Toronto Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | Perkins&Will

[Torontovibe]

I walk by here many times a week and I see very few workers here. Most days, the site is empty but even when there is work going on, it's almost always 2 to 4 men doing the work. Why so few workers and why is the work so inconsistent? Is there anybody out there with some insight into why it's done this way? The stage could have easily have been finished a month ago. It must be more profitable for someone to do it this way.

 

[Mississauga Slim]

I walk by here many times a week and I see very few workers here. Most days, the site is empty but even when there is work going on, it's almost always 2 to 4 men doing the work. Why so few workers and why is the work so inconsistent? Is there anybody out there with some insight into why it's done this way? The stage could have easily have been finished a month ago. It must be more profitable for someone to do it this way.

The pace here is starting to remind me of arcosanti.

 

[TonyV]

I walk by here many times a week and I see very few workers here. Most days, the site is empty but even when there is work going on, it's almost always 2 to 4 men doing the work. Why so few workers and why is the work so inconsistent? Is there anybody out there with some insight into why it's done this way? The stage could have easily have been finished a month ago. It must be more profitable for someone to do it this way.

You are so right, there seems to be no one monitoring the progress, or lack thereof. This is rather disgusting.

The folks who run the jazz festival had been counting on a completed square this year, but alas, they are back to makeshift arrangements as in pre-reno years. Embarrassing to say the least.

 

[k10ery]

Can any insider explain the problem here? Who is the contractor, and does the contract not give the city levers to make sure the work actually gets done? Or is it some other problem?

 

[junctionist]

Did the city go with the cheapest or second cheapest bid for the work? They often do that, and the effects are seen either in the construction process or the end result (or both).

 

[taal]

Ha! Stop and think about the optics here.

Imagine they didn't go for the cheapest, that seems exactly like the illogical "gravy" Ford claimed was rampant throughout i.e. this would provide ammunition that the majority (hopefully minority now) of the public would buy into.

 

[junctionist]

People understand the notion that "you get what you paid for". But in many cases few people even know what the options were in terms of bids, and when things start falling apart prematurely, they lose some faith in government and our ability to get things right.

 

[Tewder]

What amazes me is that people are surprised it's not done. This is Toronto, right?

 

[Torontovibe]

If I remember correctly, wasn't Rob Ford supposed to change all that? Ford claimed that there was too much bureaucracy and construction projects moved too slowly, so he was going to speed things up. I agreed with him on that point but it seems things continue to move as slow as ever. It just can't be justified at City Hall.

 

[adma]

His ideal version of "speeding things up" would have been to just rip down the walkways, clear out the construction stuff, and do nothin'.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Supports for the stage roof are going up.

 

[k10ery]

Nice to see progress.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Nice to see progress.

I think the restoration work on reflecting pool has begun too.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Thanks for the update - thought it looked remarkably good and free of cheapening (unlike the awkward stage canopy at Dundas Square).

AoD

 

[vatche]

That hotel is so ugly!!!