junctionist
Senior Member
It could be preserved and integrated with new development.
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Future of the Hearn Generating Station
- Thread starter CDL.TO
- Start date
jaycola
Active Member
Thanks for posting the VR Views!
What a colossus. I love this place. It's got real presence, mystery and - sometimes, in certain weather - even a touch of the sublime to it.
I really hope it's kept intact. You could fit a great number of sports facilities in there. Alongside truly interesting possibilities for museums, galleries, retail, live-work housing, education, markets....
A friend of mine is crazy about the idea of an indoor waterpark and mall in it. Another would like to see a kind of industrial-scale demonstration-ready science-space center.
The possibilities for this building are awesome. The location is unique and...well, just think what could be done with it! I'd love to see the same kind of social innovation go into this project that characterized Toronto in the 1970's - age of the CN Tower, The Science Centre, Ontario Place, The Metro Zoo. Instead of furthering industrial inaccessability on the waterfront, it could be a powerful living magnet and anchor for the city.
Here are some pics I took while walking around in about 2002
This is a structure I'd like to see developed with greater sensitivity the original structure.
I still agree for the most part with what I said above, the seemingly drunken syntax aside.
Carve this think up like a cake and sell off hunks. Keep some for public facilities. Maybe 30%.
There could be so many uses here.
How about some micro units along the train tracks?
Business Insider
I have to agree with Adma on this one. The science centre is and should be a destination and the architecture is part of the excitement of the visit. That's not to say they shouldn't expand on the offerings there. There's lots of room for redevelopment on the site. Having it there is good for the Flemington Park community. Discussion on that for another thread.
CanadianNational
Senior Member
innsertnamehere
Superstar
Driving into the city today was really interesting with that cloud facing me all the way down.. it was just a huge wall of white.
freshcutgrass
Senior Member
Yes...a unique opportunity for something spectacular.
And..............
..................not going to happen.
jje1000
Senior Member
I'm hoping that this is one of the buildings that isn't lost before it's reimagined. Seriously, it's even larger than the Tate Modern.
Is there any soil contamination on site, though? That could be one of the big stumbling blocks in any development scheme.
Is there any soil contamination on site, though? That could be one of the big stumbling blocks in any development scheme.
Lenser
Senior Member
Don't know for sure but considering what what the facility was purpose-built for it wouldn't surprise me if PCBs and other heavy industrial contaminants are in the soil.
It's a lovely place ripe with potential but let's face it, it's going to take very deep pockets and sustainted commitment to make this thing shine. I hope there's some real visionary thinking about what can be done with it; it's such a strong presence in the east end and in the Portlands itself it's utterly dominant.
It's a lovely place ripe with potential but let's face it, it's going to take very deep pockets and sustainted commitment to make this thing shine. I hope there's some real visionary thinking about what can be done with it; it's such a strong presence in the east end and in the Portlands itself it's utterly dominant.
jje1000
Senior Member
I definitely think there are contaminants in the soil surrounding the Hearn (given that coal was probably piled there), but inside the building? If the building isn't that contaminated, I could see revitalization starting inside. Keep the surrounding grounds untouched until a cap of soil can be put in, or the soil is dug out and decontaminated.
freshcutgrass
Senior Member
Yep....super-dooper adaptive reuse opportunity of King Kong importance could be happening here.
But it won't...we are too busy fighting over little brick warehouse buildings on King St. The Canada Malting Silos are still sitting there unused. This will be yet another lost opportunity.
But it won't...we are too busy fighting over little brick warehouse buildings on King St. The Canada Malting Silos are still sitting there unused. This will be yet another lost opportunity.
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freshcutgrass
Senior Member
Apparently the asbestos insulation removed and site remediation work was done in the 1990s. Does this Mean the Harris gov't cared about the environment after all!!!
Don't be ridiculous...as part of the deregulation of the Ontario electrical power system, he wanted to make sure your tax dollars payed for it rather than any private corps having to spend any money.
Will the evils of the Harris era ever stop coming back to haunt us?
Lenser
Senior Member
The building was a generator plant. As such, I'm presuming it used sizeable transformers. PCBs have long been long associated with transformer units, used as coolant fluids. I wouldn't be so sure that the building itself isn't a toxic cesspool. It can be cleaned up, I'm guessing - but the associated costs are not insignificant, particularly given the vast size of the facility and the number of years it ran full-bore.
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
Oh... I fear that I shouldn't tell you about Hudak.
One Nut Kruk
Banned
The notion that 'conservatives don't care about the environment' is ridiculous. We all drink the same water, breathe the same air, etc. Everyone cares about the environment; except suicide bombers of course.
freshcutgrass
Senior Member
Sure we all care about the environment...how it's prioritized is what counts. My point was that the Harris gov't was spending large amounts of taxpayers dollars on cleaning up a site...not because he cared about the environment, but because he cares about big business. Why average individuals vote conservative is beyond me.
Mr.Tang
Active Member
Let's keep the pointless political jab's for family gatherings people. Seems to me that a big hurdle to successful repurposing is the sheer size of the building. Not knowing the structure well - could portions only be retained successfully?