Toronto Bridgepoint Hospital | 61.87m | 10s | Bridgepoint Health | Diamond Schmitt

Hahahaha...

adma said:
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... classic! So... did you buy the magazine?

The real winners in this whole redevelopment are the people who own the ENORMOUS mansions on the east side of Broadview. Already, one is being renovated (looks like they'll split it into two semi-detacheds) from condemned state to high end (it was owned by the same guy that had his house condemned on Langley). Most of those mansions are currently split up into rooming houses or very small apartments, and they'll probably be put back together for $$$ after the view changes from cellblock A to side of hospital B.

I'll stick to my guns, though... I like the Gothic old jail better than the half-round, and I'd rather have that refurbished than the half-round.
 
The point is, though, there's no reason why they couldn't build a completely new hospital and keep the half-round. The new hospital doesn't occupy any of the footprint of the half-round building. They're tearing down the half-round for a possible condo.
 
The half-round would probably make a fine condo, too.

Wiverdale Wink Wat: that mansion at Langley and Broadview is the new residence and offices for a Chinese doctor. The first owner was a doctor, I believe.
 
Palatial lodgings!

Urban Shocker said:
The half-round would probably make a fine condo, too.

Wiverdale Wink Wat: that mansion at Langley and Broadview is the new residence and offices for a Chinese doctor. The first owner was a doctor, I believe.
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That'll be a great use for that building -- it's got a massive footprint, big front porch, and the ability to wall off office and residence from each other easily.

Chinese as in Chinese-Canadian surgeon, or Chinese as in alternative medicine (acupuncture or herbal remedies)?
 
The latter, I think.

Last year I noticed activity in that building opposite it, on the west side of Broadview. Maybe it'll be some kind of site office for the hospital redevelopment?
 
Riverdale Rink Rat said:
I'll stick to my guns, though... I like the Gothic old jail better than the half-round, and I'd rather have that refurbished than the half-round.
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FYI, nobody--nobody--nobody of any credibility who's speaking on behalf of the half-round is claiming it's either "better" or more worthy of refurbishment than the old Don Jail. Reason being: it's an asinine penis-measurement argument, and triply, quadruply asinine if it involved any suggestion that the old Don Jail actually be demolished on behalf of the half-round.

And beyond that, Don Jail isn't Gothic.
 
So... we keep the half-round & the old jail & ...

adma said:
FYI, nobody--nobody--nobody of any credibility who's speaking on behalf of the half-round is claiming it's either "better" or more worthy of refurbishment than the old Don Jail. Reason being: it's an asinine penis-measurement argument, and triply, quadruply asinine if it involved any suggestion that the old Don Jail actually be demolished on behalf of the half-round.

And beyond that, Don Jail isn't Gothic.
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build a new, bigger hospital, & not touch the library/heritage building. Something's got to give, and to suggest otherwise is... dare I say it?... asinine. But, yeah, I understand that the people who want to save the half-round don't have demolishing the old jail in mind. That having been said, I don't think they have anything else in mind, either. They seem to think that the hospital should disappear (although they never, ever say that!) and the half-round redeveloped into something else. I'd rather keep the hospital in the neighbourhood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Jail

Sorry -- not 'gothic', 'Italianate'. Who knew?

US -- yeah, they seem to be using the gutted residence as the site office. Hopefully that means things will proceed apace.
 
Riverdale Rink Rat:

Just so you know, I believe some of the intial proposals for the project managed to keep the half round building and Don Jail while allowing for a new hospital building to be built. The either/or proposition is one that was put forth further down the road by the hospital - who hasn't, IMO, justified their case well.

But like you've said, who is going to fight against, of all things, a hospital, given the sacred cow status of health care in Canada?

This whole debate brings us a more important point - how can we determine if a relatively new building is worthy of heritage status and by extension protection? We seem to be able to do that with older structures simply on the basis of the age of the building (and some vague nostalgic notion of the romantic past), but when it comes to Modern structures, we haven't had a clue. That's part and parcel of the inability to separate age and merit in the process.

In addition, we have not been given any ideas as to what the proposal for the hospital will actually look like that would actually merit replacement of this building. At least in the case of Bata Building up in Don Mills we know we are getting two pieces of architecture (plus parkland) that will at the very least equal what was there before. Just because Bridgepoint hired KPMB doesn't suggest to me the same justification is in place.

AoD
 
Much like the steam room at ex-Oxygen/Extreme Fitness

AlvinofDiaspar said:
Riverdale Rink Rat:

Just so you know, I believe some of the intial proposals for the project managed to keep the half round building and Don Jail while allowing for a new hospital building to be built. The either/or proposition is one that was put forth further down the road by the hospital - who hasn't, IMO, justified their case well.

