East Bayfront: Parkside/Bayside/Dockside neighbourhoods Overview

[DSC]

Redpath Sugar provides jobs for people who live in the neighbourhood, it's a factory not a monument and is not 'dirty'. Smelly, maybe but I personally like the smell of raw sugar.

 

[adma]

High on my wish list for the East Bayfront would be to see the gray cement silo at the east end of the area demolished - a Brutalist eyesore. My personal opinion is that the silo's remnants of historic interest are far outweighed by its negative visual impact on the area. My litmus test - if a proposal to build a new structure in the same area, consisting of the same size, form and construction as the existing silos were presented now, would it accepted by the waterfront community and be approved by the city? Again - my opinion - not a chance. The same goes for the silos at the foot of Bathurst.

AHK

Technically, you can say the same about *any* "non-conforming" industrial structure within a residential neighbourhood. Even something like Argyle Lofts on Dovercourt--you think a building of that scale would be acceptable anew in those environs? The NIMBYs would be up in arms.

And by the way, your use of the stylistic term "Brutalist" is amateurishly incorrect in this case.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Redpath has to to go?! Who are you people?

 

[junctionist]

High on my wish list for the East Bayfront would be to see the gray cement silo at the east end of the area demolished - a Brutalist eyesore. My personal opinion is that the silo's remnants of historic interest are far outweighed by its negative visual impact on the area. My litmus test - if a proposal to build a new structure in the same area, consisting of the same size, form and construction as the existing silos were presented now, would it accepted by the waterfront community and be approved by the city? Again - my opinion - not a chance. The same goes for the silos at the foot of Bathurst.

AHK

I could see something involving a similar structure getting built. If they could incorporate more glass, and a starchitect main building attached to them, people would get very excited. Reuse will have to versatile; few people expect that the standalone silos will be successfully converted into some public building by themselves. It's interesting that you called them Brutalist in an amateurish way. The silos were industrial structures which probably inspired the worldwide architectural movement known as Brutalism at least a half century after they first appeared.

These industrial relics and Redpath are the most unique buildings on the waterfront. They're far more distinctive than Corus, yet we let that get built. Today, we don't want new industrial buildings along the waterfront, but there's no reason to get rid of the markers of our past.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Regarding museums,and art gallerys, there is more than enough and less complicated areas throughout our waterfront to build such venues.

There is a museum there - the Redpath Sugar Museum.

If the buildings become vacant perhaps we'll see them included an a Distillery District type of development one day. Naturally, something would have to be sacrificed - Rackhouse 'M' style - and I'd volunteer the low red brick structure on the south west corner of the site.

 

[dcc008]

There are 3 external factors to the success of East Bayfront and trust me, the city has, and will continue to address them:

1. Removal of the Gardiner expressway from DVP to Jarvis - the environmental assessment has been expedited due to the reality of East Bayfront. The Gardiner is ugly and a visual barrier disconnecting the city from the water.
2. Removal/Re-vitalization of Redpath. Let's be honest, Redpath Sugars does not fit into the city's waterfront plans. With the Westin Harbor Castle and Pier 27 to one side, it is inevitable that with the East Bayfront development, something has got to give with Redpath involving either private or WT interests.
3. Public transportation. Plans to bring LRT (Light Rail Transit - essentially a more efficient streetcar) to East Bayfront go hand-in-hand with the project as people will need a way to get to and from the shopping centre/George Brown/work etc...

IF and only IF, these 3 issues, which are independent of the East Bayfront development, are addressed, then the Toronto Waterfront does, indeed have a chance to re-connect with Toronto. My point is that tearing down Redpath is not the only solution, there are other factors as well. In fact, there are more factors than the 3 I have outlined. We'll see what happens.

 

[khris]

Really cool animation, released by Waterfront Toronto:

[video=youtube;cXRL186PHPQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXRL186PHPQ[/video]

 

[Silence&Motion]

I think this was posted earlier. I remember it because the music in the animation is from the video game Chrono Cross. Those synthesized chimes you hear at the beginning of the animation is the sound of the game's main character, Serge, activating all of the "crystals" in the precise order, thereby unlocking the princess from her eternal slumber. The music, while fitting for the climax of a Japanese roll-playing game, is probably a bit much for Toronto's waterfront.

