Northern Light
Superstar
Not a politics thread....but can't resist .....someone shared this on my social :
Sure he's a grandstander, but he does it so well!
Sure he's a grandstander, but he does it so well!
Toronto Ontario Place: West Island / Therme Spa | 45.15m | 9s | Therme Group | Diamond Schmitt
- Thread starter Northern Light
- Start date
Northern Light
Superstar
So here's a question, I'm sure this may be in the Docs somewhere, but I'm just going to crowdsource.....
Whereas, most of us feel the single worst thing proposed here is the giant parking lot................(though most of agree there are other issues)
Whereas the GFA of this proposal has been scaled back by 1/2 meaning it presumably has 1/2 the capacity of the original.....
Why can we not, at least, cut the amount of parking in 1/2 to match?
That would not make this a good proposal, to most of us, let alone ideal, but it would certainly make it less bad.
Whereas, most of us feel the single worst thing proposed here is the giant parking lot................(though most of agree there are other issues)
Whereas the GFA of this proposal has been scaled back by 1/2 meaning it presumably has 1/2 the capacity of the original.....
Why can we not, at least, cut the amount of parking in 1/2 to match?
That would not make this a good proposal, to most of us, let alone ideal, but it would certainly make it less bad.
thaivic
Senior Member
I agree if they don't need as many parking spots then reduce the parking lot maybe in height and width.
wopchop
Building Toronto
Overall the plan is OK, the biggest glaring issue is obviously the parking garage. Where they have it shown makes no sense.
If they shrink it a bit and move it across Lakeshore to where the west bridge currently goes (just south of BMO Field), then it will be close to everything: Therme, Science Centre, Live Nation, BMO Field, Better Living Centre and the QE Theatre.
Where the garage is proposed right now they can then turn into treed parkland.
Total no brainer.
It messes up the Exhibition layout, but that can be figured out I think.
If they shrink it a bit and move it across Lakeshore to where the west bridge currently goes (just south of BMO Field), then it will be close to everything: Therme, Science Centre, Live Nation, BMO Field, Better Living Centre and the QE Theatre.
Where the garage is proposed right now they can then turn into treed parkland.
Total no brainer.
It messes up the Exhibition layout, but that can be figured out I think.
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nightstreak
Active Member
The CNE does not use the entire parking lot. The further away you get from Princes' Blvd. the more of the parking lot remains parking, including for the travelling carnies and their trailers. A relocated parkade on the Exhibition Place grounds could provide vertical parking during the CNE and in fact free up more space for the midway rides and games.
The Mayor urgently needs to take leadership on this. She's made a deal with Doug Ford to get out of the way, but that doesn't mean not being involved to make it better. Swap city owned land at Exhibition Place for the waterfront land and offer to fund the development of an expansion of Coronation Park. It doesn't have to be fancy, just some grass and trees.
Pardon my insistence but I'm going to keep sharing this comparison image in the hopes that someone with influence with the Mayor gets this in front of her. These spots are the same area, don't intrude on the CNE and gives the city far more valuable waterfront property for a park while giving Doug Ford a location for his parkade that is closer to Therme and the Science Centre while also providing parking for Live Nation, BMO Field and Exhibition Station for the Ontario Line.
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
...not sure it's political to call something a "lipstick on a massive pig". It may be insulting to pigs though. >.<
11th
Senior Member
It depends on what they meant by "across Ontario Place"."Trees will be replaced on a 6:1 basis"
View attachment 664656
View attachment 664655
This does not look like a 1:1 let alone 6:1 tree replacement. You mean to tell me that Therme and Doug Ford's government are lying????
generalcanada
Senior Member
I do remember that wording being used to tell people trees will be planted on the current parking area. not sure how much that changed due to the new tall garage and science center. That number existed before either of those plans
GenerationLee
Senior Member
His twitter is always a good source of entertainment.
christiesplits
Senior Member
@AlexBozikovic with a great critique in The Globe.
www.theglobeandmail.com
The Ontario Place spa: new drawings, still a disaster
Newly released visuals of the planned site show a malignant growth on the city
www.theglobeandmail.com
flonicky
Senior Member
Ryan J
New Member
Following up to the "new" redesigned Therme renderings.
toronto.skyrisecities.com
I burst out laughing when I saw the future Science Centre entrance. You go into a weird silo/cylinder and walk up. Then, if you turn left, you fall to your death out of a gangway onto the pavement below. Or, if you turn right, you walk along the old steel bridge to the Pods and Cinesphere.
Who is coordinating the design of the entrances of the Science Centre and Therme? They need to be designed in coordination. They originate from the same spot on the mainland, so reasonably could be part of the same entrance building. Ideally, this building could have all the extra space needed for the Science Centre that's deficient in the Pods.
