demolition | as I walk Toronto

Posts Tagged ‘demolition’

rants in the alley

Posted: May 25, 2019 in alleys, graffiti and street art, locations
Tags: alley, demolition, filming, graffiti, Graffiti Alley, lane, memorial, Nipsey Hussle, rants, Rick Mercer, smile, street art, students, video

Today’s wander down Graffiti Alley yielded more than just a few new paintings and bits of graffiti. I also came across a group of students from da Vinci school who were there doing an assignment that involved filming each other giving rants in the alley.

below: Nipsey Hussle memorial mural by Sum Artist

below: Smile!

Today’s encounter reminded me that I once encountered Rick Mercer in the alley as he filmed a rant for his TV program – photo from October 2011.

One last thing that I want to address here – maybe you could call it a rant of my own. Except that it will be in pictures not words. There’s something new in Graffiti Alley; it’s not unexpected but that doesn’t make it any easier, or better. The old Stephenson Rental building is on its way down.

In fact, it’s mostly down.

and mostly sad

just a few transitions

Posted: April 12, 2019 in construction, locations
Tags: bungalow, demolition, development, dump truck, dust, empty, Finch Ave., houses, North York, redevelopment, residential, rubble, townhouse

Once again, it seems that no matter where in the city you go there will be construction. There will be the demolition of single family homes to make way for condos or at the minimum, blocks of rowhouses. The area around Yonge and Finch is no exception.

I am not sure if it serves any purpose, perhaps it’s futile, but I’d like to think that documenting what we are removing is worthwhile. The houses on Finch Avenue East like the one in this picture are small, but the lots on which they sit are large.

That means that a developer can demolish four houses and turn around and build 17 townhouses in the same space. That is what is happening near Finch and Willowdale.

Although the properties were not fenced off, all access to the houses themselves was blocked, sigh. It looked like a local garden centre was using the backyards of a couple of the houses.

below: View to a new development on the other side of Finch Avenue. This is the type of development that the area is now zoned for. A lot of these townhouses have been built in the last few years and I suspect that eventually they will replace all of the single family homes.

Between Willowdale Avenue and Yonge Street, there were a couple of other houses that are boarded up and empty. I am not sure what the plan is for them (there was no development proposal sign posted, instead there was a sign advertising the company that is providing the financing – for what?).

The internet can be a wonderful thing. In case you are interested, the development is the Ava Luxury Residence and it calls for heights and densities that are vastly over what is zoned for in the area. For example, at 9 storeys it is 37 metres tall in an area zoned for 11 metres. The plan was first filed in 2016 but because of the size of the development, it requires a zoning by-law amendment, official plan amendment, and site plan approval to effect the proposal – all which take time. An OMB appeal pre-hearing was scheduled to occur a few days ago, with a hearing slated for June. MM170085 is the OMB case number if you want to dive down that rabbit hole.

This is 50 Finch East. As you can see, there is a taller building on the other side of Kenneth Avenue. Kenneth was to be the dividing line – keeping the higher buildings, and denser development, closer to Yonge Street. I’m not sure what side of the development battle you’re on, but what’s the point of having a plan if the developers (with help from the OMB) keep disregarding it?

As I walked back to my car, I chose to walk on a side street instead of on Finch. As I turned a corner, I happened upon a house being demolished. Fortuitous. Serendipity.

It doesn’t take long to reduce a house to rubble and dust. “Another one bites the dust” springs to mind.

And so it goes.

Moccasin redevelopment

Posted: March 18, 2019 in construction, locations, old buildings
Tags: apartments, brick, concrete, demolition, Don Mills, empty, Mocassin Trail, North York, redevelopment, residential, snow, trees, windows

Exploring new places often leads to interesting finds. I’m not sure if you think demolition/redevelopment sites are interesting, but I came across this one when I went to Moccasin Trail (next blog, scroll up).

An empty building. The grey hoardings completely block the view of whatever is inside.

I tried walking the perimeter, but there is no access or viewpoint. There are actually two buildings. Apparently one of the buildings was damaged by fire (arson) in 2008. The buildings have been empty since 2011.

