Toronto Ryerson's Mattamy Athletics Centre + Loblaws at the Gardens | ?m | ?s | Ryerson University | Turner Fleischer

Speaking of which, how do they plan to get the zamboni up to the 3rd floor of the Gardens?

Probably a service/truck elevator. I've never seen the site plans for this project but Loblaws even by itself would be a tight fit for such an urban location. Loblaws is still very much a suburban format store. Big trucks, lots of free parking, etc. It'll be really interesting to see how they solve these problems.
 
And a render:

20091201_MLG_400.jpg
 
I'm giddy with excitement! Next up, news on the old Loblaws warehouse at Bathurst & Lakeshore


Gardens to reopen in 2011

Maple Leaf Gardens will reopen in spring 2011 as a multi-sport and recreation facility for Ryerson University and a street-level Loblaws grocery store with an underground parking lot.

The announcement was made Tuesday morning inside the historic building at 60 Carlton St. in front of a supportive audience made up largely of Ryerson student athletes.

Federal Transport and Infrastructure Minister John Baird and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty joined Ryerson president Sheldon Levy and Loblaw Companies Ltd. chairman Galen Weston in the joint announcement, which was made as part of the Conservative government's economic stimulus plan.

"We're bringing Maple Leaf Gardens back to life," Levy told the audience, his amplified voice bouncing off the walls of the mostly empty building.

"A year ago we had an idea, now we have a dream come true."

The cost for the multi-function sport facility will be $60 million, which includes $20 million from the federal government's stimulus fund and $20 million from Ryerson student fees. The remaining $20 million will be jointly raised by Ryerson and Loblaw Companies Ltd., which kicked off the fundraising campaign with a $5 million contribution.

In addition to an NHL-sized ice rink, which will be used by hockey players and figure skaters, the facility will include basketball and volleyball courts with 1,200 bleacher seats; a four-lane, 200-metre running track; a fitness centre and gym, as well as academic space.

The facility is planned to be accessible by both Ryerson students and the public, but Levy could not say definitively whether or not the ice rink will be available for public use.

The building will also be home to a 70,000-square-foot Loblaws grocery store, a standalone Joe Fresh Style studio store and one level of underground parking.

It will cost Loblaw an additional $20 million to $25 million to build the stores, Weston said.

Weston and Levy said the retrofit will preserve the integrity of the building as much as possible.

Historic memorabilia, including remaining seats, will be auctioned off to help fund the project, Weston said, but the Maple Leaf Gardens sign, which faces Carlton St., will remain.

The future of the classic score clock that hung above the centre of the ice is less certain.

It has been largely hollowed out and stripped of its useful electronic parts. It no longer works, Weston said, but preserving it hasn't been ruled out completely.

Toronto city council voted to designate Maple Leaf Gardens – home to the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1931 to 1999 – a heritage landmark in 1989, but it has sat mostly unused since Loblaw bought it in 2004.

It was most recently used as the setting of CBC's popular reality TV show, Battle of the Blades.

Weston said he was happy to "finally" make an announcement about the building's future use, saying

He said the building would "maintain the integrity of Conn Smythe's vision" – referring to its original builder and owner of the Maple Leafs from 1927 until 1961 – but the renovations would also embrace modern technologies, including sustainable building practices.

Source

Larger renderings -

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.



Rendering source
(large .pdf file)
 
^^I hate it when architects can't show any orginality!

That new Ryerson Sports and Recreation Centre is a blatant rip off of the old Maple Leaf Gardens! ;)
 
My guess regarding interior layout of the upper floor - now that the rink will be one floor (and several metres) higher, the rink-side stands will be further to the sides, allowing the architects to rotate the new rink so that it runs east-west lengthwise as opposed to the current north-south alignment. That would also allow the rink to moved to either the north or south end of the building, freeing up the opposite end for other uses. Is that where the basketball and volleyball courts will go? Theoretically those courts could take advantage of some of the remaining stands for spectators that way. Conversely, might the remainder of the top floor be left to locker and change rooms, moving the basketball and volleyball courts to Joe Fresh level? Looking forward to the answers!

Whatever happens in terms of interior layout, we will have a very interesting new sports facility in town, another potential venue for the Pan Am Games, a welcome new Loblaws, what promises to be a properly executed historic preservation, and a reenergized corner at Church and Carlton.

All good.

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uh... I was just commenting that it was incredibly unique that the rink would be located on anything but the ground floor. As someone who spent their life in hockey arenas the idea is incredibly weird to me.
Madison Square Garden is actually on the 5th floor IIRC.
 
If nothing else, we should end up with the world's first "guaranteed fresh food" concession stands at an arena!

Instead of "hot dogs, who needs hot dogs" ringing out during sporting events we will "fruit and veg, who needs fruit and veg?"
 
^ With Loblaw's recent takeover of T&T. I'd like to see some Asian food sold at MLG.

I can almost see myself watching a Rams hockey game at MLG, while munching on Chinese dim sum, sushi and a bento box.
 
Better than the Pepsi Forum

If the preservation of the exterior matches the render that was released today this is as close to perfection as we can expect. Just look at what happened to the old Montreal Forum. It makes 10 Dundas Street East look beautiful by comparison.
 
Madison Square Garden is actually on the 5th floor IIRC.

I was aware of MSG. I meant more along the lines of recreational rinks rather than pro ones. You can make the argument that a bunch of professional rinks aren't at ground level and have levels below the rink surface.
 
If the preservation of the exterior matches the render that was released today this is as close to perfection as we can expect. Just look at what happened to the old Montreal Forum. It makes 10 Dundas Street East look beautiful by comparison.

The exterior of the Gardens was restored in the early 90's but I don't remember it looking as good as the render suggests, though memory can sometimes be faulty with details. It appears that this will be a really respectful transformation.
 
rendering

I am not sure how true that rendering is as the article states "Weston said, but the Maple Leaf Gardens sign, which faces Carlton St., will remain." But in the renderin the sign has been replaced with a Ryerson sign....
 
Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.



Rendering source
(large .pdf file)

I am not sure how true that rendering is as the article states "Weston said, but the Maple Leaf Gardens sign, which faces Carlton St., will remain." But in the renderin the sign has been replaced with a Ryerson sign....

well technically they have 2 Maple Leaf Gardens banner signs facing Carlton ...

but yes you are likely correct the rendering could have just missed that detail, they should really keep the MLG sign above the entrance canopy on Carlton
 

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