As Eldon Garnet's sculpture was unveiled at Toronto's Five St. Joseph condominium this morning, an irreducible narrative complexity was physically written into the streetscape. Artifacts of Memory materially espouses the difficulty of coming to terms with history, "time, and death," Garnet told the assembled audience. Sprouting a multiplicity of civic narratives that resist the comfortable and easy sense of resolution—of certainty—often dispensed by less playful and less daring public art. 

Artifacts of Memory in front of Five St. Joseph, image by Craig White

Composed of five lines of text that stretch out into interconnected yet disparate strands in three-dimensional space, the sculpture refuses to be distilled into a singular meaning. There is neither a clear order nor a clear narrative to the text written on the metal girders, manifesting an aesthetic that Garnet tells us "is not didactic and does not come to resolution." Instead, the artist called the sculpture "a critical and humorous take on the underlying existential worries of everyday life."

Eldon Garnet (centre) adresses the crowd, image by Craig White

Reading out the sculpture's text, Garnet recites the lines: FROM ONE NARRATIVE TO THE NEXT / IF NOT TOMORROW TOMORROW / LUCKY ENOUGH TO FLY INTO THE FLAME / SLOWLY SURELY DISAPPEARING / FOLLOWED BY MOMENTS OF EQUILIBRIUM.

Another perspective, image by Craig White

Tucked away just west of Yonge Street amidst the preserved heritage properties that front the 48-storey Hariri Pontarini-designed tower, the sculpture's location also lends it a particularly polyvalent presence in Toronto's streetscape. Neighboured by one of the largest facade retention projects in Canadian history, Artifacts of Memory implicitly complicates—and enriches—the politics of heritage preservation.

Restored heritage properties can be seen behind the sculpture, image by Craig White

The sculpture reminds us that history does not flow forward as a singular and certain narrative, but as an amorphous cacophony of voices. Here, the text that we usually read left to right also goes up, down, and sideways. "It challenges our thinking about history and heritage," the artist tells us. 

Closer in, image by Craig White

With the installation of the sculpture, the developers' large-scale and almost unprecedented heritage preservation on the site is met by a commitment to creating what Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam characterized as "an intellectually challenging space." Preserving architecture does not entail a straightforward restoration of the past, or an elegantly absolute correction of decades of neglect. For Garnet, this is merely one of the stories we tell. One narrative among many. 

Garnet's art exposes itself at many angles, image by Craig White

To celebrate the sculpture's unveiling, Garnet was joined by MOD Developments' Gary Switzer, Graywood's Gabe Dimartino, Art Strategies Inc.'s Irene Szylinger, and Ward 27's Kristyn Wong-Tam. The party gathered beneath the metal sculpture on the cold Thursday morning for a group picture as a row of photographers lined up to capture the group. Yet, as if to underscore the playful complexity of Garnet's work, the reality of urban life interfered as David 'Zanta' Zancai suddenly took the stage. 

David 'Zanta' Zancai takes the stage, image by Craig White

Through a barage of push-ups and garbled obscenities, the well-known Downtown 'performer' abruptly turned the occasion on its head. Standing up to join the assembled party, Zancai then took his place in front of the sculpture, gesturing wildly as others stood smiling at the cameras.

Zancai joins the party, image by Craig White

It wasn't exactly pretty, but then again, 'pretty' is hardy the right word to describe the sculpture either. And it's hardly the right word to describe the messy and unpredictable beauty of urban life.

** 

The charming west-end neighbourhood of Roncesvalles has something new to brag about. Boasting a strong assemblage of independent shops and restaurants, Roncesvalles is now home to a project by Gairloch Developments and Centrestone Urban Developments Inc. at 383 Sorauren Avenue. The second floor of the building played host to a celebration Friday afternoon, as construction workers and the development team marked the official topping off of the 10-storey condominium. 

383 Sorauren from the Dundas West bridge at Sterling Road, image by Marcus Mitanis

The venerable firm architectsAlliance designed the building, which rekindles the industrial history of the area with its dark ironspot brick cladding, still to be applied. Promising to fit in seamlessly with its neighbours—including the adjacent warehouse-to-condo conversion Robert Watson Lofts to the south—the black mullion-framed windows punched into the brick facade should yield a rich amalgam of the area's past and its present.

383 Sorauren Avenue construction, image by Marcus Mitanis

At ground level, two-storey townhouses with landscaped front yards will front onto Sorauren Avenue. Above the glass-clad townhouses, a six-storey deep red brick grid frames some of the 142 units inside the building. A glazed square box with a smaller footprint sits on top, containing two-storey penthouses which offer tremendous views of Downtown Toronto, Lake Ontario, Humber Bay Shores and Mississauga.

The Humber Bay Shores and Mississauga skylines from 383 Sorauren, image by Marcus Mitanis

Every resident will be able to enjoy these views and get some fresh air via a terrace, balcony or French balcony. The Johnson Chou-appointed interiors will continue the industrial-style theme with exposed concrete ceilings stretching nine feet — rising another foot at the penthouse level — joined by engineered hardwood floors, solid core veneer slab cabinetry, and stainless steel kitchen appliances. Amenities include a guest suite, workout area, and an outdoor kitchen-equipped lounge for barbecuing on a warmer day. 

383 Sorauren Avenue under construction, image by Craig White

Identified from left to right in the image below are Tyler MacNamara, Rivendell Properties; Bill Gairdner, Gairloch Developments; and Andrew Farncomb, Cairn Merchant Partners, who all joined in on the festivities and toured the building. 

On the eighth floor of 383 Sorauren, image by Marcus Mitanis

From the top of 383 Sorauren, it's easy to see the neighbourhood landmarks and services residents will have access to. The building is within walking distance of Dundas West subway and GO stations, with the Union Pearson Express (which is free for Family Day weekend!) stopping here as well. Streetcar service to the downtown core is provided by the 504 King, 505 Dundas and 506 Carlton routes. With Roncesvalles Avenue and its quirky collection of shops steps away, and Sorauren Park just a few doors to the south, residents within this handsome addition to the neighbourhood will have plenty of recreation options available when they move in this summer. 

From the seventh floor, the Union Pearson Express zips by the Toronto skyline, image by Marcus Mitanis

Additional images and information can be found in the dataBase file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page. 

Interactive art brings the wintry Toronto beaches to life; Concert hall first step in major Woodbine revitalization; Toronto needs SmartTrack, relief line to avoid overcapacity; and more news...