The old sign still stands beside the fence. It is faded enough that I can’t read it, even with some manipulation in photoshop. The building in the background is also part of the redevelopment plan.

The year on the development proposal sign is 2013. It also states that three buildings will replace the ones being torn down, one of 10 storeys and two of 4 storeys. That was six years ago. In March 2017 a plan was approved by city council for an 8 storey condo and a 4 storey rental replacement building.

When I saw the state of the building above, I started taking some pictures. I thought the building was empty. But then I heard music coming from one apartment. Then a woman came out on to a balcony to hang up a blanket.

Two years ago, back in March of 2017, 12 of the 34 units were occupied. I am not sure how many people are living there now. When it was first built, it was probably quite nice – very suburban, very Don Mills. Now the building is in very poor condition but I’m sure that’s because the landlord is waiting to be able to demolish the building.

City of Toronto report on this site (May 2017)

xenophobia and apathy

Posted: March 8, 2019 in construction, locations
Tags: apathy, Capitalism, concrete, construction, danger, danger due to, demolition, Doug Ford, dust, human infestation, industrialization, misinformation, misuse of signage, over consumption, political subterfage, predatory economics, redevelopment, Regent Park, shitty pop music, shrinking resources, signs, social decline, urban decay, water, workmen, xenophobia

…and social decline, and capitalism, and a few more…..
The many dangers that we face.

The demolition of older residential buildings in Regent Park continues as that area of the city is redeveloped.

Around the demolition site, someone has hung 18 “danger due to” signs, printed with different “causes” of danger, such as industrialization.

It’s spelled wrong, but you know what it’s trying to say (hypocrisy).

Apathy

Over consumption

Political subterfuge

Doug Ford

GM food

Human infestation

Mass surveillance

Misuse of signage

Shrinking resources

Predatory economics

Shitty pop music

Capitalism

Urban decay

Misinformation

Social decline

demolished – Davisville public school

Posted: February 4, 2019 in construction, old buildings
Tags: architecture, brick, building, davisville, Davisville Junior Public, demolition, heritage, modernist, MTSD, school, school for the deaf, trees

I walk past Davisville Junior Public School fairly often…. or should I say, I used to walk past it.

I didn’t think about it too much until I heard that it was going to be demolished – or was it going to be saved? Maybe I should take some photos of it as apparently it has some architectural value, an early 1960’s Modernist building. Then, back in November, a construction fence appeared around the property. One of those metal wire temporary fences that you see all over the city. So much for saving the building.

Photos from November:

The building was also home to the Metropolitan Toronto School for the Deaf as well as Spectrum Alternative School.

below: Notice on the fence, permit to remove 21 trees. A new elementary school is being built on the site. In the meantime (for 2 years), Davisville Junior Public is being relocated to Vaughan Road in what was previously the Vaughan Road Academy. Originally, the plan was to build the new school on the property (there was a large playground) and then tear down the old (Globe & Mail Feb 2017)

below: I past by the site for the first time in a few months and discovered that most of the school is now demolished. Only a small portion by the front entrance remains and I suspect that that won’t be around for much longer.

overgrown, for now

Posted: July 4, 2018 in locations
Tags: abandoned, Bayview, construction, demolition, development, driveways, empty, glass, houses, lilies, neglected, North York, notice, thistles, tree, tree cutting, weeds, Willowdale

Another story of changes underway;
more documentation of buildings about to disappear.

On a leafy stretch of Bayview Avenue, there are some buildings that now sit empty. The weeds have taken over the yards, as have large signs advertising the townhouse development that will be built there. Actually the signs are only on one yard, this one:

below: There are curtains in the window but some shingles are missing and the frontyard is overgrown with weeds – 2716 Bayview Avenue, sitting empty. If you drive past it on Bayview you’d probably miss it because of the large trees between the house and the street.

below: Nature takes over very quickly if you let it. The lilies haven’t lost to the thistles yet though.

below: The backyard was very overgrown too. The side door was open but I didn’t go in. The basement appears to be in good shape.

