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Canadian Urbanism Uncovered

10 comments

  2. Recession toppling businesses in Beach
    Retailers urge residents to shop local as number of empty stores on rise along Queen St. E.

    http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/598689

    ———————-

    Why is it so easily accepted that supply side economics don’t apply in Toronto. More stores for rent should equate to lower rents, not higher. Sorry for beating a dead horse, but if rents are increasing along with vacancies, this points to another culprit. The reporter should have asked those remaining if they are going to be able to once the property tax cap is removed. Guesstimating the average age of these commercial properties it might be fair to assume that rents (because of taxes) will at least double once the cap is eliminated.

  3. Oh Paula, shut up already. You’re just a red-commie disguising yourself as a green community activist. You really don’t want ANY change in your neighbourhood because that would undermine your power over the little guy.

    You have not provided a balanced insight into the OMB decision. The member’s decision was done for political expediency and was not a good planning decision. The fact is, the City completely dropped the ball on this file and it is very clear the City should not be in the business of planning. Their reaction was, and quite rightly pointed out in the decision, a knee-jerk reaction and the counteracive policies they tried to put in place were ill-conceived and were not comprehensive in nature (i.e., the public had no input).

    Now, the community and Paula are wanting to try to find a use for the site that is in line with what the City supposedly desires. HELLOOOO…Rose Corporation and SmartCentres still (and always will) own the site. A site they paid $24M for…only retail and residential will generate the returns necessary to make a couple of bucks. So, they have deep pockets…they’ll just wait until Miller, Fletcher and their band of ill-informed enemies of development retreat into the sunset. So, the property will sit, unproductive, inaccessible, ugly and not contributing to city-building for YEARS is my prediction.

    Maybe the City should actually work WITH developers. They’re not the big bad enemies of the state everyone makes them out to be. Granted they want to make a couple of bucks…who doesn’t? Remember, they will, generally, bend over backwards to get a shovel in the ground…every day they can’t costs large$….something the City doesn’t seem to understand – no wonder they can’t balance their books.

  4. Glen, where have you heard that the property tax cap will be removed? Do you mean for Toronto or province wide?

  5. Darwin,

    Every year, the cap is adjusted by 5%. Meaning every year those affected properties get 5% closer to their full CVA (and death 🙁 ).

  6. Re: ed

    Hate to say it, but I agree. I hope I am wrong about this, but Toronto is heading towards the same destination as Detroit – just taking the left path instead of the right.

  7. ed

    AMEN!

    Paula is as functional and deliverable as dear jack layton the man who never actually does anything but pose.

    You would think this area and its voters would finally catch on… the NDP is a losing prospect for anyone that supports them. But Jack and Paula are certainly doing fine.

  8. So, the property will sit, unproductive, inaccessible, ugly and not contributing to city-building for YEARS is my prediction. […]
    Remember, they will, generally, bend over backwards to get a shovel in the ground…every day they can’t costs large$…

    Well, that certainly clarifies things: developers are willing to wait around for years making no money whatsoever off a vacant lot and are desperate to concede whatever demands are necessary to make their investment back because every single day they’re not doing so costs large dollar signs.

  9. “HELLOOOO…Rose Corporation and SmartCentres still (and always will) own the site.”

    Not necessarily. They COULD sell it or it COULD be expropriated.

    “So, the property will sit, unproductive, inaccessible, ugly and not contributing to city-building for YEARS is my prediction.”

    Not as ugly or counterproductive as big-box stores and parking lots.

  10. Jeff, as the leader of an opposition party there are limits to what Jack Layton can do. He did make major changes to the 2005 federal budget. NDP lead protests probably was a significant factor that kept us out of the war in Iraq. During elections the NDP presents a platform that is the most realistic financially.