Interactive art brings the wintry Toronto beaches to life (Globe and Mail)

Concert hall first step in major Woodbine revitalization (Toronto Star)

Toronto needs SmartTrack, relief line to avoid overcapacity, report says (Globe and Mail)

The Rise and Fall of Toronto’s Postwar Urban Planning (Torontoist)

Toronto, Vancouver at risk of correction, TD warns, after January home sales and prices surge (Financial Post)

More world news from our sister site SkyriseCities.com:

Edmonton Embarks on LRT Expansion (Edmonton)

Recent Photos Show Curves of Brickell Heights (Miami)

Enjoy the View From New Jersey's Tallest Residential Tower (Jersey City)

We are learning more about Lifetime Developments and Knightstone's Whitehaus Condos as more information emerges about the 29-storey Diamond Schmitt-designed condominium tower planned for Yonge Street, a block north of Eglinton Avenue. A newly released rendering in now giving us our first glimpse at the suite interiors in the development, providing some insight into their features and finishes.

Rendering of suite interiors at Whitehaus Condos, image courtesy of Lifetime/Knightstone

Whitehaus is offering 366 suites, of 1, 2, or 3 bedrooms, and townhomes as well, with sizes ranging from 377 ft² up to 1,073 ft², and ceiling heights of 9 feet. Responding to the building's exterior envelope, Whitehaus' Cecconi Simone-appointed suite interiors will feature a palette of black and white tones, sleek and very modern, but with some funky fixtures, while floor-to-ceiling windows will allow ample natural light to penetrate the spaces.

We are also getting a taste of the development's unique lobby area, which will include a 24/7 concierge service and ample lounge space to unwind. The space will boast a library-themed aesthetic with granite and glass finishes, as well as upholstered furniture and traditional bankers lamps.

Lobby at Whitehaus Condos, image courtesy of Lifetime/Knightstone

Residents of the development will enjoy a number of amenity spaces, including uncommon offerings such as a ping pong lounge, as well as amenities from the must-have list like a fitness centre with weight and cardio areas, an outdoor podium-top terrace, and a party room to name a few.

Amenity plan at Whitehaus Condos, image courtesy of Lifetime/Knightstone

Additional information and renderings of the project can be found in our dataBase file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.

The disassembly and demolition of a well-known heritage warehouse continues at the northeast corner of Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard in Downtown Toronto, part of the preliminary site prep work for West Block Est. 1928 and LakeShore Towers, a major mixed-use redevelopment from Loblaw Companies, Choice Properties REIT, Wittington Properties Limited and Concord Adex.

Loblaws Warehouse captured from the northwest corner of Bathurst and Lake Shore, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

The 1928-built structure (hence the mouthful of a name given to the redevelopment) began life as the Loblaws Groceterias head office and warehouse, but was most recently home to The Daily Bread Food Bank until they vacated the space in 2000. Though the building was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2001, because the tenant-less warehouse fell into disuse over the next several years, the mortar in particular was deemed to be in too rough a shape to be rehabilitated without a disassembly taking place. 

Historic details on the warehouse's exterior, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

While heritage advocates would prefer that buildings be restored in situ, the City of Toronto accepted that demolition could proceed if the exterior elements were disassembled and saved for reinstallation onto a new structure after cleaning. Work began in August 2015 with the intention of building a structure that would be home to new stores including a flagship Loblaws supermarket, plus head offices for the Joe Fresh company to be built above. To the north of the structure will be a pair of condominium towers.

North facade of the warehouse, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

Over the past several months, crews have been in the process of dismantling, labeling, and cleaning approximately 100,000 bricks from the structure's exterior. Much of the exterior has been removed now, especially including a sizeable portion of the building's north facade.

North facade of the warehouse, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

A view through the peeled away north facade reveals that the interior spaces of the former warehouse are a forest of concrete support columns, an interesting visual for passersby. These shots have been captured beautifully by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17.

View inside the gutted warehouse, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

The south facade fronting Lake Shore Boulevard has had its outermost layer of brick removed, and is now being stored for reassembly on the new structure. The underlying brick walls will be demolished.

South facade of the warehouse, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

Along with the new flagship Loblaws location, an additional 88,000 square feet of retail will include a pharmacy, wine store, clothing boutique, and an 11,000 square foot restaurant. This commercial element of the development including the Joe Fresh offices has been tasked to architectsAlliance, with restoration of the historic facade the reposnsibility of heritage specialists ERA Architects.

View from the underside of the Gardiner Expressway, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

Two Concord Adex-built condominium towers will rise at the north end of the site against the Gardiner Expressway, and will feature a cafe and public art installation meant to animate the underside of the elevated expressway. Designed by Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects, the 37 and 41-storey buildings are being marketed as The LakeShore Towers. The two towers will be separated by a central courtyard featuring a pool and fountains.

Rendering of the completed development, image courtesy of Concord Adex

Additional information and renderings can be found in the project's dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page. 

In November 2015, the City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto announced the creation of a new public space underneath the Gardiner Expressway, thanks to a donation of $25 million from Judy and Wil Matthews. Stretching 1.75 kilometres between Strachan and Spadina Avenues, the initiative known (for now) as Project: Under Gardiner aims at linking the surrounding neighbourhoods through extensive cultural programming in new public spaces and a new trail dedicated to pedestrian and cycling traffic, eventually breathing life into what is mostly now an underused space cutting through the heart of the city.

Indeed, the growth experienced in Downtown Toronto's waterfront over the last decade has brought several thousands of new residents to formerly industrial areas. Now extensively redeveloped, close to 70,000 people live, work, and play in the Liberty Village, Niagara, Wellington Place, CityPlace, Fort York and Bathurst Quay neighbourhoods, creating the urgent need for additional public spaces.

Under Gardiner overall map, image by Public Work

City planner and urban designer Ken Greenberg, in partnership with PUBLIC WORK, has envisioned an extensive plan to revamp the 10-acre area situated, for most part, directly below the elevated highway. Starting at Strachan Avenue, the project proposes a grand staircase connecting the overpass to the now fenced off space below. In this particular area the Gardiner Expressway rises the equivalent of five storeys above ground, creating an airy but sheltered space with large amounts of natural light.

Looking east from the Strachan Street bridge, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Here, far from the first residences, a mixed-used space temporarily referred to as an Active Hub is envisaged, with activities that could range from movie screenings to performances and exhibitions of all kinds. This section of the project will also benefit from a connection with the adjacent Garrison Common, itself connected to the future Garrison Point development and Ordnance Triangle Park by a new pedestrian bridge, further stretching to the future extension of Stanley Park on the south side of Wellington Street.

Looking east at the Under Gardiner project from the Strachan Street bridge, image by Public Work

To the west of Strachan Avenue, a disused triangular lot tangled in between the Gardiner Expressway to the south and the GO Train rail corridor to the north could possibly be transformed into a Pioneer Garden, or be dedicated to urban agriculture and play activities for children and adults. Once again, the substantial distance between this section and the first residences of Liberty Village allows for a more boisterous or more active programming to animate the space, although the details of the possibles activities are yet to be known.