 

[Riverdale Rink Rat]

There are 3 external factors to the success of East Bayfront and trust me, the city has, and will continue to address them:

1. Removal of the Gardiner expressway from DVP to Jarvis - the environmental assessment has been expedited due to the reality of East Bayfront. The Gardiner is ugly and a visual barrier disconnecting the city from the water.
2. Removal/Re-vitalization of Redpath. Let's be honest, Redpath Sugars does not fit into the city's waterfront plans. With the Westin Harbor Castle and Pier 27 to one side, it is inevitable that with the East Bayfront development, something has got to give with Redpath involving either private or WT interests.
3. Public transportation. Plans to bring LRT (Light Rail Transit - essentially a more efficient streetcar) to East Bayfront go hand-in-hand with the project as people will need a way to get to and from the shopping centre/George Brown/work etc...

IF and only IF, these 3 issues, which are independent of the East Bayfront development, are addressed, then the Toronto Waterfront does, indeed have a chance to re-connect with Toronto. My point is that tearing down Redpath is not the only solution, there are other factors as well. In fact, there are more factors than the 3 I have outlined. We'll see what happens.

Well, I'll agree with your #3, anyway, but since that's going to happen sooner rather than later (and by the way... on this site, most people know what LRT means. Word to the wise...) as the QQ re-do is coming soon and the Pan-Ams will push the Cherry line to reality tout de suite, I think we're good to go on this whole 'revitalize the East Bayfront' thingy.

But the point of my post was to disagree (again, and it's spitting into a gale, I know...) with the 'Gardiner Expressway visual barrier' crap. IMHO, those who hate the Gardiner are GO trainers who never walk down to QQ in the summertime. If you live in the east end, getting rid of the Leslie stub made sense because everything on both sides of the stub was low rise. But in the Central Waterfront as it stands today, condo towers, office buildings, the SkyDome, CityPlace, etc., etc., etc. will provide just as much of a barrier as the Gardiner for your effin'-bloody-vision-thingy. Now, you might prefer an eight lane Lake Shore with 50 story towers on either side to the Gardiner. I get that. But you still won't see the water or QQ from the top of York! Come, humble office worker, stride down York or Simcoe (now that there's an underpass), brave the 15-second scurry under the Gardiner, and be free! It's really not that intimidating...

 

[ponyboy]

(and by the way... on this site, most people know what LRT means. Word to the wise...) as the QQ re-do is coming soon and the Pan-Ams will push the Cherry line to reality tout de suite, I think we're good to go on this whole 'revitalize the East Bayfront' thingy.

...

why be condescending about him explaining what LRT means? Clarity is much appreciated. Thousands of people read this site, and many do not know what all of the acronyms thrown around mean.

 

[Redroom Studios]

I would agree with Riverdale Rink Rat (here after referred to by the acronym RRR!) about the previous post. #3 is a valid point, but I think the other 2 are personal wishlist items. I f this neighbourhood is designed and built as shown with all the basic necessities of any neighbourhood it should be able to function in a self contained way as well as being a destination for people to come to.

thanks for posting that animation Khris... it almost makes me cry tears of joy! If we actually get something 51% as good as that it'll be a huge win for the city!

 

[Brad]

The argument has been around for a long time - tearing down the gardiner. And from the majority of reasoning I have heard for doing this - is that it 'blocks views to the lake'.

While I agree it does do this, what is the point of removing it for this purpose when the Lakeshore East rail line blocks views just as much (if not more). Also, I don't know how I feel about putting all the Gardiner traffic onto local roads and onto Lakeshore Road - but that is another matter.

I hope more creative solutions to using the space under the Gardiner along that stretch are brought forward. Much like the Fort York Museum. Are there any ideas out there that already exist? I remember reading something about basketball courts or something in the area? I am sure some ideas have already been tossed around.

 

[Dan416]

RE: the Gardiner might as well just be removed east of the DVP. It doesn't really serve any purpose.

 

[Filip]

It was, years ago.

 

[Ervin]

I used to hate the silos, but now I think they're actually pretty cool. Fix it up and add something to the roof.