Therme Unveils Scaled-Back Ontario Place Spa and West Island | UrbanToronto
Therme Group has released a redesign for its Ontario Place Therme Spa and West Island, reducing the facility’s footprint to about half the area of the initial plan and expanding public access across the West Island. The updated plan features 16 acres of parkland, new cultural pavilions, and a...
I burst out laughing when I saw the future Science Centre entrance. You go into a weird silo/cylinder and walk up. Then, if you turn left, you fall to your death out of a gangway onto the pavement below. Or, if you turn right, you walk along the old steel bridge to the Pods and Cinesphere.
Who is coordinating the design of the entrances of the Science Centre and Therme? They need to be designed in coordination. They originate from the same spot on the mainland, so reasonably could be part of the same entrance building. Ideally, this building could have all the extra space needed for the Science Centre that's deficient in the Pods.
robmausser
Senior Member
Following up to the "new" redesigned Therme renderings.
Therme Unveils Scaled-Back Ontario Place Spa and West Island | UrbanToronto
Therme Group has released a redesign for its Ontario Place Therme Spa and West Island, reducing the facility’s footprint to about half the area of the initial plan and expanding public access across the West Island. The updated plan features 16 acres of parkland, new cultural pavilions, and a...
I burst out laughing when I saw the future Science Centre entrance. You go into a weird silo/cylinder and walk up. Then, if you turn left, you fall to your death out of a gangway onto the pavement below. Or, if you turn right, you walk along the old steel bridge to the Pods and Cinesphere.
Who is coordinating the design of the entrances of the Science Centre and Therme? They need to be designed in coordination. They originate from the same spot on the mainland, so reasonably could be part of the same entrance building. Ideally, this building could have all the extra space needed for the Science Centre that's deficient in the Pods.
Its weird because in previous renderings, they were connected.
No idea why they got disconnected
kotsy
Senior Member
What’s up with the new road at Ontario Place? Here’s what we found out
The sudden appearance of a new peninsula off the West Island has raised eyebrows.
www.thestar.com
paywall bypass:
Also of note, the restoration work of the pod & ped bridge exterior is now complete. This was taken last Sunday.
nightstreak
Active Member
The pods look nice and white. The Cinesphere still looks rusty. Hopefully more work to come to fully restore these assets.
I’m not staunchly opposed to reinventing Ontario Place. Clearly it hasn’t worked for the last few decades.
Retaining and restoring the soul of its architecture — the pods and Cinesphere: excellent.
Reinventing and expanding the Amphitheatre: Good business decision, drives routine traffic to Ontario Place, people will use the grounds before and after and become aware of its other features for future visits.
Rebuilding the marina and Forum areas with architecture inspired by the original buildings and adding a signature fountain: I’m on board.
Moving the Science Centre to the pods, Cinesphere and a new building? Controversial but I think an educational and touristy science centre is a logical use for the Pods and Cinesphere year round. Return the Moryiama building to the city as a community centre for Flemingdon Park.
Therme? It’s a hulking building that will dominate the grounds, block views and put the original buildings in dark shadow in the afternoon.
The parking garage? Completely unnecessary and misplaced on waterfront land. There will be a major transit terminal just 5 minute walk away. Driving here is completely unnecessary. Oddly hoping that Ford’s land grab at Exhibition Place facilitates moving the garage to a more suitable spot now occupied by the Better Living Centre.
This can all be saved if Therme fails to find the funding and bails on this before breaking ground. Perhaps this coincides with Ford finally getting the boot in 2029 and a subsequent Provincial Government finds a better fitting venue mixed with restored forest land on the West Island.
I’m not staunchly opposed to reinventing Ontario Place. Clearly it hasn’t worked for the last few decades.
Retaining and restoring the soul of its architecture — the pods and Cinesphere: excellent.
Reinventing and expanding the Amphitheatre: Good business decision, drives routine traffic to Ontario Place, people will use the grounds before and after and become aware of its other features for future visits.
Rebuilding the marina and Forum areas with architecture inspired by the original buildings and adding a signature fountain: I’m on board.
Moving the Science Centre to the pods, Cinesphere and a new building? Controversial but I think an educational and touristy science centre is a logical use for the Pods and Cinesphere year round. Return the Moryiama building to the city as a community centre for Flemingdon Park.
Therme? It’s a hulking building that will dominate the grounds, block views and put the original buildings in dark shadow in the afternoon.
The parking garage? Completely unnecessary and misplaced on waterfront land. There will be a major transit terminal just 5 minute walk away. Driving here is completely unnecessary. Oddly hoping that Ford’s land grab at Exhibition Place facilitates moving the garage to a more suitable spot now occupied by the Better Living Centre.
This can all be saved if Therme fails to find the funding and bails on this before breaking ground. Perhaps this coincides with Ford finally getting the boot in 2029 and a subsequent Provincial Government finds a better fitting venue mixed with restored forest land on the West Island.