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Old City Hall Proposals

ksun said:
Ok, suppose we have enough fantastic stuff to show, it is likely to charge $20, and most people in Toronto end up visiting it once or twice in their life time. Do you go to see the ROM or AGO every week or even every month?

The reason I oppose a museum is it doesn't exactly provide a space for people to go to frequently. Also considering the quality of ROM/AGO, I don't expect this city museum to be such a magnet for either locals or tourists. I am not saying Toronto doesn't have a history, but it is not like we are an ancient city full of exciting events. We may need a city museum, but in a small place, not this.
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That's a rather short-sighted and 'populist' approach to a very significant heritage building. I'm sure Parisians aren't popping into the Quai d'Orsay every day either but at least they didn't turn the damn place into a Monoprix.

salsa said:
No put a ferris wheel....oh never mind that will cast a shadow on NPS.
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Yes, or how about a museum to failed olympic bids and opportunities? The lack of vision would seem very fitting.
 
I'm pretty sure that Metro Hall has significantly more gross floor area than Old City Hall. And the City already tried to sell Metro Hall, and couldn't get a decent price for it. It's possible that they could move some functions to Old City Hall from Metro Hall, and try to lease the empty floors at Metro Hall.
 
Benito said:
If they are going to put retail in there make it a flagship Apple Store.
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As neat as that idea is, the Apple Store can't possibility take up all that much space, and the civic message of having a store there is problematic. So no, not an idea I'd like to see implemented.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
As neat as that idea is, the Apple Store can't possibility take up all that much space, and the civic message of having a store there is problematic. So no, not an idea I'd like to see implemented.

AoD
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Me neither. At all. Let's keep it a little less nakedly corporate. And really, even Apple would find the amount of space it offers absurdly huge.
 
I like the idea of combination library and museum. Though I wouldn't support (re)moving the Reference Library.

If they move in retail instead, but kept the exterior, and only made minor modifications to the interior I wouldn't mind so much. But it sounds like they would make extensive changes which seems very shortsighted to me.
 
That is not a god idea to have a mall. It is a terrible idea to put a mall in old city hall. I think that the developers need to build elsewhere
 
Agree that the Reference Library shouldn't be touched. But Toronto doesn't have a central circulation library, and Old City Hall does seem like a great fit -- though perhaps a bit small, considering that Calgary's new central library is 286k square feet and even relatively tiny Halifax has a 120k square foot central library. Still better than nothing, which is what we have now.
 
Why put a mall there when there are so many other places to put one in the core? That is a special building and it needs to serve a higher purpose. I want to see a museum in there and possibly other cultural/entertainment related functions. To just turn it over to private interests is so short sighted. I hate what has become of the CNE grounds/Ontario Place and would hate to see the same thing happen here.
 
Only in Toronto does the thought building a mall, next to one of the largest malls in the country comes to mind as "good idea". Especially when the new mall would be in a culturally and historic building.

What kind of pathetic thought processing is that?
 
Torontovibe said:
Why put a mall there when there are so many other places to put one in the core? That is a special building and it needs to serve a higher purpose. I want to see a museum in there and possibly other cultural/entertainment related functions. To just turn it over to private interests is so short sighted. I hate what has become of the CNE grounds/Ontario Place and would hate to see the same thing happen here.
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They should be looking at the public realm around Old City Hall. There is some great potential:
- close down James St from Bay to Albert. Grand promenade to get to Trinity Park
- work with Eaton Centre to get more restaurants along this stretch. I'm thinking 5-6 smaller restaurants all with nice big patios. (there is a bunch of service stuff back here so I'm not sure how feasible it is). May also rent some of James St so that the Eaton Centre can expand so the restaurants can be built
- use the inner courtyard for something other than parking (restaurant? art space?)
narrow Albert st (no on-street parking) so that it is just used for a route to get to the parking garage of the Bell Trinity building (or I guess it should now be called the Hydro One Trinity building). Added pedestrian access between Nathan Phillip Square and Eaton Centre
- move the hydro poles in Nathan Phillip Square so that there are better sight lines from NPS all the way to the Eaton Centre/new restaurant row

Old City Hall itself ... moving staff from Metrocentre may be the best thing (and then they can rent out more of Metrocentre or finally sell it). There is a benefit for centralization of staff in one location and this would help a bit.
 
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