Looking west from Strachan Avenue towards the proposed Pioneer Garden, image by Craig White

Moving east, the area situated between the better integrated Fort York Visitors Centre and the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard and Fort York Boulevard will designated as Fort Front. Thanks to the highway's generous elevation in that specific area, it may be possible for native plants to grow underneath the concrete structure. Other ideas suggested for this central area include improved landscaping, water features, and possibly a skating rink in the winter. Incorporating water in this area is an interesting idea since Lake Ontario's original shoreline runs under this space.

Looking east underneath the Gardiner Expressway, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

As the central section of the Under Gardiner Project, this piece right by Fort York has the potential to become an important connectivity node. The City of Toronto has installed a new pedestrian crossing equipped with traffic lights to allow the passerby to safely cross Fort York Boulevard and reach June Callwood Park, and in the future this could perhaps have improved access further south to Coronation Park and the edge of Lake Ontario.

Looking east at the Under Gardiner project near Fort York, image by Public Work

An iconic crossing is also planned under the the expressway in order to provide a seamless connection to the next section of the linear park, once again overcoming the barrier created by Fort York Boulevard as seen in the image below. Further details about this feature are yet to be determined.

Looking east towards the intersection of Fort York Boulevard and the Gardiner Expressway, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Once past the boulevard, the linear park reaches a densely inhabited area with residential edifices immediately adjacent to the space both north and south sides. This space extending as far as Bathurst Street has already been transformed as a "mineral courtyard" via Adad Hannah's public artwork 'Yard Stones'. The abutting buildings and the Gardiner's decreasing height result in less daylight reaching the heart of the section here. It will be interesting to see what upgrades to the space could do here to create better connectivity and bring more life to the space.

Looking east towards Adad Hannah's public artwork 'Yard Stones', picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

The pedestrian space is interrupted at the intersection with Bathurst Street. The closest pedestrian crossing is located to the north at Fort York Boulevard, and the succeeding space to the east—located behind the former Loblaws warehouse—is closed off currently due to the redevelopment of the property into a condominium and commercial complex, known as West Block. (An up-to-date demolition story on it here appears here on our front page.) Designed before the Under Gardiner scheme, the Market hub which will be constructed as part of the West Block redevelopment is currently not part of the Under Gardiner project, although it has the potential to work well with it.

Looking east towards the West Block development, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Current renderings for this section by renowned landscape architect Claude Cormier + Associés  include food-oriented activities such as a market, with adjacent cafes and a retail component anchored by Loblaw. The space links the retail to the south to the CityPlace neighbourhood to the north. The main challenge here is the installation of a mid-block pedestrian crossing, an unusual practice in Toronto. It will be very interesting to see how the plans for this section evolve to incorporate the east-west links that Under Gardiner proposes.

Looking at the future space designed by Claude Cormier + Associés, image courtesy of Concord Adex

Further east is 'Mitosis Courtyard', situated underneath the Gardiner Expressway between the foot of Queen's Wharf Road and Dan Leckie Way. Similarly to the Adad Hannah-adorned space previously mentioned, Mitosis Courtyard was created by Canadian artist Pierre Poussin through a public art initiative, part of the greater Concord CityPlace program called Concord Artspace. Upgrades to the courtyard could better connect and animate the space. An at-grade pedestrian crossing of Lake Shore Boulevard would create a better connection to Queens Quay and Harbourfront to the south, and would make a big difference. Upgrading some of the landscaping and bringing the trail across Dan Leckie Way would help tie-in a City-proposed dog park with the rest of the spaces underneath the elevated highway to the east and west.

'Mitosis Courtyard' seen from Don Leckie Way, image retrieved from Google Street View

Phase one of the project is proposed to include extending the trail running north of the Gardiner Expressway from Dan Leckie Way to Spadina Avenue, to connect with the existing path and linear garden and over to the future schools and community centre to be built in the CityPlace neighbourhood. Other features could be added to the Under Gardiner project over time. A series of storage sheds just west of Strachan Avenue, currently in use by Exhibition Place, might be a place to create an Innovation Hub. The old tunnel built for the now gone Grand Trunk Railway is one possible way to connect the project's sections west of Strachan, which would open up the possibility to connect even further west to the nearby Exhibition GO Station.

The Grand Truck Railway tunnel under Strachan Avenue, picture by Nicolas Arnaud-Goddet

Finally, the 99 year lease held by the Canadian Forces for the aging Fort York Armoury near the intersection of Fort York Boulevard and Fleet Street will end sometime around 2031. It is not yet known whether the Forces will choose to relocate to a more modern facility when the lease comes to an end, although there is some speculation about the old structure being turned into a community centre.

Looking north towards the proposed Innovation Hub, currently used as storage, image retrieved from Google Maps Streetview

Construction on phase one of the Under Gardiner Project is expected to start this year, and is currently scheduled for completion in 2017. In the meantime, additional information and images can be found in our dataBase file linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field on this page.

Canada in the winter conjures up a multitude of feelings and thoughts. Beauty, although certainly on that list, is usually directed toward the bottom of that after all the practical emotions related to the inconveniences of heavy snowfall and below freezing temperatures are considered. I believe Lawren Harris, the Group of Seven member who revolutionized Canadian art nearly a century ago, captured this beauty best through the clean lines of the icebergs and mountains of the north. A younger Harris certainly would have appreciated the Kew Beach setting of this year’s Winter Stations unveiling with the icy blues and greens of the water and sky, and the iced-over rock formations just off the shore. This is the natural Canadian beauty he championed­—natural and simplistic.

This type of wintery Canadian beauty was present in the clever and minimalistic winning structures that were unveiled on Monday. Winter Stations, an annual international architecture and design competition for temporary artwork installations, had the theme of Freeze/Thaw for its 2016 theme. The theme asked designers to capture “the changing climactic conditions and transitions of the Toronto winter” and its ability to unyieldingly transition into spring, or remain steadfast in the snowy, sub-zero conditions characterized by the season.  

The Fire Place by Douglas Cardinal, photo by Craig Whit

In this vein, a few of the installations incorporated heat into their designs. “The Fire Place” by renowned Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal featured a fire pit bordered by a charred wood bench, reminiscent of the hull of a ship emerging from the sand. People huddled around it for warmth while being able to look out at the sleety waves crashing on shore.

Sauna by FFLO (Claire Furnley and James Fox), photo by Craig White

At the opposite end of the beach, Sauna by FFLO (Claire Furnley and James Fox), made its debut. This installation, as its name suggests is indeed a small sauna complete with translucent walls and hooks for towels and bags. At night, the space is illuminated by the solar power the structure collects during the day. On Monday, brave beachgoers were inside trying it out, dressed down to trunks and bikinis, taking refuge from the temperatures that had transformed the lawn bowling green into a skating rink, a mere 30 feet away. Those even braver were surfing the waves and taking dips in the lake. 

