Toronto Maple Leaf Square | 185.92m | 54s | Lanterra | KPMB

Let's not forget the 81 home games the Blue Jays play (and other events at the Dome). Thousands of people each game head to the Dome via the subway and most get off/on at Union. Adding uses and destinations at MLS will cause many to divert their route from Union instead of going through the Skywalk. Though attendance may be low for a Jays game, 15,000 is still quite a bit. If the team improves and actually contends for a playoff spot, there could be 40,000+, more than double the ACC.
 
According to 2008 numbers (sorry don't have 2009) - the ACC ranked:
2nd in the world for annual totall concert revenue
4th in the world for annual total concert attendance

Once construction in the immediate area is concluded it will take a little while for businesses and sports/concert patrons to adjust to the new physical surroundings, but there will be substantial new retail/dining/bar/entertainment demand in the immediate area. MLS will contain the largest sports bar in the city and other uses will emerge in the retail components of MLS, Ice, Telus and the other office tower under-way.
 
Mike in TO said:
According to 2008 numbers (sorry don't have 2009) - the ACC ranked:
2nd in the world for annual totall concert revenue
4th in the world for annual total concert attendance

Once construction in the immediate area is concluded it will take a little while for businesses and sports/concert patrons to adjust to the new physical surroundings, but there will be substantial new retail/dining/bar/entertainment demand in the immediate area. MLS will contain the largest sports bar in the city and other uses will emerge in the retail components of MLS, Ice, Telus and the other office tower under-way.
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I was picking up four "kids" after the show at the ACC last night....was parked in front of Hoops...it was obvious that the staff was monitoring the activity at the ACC to prepare for the post-show onslaught (they kept poking their heads out into the rain and staring down the street watching for the crowd to appear).

I think you are right that it will take some time but this is already developing....I actually wonder how the bars and restaurants north of the tracks (on Front for example) who have been benefiting from unfettered access to these crowds/spends will adjust once people realize that you can park south of the tracks, your event is south of the tracks and you can enjoy a post event meal/beverage south of the tracks!
 
urbandreamer said:
The main problem with this area is it's boring! No where exciting within a 30 minute walk other than the SLM area, which is rather restrictive. Contrast that to my area, and I have the Junction, Bloor West Village, Roncevalles, Bloor and Lansdowne, Perth/Wallace, St Clair, or Parkdale to chose from.
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The same complaints were lobbed years ago when MLS/ICE/Telus/etc proposals started popping up, a dead and barren streetscape hemmed in by the Gardiner and the rail tracks. Now I think most people are starting to turn around on this area.

Will this area rival Queen West, Parkdale, Junction, Cabbagetown, Yorkville, etc, etc, etc? No but it is fast becoming it's own neighbourhood and is defining itself independant of other neighbourhoods in the city. People may want to discredit this area, however I see the Bremner corridor slowly growing with activity. There are strong transit connections to Union and the Spadina Streetcar, nearby parks with Rounhouse park Concord's new park and the waterfront, furthermore once the remaining construction is completed there will be more services, all of this will be anchored by the ACC and Skydome (Rogers Centre).

To each their own though
 
Woodbridge_Heights said:
The same complaints were lobbed years ago when MLS/ICE/Telus/etc proposals started popping up, a dead and barren streetscape hemmed in by the Gardiner and the rail tracks. Now I think most people are starting to turn around on this area.

Will this area rival Queen West, Parkdale, Junction, Cabbagetown, Yorkville, etc, etc, etc? No but it is fast becoming it's own neighbourhood and is defining itself independant of other neighbourhoods in the city. People may want to discredit this area, however I see the Bremner corridor slowly growing with activity. There are strong transit connections to Union and the Spadina Streetcar, nearby parks with Rounhouse park Concord's new park and the waterfront, furthermore once the remaining construction is completed there will be more services, all of this will be anchored by the ACC and Skydome (Rogers Centre).

To each their own though
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I was showing some friends from Chicago this area last year. Their comment was quite interesting. They thought that this could become Toronto's "Wrigleyville"....albeit instead of low/mid rise brick buidlings it will be defined with soaring glass and steel.....their point was that Wrigleyville is an area where people live and work every day but also manage to host 81 street parties a year when the cubs have a game....they did say that they thought Toronto's version would be "bigger" because it is 81 Jays games and 41 Raptor games and 41 Leaf games plus concerts (which wrigely rarely hosts)....they were a bit envious of having a place like that so close to the core.
 
