Head of Slips (Waterfront Toronto, West 8/DTAH)

[current]

April 2

Simcoe Slip looking east

Looking west

 

[adma]

Wang and Dansky built those curved beige ones and also those cheap-assed ones that have the Rabba, across from Harbourfront. Yeah, they are on the north side of QQ, so they are not as deadly as the hated, Harbour Square but they are butt ugly and also hated by many Torontonians. Imagine how much nicer the harbourfront would have been without Harbour Square! I can't walk by those buildings without getting pissed off, even though they have been there for many years. I'm totally effected by my environment. That shows how important the build form is for some people.

Well, I got to admit: the Huang & Danczkay towers still look rather mean and crude after all these years, all the more so given the slick CityPlace-ish aesthetic that's come up all around it.

Still: with the passage of a generation, even they've become surprisingly benign--perhaps because unlike with Harbour Square, there's at least the ghost of Crombie-era St Lawrence-esque planning precepts behind them. And back when the Antique Market took nest where the Shoppers is now, it almost seemed like the premises was begging for forgiveness from the aesthetes who lurked hunting for vintage deals. If buildings can talk, it was like, "Please! I can't help it if I'm ugly..."

 

[khris]

Simcoe is getting all of the attention haha. Poor Rees!

 

[jn_12]

Wang and Dansky built those curved beige ones and also those cheap-assed ones that have the Rabba, across from Harbourfront. Yeah, they are on the north side of QQ, so they are not as deadly as the hated, Harbour Square but they are butt ugly and also hated by many Torontonians. Imagine how much nicer the harbourfront would have been without Harbour Square! I can't walk by those buildings without getting pissed off, even though they have been there for many years. I'm totally effected by my environment. That shows how important the build form is for some people.

I live in the curved ones. The problem with the building to me is that the retail space has a lot of potential but it isn't being utilized properly. There's a convenience store, a restaurant that no one ever goes to and a boating store and the remainder is empty. Considering it sits right beside the slip (and the lighting looks great off the water), there's a lot of potential another patio restaurant or two. Even a nice pub would help the area. The building itself can't be changed really, but there's a lot of hope for the ground level in my opinion.

 

[Kitsune]

I live in the curved ones. The problem with the building to me is that the retail space has a lot of potential but it isn't being utilized properly. There's a convenience store, a restaurant that no one ever goes to and a boating store and the remainder is empty. Considering it sits right beside the slip (and the lighting looks great off the water), there's a lot of potential another patio restaurant or two. Even a nice pub would help the area. The building itself can't be changed really, but there's a lot of hope for the ground level in my opinion.

I live in the curved ones as well, and I'm very hopeful for the re-launch of that little restaurent, looks a lot nicer now. Although I do agree, a pub or something would be nice in the old Antiques spot.

 

[drum118]

Photo's as of April 9 for Rees.
The studs on the beams are to anchor the concrete deck that will be built in that area.

 

[drum118]

Photo's as of April 9 as well a video.
Comments below.

These boards will be place on top of the 2 steel supports that do not have glue lam beams now.

 

[Aaron]

Do any of you share my thought that these extreme dips might be a tad dangerous for certain segments of the population?

 

[condovo]

Do any of you share my thought that these extreme dips might be a tad dangerous for certain segments of the population?

...and a blast for the rest of the population, although I'm sure the municipal safety-nistas will try their best to take all the fun out of it.

 

[Aaron]

...and a blast for the rest of the population, although I'm sure the municipal safety-nistas will try their best to take all the fun out of it.

I agree. I think this one's superb. I was just visualizing some 3 year old whose been cooped up all winter taking one major tumble.

 

[condovo]

I agree. I think this one's superb. I was just visualizing some 3 year old whose been cooped up all winter taking one major tumble.

That should be his/her parent's responsibility, not the city's, but I promise I'll keep watch for tumbling 3 year-olds when I'm there surfing the waves. Cheers.

 

[Nebakenezer]

After lower simcoe is attaches to upper simcoe... will it continue south all the way to queensway as well?

 

[drum118]

After lower simcoe is attaches to upper simcoe... will it continue south all the way to queensway as well?

yes

 

[DSC]

Simcoe is getting all of the attention haha. Poor Rees!

Actually 'poor Rees' is moving ahead in the last few days and it would seem that the welding team, having finished at Simcoe, moved on to Rees.

BTW, "poor Rees" is a good description of Dr William Rees, after whom Rees Street is named. In 1841 he became the first director of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum; about 12 years later he was injured by a patient and had to resign. He was somewhat eccentric, even before his injury, and one of his colleagues explained his appointment as being made 'on the principle of setting a madman to watch a madman.". After he ceased to be in charge of the the Asylum he built Rees' Wharf and lived near it until he died, in 1874. See: http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119....rval=25&&PHPSESSID=flqhfpcv083efev8lj2tmpmli5

 

[UrbanAffair]

Nice bridge design in those pics, I never realized they built it to look like a sailboat. Looks quite nice...I had been on it before many times, but never noticed that subtlety.