In The Belly of The Bear by Caitlind r.c Brown, Wayne Garrett and Lane Shordee, photo by Craig White

In The Belly of The Bear by Caitlind r.c Brown, Wayne Garrett and Lane Shordee, photo by Craig White

In The Belly of The Bear, an installation by Calgarian trio r.c Brown, Wayne Garrett and Lane Shordee, was another striking attraction. The large spherical installation was created to mimic what it might be like inside an ursine belly. The interior was fitted with patches of fur and a porthole window looking out to the lake. Although the real belly of a bear might be more fatty than fleecy, the imagination and excitement surrounding this submission was clear from the perpetual line of children and adults forming a queue to enter.

Rendering of Steam canoe by OCAD University, image courtesy of Winter Stations

Steam Canoe by OCAD U under construction, photo by Craig White

Beside In The Belly of the Bear was the winning submission from Toronto’s OCAD University students along with Mark Tholen, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environmental Design. The work, titled The Steam Canoe, was created to look like a capsized canoe anchored on the shore. The work also had a heat component that used evacuated solar tubes to turn the surrounding snow into steam. It was not finished on Monday afternoon.

Lithoform by Ryerson Unviersity, photo by Craig White

Rendering of Ryerson University's Lithoform, image courtesy of Winter Stations

Ryerson University students, used light and colour, rather than heat, to create a shelter from the cold. Their submission, Lithoform was inspired by the similarly named lithosphere, the earth’s outermost layer. The work used colourful panels on the structure’s ceiling to create a sort of kaleidoscope skylight to take visitor’s minds away from the bleak landscape and nature of winter. 

Aurora Borealis by Laurentian University, photo by Craig White

The other stations used in situ structures—the lifeguard stations dotted along the shore—as the framework for their pieces. Laurentian University’s Aurora Borealis, featured heat-responsive illuminated tubes that reacted to the touch of visitors, and would subsequently spin around the lifeguard station like a carousel. The piece also featured LED lighting, welded aluminum, sewn fabric to create an otherworldly effect, that brought the piece to life as a sort of warm and friendly alien visitor to brighten up the city’s bleakest months.

Floating Ropes by MUDO (Elodie Doukhan and Nicolas Mussche), photo by Craig White

The Montreal submission, Floating Ropes, from MUDO (Elodie Doukhan and Nicolas Mussche) had an equally lifelike characteristic. This work, also using a lifeguard station, features a series of ropes suspended around the perimeter of the structure creating fringe-like canopy that offers fractured views of the beach and lake that shift depending on the atmosphere and windiness on the shore.

Flow by Team Secret (Calvin Fung and Victor Huynh), photo Craig White 

The installation Flow by Team Secret (Calvin Fung and Victor Huynh), was perhaps the most conceptually interesting of all. The work recreated a three-dimensional ice crystal created from wooden slot-fit connections, connecting with the Freeze/Thaw theme. Like the other works, it had a space for visitors to huddle, and enjoy the their surroundings. 

This year’s Winter Stations winners were chose by jury consisting of Jane Hutton of Harvard University GSD; Alex Josephson of Partisans Architecture; 2015 Winter Stations winners Lily Jeon and Diana Koncan; Catherine Osborne of Azure Magazine; and 2016 Jury Chair Lisa Rochon, Senior Fellow, Global Cities Institute U of T and Founder, Friends of the Beach Parks.

Sponsors for Winter Stations 2016 include developers Great Gulf, Diamante Developments, Demirov Fine Homes, The Rockport Group, Fieldgate Homes, and Urban Capital, along with planning firm Bousfields, the Ontario Association of Architects, the Design Exchange and the City of Toronto.

Although we are not yet sure whether this winter will continue to freeze or start to thaw, we can be sure that the the installations down at kew Beach will provide a way of getting outdoors and appreciating the Canadian winter and the Winter Stations that emulate it and create a new way of appreciating and interacting with it. The installations will be on display until March 20.

In today's Photo of the Day, which was submitted to the UrbanToronto Flickr Pool by Andrew Young, we are shown a view overlooking the Yonge and King intersection. This photo was captured from the 1915-built former Royal Bank building at 8 King Street East on the northeast corner of the intersection. The view highlights the 1914-built Dominion Bank Building—visible at the top—which forms the base of the One King West hotel and condo tower, and the 1913-built Canadian Pacific Building on the southeast corner of the intersection, which can be seen at the bottom left. At the lower right, the late Canadian architect Peter Dickinson’s 4 King Street West is visible.

View of the Yonge and King intersection captured from above, image by Andrew Young via Flickr

Want to see your work featured as Photo of the Day? Head over to the City Photos & Videos section of the Forum, or submit your images to the new and improved UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page!

The bizarre and beautiful art installations taking over Toronto’s beaches this winter; City leaders hopeful for what Ontario budget holds for Toronto; Toronto homeowners face 1.3 per cent property tax hike as 2016 budget passes; and more news...

The bizarre and beautiful art installations taking over Toronto’s beaches this winter (TorontoLife)

City leaders hopeful for what Ontario budget holds for Toronto (Metro News)

Condo living on the horizon for new families (BILD Blog)

Brampton asks provincial Ombudsman to probe downtown deal (Metro News)

Toronto homeowners face 1.3 per cent property tax hike as 2016 budget passes with little drama (National Post)

More world news from our sister site SkyriseCities.com:

Riverline Complex to Add 3,600 Residential Units to South Loop (Chicago)

Tokyo Sky Mile Tower Would Dwarf Burj Khalifa (Tokyo)

Tracking the Tallest Buildings Under Construction in Riyadh (Riyadh)

Construction Wrapping Up at Mark on 10th (Calgary)

Yorkville has been in a state of transformation since the mid-20th century. The village was transformed into a bohemian cultural centre a generation ago, before shedding its gritty ambiance in a wave of gentrification, leading to the posh dining and shopping destination we know today. The area has been the site of substantial growth over the past decade, and several new proposed and under construction high-rise developments are promising to keep the momentum going for the foreseeable future. Back on December 10, 2005, the current wave of intensification had yet to take off, though the intersection of Bay and Yorkville would soon be the site of a major construction project.

Facing northeast from the corner of Bay and Yorkville, December 10, 2005, image by Edward Skira

Fast forward a little over a decade to today, and the former two-storey commercial strip occupying the east side of Bay Street at Yorkville has since been replaced by the much taller Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, a mixed-use development by Lifetime Developments, Menkes Developments, and Alcion Ventures, with 52 and 26-storey towers designed by architectsAlliance and Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects.

