Fischer-Hallman & Bleams development

[Pheidippides]

Zoning amendment meeting tomorrow for the property at the corner of Fischer Hallman and Bleams (1250 Fischer Hallman).

   
   
   
   

The apartments would seem to be really close to the Huron Natural Area, but I guess it is kind of surrounded anyway.

[panamaniac]

This would be on the "south-east" corner?

[jeffster]

The apartments would seem to be really close to the Huron Natural Area, but I guess it is kind of surrounded anyway.

I think it's very nice looking, hopefully they can push it through.

[timio]

This would be on the "south-east" corner?

Yes. There's a sign suggesting a grocery anchored retail will be there in 2018.

[Spokes]

Interesting amount of density in such a location.

[Markster]

There's a whole master plan for the Fisher-Hallman & Bleams area, so I figure we may as well break off a thread for it.

[danbrotherston]

Is it dense though? There's an enormous amount of surface parking, distances between things are going to be really large. Is this a development where people will walk? Or is it simply going to be the same ~100% driving that we see in most suburbs.

[panamaniac]

Is it dense though?  There's an enormous amount of surface parking, distances between things are going to be really large.  Is this a development where people will walk?  Or is it simply going to be the same ~100% driving that we see in most suburbs.

Considering where it is, I find it surprisingly dense, although still very car-centric.

[ijmorlan]

Is it dense though?  There's an enormous amount of surface parking, distances between things are going to be really large.  Is this a development where people will walk?  Or is it simply going to be the same ~100% driving that we see in most suburbs.

Considering where it is, I find it surprisingly dense, although still very car-centric.

I don’t really like the layout. Even once one is there (for example, because one lives in the apartments), there are still substantial and rather unpleasant walks through parking lots to get anywhere. What would be wrong with putting one continuous building along the roads, with the retail component on the bottom floor and apartments above? Then just have a single huge parking lot out back. Also, have a continuous covered walkway around the entire building (or at least around the entire front of the building, connecting both retail and residential entrances). This enormously improves the pedestrian experience (once you’re under cover, you stay there until you’re done) while really not changing the driving experience at all. It also brings the whole development closer to whatever is built on the other corners (haven’t actually checked what is existing/likely on those corners).

[KevinL]

I believe the residences have been deliberately placed to maximize views over the Natural Area.

[danbrotherston]

Considering where it is, I find it surprisingly dense, although still very car-centric.

I don’t really like the layout. Even once one is there (for example, because one lives in the apartments), there are still substantial and rather unpleasant walks through parking lots to get anywhere. What would be wrong with putting one continuous building along the roads, with the retail component on the bottom floor and apartments above? Then just have a single huge parking lot out back. Also, have a continuous covered walkway around the entire building (or at least around the entire front of the building, connecting both retail and residential entrances). This enormously improves the pedestrian experience (once you’re under cover, you stay there until you’re done) while really not changing the driving experience at all. It also brings the whole development closer to whatever is built on the other corners (haven’t actually checked what is existing/likely on those corners).

Indeed, they've placed the main access road between the residences and the shops.  One could easily imagine instead a pedestrian plaza or even parket, with all the shopping snugged up around this, and parking and facility access in the back.  This just seems like more of the same broken suburban development, just a little taller.

If you look at the renders, it becomes even more obvious (although I'm sure this could be an oversight missing in the renders), there isn't even frontage access from the trail/sidewalk/bus stop to the stores that are street facing.

[ZEBuilder]

The commercial portion of this development is mostly complete with the most recent building opening this past week.

In late 2021 the Food Basics opened followed by the remaining units (Dollarama, nail salon, etc) in building B in early 2022. 

Over the last year construction has been ongoing on Building C and Building E. Building E is home to a BMO which opened this past week, it got its occupancy permit on the 21st. Building C is home to 9 total units however a few stores are taking multiple units. It will be home to an A&W, Noodlebox, and BarBurrito. Currently the PetValu, Osmow's, DK Optical and a Yoga/Fitness place in building C are open.

Building D is the final commercial building to be built on site, currently excavation is complete and they have started to lay the rebar for the footings. Nothing is leased for the building yet so it might sit empty for a bit once it is completed.

Here is an image of the development from Abram Clemens St (apologies for the quality):
   

The residential portions of the property got sold off to different developers so they are moving at different paces, the buildings closest to the Huron Natural area are furthest out with design work still occurring. The building fronting Bleams however (1295 Bleams) got its foundation permit on June 20th. Excavation on that site has been ongoing for about a month, the first week or so they were primarily focused on removing the topsoil that was stock piled on the site, since then they have been removing the native soil (it is mostly sand) from the site and trucking it to another site. The crew that is onsite doing the work has been extremely small, most days its 3 people so it's going slow but they were still waiting for the permit at that point so the pace might speed up in the coming weeks.

Here is an image of the current excavation:
   

[ZEBuilder]

Since the last image I posted of the 13 floor apartment building there has been decent progress. They have started to install the I beams for the soldier pile shoring (typical wood lags between metal I beams). The side along the driveway that goes from Bleams to the Food Basics has about two thirds of its I beams installed, now lagging has been placed as of yet. In the section they had started to excavate in my previous post they now have rebar and a crane base in place. If the building form hasn't changed significantly since the original OPA/ZBA the tower crane will be external to the tower right where both wings of the building intersect. They also have the transformer and power equipment for the crane on site and mostly installed, it isn't hooked up to the grid yet but it appears to be ready to go. The site office for this appears to be in the parking lot of the church next door on Bleams.

Picture from the BMO parking lot:
   

Picture from Bleams:
   

[neonjoe]

Tower Crane components are now on site.

[ac3r]

I wonder how much money people will pay to live in towers that encircle a massive sea of asphalt and retail stores. Projects like this really show how we rarely put thought into our built environment in this country.