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236 Victoria St N | 40 & 35 fl | Proposed
#1
This is a 2 tower development proposed at 236 Victoria St N. The developer is Falco Group, they've been around for awhile but it appears that they just hold land and flip it. The architect is Reinders+Law. The proposal is for two towers, 1 at 40 floors and 1 at 35 floors. The project will contain 1076 units (573 1brdm, 503 2brdm), 1114 sqm of commercial space divide among 15 units which will all front Victoria. In terms of parking there will be 916 parking spaces as well as 1574 bicycle spaces (1566 class A, 8 class B).

Parking will be within 1 level of underground and 6 levels of the podium (facing the rail line). Bicycle parking is on floors 2-6. Residential units will face Victoria along the entire podium. 

The existing site contains a 3 floor office building as well as the old LA fitness building (the future home of Grand River Rocks who are getting displaced by the 50 Borden development).

Renders:236 Victoria St N Renders
Urban Design Brief: 236 Victoria St N Urban Design Brief
All the planning documents: Planning Docs 236 Victoria St N


Site Rendering from Victoria/St Leger:     
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#2
(01-10-2024, 01:06 AM)ZEBuilder Wrote: The developer is Falco Group, they've been around for awhile but it appears that they just hold land and flip it.

I'm glad, hopefully whoever buys this land totally re-designs the project. Putting a huge blank wall along the Victoria St sidewalk is crazy, as if Victoria St wasn't already pedestrian hostile enough. I get that the grade change is difficult, but there are undeniably better solutions.
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#3
(01-10-2024, 01:24 AM)taylortbb Wrote:
(01-10-2024, 01:06 AM)ZEBuilder Wrote: The developer is Falco Group, they've been around for awhile but it appears that they just hold land and flip it.

I'm glad, hopefully whoever buys this land totally re-designs the project. Putting a huge blank wall along the Victoria St sidewalk is crazy, as if Victoria St wasn't already pedestrian hostile enough. I get that the grade change is difficult, but there are undeniably better solutions.

I would take this proposal over what currently exists. Too bad it is a rezone and flip. It's another grey and white building, but Victoria st. is in desperate need of proposals like this.
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#4
Mei King is going to be so busy! Or they realize they are sitting on a goldmine and sell off to retire.
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#5
Obviously this will never get built, but it does make me wonder about the future of Grand River Rocks. If their new landlord is already looking to upzone and sell off this property before GRR even moves in, it can't be good news for GRR.
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#6
(01-10-2024, 01:24 AM)taylortbb Wrote:
(01-10-2024, 01:06 AM)ZEBuilder Wrote: The developer is Falco Group, they've been around for awhile but it appears that they just hold land and flip it.

I'm glad, hopefully whoever buys this land totally re-designs the project. Putting a huge blank wall along the Victoria St sidewalk is crazy, as if Victoria St wasn't already pedestrian hostile enough. I get that the grade change is difficult, but there are undeniably better solutions.

The blank wall along Victoria is really only maybe 50m near the St Leger intersection. Some landscaping would make that stretch quite reasonable.
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#7
Are they still planning on moving to this location. When first announced, their appeared to be construction activity (at least the presence of construction vehicles), but every time I drive by now there doesn’t appear to be anything happening.
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#8
(01-10-2024, 12:05 PM)creative Wrote: Are they still planning on moving to this location. When first announced, their appeared to be construction activity (at least the presence of construction vehicles), but every time I drive by now there doesn’t appear to be anything happening.

The urban brief says "vacant building" so could it be that GRR's plans have changed?

While recognizing that this proposal may not get built, I do like the fact that they have more than 1.5 bike spots per unit. And the location is excellent for anyone looking to commute to Toronto on the Go. Let's hope something similar at least does get built.
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#9
Their render of Mei King doesn't even LOOK like Mei King - where are my billboards and flashing lights??? Also, there are palm trees in the render of the front park space haha

That said, I am REALLY glad to see some development happen along Victoria this far down. It's just parking lot after parking lot from the GO station all the way down to The Bakery Formerly Known as Weston's. There is an iExpress bus stop at Margaret that will lead straight to the future transit hub, and it's on a separated bike route (Margaret, linking to the Spur Line Trail). Definitely not a bad location!

As someone who lives nearby to this site, I am so thrilled whenever space for new shops/restaurants/services open near enough that I can walk or bike to them.
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#10
I like the DMU in the render... they are trying to make it look like it has higher order transit. (But the idea of some sort of DMU running from the boardwalk to Breslau would be an awesome idea for a local service)
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#11
Big ups for both a potential start to redeveloping those lots along Victoria and sending a bit of density out that way with good connections to new infra and transit routes.

Also love to see someone proposing a building (to be realized or not) with some street wall apartments instead of the commonly dead floors 2-6 for parking podiums we keep seeing built.
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#12
(01-10-2024, 10:27 AM)the_conestoga_guy Wrote: Obviously this will never get built, but it does make me wonder about the future of Grand River Rocks. If their new landlord is already looking to upzone and sell off this property before GRR even moves in, it can't be good news for GRR.

Well, they're really good at building climbing walls by now, at least. I did have mixed feelings about the new location...
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#13
There’s a website which is trying to drum up support against this proposal in the name of saving GRR Kitchener
https://www.264victoria.com/

I think that it’d be great if GRR could stick around in this new location, but the website has a lot of questionable talking points as well (traffic, parking, not “affordable”)
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#14
I particularly like this one. New towers can be built in more appropriate locations closer to transit & other amenities

Not that Victoria St is a pleasant walk but it's not very far from the future transit terminal.


So should it be near transit so people can commute to work or are you just upset it has parking? This will just end up being a commuter condo


Seriously should they only be building housing next to the handful of transit hubs in the Region? What is their definition of near? Not close to planned major transit hubs

HAHA. I live in this neighbourhood. It's not that bad. Very noisy train tacks

You can walk to the Breightupt Community center and forest or KPL very easily. I'm also not going to fix their spelling Lonely little boxes that aren't close to commnity recreational facilities

I have to stop, I could be doing this all day....
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#15
Quote:The city should add housing, but it shouldn't bulldoze something beautiful

People desperate for housing: mom we need beautiful urban environments to live in and more homes for everyone
Mom: we have beautiful at home
Beautiful at home:

[Image: PEfsEhl.png]
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