Facing northeast from the corner of Bay and Yorkville, February 17, 2016, image by Jack Landau

Another addition visible in the background is The Florian, a 25-storey condominium tower from Diamante Development, featuring a design by Hariri Pontarini Architects and Young + Wright / IBI Group Architects. In the future, this view could be further altered by the addition of a Bay + Scollard, a 43-storey Foster + Partners-designed condominium development that would result in the preservation and relocation of the heritage-listed houses seen on the let side of the image above.

Tilting the camera upwards from the same vantage point as the image above reveals the 52-storey tower of the Four Seasons.

Worm's-eye view of the Four Seasons, February 17, 2016, image by Jack Landau

We will return next week with another look at the changing face of Toronto!

Below-grade levels are now taking shape at the site of Concord Adex's Forward and Newton, two adjacent condominium developments at the southeast corner of Bathurst Street and Fort York Boulevard. The two Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed condominium towers will be adding 541 new residential units to the Concord CityPlace community, an area of the city experiencing substantial residential growth.

Site of Newton and Forward at Concord CityPlace, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

Months after the completion of the projects' excavation phase during which some rather interesting archaeological finds were made, the first concrete pours were undertaken for Forward near the southeast corner of the site, followed by the installation of the first tower crane. A second crane was later erected near the northeast corner of the site, and most recently, a third crane has been installed on the west side of the site.

Site of Newton and Forward at Concord CityPlace, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

Of the two side-by-side developments, Forward's end of the combined garage is slightly further along, with most of the walls and support columns now in place. The 30-storey tower will include 352 units, ranging in size from 500 ft² to 1,038 ft².

Below-grade construction for Forward at Concord CityPlace, image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

At the west end of the site, formwork has appeared for the first supporting columns and walls of the lowest level. The 18-storey Newton will eventually add 189 units to the neighbourhood, as well as the addition of retail spaces on the ground level of its three-storey podium, fronting onto Bathurst Street.

First below-grade level underway at Newton (background), image by UrbanToronto Forum contributor G.L.17

Once complete, residents of Newton and Forward will enjoy amenity spaces appointed by LIV Interiors, including spaces fostering creativity such as a music studio, an art studio, a photography studio, and a dance studio. Residents of both developments will also have access to the gym and lifestyle amenities found at Quartz's neighbouring Prisma Club. These two towers will be among the last developed in the CityPlace community, with just Blocks 22 and 31 awaiting redevelopment. Wheels are already in motion, meanwhile, for the West Block Est. 1928 and LakeShore Towers project just south of the Gardiner Expressway.

Rendering of Forward (right) and Newton (left), image courtesy of Concord Adex

A comprehensive collection of project facts and renderings can be found in our dataBase files for Newton and Forward, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.

Toronto's first Saks Fifth Avenue store celebrated its grand opening this morning. A fashionable crowd gathered in front of the Eaton Centre bridge to the Hudson's Bay building to catch a first glimpse of the luxurious new retailer as the doors opened.

Even Saks shoppers drink Tim Horton's, image by Jack Landau

Just past the bridge a string quartet greeted the first visitors at the store's second-floor entrance, which was lined with expensively coutured mannequins. Things smelled of perfume. 

A string quartet sets the tone for the store, image by Jack Landau

Inside, the store's three levels of high fashion were quickly filled with their first well-heeled customers—and a pair of UrbanToronto stragglers.

Inside the second floor, image by Jack Landau

Located at the eastern corner of the century-old Hudson's Bay building, the expansive new retailer fronts Yonge, Queen, and Richmond streets, with entrances marked by striated patterns of neutral tones accented with notes of gold. 

The Queen Street lobby, image by Jack Landau

On the first floor, a central atrium opens up the space above the parfumerie, with a showpiece installation. Along the first floor, the opulent space features a collection of individually appointed branded boutiques throughout the first floor. 

A central atrium ties the space together, image by Jack Landau

The store's individual boutiques include well-known international luxury brands such as Céline, Givenchy, and Bottega Veneta. 

Small boutiques line the ground floor, image by Jack Landau

The second floor features an extensive menswear collection, reflecting the company's growing focus on men's fashion. Now a subsidiary of Canada's Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), the American retailer is set to open a second Toronto location at Sherway Gardens next week.

The men's shoe collection on the second floor, image by Jack Landau

The 169,000 ft² Downtown flagship is also set to feature a Pusateri's outlet—opening soon in the basement—providing a new lunch and grocery option for Downtown workers. Leña, a restaurant specializing in South American dishes, will open in the southeast corner of the store in May. It will be operated by Oliver and Bonacini.

Mannequins 'greet' visitors on the first floor, image by Jack Landau

While the Saks brand is now a subsidiary of HBC, the space itself—like the store Sherway Gardens—is now owned by Cadillac Fairview, following HBC's $650 million sale of the historic property in 2014. 

A display of designer handbags, image by Jack Landau

Saks Fifth Avenue joins a growing coterie of international luxury fashion retailers to open Canadian locations. Expanding a market long dominated by HBC's Holt Renfrew brand, Toronto's collection high fashion retail is set to continue diversifying in coming years, with additional new brands slated to join the market. 

The women's shoe department, image by Jack Landau

At the north end of the Eaton Centre, the Seattle-based Nordstrom brand is set to open a flagship Canadian department store, while Mississauga's Square One has been announced as the first GTA location of Quebec's Maison Simons. 

Looking southwest, image by Jack Landau

For more information about Toronto's changing retail landscape, make sure to check out our associated Forum threads, which feature regular updates of new store openings and closings. Want to share your thoughts about Toronto's first Saks Fifth Avenue? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in the conversation on one of our associated Forum threads. 

Several weeks since the first signs of shoring activity were spotted at the site of Bazis and Plaza's 1 Yorkville, the process of stabilizing the site in advance of excavation is progressing smoothly. To prepare the 58-storey condominium project for excavation, crews from Deep Foundations Inc. are in the process of shoring the site with what UrbanToronto believes to be a pile and lagging system.

Facing southwest across the 1 Yorkville site, image by Jack Landau

The process involves the driving of hollow steel casing into the ground, which are then filled in with large vertical steel wide flange beams, also known as soldier piles. The beams are then secured by horizontal timber lagging, retaining the surrounding earth and allowing exvacation to proceed safely within the shored area.

Facing southeast across the 1 Yorkville site, image by Jack Landau

Once shoring work is completed, we can expect to see the future site of the development's below-grade levels excavated to a depth of five storeys during the coming months. The careful excavation process must take into account the foundations of the heritage frontages facing Yonge Street. The first 10 metres of of the heritage buildings will be incorporated into the new development as the project's retail component. Above and to the rear of the heritage component, the development will include 577 new residences to the eastern edge of the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood.

