News   Mar 28, 2024
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News   Mar 28, 2024
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Speculating about a new start at 1 Bloor East

This is Toronto, not Tokyo. You're not going to dispose of Toronto Ref on behalf of something new and snazzy that easily...
 
Knock down the old reference library and build a mixed-use highrise or three on that site!

Why would you want to tear down one of the only decent public buildings in this city? The outside of the ref isn't the best thing, but the inside is unreal.
 
It would be nice to get some sort of public building on this site, and with the current economy the only way something is going to get built on the site is if the government gets involved.

Two candidates that could use a new home are either OISE or the Michener Institute. They are both today housed in pretty dated brutalist buildings that need a lot of work. Both are almost entirely commuter schools and would be great to have near the subway. They also both have many thousands of students that would create a lot of foot traffic.

The provincial government should expropriate the land and then offer the site for free to any builder who will build a new school, with the builder making money by putting an 80 storey tower on top of it. The province could also mandate a piazza like 299 Bloor suggested.
 
Unfortunately, Toronto seems to be a city that has nobody rooting for it. It's kinda the stepchild of cities. While other large cities have leaders who really want to contribute to them and make a statement, Toronto seems to have leaders who only want to exploit it for as much financial gain, as they can get out of it.

I see very few examples of business men or politicians who really seem to care about this city. That's why developers in other cities pay some regard to building a city and making a statement, while in Toronto, our developers seem content to just make as much money as they can, squeezing dollars out of every square inch, without any regard for the legacy they are leaving this city. (Box, after box, after box)

Where are the leaders who will make compromises for the betterment of our city? Where are the politicians who will stick their necks out to fight for their city? I don't see much evidence of that. There is a serious lack of passion from just about everyone in this city and the apathy is disheartening. I wish more people actually gave a shit about Toronto and expected much better. (Hell, demanded much better!)

Even on this site, of so called urbanites, so many people seem to be happy with the most modest of buildings. Doesn't anybody have higher expectations for the built form or have we become so browbeaten into thinking, well, this is just modest, little Toronto, we should be happy with whatever crumbs we get. We know politicians love the sound of that! lol

I second that!
 

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