While the proposed car wash at 2803 DUNDAS St West – which is the old McBride’s store site, was a right of use application, the developer of the site met with the community Wednesday Sept 16th .
The overall result of the meeting was the community’s acceptance of the development of the car wash. Many questions were asked about safety, noise and traffic flow, with the answers deemed acceptable by the members of the community who attended.
The developer stated the car wash was only temporary use of the land during recessionary period we are now having, His chosen architect Robert Chang spoke about the need to maximize the value of the property lot for his client in the future, he clearly did not say the final building with the present owner on the site would be a condominium building.
18 Comments
I wasn't at the meeting, but I don't understand. They're going to build a temporary carwash at the McBride site? And condos there later? The bank is saying this recession is already over, why build such a thing that doesn't have anything to do with the neighborhood. Are carwashes cash cows for the developer?
Was this a public meeting? Just asking, because I don't recall it being announced anywhere.
Also, please please please, if you aren't a good speller, use a spell checker on your posts. Your readers will thank you.
"With the communites consent"… with or without the "communities consent" the site was going to become a car wash. If it makes some of you feel better thinking you had input in this decision, more power to you.
yes… hey’re going to build a temporary carwash at the McBride site.
…and another type of building later they did not not say what type only that they would need to max out the value of the land.
I agree Theirry. I'll sign the "You don't have my Consent" petition, but I won't hold my breath.
Sorry about the spelling, I do try and the vast majority of the types i make fail to get caught by the Microsoft Word or the WordPress spell checker. Currently the blog uses After The Deadline a contextual spelling, style, and grammar check, and it fails sometimes.
Not that I want to get in to here, but the mistakes I make I don't even see – really , simply because of a medical issue, I don't only make them here.
Yes, it was a public meeting, the blog had it listed in the events listing to the right of the posts.
got to work on getting the stuff there noticed don't I
This site sat empty during one of the biggest real estate booms in recent history. I want to be optimistic, but it doesn't seem like the land is in good hands.
Hey, its always for rent to park trailers for the time being if you want to shoot a commercial around our neighbourhood…
Theirry and Rodger,
I was also at the meeting and you are right the carwash was going in with or without community consent.
The developer and architect didn’t even need to hold the meeting but they did so they could get feedback from neighbours in an effort to address some concerns and tailor the design as a result.
It’s called being a good developer and despite your bitterness towards anything you can’t control these meetings do make a difference.
LOL @ you Martin. I'm far from bitter, i'm quite happy the lot is finally being developed. Tailor design a car wash? Is this a boutique car-wash that will be different then every other generic design I've ever seen, or somehow incorporate a retail element along Dundas West??? Thats really nifty… can't wait to see the final product!
Theirry, I’m glad to hear you’re not bitter.
The developer said he does plans to build a unique carwash, he said it would have a “main street church feel”, blended facade with a peaked shingled roof. I assume that’s why he has hired a well regarded architect to do the design. The layout is also different from other carwashes with the queue wrapping around the bays which brings the building more inline with the street.
well from the image you can see the blog was there, although I left before Martin.
and I must second Martin …meetings do make a difference, when the meeting started i could feel the tension towards the project and when it ended I could hear and see a new comfort level from those who attended.
By the way one of the reasons i added the event countdown to the blog, was the hope that more people would show up a the community meetings if they had a regular place to chk for them.
Never even noticed it before! Doh!
Any way you put it this community doesn't need a carwash at that site. The best scenario is that the owner would manage to sell it (I believe the lot is still for sale) before construction on this thing begins. A Carwash that has the look of a church is frankly, B.S. A carwash is a carwash is a carwash and a carwash in the Junction = haven for criminal activity.
The land is definitely in the wrong hands. The developer tore down the Mcbride structure and then realized that condos wouldn't work – and that was still at the height of the boom. Why would anybody tear down such a beautiful building? The best use would have been converting the existing structure into trendy lofts. The area needs more residents. And yes a carwash on that site will definitely attract criminal activity.
A temporary car wash would be a hose and a bucket. This thing will not go anywhere any time soon.
Poor people! Mentioning "criminal activity" is just an excuse for NIMBY'ism. Now, that is what we really need to keep out of the area.
Anyway, I noticed a new sign there after Christmas but can't recall if it is for sale or for lease.