adma
Superstar
Unfortunately, where Mississauga *does* have such inherent urbanizing features (think Port Credit), it tends too inherently culturally whitey/gated for Tamil protest types...
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Mississauga Celebration Square Redevelopment (CS&P Architects) COMPLETE
- Thread starter jeicow
- Start date
khris
Senior Member
Well that was quick 
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A much better plan
February 5, 2009 08:38 PM - Common sense, apparently, does reign at City Hall.
City councillors have scrapped their plans for a $40 million facelift for the Civic Centre in favour of spending the money on community facilities in need of repair, maintenance or replacement, a new plan that really does hit all the right notes — or most of them.
Rather than applying a $25 million windfall from the Province, along with $10 million from its own capital budget, toward “revitalizing” City Hall and the area immediately surrounding it, City Council instead has decided to divide Ontario’s financial contribution among projects in the city’s 11 wards.
A relatively good decision, but one that was nearly buried under a mountain of superlatives from councillors too easily swayed by a pretty plan to spend $40 million of taxpayers’ money on a City Hall facelift.
Council’s new plan, however, is still filled with pitfalls, including the notion that individual councillors will determine how each ward’s share of the funding pie will be spent, an approach that could lead to abuses and pet projects being fulfilled at the expense of more urgent needs.
Every project tendered by councillors for consideration should be included on a list of city-wide — not ward-specific — priorities, with monies going to projects/facilities that will most benefit all taxpayers.
While the $2.2 million funding pot per ward could win new friends (or cement old liaisons) for city councillors, it still might not be the wisest way to spend our money, but it is unquestionably a step in the right direction.
Source
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A much better plan
February 5, 2009 08:38 PM - Common sense, apparently, does reign at City Hall.
City councillors have scrapped their plans for a $40 million facelift for the Civic Centre in favour of spending the money on community facilities in need of repair, maintenance or replacement, a new plan that really does hit all the right notes — or most of them.
Rather than applying a $25 million windfall from the Province, along with $10 million from its own capital budget, toward “revitalizing” City Hall and the area immediately surrounding it, City Council instead has decided to divide Ontario’s financial contribution among projects in the city’s 11 wards.
A relatively good decision, but one that was nearly buried under a mountain of superlatives from councillors too easily swayed by a pretty plan to spend $40 million of taxpayers’ money on a City Hall facelift.
Council’s new plan, however, is still filled with pitfalls, including the notion that individual councillors will determine how each ward’s share of the funding pie will be spent, an approach that could lead to abuses and pet projects being fulfilled at the expense of more urgent needs.
Every project tendered by councillors for consideration should be included on a list of city-wide — not ward-specific — priorities, with monies going to projects/facilities that will most benefit all taxpayers.
While the $2.2 million funding pot per ward could win new friends (or cement old liaisons) for city councillors, it still might not be the wisest way to spend our money, but it is unquestionably a step in the right direction.
Source
Brian69
Not the Messiah
Well, I can hardly blame people from wanting to fix the local stuff (I've seen some city parks that could use some work and I'm sure other facilities could too) but a pulling off something impressive at city hall might have made Mississauga more of a draw in its own right and spur interest in the city.
wyliepoon
Senior Member
Here in Scarborough, there was a Tamil demonstration at Finch and McCowan today at around 6pm. A bunch of youths carrying signs marched around the intersection (good thing they were following traffic signals instead of blocking traffic) and took over a bus stop.
Never knew Finch and McCowan had so much 'urbanity'.
Never knew Finch and McCowan had so much 'urbanity'.
adma
Superstar
Except that it may be argued that the critical "pulling off something impressive" already happened a generation ago, with the international competition for and construction of Mississauga City Hall. *That's* what ought to have made Mississauga more of an interest-spurring draw in its own right...right?
If that couldn't do it (and that's arguable), then I can't see how a reconfigured plaza could, no matter how "impressive". Maybe it's better to allow the existing plaza to find its own gravitas and maybe be rediscovered as a diamond in the rough, especially now that it's on the verge of entering its own "heritage moment"...
khris
Senior Member
The point was to make it more pedestrian and user friendly. Right now it's a very sterile and cold place, with too much concrete and walls.
This was something promising that MCC really needed. Totally sucks!
This was something promising that MCC really needed. Totally sucks!
doady
Senior Member
Don't worry, it will get warmer in a few months.
adma
Superstar
But relative to 25 years ago, that isn't going to be the trick to make Mississauga "more of a draw in its own right and spur interest in the city." That is, if you get my drift about Mississauga City Hall being an headline-making international architectural sensation...
Brian69
Not the Messiah
Maybe you're right, and Mississauga should have come together before now. It's clear downtown just isn't bringing people in, whether due to the nature of Mississauga (spread out and not having a financial district to complement the downtown core) or because many of the newcomers to Mississauga are too busy trying to survive to focus on wandering the downtown "core".
