Toronto Etobicoke Civic Centre | 75.82m | 16s | CreateTO | Henning Larsen

Which of the four entries in the Etobicoke Civic Centre design competition do you favour?

  • Team 1: Moriyama + Teshima, MJMA, FORREC

    Votes: 17 15.9%
  • Team 2: Diamond Schmitt Architects, Michael Van Valkenberg Associates

    Votes: 26 24.3%
  • Team 3: KPMB Architects, West 8

    Votes: 42 39.3%
  • Team 4: Henning Larsen, Adamson Associates, PMA Landscape Architects

    Votes: 22 20.6%

  • Total voters
    107
  • Poll closed .
The proposal is a bit of a "tall order". It says essentially that if they can build a new civic centre on the Westwood Theatre Lands for the amount they could get for disposing of the current Etobicoke Civic Centre, then they'd go for it… but at the same time see what they can do about building affordable housing at the old site, the new site, and at Islington subway station. Not that all of that isn't worthwhile, but if you're looking to make a pile of cash on the old site—enough to build the new Civic Centre without impacting the City's budget—then restrictions on what goes on the old site will rzeducewhat they can get for it.

This will all come done to whether they can make the expenditure-neutral business case… not any backwards logic anything.

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That's what i'm referring to. Even if all this was cost-neutral, city-council would still reject the proposal because it would make too much logical sense (and the way things operate over there, they tend to reject logical proposals and go with options that make no sense).
 
City Council would vote to reject the proposal? You're speaking out of pure, unfounded, boring cynicism.

  • City Council adopted this item on July 12, 2016 without amendments.
1. City Council direct City Planning and request Build Toronto, in consultation with Real Estate Services, to lead a site planning and massing exercise for the current Etobicoke Civic Centre Complex lands and to advance the current site planning and massing exercise established by Build Toronto for the Bloor/Islington lands, to an extent sufficient to inform the business case for each site, and to report back to City Council in the third quarter of 2017 with the results.

2. City Council request Build Toronto to lead a design competition for the Westwood Theatre Lands, limited to establishing a new Etobicoke Civic Centre Complex and developing potential recommendations to the existing Build Toronto concept plans, and direct City Planning and Real Estate Services to provide advice and support to Build Toronto, and to report back to City Council in the third quarter of 2017 with:

a. results of the design competition; and

b. a draft building program for a new Etobicoke Civic Centre.​

3. City Council direct the Chief Corporate Officer, in consultation with Build Toronto and City Planning, to establish a business case that considers the costs and revenues associated with the proposed plans for the Westwood Theatre Lands, Bloor/Islington, and current Etobicoke Civic Centre Complex lands, and to report back to City Council in the third quarter of 2017 with:

a. the cost and feasibility of relocating the Etobicoke Civic Centre Complex to the Westwood Theatre Lands;

b. the cost associated with other proposed public spaces and/or community facilities; and

c. potential revenues and/or funding sources, including revenue estimates from the sale of City-owned lands at the current Etobicoke Civic Centre Complex, Bloor/Islington and surplus properties near the Westwood Theatre Lands.​

4. City Council direct the Chief Corporate Officer, City Planning and the Affordable Housing Office, in consultation with Build Toronto, to determine opportunities for affordable housing at the Westwood Theatre Lands, Bloor/Islington lands, and current Etobicoke Civic Centre Complex Lands through the business case and site planning process, and to report back on such opportunities to City Council in the third quarter of 2017.

Background Information (Committee)
(June 14, 2016) Report from the Chief Corporate Officer and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning on Etobicoke Civic Centre Relocation
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-94277.pdf)
Appendix A - Location Map
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-94278.pdf)
Appendix B - Property Outlines
(http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-94279.pdf)​

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City Council would vote to reject the proposal? You're speaking out of pure, unfounded, boring cynicism.
The proposal is still in it's early stages so I dont think I'm completely wrong on this one yet. It's nice to see that some progress is being made though.
 