Foundations of the heritage properties at 1 Yorkville, image by Jack Landau

Designed by lead architect Roy Varacalli, with the complex heritage restoration efforts being overseen by ERA Architects, the development will also include over 2,000 square metres of amenity spaces occupying much of the fourth and fifth levels split between the indoors and outdoor terraces above the heritage buildings, and more at the top of the tower.

Rendering of 1 Yorkville, image courtesy of Bazis/Plaza

Want to know more about the building? Info and more renderings can be found in our dataBase file, linked below. You can get in on the discussion in our associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page. Earlier stories describing the building in greater detail can be found linked further down this page.

Since topping off at a height of 257 metres last year, work on exterior and interior details continues at the Yonge and Bloor site of Great Gulf's One Bloor East. Since our last update on the 76-storey, Hariri Pontarini-designed development, the ongoing installation of balcony glazing has begun to have a profound impact on the tower's exterior.

Looking up at One Bloor East at dusk, image by UT Forum contributor NBGtect

A combination of flat and curved fritted glass panels hug the undulating exterior of the tower's balconies, creating a distinct contrast between the balconies and the mirror-blue curtain wall glazing of the main volume. Views from around the base of the tower reveal how the balcony glazing will accentuate the building's curves, while also highlighting the differences direct versus indirect light makes on the exterior.

Balcony glazing impacting the exterior of One Bloor East, image by Jack Landau

Complementing the building's dominant position on the skyline, the ground level of the major development will improve the surrounding streetscape with the addition of 85,000 square foot retail space stretching south from Bloor to Hayden Street, as well as the Bloor Yorkville BIA's granite sidewalks.

One Bloor East's podium, image by Jack Landau

After years of speculation, we are now learning details about the first confirmed retail tenant in the development. The first Canadian location of Nordstrom Rack, an off-price retail division of US-based retailer Nordstrom, will occupy a 38,600 square foot portion of the building's retail component over two floors, and is scheduled to open in 2018.

One Bloor East's Yonge Street frontage, image by Jack Landau

"We are delighted to welcome Nordstrom Rack to One Bloor, the perfect retailer for such a dynamic location. Anchoring the mink mile at the Yonge/Bloor intersection, One Bloor represents one of Toronto's signature architectural landmarks and is a symbol of excellence in design, technology and experience," said Christopher Wein, President Great Gulf. "With a culmination of residential, retail and transit at this amazing intersection and the vibrant pedestrian activity, Nordstrom Rack will be well positioned for success and future growth."

View of future retail space at One Bloor East, image by Jack Landau

For more information on the project check out our dataBase file, linked below, for many renderings and further links to past articles. You can join in on the discussion in the associated Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

The annual Winter Stations returned to much fanfare this weekend, transforming a series of lifeguard stations on Toronto's beaches into works of art and warming stations. In today's Photo of the Day, which was submitted to the UrbanToronto Flickr Pool by BruceK, we are shown the popular "In The Belly of The Bear" installation by Caitlind r.c Brown, Wayne Garrett and Lane Shordee.

In The Belly of The Bear, image by BruceK via Flickr

Want to see your work featured as Photo of the Day? Head over to the City Photos & Videos section of the Forum, or submit your images to the new and improved UrbanToronto Flickr Pool for your chance to be featured on our Front Page!

Don Valley gondola could lift Toronto tourism; Ryerson student's green roof farming company looking up; Mortgage rules and winter weather can’t chill home buyers; and more news

Don Valley gondola could lift Toronto tourism (Toronto Star)

Ryerson student's green roof farming company looking up (Metro News)

Mortgage rules and winter weather can’t chill home buyers (Globe and Mail)

Q&A: John Tory, one-year veteran of the mayor’s chair (Toronto Life)

Toronto voters divvy up public funds as city tests out participatory budgeting (Toronto Star)

More world news from our sister site SkyriseCities.com:

Deconstructivist Tower Coming to Shenzhen (Shenzhen)

The Mark to Become Seattle's Newest Icon (Seattle)

La Tour Highrise to Become Aarhus' Tallest Residential Building (Aarhus)

Glass Installation Underway at Aquilini Centre South (Vancouver)

Sales are now in motion for The Rosedale on Bloor, a 52-storey, Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed condominium and hotel development from developer Gupta Group. The project will bring a major boost of density to the Bloor and Sherbourne area, straddling the souther border of the prestigious Rosedale neighbourhood. 

Rendering of The Rosedale on Bloor, image courtesy of The Gupta Group

While marketing renderings and elevation diagrams have given plenty of insight into the design of the development, new images of the project's scale model are giving us our first three-dimensional glimpse of The Rosedale on Bloor. The development will feature a Canopy by Hilton Hotel in the base of the tower, with 476 residential suites starting on the 11th floor and continuing above. 

Southeast-facing view of The Rosedale on Bloor, image courtesy of The Gupta Group

A closer look reveals makes podium levels easier to read. The Canopy by Hilton Hotel will include restaurant, amenity, and function rooms overlooking Bloor Street, while the hotel's suites will start on the fifth floor on the north side, while running from the second to the tenth level on the quieter Selby Street side on the south. An 11th floor outdoor terrace above the podium can also be seen.

Podium levels of The Rosedale on Bloor, image courtesy of The Gupta Group

Condo suites on floors 11 through 25 were the initial sales release, and have been followed by the release of units on floors 26 through 48 of the tower, being marketed now as the SkyWatch Condos. SkyWatch suites are priced from the mid $200,000s, ranging in size from 307 through 871 square feet, and will offer elevated views of the surrounding cityscape.

West-facing view of The Rosedale on Bloor, image courtesy of The Gupta Group

The sales centre is open in a ballroom of the Gupta-owned Courtyard Marriott Hotel at 7095 Woodbine Avenue in Markham. Along with the centrepiece scale model, the presentation centre displays suite floor plans and a giant R, created out of silk roses, linking the project's brand and neighbourhood back to the celebrated flower.

The Rosedale on Bloor's presentation centre, image courtesy of The Gupta Group

Additional information and renderings of the development can be found in the associated dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts about the Rosedale on Bloor? Leave a comment in the space below, or join in the conversation on our Forum.

During the decades leading up to Toronto's recent condo boom, much of the city's downtown was dotted by surface parking lots, leftover spaces from the legacy of widespread urban renewal in the 1950s and 60s. Today, many of these otherwise empty lots have been filled in and redeveloped, quite often animating desolate streetscapes with vibrant new buildings and communities. One of the last remaining large-scale open lots in the city currently spans an entire city block east of the Financial District from Queen Street East north to Shuter Street, between Mutual and Dalhousie Streets, and is the location of a new development proposal that looks to add a significant amount of density to the site.

Aerial view of the empty lot at 88 Queen East, image retrieved via Apple Maps.

