I think CF also wanted to decrease the size of the Dundas Mall atrium in order to reduce loitering.
Oh...that's very funny. While I recall $2 Tuesdays got a bit rowdy down there at some point while the Cineplex was still operating, I can assure you that the motive was purely monetary.
Once CF was no longer a Bronfman entity, all ideas of architectural integrity was no longer even on their radar. Pension funds care 100% only about maximizing returns on investments. The Bronfmans on the other hand, were major patrons of the arts. They are why there is a Seagram Building in NYC, a TD Centre and the Zeidler designed Eaton Centre.
While we're slitting our throats over a couple of nondescript warehouses on King street like Toronto's heritage hinged on them and make sure we do everything we can to hamper one of Toronto's great patron of the arts...we let something as architecturally important as TEC get mercilessly trashed. Toronto...one bad judgement call after another.