BILD’s Downtown East Bus and Walking Tour
By Lucas on Jun 20, 2013
Last week, we attended the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) "Downtown East Bus and Walking Tour." It was BILD's first Walking Tour since 2009, and it looked like a good 50 or 60 people were in attendance - a great turnout!
Our Tour of the East
Tour guide Barry Lyon of N. Barry Lyon Consultants kicked off the morning by saying that the tour wasn't about stats, like building heights, prices, square footage, etc. The tour was about how the east end of Toronto is in the midst of a dramatic transformation, and how the city has never experienced this kind of metamorphosis before.
The tour got rolling around 9 am at the George Brown Waterfront Campus by Sugar Beach Park. We bused it all the way to Regent Park, then down Bayview Avenue to the mouth of the new Don River Park. From there, we continued on foot and then up and around Corktown. We met up with the bus again along Front Street near Sherbourne, and then down Yonge to end up back where we started.
Highlights of BILD’s Bus and Walking Tour
The entire tour was more than three hours long, so there was a lot to take in, but there were definitely a few highlights for us.
Aqualina at Bayside by Tridel and Hines: The bus pulled right up beside Tridel and Hines' Aqualina site, and Lyon explained that the developers are seeking LEED Platinum Certification for the project, which is the highest rating possible. Along with residential developments, Tridel and Hines' Bayside master plan also includes office buildings and retail space. This revitalization project is the largest to date to take place along Toronto's waterfront.
Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park: We got off the bus at Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park to meet with Daniels Vice-President Martin Blake. Blake presented Daniels work in Regent Park and explained how they are building a true community. According to Blake, 10% of the workforce throughout the Regent Park master plan actually live in Regent Park. Daniels also has a "Zero Percent Displacement" policy, which means that every home that gets demolished will be replaced, and that owner has the option to live there. Some referred to Regent Park as the "ghetto" of Toronto just a few years ago, but Daniels and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation have made a huge impact on the neighbourhood. What was once a 2,000-unit, rough part of Toronto, is quickly becoming a vibrant 7,000-unit neighbourhood full of athletics and arts, with a real sense of community.
Corktown: The walk through Corktown reminded us of the small-town vibe that the east end has. Quaint shops line the streets, towering trees shade the sidewalks - it's very easy to forget that you're only steps away from the centre of downtown. Lyon stopped the group at 48 Power St. (near Parliament and Adelaide), the address of Sing Tao Daily. Lyon explained that Great Gulf now owns the site and is accepting registrations for a new condo.
1 Yonge by Pinnacle International: As you may have heard, Pinnacle International has purchased 1 Yonge, and they are planning quite the development. Pinnacle's master plan calls for six new towers, the highest of them reaching more than 80 storeys. In total, there will be more than 4,100 residential suites at 1 Yonge, and of course, a great deal of office and commercial space. Considering 1 Yonge is the location of the newinhomes.com office, we are very excited for this project to move forward.
The age of the master plan
Earlier, we stated that the east end is experiencing a transformation that Toronto has never seen before. Many people are comparing the development of the east end to the booming of the west, but we see it differently.
Think about the major activity in the east end right now: Tridel and Hines at Bayside, Daniels in Regent Park, Dundee Kilmer in Canary District, Pinnacle at 1 Yonge. All of them are master plans consisting of a variety of functionalities with a number of buildings and a great deal of public space. For decades, the majority of residential projects in Toronto were developed individually; one podium with a lobby, a tower or two, and that’s it. Now, we see developers building community centres, public parks, educational buildings, office buildings, retail space - all the things that comprise a true community.
By developing in this fashion, we believe that the tranquil atmosphere of the east end will be maintained, and a consistent, well conceived neighbourhood will thrive.
For more photos from the BILD Downtown East Bus and Walking Tour, check out our Facebook album!