At the February 18 meeting of Toronto's Design Review Panel, we caught our first complete glimpse of what may appear in the empty lot at 88 Queen East. The proposal by St. Thomas Developments would see condominium towers erected on the nearly 10,000-square-metre site, complete with a hotel, a city park, a privately-owned public space (POPS), ground and second-level retail, all arranged around a pedestrian mews. The presentation to the Panel was a pre-application workshop - essentially a design critique prior to filing a zoning application with the City - therefore, many of the ideas put forth are likely to change as the design by Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects evolves.

Eastern elevation along Mutual Street, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The initial phase, at a more advance planning stage and already in marketing under the name 88 North, comprises a 29-storey tower constructed at the north end along Shuter Street (seen at right, above). Following phases would include the construction of conjoined 27-storey towers in the middle of the property, and a 58-storey tower proposed along Queen Street at the south end. The 58-storey tower features dynamic massing with volumes that extrude and recess into the face of the building, aiming to merge interior and exterior spaces while paying homage to Herzog & de Meuron's 56 Leonard in New York.

Proposed site plan, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The first tower at the north end of the site has the simplest design, with a largely glass facade and extruding balconies that vary in position on each elevation. The 29-storey tower will be located toward the corner of Shuter and Mutual Streets, and will sit atop a 7-storey podium with ground-level retail and a rooftop terrace.

North elevation of the north tower along Shuter Street, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The middle two towers, located along the east and west edges of the site at Mutual and Dalhousie Streets, are expressed as three-storey blocks stacked atop one another and staggered toward the north and south, which are separated by a recessed level in between to fully articulate the blocks. Rising 27 storeys each, the two buildings would be connected by three-storey sky gardens, with 4.5-metre-wide outdoor terraces at each recessed level. The ground floors would also contain retail units that open up onto the surrounding public spaces.

Southern facade of the middle towers (south tower removed to capture image), image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The south tower would feature a 5-to-8 storey podium containing a hotel, and will rise 58-storeys above the corner of Mutual and Queen Streets. The design features varying floor plates creating extruded and recessed volumes that become more dramatic on the upper floors, giving the impression that the building is breaking apart as it rises. The podium design also features dramatic undulating volumes that vary in colour and texture to give visual interest and relate to the surrounding structures.

Southern facade of the podium along Queen Street, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The massing of the buildings was largely determined by a flight path restriction for helicopters approaching the nearby St. Michael's Hospital. The flight path limited the height of the northern towers, while no height restrictions are imposed on the southern portion of the site, allowing the south tower to rise higher.

Diagram looking southeast showing the flight path restrictions, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The central focus of the entire development is the design of the public realm, and this theme played heavily into the presentation of the project. The proposal includes a new city park located just off Dalhousie Street near the northwest corner, and a new POPS located just off Mutual Street near the southeast corner. Bisecting the site down its north-south axis is a pedestrian mews lined with ground- and second-level retail spaces, which begins with a five-storey passageway from Queen Street through the podium of the south tower, and terminates at the north tower with access to Mutual and Dalhousie Streets. East-west block connections stretch from Mutual to Dalhousie Streets at both the POPS and the city park. All elements of the public realm are being designed by Claude Cormier & Associés.

Site plan highlighting the public realm, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The 750-square-metre city park takes its inspiration from the intimate and enigmatic Paley Park in New York, and will feature a water or art wall at its eastern edge to create a visual and physical barrier masking the loading docks and service spaces behind. A central mound of grass will be surrounded by a mineral surface dotted with trees, aiming to create a contained 'outdoor room' with an intimate atmosphere, lined by complementary retail spaces.

View of the city park looking east from Dalhousie Street, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The 980-square-metre POPS follows a similar design to that of the park, with a completely mineral surface dotted by lines of trees that create a canopy over the outdoor space. The intimate atmosphere will again be animated by ground-level retail, and will feature a large public art piece as a playful focal point.

View of the POPS looking west from Mutual Street, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The retail strategy for the site is centred around food, which aims to appeal to the targeted demographic of millennials that constitute 62% of the area's current residents. The majority of retail spaces will contain restaurants and cafes, including a two-storey food hall located in the podium of the west tower. A food market will be located in the podium of the north tower, while destination retail or a possible fitness centre will occupy the second floor of the east tower. All of the ground floor retail establishments will open onto either the pedestrian mews, the public spaces, or the sidewalk in order to animate the public realm.

Site plan showing ground floor uses, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The proposal for 88 Queen East is quite detailed, but it is important to note that none of it is set in stone, as it is still in the design and planning stages of the process. And indeed, after a thorough presentation at the Design Review Panel, the panelists were quick to raise some concerns that could impact the future design of the project.

View looking south from the park down the pedestrian mews, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

The panelists questioned the appropriateness of the building height, and felt that 58 storeys east of downtown was perhaps a bit high. They also brought up issues about the massing of the complex, stating that the middle towers appeared as a single building, and that the form of each of the towers will need to be further refined. While they applauded the inclusion of public spaces throughout the site, they questioned the effectiveness of the pedestrian mews and whether or not it might succeed, given its internalizing qualities and the predominance of large, single-tenant retail spaces, as opposed to a more fine-grained small-scale retail approach. They also pointed out that more could be done to engage with the sidewalk along the surrounding streets, rather than concentrating pedestrian activity at the centre of the site.

Close-up on the west facade of the west tower, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

Most importantly, though, the panelists were concerned with the project's relationship to the surrounding areas. They felt that the internalizing qualities of the proposal did not lend themselves to benefitting the wider neighbourhood, and that focusing on millennials as a demographic - who will inevitably grow up - and ignoring the heavy presence of homeless and low-income residents might not be best for the area. The lack of affordable housing and security concerns were also raised as issues. Aesthetically, the dramatic facade of the podium along Queen Street, with its extruded volumes and flashy finishes, was criticized for its lack of relationship to the heritage streetwall opposite the site on the south side of Queen.

View looking southwest toward the POPS and south tower, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

Finally, a point was made about the precedent-setting potential of this project, and its impact for future development in the neighbourhood and the city. Much like what has happened in the Entertainment District, along Yonge Street, and in Yorkville, once one tower has been built, it opens the door for other developments of a similar or larger scale to materialize, often completely transforming a neighbourhood for better or for worse. The Panel agreed overall that more thought and consideration should be given to the impact that this proposal will have on the current and future neighbourhood, its residents, and the public realm.

Western facade along Dalhousie Street, image courtesy of St. Thomas Developments.

