My tour of the new Bridgepoint Hospital and the Don Jail
| May 18, 2012 | Posted by Diane under Default |
Renewal for Patient Recovery
My friends Cynthia Webb, Vice President Leadership Gifts, and Catherine Nugent, Senior Redevelopment Officer, Bridgepoint Health Foundation, recently invited me to tour the new Bridgepoint Hospital and the Don Jail, which is part of the Bridgepoint campus redevelopment. The Hospital specializes in complex care and complex rehabilitation, including medical, physical, occupational, and spiritual recovery. My mother-in-law, Mary, had two extended stints at the current facility, and I was eager to see the new buildings and learn about the leading-edge ideas that have gone into the site plan and building design.
Bridgepoint Hospital Redevelopment
You may have seen the new building going up while driving on the Don Valley Parkway or Bayview extension. It is glass with pop-out windows and it overlooks the Don Valley and on the east side; Riverdale Park to the North, Gerrard Street to the South and on the east there are plans for a magnificent boulevard entrance from Broadview once the old buildings are torn down. The building, designed by top Canadian Architects, will be eligible for LEED certification.
I was really impressed by my tour. After we donned hard hats, work boots and safety glasses, Cynthia shared a video on the overall project and introduced us to the construction project manager, who led the tour. The new building has a patient-experience design priority, with accessibility to, and equity of, solar light as a key feature. It is all about ‘healing’, and many patient services, such as physical and occupational therapy, will be provided on every floor – limiting the amount of movement a patient must make. There will be common, library, sitting and dining areas on every floor. Each one- or two- bed room is designed so patients always have an outside view, even when the privacy curtains are drawn around their roommate’s bed.
Ever notice how easy it is to get lost in a hospital? Not here. They have designed each elevator exit area with site lines which immediately orient people as to their location. When we were there they were testing colours: the pallet looked cheerful and refreshing. Other functional features such as limited elevators in the old building will be replaced with specially designated elevators separated for patients, food, and soiled materials.
I can’t go into all the amazing features, so I encourage you to look at their excellent web site. I want to comment on the Don (Toronto) Jail portion of the tour. Since it is a renovation project, rather than new construction, it was a totally different experience. Connected to the Hospital via a bridge, the Don Jail will be home to some of their administrative offices. I am sure it will be amazing when it is complete, but the space gave me the willies. I am pretty sure there were ghosts, because I got head to toe goose bumps the minute I walked into the door of the building. They have been required to maintain the gallows to a certain degree, which I was pleased they didn’t offer to show us.I was completely shocked by the size of the cells, which were windowless 8′ x 3′ feet cold stone caverns, and when occupied, would have held three inmates in hammocks. Enough said — stay out of jail.
St. Clair West Renewal
| May 18, 2012 | Posted by Diane under Default |
north and south of St. Clair, between Yonge Street and Oakwood Avenue have seen a lot of changes over the past 20 years with immigration and population movement. But arguably transit has been one of the biggest game changers. About 30 years ago, the TTC Subway was extended up along the west line, and it crosses St. Clair at Bathurst Street. But apparently it took until the new street car line for developers to really see the potential along St. Clair. There are now three condo tower developments going up at the corner of St. Clair and Bathurst. The two towers of the 530 Condo project on the north west corner; and the Rise Condo project on the south east Corner. Further along there is the 9-story Rushton Condo. Other property has been bought along there and is reported to be intended for redevelopment. But you need not go that far west to see the changes. The Avenue at Avenue Road caused all drivers grief for a few years.The Imperial Oil building is being converted to condos (I blogged about that project in 2010). There is a permit application for 2 other towers on either side of the Imperial.
The Artscape Wychwood Barns redevelopment just south of St. Clair, on a block between Wychwood and Christie, like Evergreen Brickworks, was courageous and visionary. Both took embarrassing eye-sores and transformed them, bringing modern, relevant programming, farmers markets, artistic and community services and eco-conscious tenants to these historic spaces. These were community supported initiatives and have enhanced the local area, and I dare say, real estate values.
Last week, Globe and Mail restaurant critic Joanne Kates wrote about Catch – a new restaurant opposite The Rushton, at Rushton and St. Clair. After she harangued about the service (which was not my experience), and praised the food, Ms. Kates declared that St. Clair west was the new Ossington. So Rob, come on up to visit St. Clair West (there is a KFC near Winona!)
