Hume: Carlton St. project affordable but not cheap
June 11, 2010
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Christopher Hume
STAR COLUMNIST
Poor Carlton St. Despite the presence of the venerable Maple Leaf Gardens, various hotels and a number of condos, it feels slummy and cheap. That all changes east of Jarvis, where Allan Gardens and a nice stock of 19th-century buildings suddenly turn it into one of Toronto most memorable streets.
But the stretch from Yonge to Church and Jarvis pretty much sums up what 50 or 60 years of bad architecture and planning can do to a city. Certainly, Toronto has no shortage of either; though some might be inclined to defend the 1931 Gardens, a.k.a. the Carlton Street Cavern, it brings little life to the neighbourhood. That will change shortly when the old home of the Maple Leafs reopens as a supermarket and athletic centre for Ryerson University. Until then, Carlton will just have to wait patiently.
For the time being, however, for those walking the street, the view isn’t pretty. With the exception of the marvelous Art Deco Toronto Hydro Building at the northeast corner of Yonge and Carlton, there’s little to get excited about. Even the recent arrivals on the south side of Carlton — a couple of two-towered condo complexes – are monuments of architectural mediocrity. Indeed, other than filling space and bringing more people into the downtown core, they add little.
Even worse are the older condos, which to a building look as if they were designed to be landmarks of banality. More recently, there have been signs that things are finally starting to look up. It has taken too long, but better late than never.
Condo Critic
92 CARLTON ST.: Okay, so this isn’t a condo, but it is a new midrise residential project and that makes it relevant — and interesting. The fact it was done by Toronto Community Housing to provide housing for those who can’t afford full market rents makes it all the more remarkable.
Architecturally, it is a splendid example of how old and new can be blended in ways that enhance both. In this case, the scheme incorporates a row of masonry facades on Carlton, behind which the new structure sits happily.
The lowrise character of the Carlton frontage continues north up Mutual St. The bulk of the new building has been set back, which allows the street to breathe a little easier. With its sun shades and roof garden, the 12-storey addition is an example of intensification at its city-building finest. Best of all, perhaps, it manages to offer cheap rents without looking cheap.
GRADE: A
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Email us at condos@thestar.ca
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