If you go to their website, only 7 townhouses are shown in the drawings while the properties on either side of it (4 in total) are included in the plans as “future development”. If you look at the original application on the City of Toronto website, the whole plan called for 20 townhouses facing Bayview Ave and a single family dwelling facing the street behind. Each townhouse is 4 storeys (including basement level which is half garage and driveway) and 18’9″ wide. The above ground levels are 47′ deep. The site drawings and architectural plans were from June 2017. I am not sure why the discrepancy. It’s not uncommon for changes to occur between the planning stage and the final product… So take the measurements that I just gave you with a grain of salt.

below: One house to the south, 2710 Bayview. A newer style house than its neighbour with part of its front yard hidden behind a glass block wall. It too is set back a large distance from the street. Once upon a time, someone put some love and care into this house. I hoped that it was well used in its time.

below: Moving north, this is 2720 Bayview. There is evidence that large trees have already been cut down. At the moment all the evidence is well hidden from passers-by. A year ago, farther south on Bayview a developer cut down 30+ large trees without permits from the city because they were building townhouses on the site The outcry was big but the penalty is small.

below: But…. if you have permission to build townhouses, there is no way the trees can stay. Any plan that involves creating 20 new townhouses in less space than four single houses doesn’t leave room for large trees. Those will be a thing of the past on this stretch of Bayview. The one below was so big that I couldn’t reach around the trunk of the tree.

below: The fourth building, 2722 Bayview, was originally built as a residence, but it has been a medical clinic for decades. If you peer in the window, there are still posters on the wall (Is It Flu?) and even reading material on the table ([something] Task Force). There is a sign on the front door that says that 2 June 2017 was the last day the clinic was open.

Lastly, I took a picture of this house too as it is beside the ones above. The “Notice” sign on the fence was a bit of a surprise considering how new the house was. My original assumption was that the house was going to be demolished. In fact, the planning application says that the house will be moved to the back of the property and three townhouses will be built in front. One driveway down the north side of the property will access both the new townhouses and the moved house.

Apparently the application was submitted in December 2016 – However, I noticed that the original application called for three 3 storey townhouses (and is on the City of Toronto website as such). The sign says three 4 storey townhouses and a three storey single family dwelling. The house in the photo is only 2 storeys.

What I’ve also learned while researching these properties, is that there is an official document called, “Bayview Townhouse Design Guidelines” that covers Bayview Avenue from the 401 south to Lawrence Avenue East. It was adopted by City Council late in 2015. In fact, large portions of the city have design guidelines and you can find them online.

I was curious to find out how many ongoing development proposals/applications there are in the city. There is an interactive searchable map online that I used. When I searched on ward 25 (where the above sites are), it showed 52 locations. When I tried searching on the whole city, there were too many results. If you’re interested in development, you can play with the website too!

exposed

Posted: January 18, 2018 in construction, locations, old buildings
Tags: abandoned, architecture, brick, buildings, construction site, demolition, doors, empty, exposed, furniture, interior walls, metal, painted, pipes, store, windows, wood, workmen

This is the story of one building at one intersection, Yonge and Belsize (just south of Eglinton) but it’s also a story that is being repeated over and over again in the city. The story of demolition and rebuilding. The story of loss of the older wood and brick structures as they are replaced by glass and steel.

By December 2016 all of the businesses had closed down.

below: The back of the building

Just over a year later demolition began in earnest.

Ed’s deconstructed

Posted: November 22, 2017 in construction, landmarks
Tags: demolition, graffiti, Honest Eds, machinery, rubble, sidewalk, signs, window, words

Demolition of Honest Ed’s has begun.

below: Sign of the times that says: “If you’re reading this it’s too late”.

below: Looking through the window to the rubble inside. The staircases remain but the floors and walls are gone.

below: Spray painted on the fence, “toujour dans mon coeur”. Forever in my heart.

below: From behind. The section to the east of the alley is still intact and the alley is still accessible.

below: The view from Markham street.

coming and going, Bayview doors

Posted: June 1, 2017 in construction, locations, old buildings
Tags: abandoned, Bayview, bungalow, construction, demolition, development, doors, empty, flag stones, houses, North York, patio, porch, townhouses, trees

Relentless

Ubiquitous

These are two apt words to describe construction in Toronto, or to be more precise, the tearing down of older houses and building smaller condo units or townhouses in their place. We are experiencing the downsizing of living space as land values continue climbing upwards.

