Toronto Bathurst Quay Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | Kearns Mancini

Lenser said:
Let's dispel a few silly misconceptions here.

No one's counting on these silos to save the waterfront all on their own. Let's not pretend otherwise, OK? But let me just say in passing that plenty of cities have done spectacular things to buildings which were once a vital part of their industry - think of London's handling of the Battersea Power Station, for example. The continued existence of such transformed structures speaks of a legacy and a sense of history of their respective cities as entities which evolve in interesting and vital ways.

You see some crumbling old "farm land structures." Wrong! There was no farm here. They were there specifically to service the grain shipping industry... yes, our city has a history of being a port, too! It was once a very important part of the city's commercial life.

I think you're suffering from a lack of imagination. You clearly have no idea what potentially could be done with these silos; all I see is someone whose impatience eclipses all else.

I don't even know what you expect should go in place of those silos anyway.... we know you don't like much of what you see in contemporary Toronto, so perhaps you'll enlighten us all about what precisely the city needs in place of the silos?
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Honestly, I think they need to be turned into giant stills for alcohol. Think of it.. silos full of malt liquor.
 
When I worked there we used to ship the malt to the former Molson factory on Fleet Street (where I also spent three summers during my university days). Once in a while they'd send back freshly brewed cold beer. Great memories of sitting on the roof of the silos drinking while watching the air show. Awesome vantage point.
 
They are amazing. There is a another set of them in Ireland depicting people leaving. I have been lucky enough to visit both memorials, but I always thought the Toronto ones weren’t visible enough.
 
stjames2queenwest said:
What happened to the Irish famine sculptures? They were literally one of my favourite pieces of art in the entire city.
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They are still there and I agree with @PinkLucy that they have not been as visible as they should be - the fixin' up should resolve this. BTW, I too have seen the equivalent ones in Dublin as they were setting out for North America.
 
Update from Cressy's newsletter:

The Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan (BQNP) implementation is proceeding on schedule, and a busy year ahead will bring significant improvements to the Canada Malting property.

This week the project reached a construction milestone with the start of concrete work for the new waterfront promenade. The deck will be poured in four separate segments over the next several months, followed by installation of paving stones and granite benches over the summer and fall. Completion of this new public space on the water's edge is scheduled for October 2020.

The second of seven total BQNP projects will begin construction in early April 2020, and will deliver a dramatic reduction in the transportation footprint on the property in order to free up new space for a waterfront plaza.

Also scheduled to start construction this year is the Ireland Park Foundation's Corleck Building, which is the restoration of an existing heritage building on the waterfront into a cultural centre in Bathurst Quay dedicated to sharing Toronto's and Canada's many successful migration stories.

To learn more, please plan to attend any of the following community consultations and project updates throughout March 2020:

March 18: York Quay Neighbourhood Association (YQNA) meeting
March 25: Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel meeting

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If your house is leaking and falling down and you still plant perimeter flower beds, will your house still have a future?

I guess the "plan" is to let the silos rot and be designated "Toronto ruins" (less work than heritage if approved by the city), though the silos maybe no real threat to Acropolis.

Realize nothing very useful has been proposed for the silos since the (ancient) Metronome proposal...

Richard's joke above is actually a good idea (mentioned by others)... booze museum (with sampling). Tons of cross border history can be revealed, and now many new players/products.

LCBO might not buy in (without a warning). Still a unique idea.
 
3Dementia said:
I guess the "plan" is to let the silos rot and be designated "Toronto ruins" (less work than heritage if approved by the city), though the silos maybe no real threat to Acropolis.

Realize nothing very useful has been proposed for the silos since the (ancient) Metronome proposal..
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The planning process for the silos is currently underway.
 
IMO it would be great either opened up as a public space, or as an extension of the Harbourfront Centre (spaces for site-specific installations?).

A public viewing platform on the roof would be a great amenity as well, since our waterfront really lacks any sort of mid-height observation platform as seen in many other cities.

I also think that small patch of school green in front of the silos also necessitates a rethink to improve sightlines and public access to the silos as well.
 
jje1000 said:
IMO it would be great either opened up as a public space, or as an extension of the Harbourfront Centre (spaces for site-specific installations?).

A public viewing platform on the roof would be a great amenity as well, since our waterfront really lacks any sort of mid-height observation platform as seen in many other cities.

I also think that small patch of school green in front of the silos also necessitates a rethink to improve sightlines and public access to the silos as well.
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All interesting ideas, you should go to the public meetings and/or write Joe Cressy.
 
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