Canadian City Proposals

[Dartguard]

Originally Posted by someone123

It's not really a city but there's been a noticeable uptick in projects in Bridgewater, NS lately. They are relatively urban compared to the old norm in towns like this. Many small towns in NS have traditionally been ultra-NIMBY and seemed to only want tourism-oriented faux historic houses or small shops, but they seem to be shifting and accepting medium scale multi-unit.





A small restoration project that may become part of a larger development:


Source

The larger development:


Source

They built a park along the river a few years ago:


Source

Bridgewater has a much lower profile than nearby Lunenburg and is a more "normal town" where the largest employer is probably the Michelin plant. I could see it doing well as a town in the future since it's about 1 hour from the city in a beautiful seaside area. It has about 9,000 people and could soon become a census agglomeration. Truro and Kentville/Wolfville are similar but a bit bigger.

This area has been settled by Europeans for almost 400 years. A French town/fort was built a bit farther down the river from Bridgewater in 1632. During that era, Port Royal was briefly controlled by Scotland (before the UK existed).

Bridgewater also has earned the perception of a better shopping destination for folks from the entire Western part of Nova Scotia. If folks can avoid hitting Halifax to shop they will. If Bridgewater does not have it folks will head to New Minas in the Annapolis Valley. Bridgewater is rapidly becoming the western axis of the GREATER greater Halifax Area. Many recent arrivals from Ontario would see the commute from BW to Halifax a joke. The Province has also announced Highway plans to eventually double the 103 all the way to Bridgewater.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by trueviking

^ then why don't people from Toronto post in the Toronto forum?

You are singing my song.
The most content, the highest population, but the deadest section.

[WhipperSnapper]

The local Toronto section would be booming if Toronto had the highest number of SSP forumers. You have to go back to the early 2000s to understand why Toronto hasn't had a large community presence since. Americans have little interest in their northern neighbours beyond a joke here nor there and we are a very sensitive bunch.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

The local Toronto section would be booming if Toronto had the highest number of SSP forumers. You have to go back to the early 2000s to understand why Toronto hasn't had a large community presence since. Americans have little interest in their northern neighbours beyond a joke here nor there and we are a very sensitive bunch.

In other words Torontonians can’t stand not being the centre of the universe anywhere outside Canada.

[WhipperSnapper]

Didn't a couple suburban trolls reduce the most active section in SSP Canada into one as dead as Toronto?

[SteelTown]

Hi-Rise released their proposal for 8 Shoreview Place in Stoney Creek, 43 and 36 storey (138 & 117m) towers.





Source: https://www.thepublicrecord.ca/2023/02/4...d-for-8-shoreview-place-in-stoney-creek/

This is literally a block away from another proposal, 310 Frances Ave with a 44, 37 and 34 storey towers.



Source: https://www.thespec.com/local-stoney-cre..._campaign=&utm_campaign_id=&utm_content=

It's going to be an interesting drive along the QEW along Hamilton's eastern end in the next few years.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

The local Toronto section would be booming if Toronto had the highest number of SSP forumers. You have to go back to the early 2000s to understand why Toronto hasn't had a large community presence since. Americans have little interest in their northern neighbours beyond a joke here nor there and we are a very sensitive bunch.

There seems to be no shortage of Toronto forumers in the national section.
Many threads in the national section are absolutely dominated by Toronto forumers posting about Toronto. And other Toronto forumers commenting on that Toronto post in the national section.

[WhipperSnapper]

There maybe a half dozen threads in the Canadian section that peak my interests. Still, I think it's pretty safe to say the number of Toronto dominated threads and number of Toronto forumers is less than it seems to you.

I'm sure I'm one of those Toronto forumers at the very top of your list although I don't really care about place of origin offering my two cents.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Dartguard

Bridgewater also has earned the perception of a better shopping destination for folks from the entire Western part of Nova Scotia. If folks can avoid hitting Halifax to shop they will. If Bridgewater does not have it folks will head to New Minas in the Annapolis Valley. Bridgewater is rapidly becoming the western axis of the GREATER greater Halifax Area. Many recent arrivals from Ontario would see the commute from BW to Halifax a joke. The Province has also announced Highway plans to eventually double the 103 all the way to Bridgewater.