I did notice many immigrant and non-immigrant groups taking advantage of some of the nicer parks along the lake on weekends, so people do get out. Not having enough retail in and around the condos at MCC prevents much of the pedestrian traffic as it's diverted to Square One, a location where people usually drive in and out of. There's only a few big box stores isolated in a plaza to the north (Chapters, Alice Fazooli's etc.) and you can find them at any mall in the GTA. MCC could use a lot of independent shops to pull people in from the surrounding condos and neighbourhoods but I don't see that ever happening.
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vistaway
Active Member
My plan to make the City Centre more people-friendly would start by adding sidewalks to the roads that don't have them (there are a lot missing), widening all existing sidewalks to an urban standard (that the useless 1.2m suburban one), adding benches, trash cans, transit shelters, crosswalks, pedestrian islands, and re-curbing existing intersections to be more pedestrian-friendly (including getting rid of right-turn slip lanes).
I bet you the entire MCC area could be 'fixed' like this for 1/4 of what they would have spent on just the Civic Centre, if not less. I just don't get it...why spiff-up the plaza when the very street it sits on (City Centre Drive) doesn't even have sidewalks on much of it!
This new plan makes more sense, but considering the way some of the councillors are, I wonder what will come of it? Perhaps a 30-foot marble tribute to Parish's ego in her ward...
I bet you the entire MCC area could be 'fixed' like this for 1/4 of what they would have spent on just the Civic Centre, if not less. I just don't get it...why spiff-up the plaza when the very street it sits on (City Centre Drive) doesn't even have sidewalks on much of it!
This new plan makes more sense, but considering the way some of the councillors are, I wonder what will come of it? Perhaps a 30-foot marble tribute to Parish's ego in her ward...
Anth
Active Member
Mississauga hasn't come together because the focal point of the greater urban area it's part of is downtown. We'll be better off once we finally accept this collectively and cast aside our counterproductive pretensions to independence.
khris
Senior Member
Looks like it's still going to go ahead, just probably not for at least 4 years.
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Civic Square makeover shelved
By: Radhika Panjwani
February 6, 2009 09:18 AM - Barely a week after the City announced a $40-million revitalization of the downtown Civic Centre Square, the project has already run out of steam.
The City had initially earmarked $10 million for the project in its capital budget and planned on using a $25-million infrastructure windfall it received from Queen's Park to fund the makeover. But, at a budget meeting on Monday, councillors shot down the idea, voting instead to divvy up the $25 million among the 11 wards. As a result, the 11 councillors will each receive approximately $2.2 million for projects in their communities.
The now-shelved plans for Civic Centre Square included transforming the area into an “outdoor community centre,” with a skating rink, market area, art gallery and a stage to hold concerts and festivals.
Ward 9 Councillor Pat Saito said even though certain areas of the square such as the ice rink and outdoor stage are in need of a makeover, the $40-million cost was “way out of whack.”
“The animation in city squares comes from the fact there are places for people to sit, and not expensive facilities,” Saito said. “I don't think we need to spend $40 million to make it a people place. There are things we can do — simple things such as having coffee kiosks, tables with umbrellas, street buskers and so on. It'll be people who'll make the square a people place...”
Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish said the Civic Square project did not appeal to either councillors or residents, so she decided to put forward a motion at a General Committee meeting to divide the grant money equally amongst the wards. The motion was passed unanimously.
“What this does is put a little bit of the benefit of the $25 million ... in all parts of the City, instead of renovating the City Centre,” she said.
With her share, Parrish said she's planning to convert the Woodlands Library into a science classroom and build a new library in the current parking area.
Saito said she will use the money to launch a stewardship project to help wildlife at Lake Wabukayne, build outdoor exercise areas for seniors, and construct a skateboard facility.
As far as the Civic Square makeover goes, the City will invest $10 million on it each year for the next four years.
Source
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Civic Square makeover shelved
By: Radhika Panjwani
February 6, 2009 09:18 AM - Barely a week after the City announced a $40-million revitalization of the downtown Civic Centre Square, the project has already run out of steam.
The City had initially earmarked $10 million for the project in its capital budget and planned on using a $25-million infrastructure windfall it received from Queen's Park to fund the makeover. But, at a budget meeting on Monday, councillors shot down the idea, voting instead to divvy up the $25 million among the 11 wards. As a result, the 11 councillors will each receive approximately $2.2 million for projects in their communities.
The now-shelved plans for Civic Centre Square included transforming the area into an “outdoor community centre,” with a skating rink, market area, art gallery and a stage to hold concerts and festivals.
Ward 9 Councillor Pat Saito said even though certain areas of the square such as the ice rink and outdoor stage are in need of a makeover, the $40-million cost was “way out of whack.”