I drove past this Bayview Avenue house on the weekend and was intrigued by the look of it – a pale yellow, once grand older house now sitting empty. Many of the mature trees that were in its front yard have been cut down so the house is now easily visible from the street. I went back to that section of Bayview Avenue with my camera yesterday morning.

There wasn’t much of a chain across the front yard so it was easy to walk up to the house. It looks like the front door hasn’t been used in quite some time. The window appears to have an old fashioned storm window on the outside although the shutters look more modern. I’d love to know the history of the house (How old is it? I suspect that it was built when this section of Bayview was still on the fringes of the city and before Bayview became 5 lanes wide but I don’t know for sure.)

Right next door is this large bungalow:

Originally built as a family home, this became the Bayview Hebrew School of the Arts in 2008. The school is relocating and the building now sits empty.

Just up the street was this house. It looks empty but there was a recycling bin beside the garage and some curtains in the windows so I didn’t wander up to the front door…. even though I really like that red door! There was no chain across the driveway, nor were there any “keep out” signs. Neither of those things would stop me, but they are good indicators that no one lives there anymore. Google street view of this address is from August 2015 and at that time there was a for sale sign on the property.

The above are the “going” half of the title of this blog post. The “coming” are these doors under construction; they too are on this part of Bayview Avenue. Side by side front doors with a concrete layer between them – two of a row of five townhouses. One day (soon?) someone will be able to walk in their front door and go up a level or two, to floors that haven’t yet been built.

This is the development that caused an uproar a year ago when they illegally clear cut two lots – cutting down about 30 large trees including a linden tree that was close to 150 years old in the process. According to the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 813, Article III, conviction for cutting down a mature tree results in a “minimum fine of $500.00 and a maximum fine of $100,000.00 per tree involved in an offense; a special supplementary fine of $100,000.00 is also possible.” (source).

In October 2016, Format Group (the developers involved) paid a fine of $155,064. This amount includes $657.30 per tree to cover city inspection costs and $116,600 for the planting of 200 new trees — mostly at other sites.

The two lots will be developed into 11 3-storey townhouses and 4 single family houses. All units have already sold.

Before I leave the area, there is something similar going on across the street.

First – there is this empty house sitting on a corner lot at Bayview and Wilket. This one property is the future home of seven 3-storey townhouses as well as one single detached house. Does anyone want to do the math on the potential profit – one house for 8 units in a time where even a townhouse sells for more than a million.

Second – this sign has also appeared nearby. When I checked their website I found this description: “Located in north Toronto, The Bridle Path is synonymous with prestige and exclusive luxury. Known for its spectacular homes and refined neighbourhood character, it’s no wonder that this is the place that Toronto’s discerning elite prefer to call home. Now, on Bayview Ave. in the heart of the Bridle Path neighbourhood, Kingsmen Group is excited to introduce a new luxury townhome community that embodies the very essence of refined prestige living. Register today for more information coming soon.”

There is so much wrong with that paragraph. I wouldn’t call this part of Bayview a part of the Bridle Path neighbourhood; you might be able to make an argument that it’s on the fringes of said neighbourhood but that would be stretching it. “Prestige” and “luxury” are words that are so overused that they are almost meaningless with respect to Toronto real estate. It seems silly to compare a townhouse on Bayview with the homes on the Bridle Path but I guess that’s what sells. Actually, you could probably sell them without such a comparison!

Oh dear, I want to call this a Thursday Doors post so I’d best call it quits here. I’ve probably already strayed too far off topic! For more information on the Thursday Doors project see here.

from (just west of) Bayview to Bessarion

Posted: March 12, 2017 in construction, locations, public art
Tags: apartments, art, bronze, building, church, condos, construction, demolition, houses, mosaic, Panya Clark Espinal, plaza, public art, rocks, Roman Catholic, sculpture, Sheppard Ave., shrine, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, stores, street, subway, traffic, tree, trucks, TTC

Right now, the section of Sheppard Avenue East between Yonge and Leslie streets is a mix of old, middle aged and new – a hodge podge of sizes, styles and uses. It’s neither ugly nor pretty. It’s not sure if it’s city or suburban.

below: The intersection of Bayview and Sheppard from the southwest.