Market Remains Tight with Sales Up in April
| May 18, 2012 | Posted by Diane under Default |
May 3, 2012 — Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 10,350 transactions through the TorontoMLS system in April 2012. This level of sales was 18 per cent higher than the 8,778 firm deals reported in April 2011. The strongest sales growth was reported in the single-detached market segment, with transactions of this home type up by 22 per cent compared to a year ago.
“Interest in single-detached homes has been very high, both in the City of Toronto and surrounding regions. Growth in single-detached listings has not kept up with demand, which means competition between buyers in this market segment increased. With this in mind, it was no surprise that the strongest annual price increase was also experienced in the single-detached segment,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President, Richard Silver.
The average price for April 2012 transactions was $517,556 – up 8.5 per cent compared to April 2011. While price growth was strongest for single-detached homes, the better-supplied condominium apartment segment experienced a more moderate annual rate of price growth, at four per cent.
“Monthly mortgage payments remain affordable for home buyers in the Greater Toronto Area. While interest rates are generally expected to increase over the next two years, the extent and timing of rate hikes has been thrown into question by slower than expected economic growth in the first quarter of this year. On net, borrowing costs are expected to remain a positive factor influencing home sales through 2012,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.
Rob Ford – Shhhh!
| May 16, 2012 | Posted by Diane under Default |
Envisioning the City in his own image
I get really quite ticked off at Toronto Mayor Rob Ford using the St. Clair West street car project as an example of everything that goes wrong in the City, because it is not true, but the message can become the reality. St. Clair West is in pretty good shape, and it is attracting some good new businesses and restaurants. It does not help businesses to have the Mayor using it as his personal punching board. It is the Mayor’s job to promote the City and all that it stands for. Warts and all. That means accepting that Toronto has a history, a legacy and events and people and neighbourhoods and cultures that he may not know or like or understand. It means he doesn’t get to re-design everything in his own image. Pride Day. Light Rail. Bikes. Vegan. People who disagree with him. People who think democracy and consultation matters. Journalists who ask questions about elected officials and what they do in their spare time. Its called “public life” for a reason, Rob. You live in public, and you represent all the public.
Safer, faster TTC transportation along St. Clair
I don’t think for a minute that the report really had any immediate or direct impact, because basically it was common sense and anyone who was objective would have said the same things. Make peace with your neighbours. Talk to them. Respect due process. Put up helpful, friendly signage. Don’t turn the campus into a fortress. Greet people in a nice way. Say “Hello”, and “Welcome”. Engage in a pro-active public and community relations exercises. Don’t wait for a crisis to sit down and talk to your constituents. The message becomes the reality. If you act nice and friendly and welcoming, people will believe it, and that is what matters. Don’t bash everything because its not your pet project…. Not too hard to figure out, right? Rob, maybe I should send over that little report of mine and insert “Mayors Office” for U of T.
How To Get Kissed in NYC
| April 13, 2012 | Posted by Trish Bongard Godfrey under Neighbourhood and Community, New York City, Real Estate Matters, Travel |
Living Room of William Randoph Hearst and Marion Davies, circa. 1930
Last month, we headed off to New York City for a few days over the school break. The weather was fantastic, and it’s always a city perfect for walkers (and shoppers). We stayed at The Alex Hotel, which has 2 bedroom suites with kitchenettes (good for traveling with teens), at pretty reasonable prices. We reserved through on Booking about a month before. The beds were very comfy – the rooms tight, but big windows and a great location.
While we were there, we were invited for drinks by a gentleman whose 7,000 square foot, stunning, multi-storied co-op apartment was a museum! (more…)
Toronto Housing Market Charts (click-through) March 2012
| April 7, 2012 | Posted by Trish Bongard Godfrey under About Toronto, Comment and Opinion, Real Estate Matters, Toronto Real Estate Board |
Sustainable Catch is more than a flash in the pan
My own experience with the waiters at Catch was better than this, and the food is great!
By Joanne Kates, Globe & Mail, April 27, 2012
Thanks to my insistence on that old-fashioned thing called service in restaurants, I am often accused of being an aging spoiled brat. If it’s old-fashioned to expect some hospitality with my dinner, then call me outdated. How about a warm welcome, friendly waitstaff who know what they’re serving and can deliver it with a smile and a modicum of grace? Is all that uncool?
Absent that amenity, the best food in the world is not so much fun.
Witness dinner at Catch, the hot new sustainable seafood restaurant where Filippo’s used to be, on St. Clair West, across the street from the Rushton. (Frank Pronesti, who owns the Rushton and was one of the original partners at Ferro, also owns this place.) Catch’s kitchen is top-notch. (more…)