Yesterday, we looked at the five tallest existing condominiums in Toronto.

Today, let’s have a look at what may be in store over the next few years, in terms of those condos both proposed and in early stages of construction…

First – a disclaimer:

As BillyO pointed out yesterday, these posts are taking into account the number of storeys of each condominium, not the actual height.  I don’t want this to seem misleading, but rather I feel most people can relate better to number of storeys, since we tend to think about our condo on the 9th floor, or think about our buddy’s penthouse on the 45th floor, etc.  Technically speaking (and I know many condo enthusiasts would much rather see a giant ruler next to each building), a 58-storey tower could be shorter than a 52-storey tower if the former has 8-foot ceilings throughout and the latter has 9-foot, but then what if one condo stuck a 68-foot flagpole on top?  Does that count toward height?

I’m thinking about these towers in terms of residences, with respect to the number of floors, number of units, stature, etc.

Maybe if my blog readers get really ambitious, they can seek out the exact height for me! 🙂

I’d also like to thank Graham & BillyO for pointing me toward other sites for research.  What can I say?  I’m loyal to fault, and www.urbandb.com is my boy!  But there are some massive discrepancies for the following, so I’ll quote each source just to make sure.

#1 – Pinnacle One Yonge – 98 Storeys

Wow, what a landmark this would be!

I’m not sure what to think of this.  Will it ever be built?  Is it a bit overzealous?

Pinnacle International, who has primarily worked in Vancouver, but built Bellagio on Bloor and the condos at 16 & 18 Yonge Street here in Toronto, purchased the site at 1 Yonge Street earlier this year and proposed a massive redevelopment.

According to www.skyscraperpage.com, the four residential towers will measure 88, 80, 75, and 70 storeys.

According to www.urbandb.com, the four residential towers will measure 88, 80, 80, 70 storeys.

According to www.urbantoronto.com, the four residential towers will measure 98, 92, 70, and 70 storeys.

See how this can be a bit confusing?  We all have different sites that we like to rely on, and since there hasn’t been a formal proposal for this site yet, we can’t be 100%.  But I’ll rely on Urban Toronto for now.

In any event, the 88-storey or 98-storey tower would be the largest condominium in Toronto, and would break new ground and set new bars for design.  As I sit here at home, staring out at the Scotia Plaza tower, which is a mere 68-storeys, I can’t help but wonder what NINETY-EIGHT storeys would look like.

#2 – Theatre Block – 86 Storeys

(Three towers – 86, 84, and 82 storeys)

This development “bothers me,” to be honest.

I don’t mind the project at One Yonge Street, since it’s at the base of the street, there’s nothing really around there, and who knows – maybe it’ll actually improve the look.

But imagine THREE 80+ storey towers at King & John?  Whaaaaa?

Why?

Why is that necessary, and why would the city allow that?

This is nothing more than David Mirvish’s…….well, I was going to say something gross and weird, but I’ll just say “far-fetched dream.”  I wrote about this a while back, HERE, noting that Mr. Mirvish was quoted as saying, “If we wait for the market to do the planning, Frank and I will be dead,” referring to Frank Gehry, the 83-year-old architect of the project.  “Time is not our friend,” said Mr. Mirvish.  I’m 68 and Frank is 83.”

So?

Who cares?

Not to sound insensitive, but should we alter the landscape of Toronto’s downtown core forever, just so the 83-year-old Mr. Gehry gets his name on a monstrosity before he kicks?

Festival Tower on the northwest corner of King & John is 42-storeys, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.  So just imagine what an 80-storey tower would do to the area, let alone THREE.

This development really, really bothers me.  Mr. Mirvish is nothing more than an ego-maniac, trying to put his ugly stamp on a part of Toronto.  I just went through about a hundred comments on three articles in the Globe & Mail about this development, and I’d say that 90% of them are against this project.

My prediction: it will never get off the ground.

#3 – One Bloor – 75 Storeys

I’ve also seen this project quoted at 70 storeys, but a few sources have it at 75 so we’ll stick with that.

If you don’t know the back storey here, you haven’t been following real estate that long…

In 2007, a group from Kazakhstan called “Bazis International” purchased the site at One Bloor Street East for $63 Million, of which $46 Million was apparently lent to them by outside investors.  The original proposal was for 81-storeys, majority of which were 1-bedroom units, signalling that this unit would be primarily marketed to investors and speculators.  In 2009, rumors began to swirl that the principal investor in Bazis had lost his shirt in the world financial meltdown – specifically the stock market (again – just rumors), and eventually the Kazakhstani group sold the property to Great Gulf Homes for an unknown sum.  If anybody knows the price and has a source – please share!

Great Gulf Homes isn’t known as a “landmark” developer.

They did buildings like “The Saint James” at 39 Jarvis Street, and “The Morgan” at 438 Richmond Street West, before moving on to bigger projects like 18 Yorkville Ave (36 storeys), The Hudson at King/Spadina (21 storeys), X-Condos (44 Storeys), and Charlie (36 storeys).

But to put their name on a 70-75 storey building will launch them into the upper echelon of Toronto developers.

#4 – 37 Yorkville Ave – 69 Storeys

(Two towers 69 and 55 storeys)

There isn’t a lot of information available for this development, but both www.urbandb.com and www.skyscraperpage.com have this tower at 69-storeys.

Four Seasons Private Residences – the west tower, is 55-storeys, so again, I don’t think this building is out of place at all.  Then you’ve got the aforementioned One Bloor at 75-storeys down the street, and Chaz and Casa south of there, so perhaps a couple of 60+ storey towers in Yorkville were a foregone conclusion.

Minto Urban will be heading up this project, and they made yesterday’s list with the towers at 2181 & 2191 Yonge Street.

#5- ICE – 67 Storeys

(Two towers – 67 and 57 storeys)

One paragraph later, and I’m still steaming about Theatre Block…

Ice Condominiums will be built at York Street & Bremner Boulevard, and while tall, they certainly won’t seem out of place like Theatre Block.

Maple Leaf Square consists of two towers measuring 53 and 49 storeys respectively, and with the Telus & PWC buildings in the same cluster, I don’t think two more giant condominiums are going to do any damage like they would with Theatre Block.

Ice is being built by Lanterra Developments, who seems to have survived the whole “falling glass” episode at Murano/Burano, and they’ve partnered with Cadillac Fairview, who are owned by the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan, and who manage $16 Billion in properties.

Eau de Soleil (66 storeys)

Harbor Plaza Residences (66 and 62 storeys)