[esquire]

I know nobody likes that tower, but I dunno... I see it as a good density builder. For instance, Hong Kong has a spectacular skyline but really once you get away from the harbour where the showpiece office towers are, there are very few beauties and a lot of unremarkable vertical people-warehouses. You don't get the density and vitality without those types of buildings.

And anything that fills in one of the biggest gaping holes in the downtown streetscape with a tower has to have some merit. Not to mention the fact that the on-site parking will hopefully reduce demand for the surface parking nearby and maybe prod some development there.

Even then, while it's not beautiful, it isn't hideous either. There are much uglier towers in the skyline than this one. On the whole when you consider its appearance and the density it would bring, it will be a net positive. Not a huge positive, but a net positive nonetheless. I hope it gets built.