News   Mar 28, 2024
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Scotiabank Arena (Air Canada Centre) Renovations

Will they be removing the older and smaller 'Scotiabank Arena' sign in red now that there's the larger sign saying the same thing?
I get the feeling it will remain. If you look at views from the square, the large sign would be obscured and they will want their branding prominent for the next big playoff run
 
I get the feeling it will remain. If you look at views from the square, the large sign would be obscured and they will want their branding prominent for the next big playoff run
Don't the renders show a massive Scotiabank "S" next to the larger screen? I was assuming that was their way to make sure you never ever ever forget it's the Air Cana...sorry, Scotiabank Arena.
 
Don't the renders show a massive Scotiabank "S" next to the larger screen? I was assuming that was their way to make sure you never ever ever forget it's the Air Cana...sorry, Scotiabank Arena.

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Yeah they do
 
Just spitballing right now

Jurassic Park right now functions as just a really, really great viewing party, but I think we could take it to the next level and turn it into a proper regular block party, at least for the duration of the playoffs. Somewhere where people will want to be just because it’s an incredibly fun place to be, even if they’re not into the Raptors. That would really take this whole Jurassic Park thing to the next level

A big challenge at the moment is keeping the crowd animated during pauses in gameplay. The crowds right now get pretty dead, since there’s not a whole lot to do there other than stand around and wait. Adding food trucks (there are only hot dog stands now) and expanding alcohol selection would really help to animate the crowd, and give people reasons to move around during pauses in gameplay. So would playing music, and installing more and better speakers, so the sound travels throughout all of Jurassic Park. And perhaps add various games and actives as well.

They’d also need to get rid of the fencing that sections off the crowd into separate pens. Let the people flow freely though the park. I really don’t see why all this fencing is needed. If we can handle Pride and Caribana, I don’t get why we need to fence in and divide fans, as if they’re in a pig pen.

I’d also expand the edge of Jurassic Park from York Street, west to Simcoe, to allow room for the food trucks, seating and expanded activities. That would also give fans a reprieve from the dense crowd of fans at the eastern edge of the park (near the large viewing screens).
 
If we were getting into a big civic exercise of trying to create a special spot, the city could consider adding a short tunnel under Bremner to connect to the garages at Telus House and Maple Leaf Square. Then the at-grade garage entrances could be closed off and there'd be no need to maintain traffic access through the road once it's set up for a viewing party.

If we wanted to go all-in the city could try a Fremont style thing along that block to make it a better winter hangout, and see if Telus House and Maple Leaf Square would go along with animating their street frontages to better engage the crowd. Encourage other uses along there that would still make it buzz when it's not a game night, install a "Toronto Sports Walk of Fame" with plaques and statues and banners and displays along Bremner, and you've got the makings of a decent draw
 
Freemont Street is in Las Vegas and features a neon-lit canopy over the street. It's only open to pedestrians and has all the activities you would expect in a place like Vegas. Could possibly be the most "urban" part the City.
 
If we were getting into a big civic exercise of trying to create a special spot, the city could consider adding a short tunnel under Bremner to connect to the garages at Telus House and Maple Leaf Square. Then the at-grade garage entrances could be closed off and there'd be no need to maintain traffic access through the road once it's set up for a viewing party.

If we wanted to go all-in the city could try a Fremont style thing along that block to make it a better winter hangout, and see if Telus House and Maple Leaf Square would go along with animating their street frontages to better engage the crowd. Encourage other uses along there that would still make it buzz when it's not a game night, install a "Toronto Sports Walk of Fame" with plaques and statues and banners and displays along Bremner, and you've got the makings of a decent draw

Aren't they already connected by a tunnel? The service entry for Telus Tower and Maple Leaf Square is the same entrance as Scotiabank Arena, off Lake Shore. The entrance says Welcome to MLS, Scotiabank Arena, and Menkes. All they would need to do is punch through access into the residential parking areas if it doesn't already exist.

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I believe it was initially planned to be 20-30 storeys, but got cut since the office market cratered in the 1990's. I wonder if they built the structural systems to build the full size building.

Even if the structural systems aren't there, I wouldn't be surprised if the finances are there to demo the whole office building and rebuild as a modern 60+ floor office building. The thing is basically right on top of Union Station, the rents it could command would likely be nuts.
Yeah, market forces make the replacement of that stump all but a near certainty. If not in this cycle, it'll inevitably happen.

I do like what @Contra said about framing. Viewed from the West, if Scotiabank Arena does build a taller tower, it'll break CIBC tower 1 and tower 2 up. Having seen how gorgeous they're going to be, that's kind of a shame.

Still, I can't see MLSE giving up the revenue from a 60ish story tower right at Union Station. As for the process, the existing stump could stay in place or maybe just have another 10 stories added on top. There's room west of the tower up to the Union Station entrance in the square to build a new tower from scratch.


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It's really not the easiest site for a large office tower. The original concept actually used the whole base of the Post Office for something much larger:

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It's really not the easiest site for a large office tower. The original concept actually used the whole base of the Post Office for something much larger:

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Is that Unbuilt Toronto? I’ll have to flip through it again and see if I can find that.

I swear I remember seeing something with the existing office footprint being 10-20 floors taller at some point.. it’s been years now though, I’m not too sure.
 

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