Build Toronto Kicks Off Design Competition for the New Etobicoke Civic Centre

Five Shortlisted Design Teams Selected to Compete for the Project That Will Help to Transform the Westwood Theatre Lands with a New Etobicoke Civic Centre

TORONTO, ONTARIO – February 2, 2017 – Build Toronto, the City of Toronto’s real estate and development investment corporation, has selected five shortlisted teams to submit their proposals to design a new Etobicoke Civic Centre and square as part of the Westwood Theatre Lands redevelopment.

The five shortlisted design teams, in alphabetical order, are:
- Adamson Associates Architects | Henning Larsen Architects | PMA Landscape Architects
- Diamond Schmitt Architects | Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
- KPMB Architects | West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture
- Montgomery Sisam Architects | Adjaye Associates | OLIN
- Moriyama & Teshima Architects | MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects | FORREC Ltd.

The international design competition attracted submissions from various cities. The five shortlisted firms comprise of teams from Brooklyn, Copenhagen, London (U.K.), Philadelphia, Rotterdam and Toronto. The second stage of the competition kicks off today as the five teams begin to work on developing a vision for the new civic landmark.

“This is the beginning of an exciting project to design an entirely new community with a civic centre and public space, that will also allow us to streamline the six points intersection and make this the heart of Etobicoke,” says Chair of the Board and Councillor David Shiner (Ward 24 Willowdale). “As stewards of public land, Build Toronto and the City are driving the focus on City-Building by exploring creative and innovative design ideas and bringing them to the forefront of this transformation.”

The design component of the process will be judged by a jury of leaders in the fields of planning, urban design, architecture and landscape architecture. Adjudication is scheduled to take place in late April 2017, following a public presentation of the final design submissions.

“Through the international design competition, industry jury selection and public input, we are all helping to shape the new Etobicoke Civic Centre – which is exactly what civic centres represent,” says Board Director and local Councillor Justin Di Ciano (Ward 5 Etobicoke Lakeshore) who represents the area. “This will not only become the new heart of Etobicoke, but it will also create a renewed area of activity, commerce and civic space for the local community and the City.”

The goal of the Etobicoke Civic Centre design competition is to develop a vision for a new integrated civic hub at the southwest corner of Dundas and Kipling, including a civic square, civic offices, a library, a daycare centre and a recreation centre.

"This is a once in a generational opportunity to create a new urban centre in the heart of Etobicoke,” says Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner and Executive Director, City of Toronto. “The goal is design excellence, and we have the right process in place to achieve it."

The City of Toronto is undergoing a $77 million infrastructure transformation to urbanize the road network in this area. The design competition builds upon the vision and design concepts for the Westwood Theatre Lands established through the West District Design Initiative and the Etobicoke Centre Public Space and Streetscape Plan 2011.

City Council will consider the results of the design completion along with a business case in the third quarter of 2017.


About Build Toronto

Build Toronto Inc. is an independent real estate and development investment corporation established by the City of Toronto to create value from the City’s underutilized real estate assets. The company has a unique focus on meeting its City-Building Strategic Priorities, as well as generating a reasonable net financial return for the City. Build Toronto reports to a professional Board of Directors and operates with a vision to develop surplus and underused City land to attract commercial development, create desirable jobs and improve the livability of the City. Build Toronto officially launched and started full operations in May 2010. For more information, visit www.buildtoronto.ca.
 
I would love to see something like the Moscow School of Management here, because it just might teach local developers how to do solid wall.

There are some interesting pairings in that list!

In the meantime, I wonder who all didn't make the short list. I know there were more big name international firms who entered the first round.

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Word is that the Montgomery & Sisam/Adjaye team has dropped out.

Boooooo!

I say move the 6th place finisher into the shortlist.

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The shortlist entries will be revealed tomorrow night!

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So, here's your first look at the four contenders.

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This next one is Moriyama + Teshima with MJMA and Forrec
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This one is KPMB with West 8
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This one is Henning Larsen with Adamson Associates and PMA Landscape Architects
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Way more tomorrow, and maybe some more tonight!

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