“The animation in city squares comes from the fact there are places for people to sit, and not expensive facilities,” Saito said. “I don't think we need to spend $40 million to make it a people place. There are things we can do — simple things such as having coffee kiosks, tables with umbrellas, street buskers and so on. It'll be people who'll make the square a people place...”
Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish said the Civic Square project did not appeal to either councillors or residents, so she decided to put forward a motion at a General Committee meeting to divide the grant money equally amongst the wards. The motion was passed unanimously.
“What this does is put a little bit of the benefit of the $25 million ... in all parts of the City, instead of renovating the City Centre,” she said.
With her share, Parrish said she's planning to convert the Woodlands Library into a science classroom and build a new library in the current parking area.
Saito said she will use the money to launch a stewardship project to help wildlife at Lake Wabukayne, build outdoor exercise areas for seniors, and construct a skateboard facility.
As far as the Civic Square makeover goes, the City will invest $10 million on it each year for the next four years.
Source
Anth
Active Member
Ok, so they're still going to spend $40 million, but over four years.
Honestly, all it really needs is a bigger skating rink for the winter. Otherwise the square could be nicer, but it's not so bad and the summer programming seems to attract more people every year.
vistaway
Active Member
I'm still not convinced the rink needs to be bigger...I have yet to see more than 3 people using it during the day this winter. If it was located in front of the library it would probably see more action. As it is, you can't tell if it's open or not (or even exists) from the street (as a pedestrian or motorist).
khris
Senior Member
Civic Square makeover still alive?
By: Radhika Panjwani
February 12, 2009 11:50 AM - Future funding from Ottawa could revive stalled plans to revitalize the Civic Square, says Mayor Hazel McCallion.
The subject of City Centre revitalization came up again yesterday at a meeting of city council.
McCallion said money from the federal government's infrastructure stimulus fund for provinces and municipalities could go towards a Civic Square makeover project. But, it's not clear how much money could be made available or how long will it take for the cheque to arrive.
Last week, councillors shot down plans to revitalize the Civic Square and voiced dismay over the project's $40 million price tag. The funding for the project was to include a $25 million windfall from Queen's Park and $10 million from City coffers.
The councillors instead voted to divvy up the $25 million among Mississauga's 11 wards with each individual councillor receiving $2.2 million for projects in their own areas.
However, Queen's Park informed the City yesterday that the $25 million can be used towards major capital infrastructure projects only. City officials are required to submit details of proposed projects before March 31.
Commissioner of Community Services Paul Mitcham told city councillors that, considering the conditions and restrictions being imposed by Queen's Park, they would be better off picking one major undertaking than trying to spend the $25 million on a number of lesser projects.
Mitcham told councillors that staff will issue a report detailing the cost and full scope of the revitalization project within next month.
However, some councillors remain adamant that it doesn't make sense to spend millions to beautify the City Centre during an economic downturn.
McCallion defended the Civic Square revitalization project, saying the City should proceed with the planning what is essentially an outdoor community centre so the work can begin as soon as the federal government delivers more cash.
“There comes a time when you have to look at the City Centre,” McCallion said. “And I think we haven't spent a lot of money on the Civic Centre since we built this building. It's 25 years old.”
Source
By: Radhika Panjwani
February 12, 2009 11:50 AM - Future funding from Ottawa could revive stalled plans to revitalize the Civic Square, says Mayor Hazel McCallion.
The subject of City Centre revitalization came up again yesterday at a meeting of city council.
McCallion said money from the federal government's infrastructure stimulus fund for provinces and municipalities could go towards a Civic Square makeover project. But, it's not clear how much money could be made available or how long will it take for the cheque to arrive.
Last week, councillors shot down plans to revitalize the Civic Square and voiced dismay over the project's $40 million price tag. The funding for the project was to include a $25 million windfall from Queen's Park and $10 million from City coffers.
The councillors instead voted to divvy up the $25 million among Mississauga's 11 wards with each individual councillor receiving $2.2 million for projects in their own areas.
However, Queen's Park informed the City yesterday that the $25 million can be used towards major capital infrastructure projects only. City officials are required to submit details of proposed projects before March 31.
Commissioner of Community Services Paul Mitcham told city councillors that, considering the conditions and restrictions being imposed by Queen's Park, they would be better off picking one major undertaking than trying to spend the $25 million on a number of lesser projects.
Mitcham told councillors that staff will issue a report detailing the cost and full scope of the revitalization project within next month.
However, some councillors remain adamant that it doesn't make sense to spend millions to beautify the City Centre during an economic downturn.
McCallion defended the Civic Square revitalization project, saying the City should proceed with the planning what is essentially an outdoor community centre so the work can begin as soon as the federal government delivers more cash.
“There comes a time when you have to look at the City Centre,” McCallion said. “And I think we haven't spent a lot of money on the Civic Centre since we built this building. It's 25 years old.”
Source