The Tenor (10 Dundas St E, Ent Prop Trust, 10s, Baldwin & Franklin)

[FutureMayor]

Move On

The Buzz I'm hearing on the streets about TLS is generally positive.

However, nobody calls it "Toronto Life Square", more like "the new AMC movie theatres across from Eaton Centre".

This is a critical phase to branding the whole complex, and clearly it has become a lost opportunity for Toronto Life, mainly because the lack of signage on the exterior.

As for the on-going bitchfest about the final product, you need to suck it up and move on.

From the get go, I never supported this project as it was always going to be another boring suburban entertainment complex filled with chains, masking as something new, urban and exciting *gag*.

I'm just glad the complex is finally open and contributing to the life of Toronto.

Louroz

 

[caltrane74]

As for the on-going bitchfest about the final product, you need to suck it up and move on.


Louroz

Bitches love a bitchfest...... or so I've heard.

 

[interchange42]

As for the on-going bitchfest about the final product, you need to suck it up and move on.

FutureMayor - are you kidding me? You would like everyone who has been critical of this aesthetic debacle to just shut up and get happy about it? Sorry, it won't happen. I'm not gouging out my eyes anytime soon.

42

 

[FutureMayor]

Less talk, more action

I wanted to move the conversation and debate along.

The bottom line is the city and passionate citizens are powerless to do anything about the final product of this building.

Let's get to the heart of the matter and examine how this building was designed, approved and finally built. I would have to blame the planning process and that this particular development was one of the last acts of the old city of Toronto before the choas of amalgamation.

From 1998 until today our political and planning process in this city have been in total choas. This couldn't have happend at the worst time as the condoization of Toronto has already taken place along with a decade of lost opportunities with TLS being a poster child of what went wrong.

At the grassroots community level there is a growing lack of trust with the Toronto Planning Department and City Hall. Placing a dinky sign on a site informing the public of a development application and to contact a staff person who always seem to be on vacation, or sending out letters to residents and businesses within 150 metres is simply not acceptable.

However, with the new Toronto Act now in effect, the city is now empowered to undertake meaningful public consultation, to create urban design boards and something called "Local Appeal Boards" (which strangley the city has yet to act upon).

If people here are really serious about changing the development process in this city, I challenge them to channel their energy and ideas by getting organized and finally hold city hall and the developers accountable for their plans and actions!

Louroz

 

[3Dementia]

42: at risk of stating the obvious, you are arguing with FutureMayor.

 

[adma]

Here's some reality: Toronto Life is already a successful, well-established brand. Sponsor signage isn't going to make or break them. They have every reason to demand a greater standard of quality before they put their name on the building.

All the more reason for them to demand a higher quality product. It's still Toronto Life's name on it. Their existing brand is a quality publication that contains restaurant reviews, neighbourhood and shopping guides, and general happenings about town. TLS is about as unclassy as you can get. The two things hardly complement each other, so why would they risk tarnishing their established name?

Personally, I think this rag's naming rights better suits the aesthetics of the joint

 

[avatarreb]

I went inside for the first time and last time today. I live across the street but I dared not go inside.

It's a joke. It's not a funny joke. Pen Equity is/has been a 9 year joke but what they have "built" inside is beyond embarrassing... it is surely the ugliest cheap out short-cut in Toronto retail history. The perfect ending to a decade-long nightmare. And it's confusing to navigate so escape is difficult.

Expropriation is needed. Pen Equity bankruptcy (an all the pensioners they represent) is wished for...

I met some friends for a beer at the newly oppened Jack Astors today. We stayed on the patio so I got some quality time to check out the "workmanship" of this place. Definately a total cheapout; I remember noticing how we couldn't see to street level since the rail on the balcony was made of sheets of perferated metal.

 

[adma]

It's only this past week that I noted where PenEquity is presently HQed (pending its move here): none other than the Toronto Life Square of the early 90s, i.e. 370 King West...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I met some friends for a beer at the newly oppened Jack Astors today. We stayed on the patio so I got some quality time to check out the "workmanship" of this place. Definately a total cheapout; I remember noticing how we couldn't see to street level since the rail on the balcony was made of sheets of perferated metal.

Could that perhaps be a safety consideration for those below?

I got caught down there in the rain late yesterday afternoon so I wandered up and down TLS for a bit. Aside from the horrors discussed on previous pages I noticed that I was struck with a bit of vertigo in there and the lighting hurt my brain.

 

[MBS]

Aww, 'cmon. This place can't be that bad, can it? Tomorow I guess I'll have the pleasure of finding out on my own.

Would dinner and a movie be a good idea, or is it really that bad?

 

[MetroMan]

^ Ghastly in fact.

Definately a total cheapout; I remember noticing how we couldn't see to street level since the rail on the balcony was made of sheets of perferated metal.

Perforated metal? No way! Haven't they heard of glass? In fact, it can't be much more expensive than perforated metal...

A major paper needs to do a story on this and really embarrass them into correcting these flaws (although correcting all of them would require demolishing and rebuilding...).

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Aww, 'cmon. This place can't be that bad, can it? Tomorow I guess I'll have the pleasure of finding out on my own.

Would dinner and a movie be a good idea, or is it really that bad?

Jack Astors looked ok from the outside, but I didn't go in and I like the AMC cinemas.
Take it in and please post your impressions!

 

[scarberiankhatru]

How can you be sure? I wonder if a growing realization that this building would not be up to Wolfgang Puck's standards is what caused them to leave the building. It is possible that Toronto Life was expecting a better finished product. We were, weren't we? Wasn't everybody? Who in their right mind would ever have predicted what we have ended up with?

I bet there is some head scratching going on at Toronto Life over this.

42

Wolfgang Puck *is* opening restaurants in kinda random places in Toronto, as if some location manager guy is swindling them over the phone ("Trust me, Sheppard east of Yonge is a great spot!" "Metropolis...you can't go wrong!").

 

[MetroMan]

I think the AMC is so far the best part of TLS (close competition from Adidas). It is however missing a bit of pizzaz. They should replace the collage of actors on the ceiling with a circle of screens showing the latest trailers. People would stand there watching this 360º visual show above them.
Perhaps I'm just used to Paramount @ Richmond + John but although I like AMC @ TLS, I think it's a bit tame.

 

[urbandreamer]

Where is Spacing Square located?