When they first did the drawings for the reno at Extreme Danforth, the men's changeroom featured a steamroom where the emergency exit would HAVE to be. Similarly, early on, everything was being saved on the hospital site, right up until they actually released plans. I don't believe any drawings ever had both the new hospital and the half-round (the initial, initial reno was to be a reno of the half-round, which got killed almost immediately by the Health Ministry, I believe)

But like you've said, who is going to fight against, of all things, a hospital, given the sacred cow status of health care in Canada?

I like the status. I'm getting older.

This whole debate brings us a more important point - how can we determine if a relatively new building is worthy of heritage status and by extension protection? We seem to be able to do that with older structures simply on the basis of the age of the building (and some vague nostalgic notion of the romantic past), but when it comes to Modern structures, we haven't had a clue. That's part and parcel of the inability to separate age and merit in the process.

I'll agree with that. However, age is definitely a reason for preservation -- historical merit is a major reason for wanting to save the jail and library. The merit of the half-round is its beauty (which you can't say about all Modern structures.) Is there any other merit-based reasons to save the half-round?

In addition, we have not been given any ideas as to what the proposal for the hospital will actually look like that would actually merit replacement of this building. At least in the case of Bata Building up in Don Mills we know we are getting two pieces of architecture (plus parkland) that will at the very least equal what was there before. Just because Bridgepoint hired KPMB doesn't suggest to me the same justification is in place.

As you say -- looking forward to seeing drawings.
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RRR
 
RRR

Similarly, early on, everything was being saved on the hospital site, right up until they actually released plans. I don't believe any drawings ever had both the new hospital and the half-round (the initial, initial reno was to be a reno of the half-round, which got killed almost immediately by the Health Ministry, I believe)
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I am not trying to argue for argument's sake, but there is really nothing out there that tell me that it is impossible to accomodate both the need of a new hospital AND historical preservation. What we DO have, however, are firms under the employ of the organization (i.e. Bridgepoint Health) saying that it can't be done AND firms not under their employ suggesting that it can be.

I like the status. I'm getting older.
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No one is debating the importance of health care - I am just wearily of having this debate FOR the half-round building being constructed as an attack on health care.

I'll agree with that. However, age is definitely a reason for preservation -- historical merit is a major reason for wanting to save the jail and library. The merit of the half-round is its beauty (which you can't say about all Modern structures.) Is there any other merit-based reasons to save the half-round?
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May I add that by this logic that you have cited (i.e. beauty is not sufficient enough reason for saving a building), there is no reason why, at their time, that either Don Jail OR the library should be saved either because they aren't old enough. What would be the end result then?

As you say -- looking forward to seeing drawings.
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After it has been decided that the building should be torn down, that we will judge whether the new building is worth it? Somehow, the logic of doing so escapes me.

AoD
 
Demolition begins -- Hannah Building

The Saturday morning jog was the usual route down Pottery and up the Riverdale Park bridge (the Don River Trail has turned green, green -- highly recommended!) and Priestly Demolition has started on the Hospital.

The Hannah Building seems to be a 3-4 story brick annex to the west of the half-round and the machines have got it about half down.
 
But that's not part of the half-round. Only once the half-round is vacated and boarded up will it all look inevitable.

AFAIK nobody's ever actively risen up in defence of the westernmost buildings, even though they're older than the half-round and not entirely devoid of intriguing qualities in their own right. So, esp. when it comes to "redevelopment potential", it isn't like the half-round's defenders are indiscriminately everything-old-and-everything-in-sight...
 
Family Medicine -- Broadview building open

In an interim (at least) step, the hospital has refurbished the residence on Broadview to house its new Family Medicine practice.

UrbanShocker's alternative medicine man has also hung up curtains and seems to be in business as construction goes on across the street at his mansion/office.

I ran into some of the Family Medicine doctors and the CEO(?) of Bridgepoint at the Withrow School fun fair. The CEO launched into a spirited defense of the demolition, so spirited that I need to call a time out and tell her I was not a hater. It's been a long battle for her, methinks...
 
Riverdale Rink Rat said:
and the CEO(?) of Bridgepoint at the Withrow School fun fair. The CEO launched into a spirited defense of the demolition, so spirited that I need to call a time out and tell her I was not a hater. It's been a long battle for her, methinks...
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I had a chance to talk with her at the same fun fair and found her answers to be well scripted. I think she was prepared to do battle all day. I asked some more detailed questions about the site plan, but she really didnt want to into more depth. That's too bad. I'm a big supporter of the new hospital and I found her dissappointing. They really need to get out and speak with the community and not hide behind canned response messages.
 
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