A proposed 49-storey tower with a jumbo elephant sculpture at Avenue and St. Clair has enraged NIMBYs
Locals call the would-be tower a “monstrosity.” Developer Fitzrovia says it’s an opportunity for renters
Residents of the city’s Casa Loma district are up in arms over a proposed 49-storey tower at the southeast corner of Avenue and St. Clair due to its height and supposed ugliness. The proposal from developer Fitzrovia and Hariri Pontarini Architects would replace a former government office with 576 residential units.
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Local residents have been vocal in their opposition. At the time of publication, an online petition deeming the would-be building a “monstrosity” had garnered roughly 390 signatures.
In a letter to the East York Community Council, John Ritchie, director and secretary of the South Hill District Homeowners Association, said the development would be a “giant monolith” and an “aesthetic eyesore” that would be “entirely out of place in an area comprised of many single residences.” Ritchie also questioned whether “crumbling city infrastructure” could handle the extra residents and mentioned that wind tunnels in the area are already severe. His association instead recommends a 24-storey apartment, which it says would be more appropriate and acceptable.
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Other locals oppose the tower’s entrance being on Foxbar, a narrow one-way road they say is already jammed with traffic. Nevertheless, the community council has recommended that city hall approve the necessary by-law amendments to accommodate the building’s size.
Fitzrovia CEO Adrian Rocca says that developments like this one represent opportunities to fight the stigma around renting while replacing old office towers that are standing empty.
Far less outrage has been hurled at the tower’s proposed public art: a sculpture of an elephant with a bandaged trunk standing in a bathtub. It’s designed by Claude Cormier et Associés, the Montreal firm behind the Berczy Park dog fountain and the celebrated Love Park by the lake. Perhaps even NIMBYs can appreciate a bit of whimsy from time to time.
