Southdale and Bostwick - multi-tower development (up to 22s)

[GreatTallNorth2]

The president of York Developments was on 1290 CJBK today announcing that his company is building a cluster of 2,500 condo units at Southdale and Boswick Roads. He said it will be like Cherryhill and consist of several towers. Work might start in spring of 2015 and cost around $250 million.

[K85]

Yay sprawl...

[ssiguy]

The city should refuse and the city should put a moratorium on all buildings outside the downtown/inner city {roughly Oxford to Baseline} on any apt/condo buildings over 3 stories.

[haljackey]

I think I'd still take this over low-density residential sprawl.

[GreatTallNorth2]

I hate sprawl, but I wouldn't classify this as sprawl. It's well within the city, with services, on a major road and right across the road from lots of other residential. Sprawl would be on the very edge of the city with no services. I would be happier if it was downtown or repurposing brownfield, but this isn't bad.

[Pimpmasterdac]

That area at Bostwick & Southdale is a developers goldmine. A local farmer owns the 100s of acres that is surrounded by developed/developing subdivisions. It's going to transform the area when it's all done. I know friends that won't be happy since the peace and tranquility will be gone soon, but bound to happen.

Road wise the city is wayy behind, Southdale still 2 rural lanes and won't be widened for another decade minimum. Pack Rd is a potholed nightmare and god knows when Bradley will 1) Ever be built in the first place 2) Be expended to meet Pack.

[MolsonExport]

You know what would be great? If they built it above and around the almost derelict Westmount shopping centre. The old folk could have their mall, which is still better than Cherryhill, and the city would benefit from redevelopment of an under-utilized piece of real estate.

[MolsonExport]

A huge rec centre is planned for this neighborhood

London Free Press:

A multi-use play centre is planned on Southdale Rd. and is expected to open in about three years

After decades in a recreation dry zone, West London residents will get a chance this fall to help fine-tune their long-awaited multi-use play centre.

The centre will be a showpiece public building in an expected highrise community along Southdale Rd., and will lead to good news for east end residents eventually as well, the city says.

The city has bought a site on the south side of Southdale Rd. between Bostwick and Wonderland roads for the centre, which will include a twin ice pad, two gymnasiums and an indoor pool.

“It’s a long time coming. It’s a really important site. It’s going to house a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility,” said Bill Coxhead, director of parks and recreation.

In the works since at least 2003, the centre could open in about three years, Coxhead said.

Read more here: http://www.lfpress.com/2014/04/16/a-mult...is-expected-to-open-in-about-three-years

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

I hate sprawl, but I wouldn't classify this as sprawl. It's well within the city, with services, on a major road and right across the road from lots of other residential. Sprawl would be on the very edge of the city with no services. I would be happier if it was downtown or repurposing brownfield, but this isn't bad.

Subdividing agricultural land for single-use low-density is the definition of sprawl. Being adjacent to other sprawl doesn't make new sprawl any less sprawling. And it is not a given that condominium towers are anything more than low-density.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

Being adjacent to other sprawl doesn't make new sprawl any less sprawling. And it is not a given that condominium towers are anything more than low-density.

Do you really consider Westmount to be sprawl? My parents live just north of the corner of Boswick and Southdale, which I've never considered sprawl. This development is the natural extension of the area.

[HillStreetBlues]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

Do you really consider Westmount to be sprawl? My parents live just north of the corner of Boswick and Southdale, which I've never considered sprawl. This development is the natural extension of the area.

As it happens, my folks had a place on McMaster once. I think I might consider that as sprawl since it is single-use and low-density. Do you not consider it sprawl becuase the development has been there for a while? Our cities have been sprawling for a while now.

I was thinking more of the recent development to the southwest of Colonel Talbot/Southdale when I said "adjacent to sprawl." Eventually, we do need to end this process. It won't be long at all before (for instance) we justify paving over Wonderland and Exeter because there is already single-use development "just across the road." And it will be even harder to argue then, since that argument will have been used successfully over and over.

[MolsonExport]

More on the rec centre for Cherryhill 2.0:

Donation will establish area’s first arena, community centre

Soufan said he thinks the complex, to include two ice pads, gymnasia and swimming pool, will strengthen the community and entire city. It will also provide a much-needed facility for an adjacent high-density lifestyle centre York will develop next door.

He said the community centre London built on Sunningdale Rd. east of Adelaide St. boosted that area and he predicted the same for the southwest.

Bill Coxhead, city director of parks and recreation, said he expects construction to begin in three years on the $40-million project.

[Highinthesky]

Interesting to see the price tag of $250 million considering the Cherry Hill development this is being compared to was part of the largest residential real estate transaction in Canadian history at around $1 billion. Now the mall itself was part of that transaction but that would still conservatively put the apartment part of the deal at $750 million

[GreatTallNorth2]

Originally Posted by Highinthesky

Interesting to see the price tag of $250 million considering the Cherry Hill development this is being compared to was part of the largest residential real estate transaction in Canadian history at around $1 billion. Now the mall itself was part of that transaction but that would still conservatively put the apartment part of the deal at $750 million

I think there is a big difference between the cost for a developer to build towers vs. a complex of towers that have 100% occupancy in a prime location like CherryHill. It might not be as big, but that has to be part of the difference in price.

[Highinthesky]

Oh that absolutely plays a part. Thinking about it more later I also think there were around 5000 units in the deal as well.

[kaiserLDN]

A bunch of construction scrapers and bulldozers on Yorks Property East of the new arena on Southdale but not on the Mosques property. Not sure what they could be doing especially with the amount of machines there. I haven't heard of any recent news on this project.

[jammer139]

York Dev is proposing a major project at Bostwick and Southdale with 2 towers of 18s and 21s.

https://www.london.ca/business/Planning-...OZ-8941/OZ-8941-Notice-3080-Bostwick.pdf

This is on lands just west of new community centre and appears to be phase one of what could be a number of other buildings.

[TheBostonBoy44]

I live in the area and based on first looks, I would love to see this kind of development in this area. More transit routes and other amenities are needed to connect this development to the Southdale/Wonderland node and even to Westmount Mall.

The towers look great and have incorporated some really neat urban design features, like an enhanced public right of way, etc.

That being said, the NIMBYs in the area (there are a lot) will have more than a few things to say about this one.

[jammer139]

This development accelerates the need for Southdale Rd to be widened to the west to 5 lanes sooner rather then later. Also Bostwick should also be widened to 4 lanes to Exeter/Wharncliffe intersection. The Bradley extension to Pack Rd should also be moved up.

But as usual the city will likely dig it multiple times over the next 10-20 years and rebuilt it 2 lanes long after the subdivisions in that area are built out.

[Djeffery]

Can't remember the name of the owner of York, but he was on the radio a few years ago talking about their part in a land swap or some other deal that was allowing the new community center to be built. He said at that time that York had plans for a large development behind it, and said something along the lines of "think of Cherryhill".

I wouldn't too concerned about Nimby's, given how few there are out there. Plus, if Old Oak was able to build those 2 (soon to be 3) buildings at Southdale and Colonel Talbot, with houses nearby, then York should be able to build theirs. Granted, Pomeroy aren't 18 or 21, but I almost think developers overstate their wants anymore anyway.