Grove Inc. / City of Toronto
March 22, 2018 In City of Toronto, Development

Privacy Concerns at Quayside Waterfront Project

A public consultation held on March 20th for the proposed high-tech district planned for the port lands, saw hundreds of people in attendance.  The primary concern for those in attendance, was how the data that would be collected by sensors monitoring and controlling everything in the vicinity would be used.  Privacy concerns such as if the data would be sold and/or used for advertising purposes went unanswered as attendees were told the agencies in question are still in the negotiating process.

The Google-affiliated company, Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto co-hosted the public consultation and pledged that residents in the Quayside district proposed for the former industrial site located at Queens Quay and Parliament Street, would need to feel “comfortable and respected” and would not be monitored for the wrong reasons.

In light of the recent Facebook scandal where it is alleged that the personal data of millions of Americans was harvested without their authorization by an outside company for the purpose of targeting voters during the 2016 campaign, residents have valid cause for concern.  Unfortunately, their unease over these matters was not lessened at this public consultation.

Planning is in full swing with the City of Toronto’s examination and studies on the effect of building a light rail network across Toronto’s waterfront.   The estimated price tag for this transit addition is in the $2-billion range.  In addition, Sidewalk Labs is spending $50 million on preliminary work including consultations, showing strong commitment to the project and its strategic outcome.    Plans are not expected to be completed until 2019 however Sidewalk Toronto announced that it will be opening an office and exhibit space near the Quayside site which will be open to the public sometime this summer.  For more information on the Sidewalk Waterfront project, click here 

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March 20, 2018 In City of Toronto, Design, Neighbourhood

Public Space Incubator

Despite great strides being made in developing unused outdoor urban spaces into entertaining and useful entities (the Bentway, Sugar Beach, the revitalization of Ontario Place to name a few), there are still copious amounts of neglected public spaces itching for a facelift.  Every neighbourhood in every part of the city has a park, lane-way, vacant yard or other urban space in need of  a creative solution to draw the neighbourhood in and breathe life into the area.

Public Space Incubator, (administered by the Park People Organization) are offering the chance for anyone with an innovative and creative plan to apply for funding and the chance to transform an under-utilized, outdoor urban space into a vibrant, creative public space.

There are 2 separate funding rounds, one in 2018 and one in 2019 with up to a maximum of $50,000 funding per awarded project (5 projects will be awarded in each year).  Stage one  requires a letter of intent and must be submitted no later than March 29, 2018 for consideration.  For more information on this ambitious and insightful initiative, read more here

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March 15, 2018 In City of Toronto, Development

Bringing up the rear

In a recent blog article,  Brandon Donnelly  makes the correlation of the “rear houses” of yesterday to the lane houses of today. Last year at this time, we did an article for our  blog entitled “Laneway Reinvention” which spoke to the benefits for both landlord and tenant alike, should the city start allowing more of these builds to occur.    The need for affordable housing has transcended generations and is as relevant today as it was in the early 1900’s.  As Brandon’s article surmises, is it possible that the mindset of the 1900’s rear houses which rapidly declined into slums has a bearing on why the city tends to look unfavourably at resurrecting this ingenious use of space.    Perhaps it is time the city took a more modern day look at the benefits this type of affordable housing could play out in the Toronto of today.  Click here to read more.

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March 13, 2018 In Apartment Complexes, City of Toronto, Environment

Building the city’s resilience.

Extreme weather and an ever-growing rental housing shortage top the list of Toronto’s greatest challenges according to Elliot Cappell, the city’s chief resilience officer.  Speaking at a recent Urban Land Conference, Cappell spoke openly on the reality of our rising waters as well as our declining low/middle income housing.  He paints a bleak picture of the ongoing battle to re-develop the 1,189 apartment complexes built before 1985, into livable and affordable rental space.

Mr. Cappell expressed equal concern over the urgency of pro-actively implementing a flood prevention strategy to safeguard the city from catastrophic flooding. These are real-time issues given the massive flooding of last summer and the critical housing shortage that has woven itself into the very fabric of our city.

Both issues present an uphill climb with enormous financial commitments which will require private and public-sector participation in order to implement and maintain.  Click here to read more on Mr. Cappell’s challenges as he leads the charge on these two looming concerns.

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March 6, 2018 In City of Toronto, Real Estate

The Toronto/Manhattan connection

Toronto has often been referred to as “New York North”, as our city expands and swells on economic, social and cultural fronts and the cost to the consumer rises to a New York standard.   However, Neil Sharma of Canadian Real Estate Magazine, points out that the term might actually have more to do with “how people live than how much they pay”.  This is an interesting read on owners vs renters and the tilted balance of the two.  Click here to read the article.

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February 27, 2018 In City of Toronto, Construction, Design

Wading through the permit process

Following up on last week’s article on the fines and penalties that could be incurred when starting work before having the necessary permits in place, many people are wondering whether their specific renovation is subject to the permit process or not.   We have attached a link to the City of Toronto website which includes a fairly comprehensive list of which projects can and which can not be undertaken without securing the necessary permits.  The list should be used as a guide only as it is not completely inclusive.

Still not certain?  Contact Grove Inc., and we will be happy to help guide you through the process and the paperwork involved in obtaining the proper permits for your unique renovation/new build project.  Click here for information from the City of Toronto’s “when do I need a building permit?”

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February 22, 2018 In Art, City of Toronto, The Beach

Quite a Riot

With the city’s outdoor ice rinks taking a hit weather-wise this week, why not take a walk on the beach instead.  The annual Winter Stations Design Competition is currently underway at Woodbine Beach and makes for an interesting day by the water.  This year’s theme is “Riot” and those chosen to participate in turning seven lifeguard stations into temporary art installations, will be exhibiting their work from now until April 1st.  For more information on the event, click here

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February 20, 2018 In City of Toronto, Construction, Design

The Prince Edward Viaduct – where east meets west

If you live in the City of Toronto, it is a safe bet to assume you have traveled along the Bloor Viaduct (originally, the Prince Edward Viaduct),  in some mode of transportation.  Whether by car, subway, bike, or on foot, chances are you have crossed the ravine  using this iconic roadway.   In a recent search on the City of Toronto website for something completely unrelated, we came across this archival storytelling of the viaduct and the people involved in bringing it to fruition.   As much a part of Toronto’s history as the Distillery District and Fort York, the story of the building of this impressive span deserves to be read and enjoyed by all .  For those interested in learning more, you can find the whole story here

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February 15, 2018 In City of Toronto, Construction

Permits Please.

With Spring just around the corner, many homeowners will be looking to spruce up their living spaces by doing some minor or even major renovations.  Many people believe that they can make alterations to their homes without requiring a building permit, when in fact most renovations will require some form of permit.  If you are hiring a Project Management firm, such as Grove Inc., they can guide you in the right direction and/or handle the permit procurement stage of your renovation as well as overseeing the project from start to finish.  Heavy penalties can be incurred if caught without the proper permits in place so, be sure to educate yourself on what needs to be acquired before you start work.  The attached information from the City of Toronto is just an inkling of what kind of penalties and fines are involved if work begins without securing the necessary go-aheads.  Click here to read more.

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