You’ll probably never hear anyone say, “Hey, let’s go for a walk along Sheppard”. So why was I there? I’ve driven along this stretch many times but I have never walked it. Have I been missing something?

below: A short distance west of Bayview is the modern brick St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church, or Árpád–Házi Szt. Erzsébet Római Katolikus Templom according to their sign. Sunday mass is in Hungarian. If you are driving past on Sheppard Ave, it’s easy to miss the simple steeple and cross that marks this building as a church.

below: A large mosaic adorns one of the exterior walls.

below: A small shrine is in front of the church.

below: The south entrance to Bayview subway station. There are no escalators at this entrance – instead, there is an elevator and a LOT of stairs.

below: The artwork at Bayview station is by Panya Clark Espinal, titled ‘From Here Right Now’. Half an apple lies on the platform.

below: A salt or pepper shaker on the wall. I’ve only shown two of the images in the series. There are 24 in total and they are scattered throughout the station.

below: There is a small park behind the south entrance to Bayview subway station, Kenaston Garden Parkette where I saw this tree in bud. The first signs of spring are always wonderful to see. Today it’s -12C outside so I hope the tree is okay.

below: This little park was designed by Wilk Associates Landscape Architecture and it incorporates a large number of rocks including a glacial boulder found on the site. A bronze sculpture of a tree clinging to a rock by Reinhard Reitzenstein is one of the features of the park.

below: If you stand in the park and look east, you can’t miss the construction.

Construction is everywhere on Sheppard Avenue.

below: All of the houses on Cusack Court are now gone. Only the ‘No Exit’ sign remains.

below: The single family homes on the south side of Sheppard are slowly being demolished to make way for condo developments. At the corner of Sheppard Ave East and Greenbriar the proposed development of 184 residential units is the subject of an OMB prehearing on the 8 May 2017 (case number PL161113).

below: Five houses are empty and waiting to be demolished to make way for two buildings, 11 and 6 storeys, mixed use (i.e. retail at street level) and incorporating a few townhouses. In other words, the same old same old.

below: I said “same old same old” above because these types of buildings are popping up all over many major roads that are outside the downtown core. I suspect that Sheppard Avenue will be lined with structures like this one that’s already been built on the north side of Sheppard.

Many people make the argument that there isn’t the density to support a subway along Sheppard. I am of the opinion that if they’re not wrong now, they soon will be. Development and public transit are dependent on each other, a symbiotic relationship if you will. If you are affected by the construction along Eglinton for the new Crosstown line, you might agree that waiting for density only increases the problems and inconvenience (and cost?) of building new subway lines. Also, have you seen photos of what the area around Davisville or Finch (and others) stations looked like when the subway opened there? What is the required density? Why do we want to funnel even more people towards the overcrowded Yonge line anyhow? Is there an end to the questions we can ask?

And that’s another reason for my walk here…. to make note of the construction that is occurring whether we agree with it or not and to document some of the changes.

below: Two low rise apartment buildings.

below: Once upon a time there were a lot of these little houses along Sheppard (even more so on the west side of Yonge Street). At least one of these is still used as a family home but most are now offices or businesses.

below: The north entrance to Bessarion station

below: Looking east from Bessarion. You can see as far as the condos on Don Mills Road.

There is a reason that you haven’t seen many people in these pictures and it’s not because I waited for people to get out of the way. Sheppard Avenue is a “major arterial road” under Toronto’s road classification system and traffic movement is its major function. 20,000+ cars are expected to use it every day.

I don’t like to say it, but why would you be walking along Sheppard anyhow?

below: Bayview Village parking lot at the NE corner of Bayview and Sheppard.

As you might know, scroll down to the next blog post to see some pictures of Bessarion station!

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