ehlow
Senior Member
The recent SmartTrack working plan report mentions this:
Source:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-74826.pdf
Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited
The recent SmartTrack working plan report mentions this:
Source:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-74826.pdf
Personally, I've always seen this site as the perfect location for a new baseball stadium. Have the home plate gates right at the corner of Dundas & Bloor. This would offer some pretty awesome views of downtown Toronto from the stands. Also, next to the Union Station area this is probably one of the most connected sites in the GTHA, with subway, streetcar, and GO right there. This site would be a great chance for Toronto to develop an "urban ballpark" in the same style as Wrigley Field, Camden Yards, or Target Field in Minneapolis.
Translude15
Frank the Tank
That's actually a pretty wicked idea. There's a pretty big Blue Jays/baseball group on facebook that I'm a part of and it's funny how about a year ago, someone brought up the idea of building said "urban ballpark" at Christie Pitts and there was a pretty lengthy debate about the feasibility of that idea. Putting one at Dundas-Bloor offers much more in terms of space and legitimate transit connections though.
Christie Pits would work, but that would put strain on the subway station, much like Fenway puts strain on the Green Line after games. With multiple transit connections, the load can be more evenly distributed. The space constraints may require building over the rail corridor somewhat, but that would likely be the upper left field deck that would be built partially over top. If you design it properly, you can have exits and stairs from the far end of the Bloor GO platforms go up and connect to a concourse area above the tracks and in left field. Walking out the LF gates and pretty much right onto a train platform would make it really easy to take transit to the games. And of course, the home plate gates would be kiddy corner from the subway entrance.
Translude15
Frank the Tank
Yeah that's precisely what I said regarding Christie Pitts as there is only one subway station in the vicinity and it's a pretty constrained area as it is. I started a Rogers Centre/New Ballpark thread in Toronto Issues btw. Don't want to get off topic here.
wopchop
Building Toronto
Even with all the transit connections to Union Station, the Skydome still generates an absurd amount of automobile traffic. Could Dundas West area handle that? I doubt it.
muller877
Senior Member
Whenever I hear Dundas & Bloor I have to think twice...Kipling or Dundas West. Both intersections in Toronto are very well connected (both with GO, subway and multiple feeder lines) and both with huge redevelopment opportunities as both transit nodes (Kipling with the new bus terminal and Dundas West with UP) and redevelopment opportunities.
Focusing back on UP Express, there are a lot of airport workers that live in the condos by the Humber Bay. 1/2 way between work and downtown so a happy medium. There will be a lot more demand for development around Dundas West for similar condos. But that means effective connections from UP Express to the various commercial and industrial locations around the airport. Has UP Express and Mississauga Transit discussed how Mississuaga Transit will modify their routes around the airport post-UP Express? Or will there be shuttle busses provided by the major employers?
Part of that I think is because of the lack of GO trains on anything except Lakeshore. By the time this new stadium would be built, the Georgetown South corridor would be carrying a huge volume of traffic from the entire western GTHA, with the exception of Lakeshore West traffic. Auto traffic could be an issue, but I think encouraging people to park at a transit station and take transit in (Kipling for example) could work. They could also work out a deal with the TTC and GO to make either of them free to and from the game when you present your ticket. Build it into the cost of every ticket as an incentive for people to use transit.
This is the last post that I'll be making about the stadium in this thread. Thanks Translude15 for creating a new thread for this topic! (http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showth...sibility-of-a-New-Baseball-Stadium-in-Toronto)
aquateam
Active Member
There will be no modification to public transit routes, since UPX has been planned as a high-end express train from airport to union station for tourists and business travellers, and is not meant for commuters. Employers would find it more economical to reimburse taxi fares than to provide shuttle buses on top of a UPX fare.
TOareaFan
Superstar
It is not clear to me how a stadium served by one GO line (as opposed to now with 2 all day GO train lines and all the other GO bus off peak services) and one subway line (as opposed to being served by both sides of the YUS line) would be less car dependent.....Rogers Centre is in the absolute best location in the city for a mass entertainment/sporting facility.
44 North
Senior Member
This stadium discussion is interesting. There’s no denying this is a major hub and there’s potential for future large-scale re/upzoning. As for the school, I wouldn’t rule out a public-private redevelopment of a TDSB building if the opportunity were to present itself. It’s been done in the past: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Toronto_Collegiate_Institute
Somewhat related; I’ve been toying with a similar idea at Danforth/Broadview for a Relief Line interchange station and mixed use redevelopment. Just to the west of Broadview Stn is a sizable TDSB campus that could prove to be quite a lucrative asset if rebuilt with a rerouted RH-RER/Don Branch station + underground pedestrian connection to Broadview. It wouldn’t be a stadium or anything, but even without an interchange the site has a few inherent features that boost its value and could make it attractive to developers. Discussing future growth around multi-modal hubs is definitely exciting.
Somewhat related; I’ve been toying with a similar idea at Danforth/Broadview for a Relief Line interchange station and mixed use redevelopment. Just to the west of Broadview Stn is a sizable TDSB campus that could prove to be quite a lucrative asset if rebuilt with a rerouted RH-RER/Don Branch station + underground pedestrian connection to Broadview. It wouldn’t be a stadium or anything, but even without an interchange the site has a few inherent features that boost its value and could make it attractive to developers. Discussing future growth around multi-modal hubs is definitely exciting.
I didn't say that it would be less car dependent than a location around Union. I was simply pointing out that, next to Union, it's probably the most transit connected location in the entire city. If someone were to locate a stadium outside of the Union catchment area, Dundas West & Bloor would be an ideal location.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Context matters....why would anyone consider moving from the most accessible location to one less so?
Because the stadium is aging and isn't really suitable for the modern MLB experience. Multi-purpose stadiums have gone the way of the Dodo, mostly because they offer a sub-par viewing experience for pretty much every sport they host, except for maybe football and soccer, which have more or less the same field dimensions. I'd be willing to compromise a bit on accessibility if it meant a better experience at the game itself. Redevelopment on the existing site while maintaining baseball operations isn't really possible, and there isn't the land to do a Yankee Stadium style "build across the street". The dome can either be torn down after the move or refurbished as a single-use stadium, potentially for an NFL team.
In any event, this is being discussed in the New Stadium thread, so if you'd like to reply, please do so there to not tie up this thread (don't get me wrong, I love talking about this, I just want to do it in the right place, haha).
sixrings
Senior Member
could they not add a go train stop on the barrie line? then dundas west would be served by two go lines a subway line and possibly a future DRL. BTW all stadiums have an expiry date and the rogers centre as much as I like it when its full has been a problem since the boom of the modern stadiums not long after it was constructed.