It was a riveting discussion at the Panel, and one that left us with an intriguing proposal and many questions. We will keep you updated as more details emerge on this development, but in the meantime, you can check out our dataBase file, linked below, for more information and the latest up-to-date renderings. Want to share your thoughts on the project and learn more? Join in the discussion in our associated Forum thread, or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

In 2007, the Province of Ontario amended the Planning Act to allow municipalities the ability to implement a streamlined development approval framework. The new Development Permit By-Law System (DPS) effectively combines zoning, site plan, and minor variance approvals into a single regulatory process. Passed by City Council in 2014—and currently in the midst a lengthy OMB appeal—the DPS is intended to replace Toronto's current site-specific zoning with an area-based approvals process in select areas. Already formally adopted by several municipalities across Ontario, the framework is designed to ensure that each development is in keeping with the planning objectives—and community vision—for its area.

From a legal perspective, the DPS can be understood as a sort of hybrid of Secondary Plans and zoning by-laws, combining site-specific zoning regulations with the broader, neighbourhood-oriented scope of a Secondary Plan. Zoning, site planning, and minor variance approvals are combined under the DPS, allowing for an expedited and more predictable process. Notably, the City of Brampton has recently implemented the framework, with a DPS in place for the city's 'Main Street North' corridor since December 2015.

Brampton's 'Main Street North' corridor, image courtesy of the City of Brampton

According to Brampton Central Area Planner Paul Aldunate, the newly implemented Development Permit By-Law System provides "a clearer planning framework and a faster process, simplifying the procedure for developers while making sure that the vision for the area is maintained."For Brampton's Main Street North area, which comprises about 80 properties, Aldunate argues that the DPS will prove "beneficial to both developer and planning interests." In the months since the DPS was implemented, Aldunate tells us that "there's already been a lot of interest from developers."

For developers, the DPS would provide a clearer, faster, and more centralized process. "It also gives a clearer and more predictable picture of what kind of projects can be approved," Aldunate adds, explaining that the system simultaneously gives planners the ability to set more impactful criteria for new development. According to the planner, the DPS is best suited to "areas of strong existing character or strong development pressure."

If implemented, the DPS will allow for a more fine-grained approach to local planning, immediately taking area context—including built form, park space, transit, and hard infrastructure needs—into account for each application. As a planning tool, the system provides select areas with cohesive and specific guidelines that can foster a more predictable and cohesive evolution of built form and the public realm. 

Though the City of Toronto has yet to formally implement the system, Council approved the new planning strategy in 2014 through the adoption of Official Plan Amendment 258. However, the amendment was immediately appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) by 13 local interest parties—composed largely of landowners associations and stakeholder groups. A mediation session is scheduled for next month. Failing a resolution through mediation, a formal hearing is set to take place in August.  

A more comprehensive range of factors would be taken into account using the DPS, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

As part of the ResetTO planning initiative, the Development Permit By-Law System would be implemented in Toronto as a framework that "supports and reflects local character and distinctiveness." A report prepared by Toronto City Planning in 2015 identified four areas as strong candidates for DPS designation, recommending Etobicoke Centre, North Yonge, Scarborough Centre, and the Yonge-Eglinton Centre as the first areas for consideration.

Each of these areas—identified as "Growth Centres" in Toronto's Official Plan—are currently under the auspices of Secondary Plans, which recognize the strong development potential of the neighbourhoods. Compared to Secondary Plans, however, the DPS allows for a more comprehensive and concentrated approvals process, placing re-zoning applications directly within the purview of the planning framework.

An overview of Toronto's planned implementation procedure for DPS designations, image courtesy of the City of Toronto

Despite Toronto's stalled progress in implementing the DPS, Chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat has remained a strong advocate. Writing in her personal blog, Keesmaat calls the system "a significant and potentially transformative change," citing the more community-oriented structure of the system—and its greater transparency and predictability—as improvements over the status quo. 

Keesmaat also points out that the new system would allow for community improvements—namely Section 37 contributions—to be identified via a "collaborative and community-based approach," replacing "the current, and highly criticized approach that involves negotiating on a site-by-site basis for community improvements." As it stands, Section 37 agreements are negotiated between the developer and the local councillor for each site, leading to "what has been called at times, 'let's make a deal' planning," Keesmaat notes.

We will keep you updated as the OMB appeal process continues and the future of Toronto's Development Permit By-Law System continues to take shape. Want to share your thoughts about the Development By-Law Permit System? Leave a comment in the space below this page. 

With plans for a cable car system announced today, Toronto's Don Valley could be the site of the city's next major tourist attraction. The privately funded $20-25 million gondola would run from the edge of Playter Gardens near Broadview and Danforth down to the Evergreen Brick Works.

Spanning what is arguably Toronto's most famous ravine, Bullwheel International's Don Valley Cable Car would be entirely funded by private investment. A scenic link to the popular Evergreen Brick Works, the gondola is designed to fill a gap in Toronto's transit network, providing access to a popular destination that—given the area topography—isn's very easily accessible from nearby subway stations at Castle Frank and Broadview.

A 'postcard' for the project, image courtesy of donvalleycablecar.com

Running from Playter Gardens near Broadview Station, the line would stretch a kilometre northwest to the Brick Works, facilitating an easier transit connection from the subway. While elements of the project—including costs and station alignments—remain subject to change, the Don Valley Cable Car's official website provides an overview of  the plans so far. Featuring Monocable Detachable Gondola (MDG) technology, the the 1-kilometre route would include 3 to 6 towers and some 40 8-passenger cars. A 4 to 8 minute ride time is estimated, while the website cites an average ridership projection of 500 to 1,500 passengers per day.

The preliminary route alignment runs northwest from Playter Gardens (left), image courtesy of donvalleycablecar.com

Though station locations are also cited as approximate, the site states that the proposed alignments would not interfere with old growth trees or nearby private properties. Although Bullwheel International's proposal for a Don Valley gondola has been vaguely floated since at least 2011, more concrete plans are only now beginning to take shape, with an approximate 4-year completion timeline cited.

Like many cable car systems throughout the world, the Don Valley Cable Car proposes a dual fare structure for locals and tourists, potentially making the service a viable occasional travel option for Torontonians. A base two-way fare of approximately $10 has been targeted, though this figure is also understood as a preliminary estimate. More definitively, however, dogs will be allowed on board.

The Evergreen Brick Works, image by Marcus Mitanis

While the extent of the tangible public benefit is uncertain, the privately funded project has been met with enthusiasm by City Hall. According to the Toronto Star, Mayor John Tory called the project "novel" and "exciting," adding that the City should not be inclined to "reject any means of getting people around." At a press conference for another matter, Tory stating that he would be interested in taking a ride in the gondola. 

A public meeting to review the project has been scheduled for March 8th, to be held at Estonian House at 958 Broadview Avenue (just west of Broadview Station). The community information session will take place from 7-9 PM. More information is available on the project's official website. Want to share your thoughts about the project? Leave a comment in the space below this page, or join in the conversation on one of our associated Forum threads.