Earlier this week, we caught up with some of the partners of Backstage on the Esplanade. We received valuable insight into the life of Backstage so far, details on its downtown Toronto location, what's going on with the PATH connection, and more.
Here's what they had to say about the proximity to the train tracks:
"The south side of Backstage on the Esplanade is alongside the railway corridor, but residents will find it quieter than living on most downtown streets. In fact, residential units on this side of the building start on floor 7, eighty feet above the rail lines. Conclusive studies have shown that the amount of noise constantly generated by the trains is less than the noise on an average main city street."
Backstage is also one short block away from Union Station where trains must enter by law at very low speeds, further diminishing the noise impact on residents. Nevertheless, rigorous noise, vibration and air quality standards have been built into Backstage on the Esplanade.
Several features have been implemented to reduce noise in the building, including:
- Higher sound transmission class (STC) ratings are required for all glazing of windows that face the train tracks
- Our Designers have placed balconies turned on the southeast and southwest corners of the building to limit the impact even in outdoor living areas of Backstage.
On the impact to the tracks themselves:
"There have been questions about possible modifications to the tracks themselves. There will be no change to the existing tracks to the South, but again all residential units on the south side are 80 ft. (the equivalent of 8 stories) above the tracks."
Information on the site, design and the PATH connection:
"We settled on the final site for Backstage after years of consultation with city officials and neighbours. The location, layout and design of the point tower were all devised to accommodate the required setback from 25 The Esplanade. The site has also been designed to allow for a PATH connection: To the west, from Backstage to Union, as well as to the east."
"The Backstage Developers will be building the PATH connection along the entire stretch of its property and is working closely with the City to build the PATH across the bridge at Yonge St., ultimately connecting to the Go Terminal property and Union Station."
"Neighbours, city planners and councillors are overwhelmingly in support of this new PATH extension. City councillor Pam McConnell has championed an extension and hopes to eventually see the PATH stretch from Union Station to the St. Lawrence Market. Now is the time to make this happen!"
Many thanks to John O'Keefe and Alfredo Romano for taking the time to give us this valuable insight into Backstage. For more information, click here.