TOareaFan said:
I was picking up four "kids" after the show at the ACC last night....was parked in front of Hoops...it was obvious that the staff was monitoring the activity at the ACC to prepare for the post-show onslaught (they kept poking their heads out into the rain and staring down the street watching for the crowd to appear).

I think you are right that it will take some time but this is already developing....I actually wonder how the bars and restaurants north of the tracks (on Front for example) who have been benefiting from unfettered access to these crowds/spends will adjust once people realize that you can park south of the tracks, your event is south of the tracks and you can enjoy a post event meal/beverage south of the tracks!
Click to expand...

The shift has already begun, so much so that if I were considering opening a sports bar (or any like venue for that matter) I'd be looking at that area for sure. I can tell you that Harbour Sports (Nearby at Yonge and Lakeshore) is usually very busy following ACC events and actually turns away patrons during UFC nights. Hoops and St Louis are similar, indicating the need for additional venues. The new MLS bar will make a huge dent in this, it will be intersting to see how things shake out a year from now.
 
Mike in TO said:
According to 2008 numbers (sorry don't have 2009) - the ACC ranked:
2nd in the world for annual totall concert revenue
4th in the world for annual total concert attendance

Once construction in the immediate area is concluded it will take a little while for businesses and sports/concert patrons to adjust to the new physical surroundings, but there will be substantial new retail/dining/bar/entertainment demand in the immediate area. MLS will contain the largest sports bar in the city and other uses will emerge in the retail components of MLS, Ice, Telus and the other office tower under-way.
Click to expand...

Hey Mike. Seen those numbers before. Do you mind posting the reference to which you got them. Thanks.
 
April 2:
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Nice view in your first shot! They look great next to success tower :D

Ice should add some nice dimensions to this shot! It'll be like stepping stones going up starting at Success tower!
 
from hotelchatter.com.....

While We Await Thompson Toronto, Le Germain's New Hotel is Almost Done

While the latest news we had on Thompson Hotels was about their new, slick website and not about the opening date for Thompson Toronto, we've managed to look elsewhere in Toronto to lift our nerdy hotel opening spirits--Hotel Le Germain at Maple Leaf Square.

Yes, Canada's Le Germain brand is opening its second hotel in Toronto, next to the Air Canada Centre where Toronto's Maple Leafs hockey team plays its home games.

germaintorontorendering.jpg


The hotel was initially announced back in 2006 and judging from a photo sent to us by a friend, the building looks nearly complete, although it was expected to open in 2009. The 8-storey boutique hotel will have 171 guest rooms (with free WiFi hopefully), a cafe, spa and fitness center.

The hotel will also be connected to two new condo buildings rising next to it and to the new retail space that surrounds the square which will have restaurants, shops and bars for game-goers, guests and residents alike. But the guest the hotel is most anxious to receive? Visiting teams playing the Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors basketball team.

According to this piece, the hotel is set to open in August. Until then, you can read more about it on the website but prepare for some annoying music. This one at least has words, "Let the games begin."
 
Thanks for this. I'm anxious to see the retail/interior to MLS.

Also, that render makes York St. look like a narrow suburban driveway and not a major highway onramp.
 
They are washing the granite on the north side of the podium, even now in the rain.
 
khristopher said:
Have they cleaned the black cladding yet? It was really dirty.

Also, is Le Germain a 5 star hotel?
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Le Germain falls (happily and by design) into the boutique category of hotels. Their stock in trade in funky, comfortable rooms with good service and quality. Not sure where on the ranking they are (in terms of stars) or if anyone ever assigns stars to this type of hotel operation but they are not typically mentioned when people talk about the 5 star hotels opening in the city (4Seasons, Ritz, Shangri La, Trump). I would say that the few stays that I have had at their current hotel here I would rate it as some of my more pleasant hotel nights in the city.

I believe that Toronto will now become the first city that they have multiple locations in so it will be interesting to see how the differentiate (if at all) between the two properties. In Montreal and Quebec City they have two properties but in each city one of the properties operates under their "Alt" brand which is designed to be a limited service hotel chain....I believe both Toronto properties will operate as full service Hotel Germains
 
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