I guess that outside architectural firms (and for that matter the developers who own the land) aren't as concerned about their legacy if they aren't likely to be a part of the community where they might have to drive by the building on regular day. Waterloo Region had a brief burst of home-grown (or at least locally owned) architectural firms from the 1960s to 1990s who designed quite a few gems in town. Many of the buildings are still standing too. (ac3r probably knows many of them).
I also understand that in contrast to publicly owned buildings (eg a City Hall or library) or those funded by someone keen on their legacy (eg Perimeter Institute, CIGI, or some of the University buildings), the City doesn't have much control over the design of a building provided it fits the various building code and zoning rules. I believe, even in the case of a zone change variance, the City cannot deny a building permit on aesthetic grounds. I also seem to recall that the building that was going to look pretty sharp at the corner of NW King St and University Ave was stopped because one of the retail tenants refused to break their lease which would have allowed the demolition and rebuild of the low-rise commercial plaza.
It will be interesting to see how the University district buildings age. I'm not familiar with how many are full rentals (and therefore one owner can make the call for renovations and repairs) vs condos (which may have their own challenges for repairs or renovation). One can dream.
I also understand that in contrast to publicly owned buildings (eg a City Hall or library) or those funded by someone keen on their legacy (eg Perimeter Institute, CIGI, or some of the University buildings), the City doesn't have much control over the design of a building provided it fits the various building code and zoning rules. I believe, even in the case of a zone change variance, the City cannot deny a building permit on aesthetic grounds. I also seem to recall that the building that was going to look pretty sharp at the corner of NW King St and University Ave was stopped because one of the retail tenants refused to break their lease which would have allowed the demolition and rebuild of the low-rise commercial plaza.
It will be interesting to see how the University district buildings age. I'm not familiar with how many are full rentals (and therefore one owner can make the call for renovations and repairs) vs condos (which may have their own challenges for repairs or renovation). One can dream.