Toronto Nathan Phillips Square + Spirit Garden | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto

Where on the city website can we find which councillors voted for and against this development? It would be interesting to see how many pro-revitalization councillors remain in place. From what I understand the whole development was already approved through 2012 and cancelling all or part of it would require voting to take it out of those budgets.
 
From Ford's website:

Do not spend $43 million to renovate Nathan Phillips Square 17 YES 23 NO 5 ABS Ford voted YES - Did not Pass

Re-elected - Gone

YES:
Ainslie
Augimeri
Del Grande
Ford
Grimes
Hall
Holyday
Jenkins
Lee
Minnan-Wong
Nunziata
Palacio
Parker
Shiner
Stintz
Thompson
Walker

NO:
Ashton
Bussin
Carroll
Cho
Davis
De Baeremaeker
Di Giorgio
Fletcher
Giambrone
Heaps
Kelly
McConnell
Mihevc
Milczyn
Miller
Moeser
Moscoe
Pantalone
Perks
Perruzza
Rae
Saundercook
Vaughan

Vote against Nathan Phillips Square redevelopment 14 YES 28 NO 3 ABS Ford voted YES - Did not Pass

YES:
Ainslie
Del Grande
Ford
Grimes
Holyday
Lee
Minnan-Wong
Nunziata
Ootes
Parker
Shiner
Stintz
Thompson
Walker

NO:
Ashton
Augimeri
Bussin
Carroll
Davis
De Baeremaeker
Di Giorgio
Filion
Fletcher
Giambrone
Hall
Heaps
Jenkins
Kelly
Lindsay Luby
Mammoliti
McConnell
Mihevc
Milczyn
Miller
Moeser
Moscoe
Pantalone
Perks
Perruzza
Rae
Saundercook
Vaughan

Unless existing contracts prevent a reversal at this point, this project is doomed. :(
 
MetroMan said:
Unless existing contracts prevent a reversal at this point, this project is doomed. :(
Click to expand...
So then what, do they just fill in the holes they've dug with rough asphalt patches?

I'm not convinced the revitalization was entirely needed either, but now that it's under way it needs to be seen through.
 
Perhaps it'll just be a severely modified and simplified version that gets finished?
 
The ideal use for the square? A football field with bleachers for 100 spectators. That way Ford can still coach and run the city. They can flood it in the winter and use it for hockey. Thus, saving the $88 million to build the stacked rinks in the Portlands.
 
lafard said:
So then what, do they just fill in the holes they've dug with rough asphalt patches?

I'm not convinced the revitalization was entirely needed either, but now that it's under way it needs to be seen through.
Click to expand...

I was easily convinced that it was. This is our civic space and we should be proud of it. It was (is) run down and becoming disfunctional. It's not a major change, but one that makes sense today.

Some items that are currently being built require work on others so there's hope. For example, the destruction of the Peace Garden means that it has to be relocated, which means that the new one needs to be built, which in turn means that the green space on the west end needs to be completed. Designing a cheaper Peace Garden wouldn't solve the problem because it would cost money to design a new one, even if more simple. Why waste that money when one is already designed and planned?

Not everything is ready to go though. The god awful entrance pavillion on Queen near Bay is part of the bunker trio that I was hoping to see gone. This one and the other one further down on Queen, that leads to the garage is now likely to stay. Thankfully the first is gone and already being rebuilt properly.
 
No visible changes in the past few weeks:

5131539137_ef2d3a1691_b.jpg
 
There was an article in Toronto Star listing a possible developments casulties of Ford's mayoral policies....but here is the insert on Nathan Phills Square:

During his successful campaign, Ford repeatedly pointed to the ongoing revitalization of Nathan Phillips Square as a symbol of wasteful city spending.

“Why would you go out and spend $45 million renovating Nathan Phillips Square when we’re $3 billion in debt, and have been hit with every tax?†he told U of T students and faculty at a debate in September.

But he told the National Post’s editorial board in late September he has no plans to halt that project, which will require funding from the 2011 and 2012 capital budgets
 
Have they put out the eternal flame yet? And if not, is all hell going to break loose when they do?
Hey! Maybe the flame has some correlation with Ford being elected. :p
 
Thanks metroplis. I was rushing to come post that. It's great news! It now looks likely that he won't target what has already begun construction or where money has already been substantially spent.

I was sad to hear that the Fort York bridge was on his chopping block. I hope Mike Layton is a fighter...
 
spaced said:
Have they put out the eternal flame yet? And if not, is all hell going to break loose when they do?
Hey! Maybe the flame has some correlation with Ford being elected. :p
Click to expand...

It's an eternal flame in name only. I've seen it out more than a few times.
 
MetroMan said:
I was easily convinced that it was. This is our civic space and we should be proud of it. It was (is) run down and becoming disfunctional. It's not a major change, but one that makes sense today.

Some items that are currently being built require work on others so there's hope. For example, the destruction of the Peace Garden means that it has to be relocated, which means that the new one needs to be built, which in turn means that the green space on the west end needs to be completed. Designing a cheaper Peace Garden wouldn't solve the problem because it would cost money to design a new one, even if more simple. Why waste that money when one is already designed and planned?

Not everything is ready to go though. The god awful entrance pavillion on Queen near Bay is part of the bunker trio that I was hoping to see gone. This one and the other one further down on Queen, that leads to the garage is now likely to stay. Thankfully the first is gone and already being rebuilt properly.
Click to expand...

Are the existing elements of The Peace Garden being relocated to the west side of the site or is it being completely rebult/re-designed?

I couldn't agree more about the grass and space between the Square and Queen Street, and that messy south-east corner.
 
The little incomplete house is going in the new Peace Garden. That's it. A new larger reflecting pool and eternal fame are being built behind the new stage.

Looking at the schedule, it appears that the construction of the fountains coincides with the the timeline that the removal of the current Peace Garden seems to be following. Of course it would make sense since the fountains will go exactly where the garden is being removed from. It wouldn't make sense to cover it up with tiles, only to have to remove them again to install the fountains.

It's perhaps the least of my concerns, but it's a nice touch that have proven popular at Yonge & Dundas Sq.

I cheered when they demolished the rink services pavillion. I'm going to jump for joy when they do the same to the Queen St. forecourt garage entrance.
 
Agreed, and thanks for the clarification.
 
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