
Krishna Rau / Xtra / Thursday, February 28, 2008
MOVING ON UP. Wellesley Central Residences will provide some much-needed supportive housing for queer seniors. (Jenna Wakani)
While a queers-only seniors home appears to be just a pipe dream, a new facility opening this year will offer much-needed spaces to the community.
Wellesley Central Residences — being built on the site of the former Wellesley Hospital at 490 Sherbourne St — is a joint supportive housing project between Woodgreen Community Services and Fife House, which supplies housing for people living with HIV and AIDS. The facility, scheduled to open this summer, will be a 112-unit building to be split equally between people living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) and seniors. All units will be aimed at lower-income residents who need supportive living facilities.
Brian Smith, the president of Woodgreen, says the facility — because it is being funded by all three levels of government — cannot legally have a queers-only policy. But he says that queer seniors will be given first crack.
"We want to make our first outreach to the LGBT community," says Smith. "Those who want to can put their name in before we go to the wider community. Our second outreach is to the wider community if we don't get enough people. We can only try through marketing to give the first opportunity to the LGBT community."
The residence will also contain the new main office of Fife House. Fife House currently operates three houses and an apartment building in Toronto, housing a total of 122 people. All Fife House's spaces are aimed at lower income residents and the organization's Homeless Outreach Program helped find affordable housing for another 303 people in 2007.
"The need for affordable supportive housing is just as strong today as it was 20 years ago" when Fife House started, says Keith Hambly, the organization's executive director. "Recently the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS identified affordable housing as the most urgent unmet need facing PHAs. In Toronto today there are approximately 16,000 to 18,000 PHAs and yet there are only 131 supportive housing units available for these people.
"Fife House provides 75 percent of all the supportive housing for PHAs in Toronto and this year, for the first time in a decade, we will be adding to that number when we open our new building. This will represent a 35 percent increase in the number of affordable supportive housing spaces."
The 56 units for seniors will be open to those who require some help but not 24-hour care.
"The residence will be open to those 55 or older who require some assistance to live independently," says Smith.
The new residence will add to spaces for queers available in supportive senior housing operated by the City of Toronto. The city's Homes for the Aged program operates 10 supportive housing facilities across the city. Of those, Fudger House on Sherbourne St and Kipling Acres in Etobicoke have rooms set aside for queer seniors.
"The approach we've taken is to do diversity training," says Sandra Pitters, the general manager of Homes for the Aged. "We've tended to partner with community groups."
But Dick Moore, the coordinator of the Older LGBT Program at the 519 Community Centre, thinks the queer community needs to start fundraising to create its own housing. Moore, who works with Homes for the Aged, says the need is growing.
"The queer community is significant enough in size to merit a home," he says. "There is a need in the community for sure and as the community gets older it's going to be more of a need.
"A lot of lesbian seniors are poor, much poorer than their straight sisters. The trans community, that's a community that's in particularly desperate need of respectful care."
Moore points to supportive housing facilities that have been created by various ethnic communities in the city. Because those facilities receive government funding for their beds, they have to take residents from outside their community. But Moore says they were built with funds from their community and cater largely to that community.
Moore says he would also support a queers-only home, but he says efforts to build one have failed. Such a facility would have to be completely privately funded.
Michael Stewart, who tried in 2004 to build a private seniors' home, says he was unable to find the financial support within the community.
"By not taking one cent from any level of government we could discriminate," he says. "But apathy I would say was at 90 percent."
Stewart says it would have been necessary to raise an initial $1 million to institute a fundraising program through investment in government bonds.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
March 15th Update
ProjectEnd
Superstar
/\ Almost done...I know it's been said before but when this, James Cooper, Star and Verve are done this area will be completely different. An interesting mix of 1960s brick and concrete with 2000s glass and...um...concrete. Still should be good though!
ganjavih
Senior Member
Hmmm, almost makes me want to convert.
Redroom Studios
Senior Member
got this picture last weekend with one of the cranes for 500 Sherbourne in the foreground...
khris
Senior Member
I love this building. Awesome to see it done 
JasonParis
Moderator
Great shot. Very Daily Dose of Imagery-like.
Hypnotoad
Senior Member
regionalArchitects
New Member
Finally got some professional shots of this done;
You can check out the rest here.
All photos were done by Terry Tourangeau
You can check out the rest here.
All photos were done by Terry Tourangeau
regionalArchitects
New Member
I realize its a bit of request from a newb, but would it be possible to have the thread title changed to regionalArchitects? (This project was wrapped up by out office after the restructuring of the partnership at aA.)
Much appreciated, and we'll try to keep the pics coming.
Much appreciated, and we'll try to keep the pics coming.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Welcome to the forum and thank you for the photos - we've changed the title to rA (there isn't enough space for the full name in the title unfortunately).
AoD
AoD
deerparker
Active Member
Great photos. I noticed the new light standards - the same as the ones the Downtown Yonge BIA installed - when I was walking to Red Rocket (a great addition to Wellesley btw). Does anyone know what is planned for that last strip of un-landscaped property between 500 Sherbourne and WCR?