It's not a very large town but they have a basic blob of neighbourhood level suburban shopping with Wal-Mart or Mark's and if that's what you want there's no point in driving on.

Bridgewater shows how strange the economic regions are in NS. This is not one ER. Most of the area in between is picturesque coastline that will likely fill up with development to the extent that it is allowed. You can see the highway twinning construction in this satellite photo:


(from Google Earth)

It's true that NS has its own quirky standards for what's considered far compared to other regions. A large portion of the total population of rural NS is within the average Toronto commute time of the metro area and has very good highways for the population size.

[Innsertnamehere]

The Toronto sun forum is dead because all the local activity happens on UT. I go there for Toronto focused stuff and here for wider Canadian stuff, basically.

[WhipperSnapper]

I guess 310 Frances won its appeal if another developer is proposing similar height towers.

That town must be a Toronto(GTA) expat magnet. It's the perfect seaside scale, vernacular, etc.

[craner]

Originally Posted by Denscity

There seems to be no shortage of Toronto forumers in the national section.
Many threads in the national section are absolutely dominated by Toronto forumers posting about Toronto. And other Toronto forumers commenting on that Toronto post in the national section.

Thank goodness for that or the national section of SSP would be dead too.

[someone123]

Skye maybe happening in Halifax? Some minor site work has already been happening.

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

Seven civic addresses have been added for this development;

1565 - 1597 GRANVILLE STREET
1572 - 1590 HOLLIS STREET

... and possibly noteworthy ...

The building permit has been issued for this development!

1565 GRANVILLE STREET - 350 UNITS - 23 STOREYS - $15 M

I would say the $15M is a typo but I'm not sure. I often see very low building permit values given. Halifax has the affordability crisis solved if they can build downtown highrise units for $43k each.

The population density around there is going to be significant. Maple, across the 30 foot wide street, is also around 300 units.

[WhipperSnapper]

It's a good site for vertical expression. 350 units in 23 storeys is squat. Isn't there a 26 to 30 storey tower abutting the highest elevation of this site?

This hole has been sitting too long. A nicely designed squat 23 storey tower isn't the worst.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

It's a good site for vertical expression. 350 units in 23 storeys is squat. Isn't there a 26 to 30 storey tower abutting the highest elevation of this site?

Ramparts max is something like 85 m but I believe the HRM by Design planning process set a lower limit than even that. Building heights in circa 2006 Halifax were kind of like the story of exposed table legs in the Victorian era and so now this is what is built in 2023 when the city grew by 4.5% last year. The developer at one point proposed 2x48 and people's heads exploded at the time.

(And speaking of 2006, note that some are still saying the city's too small for anything but buses and "can't fit" LRT but many new areas, already somewhat congested, are being zoned for 20-30k people per km^2.)

[WhipperSnapper]

85 metres is 25 to 27 residential floors including a mechanical penthouse or 28 to 30 floors without one. It's a solid high rise. 85 metre is squat for this proposed density. 23 floors at 85 metre limit (if it isn't approved at less than that) would suggest the inclusion of several taller commercial floors which would make the residential area even more squat

[TorontoDrew]

From urbantoronto.ca

Five Proposals Shortlisted for St Lawrence Centre for the Arts Redevelopment

Diamond Schmitt, Smoke Architecture, and MVVA


Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA


RDHA, Mecanoo, Two Row Architect, and NAK Design Strategies


Brook McIlroy, Trahan Architects, and Hood Design Studio


Zeidler Architecture, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Two Row Architect, and PLANT Architect

[WhipperSnapper]

I don't care for any of them.

Brook McIlroy and RDHA are above the others. Brook McIlroy with similar massing to RDHA would be the clear frontrunner.

[MonkeyRonin]

Brook McIlroy's looks too residential, IMO. Reads more as luxury condo addition than public theatre.

I like the way Hariri Pontarini's opens it up and activates the street frontage. RDHA's is good too. The outdoor rooftop theatre would be a nice touch to Zeidler's otherwise forgettable entry; and Diamond Schmitt's already looks dated.

[GeneralLea]

Out of all of them, I like the massing of RDHA's proposal, but the activation of the street in Hriri Portanini's proposal is nice.