Poor Carlton St. Despite the presence of the venerable Maple Leaf
Gardens, various hotels and a number of condos, it feels slummy and
cheap. That all changes east of Jarvis, where Allan Gardens and a nice
stock of 19th-century buildings suddenly turn it into one of Toronto
most memorable streets.

But the stretch from Yonge to Church and Jarvis pretty much sums up
what 50 or 60 years of bad architecture and planning can do to a city.
Certainly, Toronto has no shortage of either; though some might be
inclined to defend the 1931 Gardens, a.k.a. the Carlton Street Cavern,
it brings little life to the neighbourhood. That will change shortly
when the old home of the Maple Leafs reopens as a supermarket and
athletic centre for Ryerson University. Until then, Carlton will just
have to wait patiently.

For the time being, however, for those walking the street, the view
isn’t pretty. With the exception of the marvelous Art Deco Toronto
Hydro Building at the northeast corner of Yonge and Carlton, there’s
little to get excited about. Even the recent arrivals on the south side
of Carlton — a couple of two-towered condo complexes – are monuments of
architectural mediocrity. Indeed, other than filling space and bringing
more people into the downtown core, they add little.

Even worse are the older condos, which to a building look as if
they were designed to be landmarks of banality. More recently, there
have been signs that things are finally starting to look up. It has
taken too long, but better late than never.

Condo Critic

92 CARLTON ST.: Okay, so this isn’t a condo, but
it is a new midrise residential project and that makes it relevant — and
interesting. The fact it was done by Toronto Community Housing to
provide housing for those who can’t afford full market rents makes it
all the more remarkable.

Architecturally, it is a splendid example of how old and new can be
blended in ways that enhance both. In this case, the scheme
incorporates a row of masonry facades on Carlton, behind which the new
structure sits happily.

The lowrise character of the Carlton frontage continues north up
Mutual St. The bulk of the new building has been set back, which allows
the street to breathe a little easier. With its sun shades and roof
garden, the 12-storey addition is an example of intensification at its
city-building finest. Best of all, perhaps, it manages to offer cheap
rents without looking cheap.

GRADE: A