Maple Leaf Gardens renovations delayed

[Ahab]

I doubt this is going to happen anymore. It was a little surprising when it was first announced that Loblaws bought the Gardens. It may have made sense then, but it certainly makes no sense today.

I remember the day when getting groceries was a bit of a challenge if you lived in the area and didn't have a car to lug home more than a couple of bags of groceries. I think the choices were essentially Rabba on Jarvis and Rabba on Wellesley. The area now has a couple of Dominions and a Sobeys in addition to the Rabbas. Also, Shoppers has dipped its toe in the grocery business after expanding its store at Yonge and Carlton. Another grocery store (albeit a Supercentre) doesn't seem like a brilliant business strategy especially when you factor in the extraordinary costs of renovating a heritage building.

I wouldn't be surprised if Loblaws sold the building within the year. The buidling should be a condo with a museum/archive/library (e.g. City of Toronto Museum, National Potrait Gallery).

 

[Hank]

I've always thought that Toronto needs a crazy huge multi-level indoor botanical garden thingy like the one I visited in Lisbon.

I think they should replace the opaque domed ceiling with a big glass domed ceiling (keep the maple leaf in blue glass) and put in all sorts of jungle plants and paths and pools and whatnot. That's my idea...anyone got a gillion dollars to make it happen?

 

[jaborandi]

I've always thought that Toronto needs a crazy huge multi-level indoor botanical garden thingy like the one I visited in Lisbon.

I think they should replace the opaque domed ceiling with a big glass domed ceiling (keep the maple leaf in blue glass) and put in all sorts of jungle plants and paths and pools and whatnot. That's my idea...anyone got a gillion dollars to make it happen?

I totally agree Hank.

 

[turdrockfromthesun]

I've always thought that Toronto needed an NHL team!

How's this for fantasyland : The Leafs, in a desperate bid to fight off a team from moving into Hamilton, move their head office to Oakville, and shout out to the world,"THIS IS OUR TERITORY! WE CALIM OUR 60 MILE RADIOUS FROM HERE! OUR HEAD OFFICE!" And then, Loblaws comes around and says, "AH HA! GOT YOU! We control Maple Leaf Gardens it is outside your 60 mile radius thingy of exclusivity! -HA!" and they bring an NHL team to the Gardens- Crazy talk, eh?!

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Given the unfortunate place Loblaws finds themselves in I doubt it's going to happen now. A lot of money is needed to convert the Gardens into a grocery store. Who knows what shape the structure is really in at this point and what surprises await the group who finally (hopefully) take on this building. Losing this structure is almost unthinkable but as time passes this becomes more of a reality.

 

[turdrockfromthesun]

We may just have to suffer through with another hockey team one day. Oh well...

 

[Jdot]

MLG as the National Portrait Gallery is a great idea. If Weston cant afford to convert the space as a grocery store, then possibly he can sell the building to the Feds for $XX.00 less than market value, with the difference being considered a tax-deductable donation to the Gallery. This will provide Weston (or more specifically Loblaws) with cash from the sale and a trax deduction.

Harper et al surely wouldnt go for this though as it would mean federal money going to Toronto.

 

[turdrockfromthesun]

Ideally, no level of government will touch MLG. Maybe we can have ugly, ugly condo towers coming out of it!

 

[p5connex]

I say leave it alone until a good project comes along. I know it needs upkeep, but honestly, this building is not something we can easily replace, and it should not be turned into just anything, such as condos or a supermarket- just because it sits empty and has a "possible investment opportunity" tag dangling from it.

p5

 

[Jayomatic]

Agreed. Make it into some huge modern art museum spiraling up to the glass roof ala Guggenheim, and replace the roof with a large glassy retractable roof which allows for installations of huge art. Weatherproof the top floor so that some piece of art can be exposed to the elements through the retractable roof. Kind of like what they do with the Tate Modern.

Imagine the attaction it could be with some piece of art poking out from the roof hanging over Church or Carlton Streets.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Whose art shall we put in this museum? Or are we just going to build it on spec?

 

[Jayomatic]

Build on spec. Invite worldwide artist to make a name for themselves. Host the best of international young artists.

 

[turdrockfromthesun]

Use massive amounts of tax dollars to build a shrine.... a shrine to me! .. I think it's a heck of a plan.

OR- let private enterprise do with it as it will

 

[FutureMayor]

Cultural Venue
I like the idea of it being a site for the National Portriat Gallery.

If that fails, the proposed Toronto City Museum combined with the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame would also be good candidates to use some of the spaces.

Sports Venue

Ideally it would have been nice if it remained as a sport venue.

I recall there feasible proposal at one point from the Biovail Chairman to buy MLG and turn it into a 10,000 hockey/concert arena for his St.Michael Majors. Of course MLSE would not allow the competition with the Air Canada Centre and the new Rioch Coliseum.

Another idea is to turn it into the Aquatics venue for Toronto's 2015 Pan American Games Bid.

Retail Space Now?
It would be nice if some work on the building could begin now. I'm thinking the planned LCBO store that would front Church Street could be built today.

Louroz

 

[wyliepoon]

I say leave it alone until a good project comes along.

After all the frustration over what to use MLG for, I think that is the best idea for the time being. Consider it an enclosed, all-weather version of Dundas Square. The doors to the building are open to anybody, and anybody can come in and do whatever they want in the building, short of damaging or vandalizing the building or causing public nuisance.

It would make a nice place sit and have a quiet lunch, or for quiet meditation, to meet up, or just to roam around the building as a hockey fan or architecture fan.