The Junction has had a shortage of homes for decades. Since 1984 the prices of houses have tripled. Two periodic property market crashes did not slow the trend, in the Junction as it did in other areas, each fall stopped on a plateau higher than its predecessor. Yet condo development in the area is exceeding slow, with only one existing, the new Heintzman Place, and none other than the old paint plant at 6 Lloyd Ave, even in the planning stages. The old Mc Brides site on the south side of Dundas St West. just east of Keele St. had a proposed project which resulted with a large decry from people living around the site, stopping it.
There are other industrial and retail lots in the area that would serve for the construction of low rise condominium developments. Yet probably most developers would want or have to go above the 15 meter height restriction to make the projects viable. This would entail a building variance for selected projected projects that could be carefully and strictly rationed to ensure the character, the public’s right to light and open airspace is not removed.
Benefits of a 2 or 3 more condos would be,
A) Increased street life, on both the resident and high street commercial areas
B) Increased business for retailers and in turn for building owners
Cb)….the above probably and hopefully moving non retail businesses such a web design shops up to the second and third floors of the retail buildings opening up new retail space.
Cc) providing building owners with more funds to improve their faced and general buildings.
D) Less opportunist crime
E) More community involvement simply because of the increased number of people
And what of the special variances provided to developers for that bit of extra height, well a direct placed funding to fund well – kick start community activities and efforts such as farm markets which are resident run, and would it not be a good idea to have the residents associations to have a trust off which the interest could be used by the residents association.
Of course the last paragraph requires the development of a community consultation government model that devolves specific actions of very local issues to residents groups, a growing movement around the western societies, yet never lost in others.
13 Comments
New condos can mean more people, more business, and more eyes on the street. They can increase the neighbourhood's vitality and profile. If properly planned and designed, new condo buildings can be great for the area. The McBrides site needs some development of up to seven stories. Empty lots are depressing and suck vitality out of an area.
Dundas is fairly built up with many heritage buildings, but St. Clair is begging for condo development with retail on the ground floors fronting the street, not suburban plazas and car dealerships with half the land being a parking lot. You could see high-rise construction in the big box Stock Yards area and they wouldn't be out of place.
I totally agree with the new condo developments in the area, the 6 Lloyd Avenue (Old Bengim Moore) land would be a good start for condo development and more to come in the area. This project should have some activity soon since Terrasan needs to put in
a modified plan from the original to the city planning department and probably just waiitng for Canada Bread to move out first. I would also expect that there is a good possibility that the Canada Bread facility could also be a good possibility as well since rumours are Tridel purchased the building which is the same builder for the (Heintzman Place). The mechanic shops/collision centers on north end of mulock are not doing so well for business so i won't be surprised if they go as well, this all tells me there is potential for the whole (South/East) corner of St.Clair and Keele being redeveloped with potential condos.
I have heard (from a developer) that the reason there aren't more condos in the neighbourhood, especially north junction, is that NRT blocks any development over a certain height. The only reason Heintzmen went up is that is is a different ward, and therefore NRT did not know about it until after it had gone through.
Yes NRT has a concern about being the angst of any new development in the area around its plant, I would think. I wonder if NRT did not know about the Heintzmen Place condo before it was even off the plotter after being designed, the people who owned it at the time were smart. (Just look at their business model, antenna up for residential developments as did most of the more dirty art studio that congregated in the Junction Rd/Old Weston Rd corner.
In addition they were successful in causing the developer to provide closed windows for the North wall of the building.
In the JRA community booth at the Annette Library Meet and Greet – Saturday, September 10, 1 to 4 pm, we are going to add to last year’s activity mapping with activities that relate to new density and height in the area.
Stop by to see details of the Cities Avenues study and how it relates to our area and help shape a consensus for the JRA.
If you see the inks below from the Mulock blog and article on NRT, you will notice that the Environment folks are going after them to improve there facility and raise the stacks. With the stacks being raised there should be no concern on Condo development around there facility.
http://mulockresidents.blogspot.com/
Mulock Avenue Residents Association Meeting: August 8, 2011
Business deliberated:
ii. National Rubber & Community Coordination Efforts – we were updated on actions of Mulock Ave. residents working with Ontario Ministry of Environment to stem the industrial odours emitting from National Rubber Technologies on Cawthra.
http://mulockresidents.blogspot.com/2011/08/article-on-national-rubber-from-open.html
Article on National Rubber From Open File Toronto
http://toronto.openfile.ca/toronto/file/2011/07/something-stinky-junction
Jordan says that National Rubber Technologies has put forth a proposal that includes a detailed sampling study and facility improvements, the most prominent being a raising of the roof's stacks. While the Ministry believes this plan will help to effectively control and reduce odour, a technical review process is under way to ensure results.
great info,
Increased stacks along with order and particulate concern can do a lot.
"NRT has a concern about being the angst of any new development in the area"
NRT IS THE ANGST of any new developer in the area, and they may have scuttled more than one developers project in the neighbourhood, while keeping the area closed for business.
Meanwhile Residents from Bloor to Rogers Rd still have to put up with their smell under the guise of them being a "Green Business"
If you do wish to report the strong smell of "burning rubber" in your neighbourhood, contact the Ministry of the Environment's Pollution Hotline at 1-866-663-8477.
I don't understand why we're all held hostage by the stench from NRT.
I recently found out that the Canada Bread Plant is closing the end of the year for sure and the building must be vacant and the new owner of the building "Tridel" takes the buildiing over Feb 2012. The other thing which i also found out is NRT is a American based company and with the economy being in the situation it is in the United States they have been laying off people at this facility and not doing so well financially which means that in the near future they could shut down there operations since it costs too much $$ to operate and no $$ coming in.
Where exactly are these condos going to go? More importantly, where are all these wonderful condo owners going to *park*? 2 or 3 more condos means at least 2 or 3 hundred more people, with another big number of cars. The condo/church on Annette is on a low flow street and the one being built on Bloor/High park will be well situated near the Subway; but have you looked at Keele and Dundas West traffic?!
I think building a much smaller set of condos on the Dnds W. near Indiana would be a much better idea, but I doubt 'community setting' gets bigger when your neighbours have no porches and 50ft above you on the 2nd floor. Condos work only with good forethought and good planning.
I'd love to see a few more of the Junction's vacant/industrial sites rebuilt as condo spaces. New planning provisions (especially for higher density developments) mean it's possible to be granted exceptions from traditional parking requirements. This has worked well all across the central city and is enabled in the new Official Plan as well.
Medium rise buildings (say, 4-7 stories) can be built in ways that do not undermine the character of the community. I think the building on Dundas West near the subway station is a pretty good example.
Thank you for posting the helpful information in the post and comments above. Really useful and interesting.
Ultimately, I'd rather see a condo go up in a vacant space than, say. a car wash.
If the plants in the area are closing down, that would be great. As a resident of the Heintzman St developments, I dislike not being able to open my windows due to air quality concerns. There would also be the additional increase in real estate value which would be gained as a result of such a change. However I'd hate to take away a job from person for the sake of me being able to open my windows.