yyzer
Senior Member
I have heard that one of the drawbacks of the cable-car system they have used, is that it is not extendable....so I don't think this will happen..
Toronto Woodbine Racetrack Ancillary Facilities Building | 14.5m | 2s | Woodbine Ent | DIALOG
I have heard that one of the drawbacks of the cable-car system they have used, is that it is not extendable....so I don't think this will happen..
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Youre absolutely right.
At the time they decided to go with the Austrian made Doppelmayr APM which has a max travel length of aprox 1800 meters when really they could have gone with the Canadian/German built Bombardier Innovia which has a max travel length of 10KM.That would have been more than enough to have taken it to Woodbine Live and the Malton Go Station.
Who is we here? The City did not invite Cordish up here to build this - the Ontario Jockey Club did. How are we supposed to give Cordish the heave ho when we don't have anything to do with this project?
...or maybe you're suggesting that along with deferred taxes, we should be granted planning authority over every aspect it. Well, why would Cordish give control over a project like this to a city government when they have successfully built these complexes before, likely without any loss of control to the local government? They simply would not be investing here if they were not able to build to their proven model.
Not to say that what has worked for them elsewhere is guaranteed to work exactly the same on this side of the border, but Cordish would simply not spend the money here if they thought that they would not be able to build to their specifications.
It is worth remembering that 1) the easiest thing to dig up and redevelop are surface parking lots, and 2) it takes forever to get higher-order transit to come into existence around here, so why would Cordish wait for better transit to be sorted out? Might as well build the parking lots as needed, and once decisions are made to build better transit links in the northwest corner of town, then modifications to Woodbine Live's built form can happen quite easily.
If everything works the rosy way that Cordish wants it to here, then the land under their parking lots will eventually be too valuable to leave as mere parking lots anyway. Consider this giant project (Khristopher is wrong - this is huge) just phase 1. Let's just hope that phase 2 is not tumbleweeds and a wholesale abandonment.
42
whatever
Senior Member
As big as the project is, it really is tiny in relation to what it could become if phase one does well. I could see Woodbine lobbying hard to expand the casino to include tables, and I could also see those surface lots being massively developed in the future. Hopefully it all works out for Cornish and the Jockey Club, because it would be a boon to the whole city if it does.
Archivist
Senior Member
Personally, I don't find gambling to be a boon to anything, and I oppose its expansion in the city.
alklay
Senior Member
Ditto.
lordmandeep
Banned
Screw that, it times for a Casino in the city...
Tza
New Member
It is true, every other major city in the country (Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau) has a casino. I can totally understand not putting one in the core but one up at Woodbine is a good idea. Hopefully it will also make the 27 Rocket a full time bus route as well instead of just rush hour.
The only downside is the number of people who go to Niagara, Orillia to gamble from Toronto will have no need to go. But then again most Border cities are not worried and Rama gets a majority of their people from the Northern and Eastern parts of Ontario.
It creates more jobs at the casino and it will create the need for more social workers to help the new people with gambling problems. It is a win win situation for everyone (note my sarcasm).
The only downside is the number of people who go to Niagara, Orillia to gamble from Toronto will have no need to go. But then again most Border cities are not worried and Rama gets a majority of their people from the Northern and Eastern parts of Ontario.
It creates more jobs at the casino and it will create the need for more social workers to help the new people with gambling problems. It is a win win situation for everyone (note my sarcasm).
jks
Continuous Lurker
Having a casino in Toronto isn't really going to increase anythig. Some people will always gamble, and it really won't matter to them where the casino is.
One major positive thing for the casino, however, would be the increased transit to it, as well as huge tax income to the city.
One major positive thing for the casino, however, would be the increased transit to it, as well as huge tax income to the city.
adma
Superstar
Though the prudent may argue, what's up there is already casino enough...
Automation Gallery
Superstar
adma
Superstar
No insult to those cities, but do casinos represent something "grown up" or something "stunted"?
Tza
New Member
Well that is not entirely true. It will increase tourism especially those visiting from places such as China for example. So instead of visiting somewhere like Vancouver and there 5 casinos within a 1/2 hour drive of their airport, maybe they will visit Toronto with a large scale casino and end up seeing all the other delightful attractions our city has to offer.
As what was also mentioned earlier it will be a good tax incentive and maybe I will not have to pay an additional $65 on my vehicle tag.
TOareaFan
Superstar
I am not a gambler....but I do appreciate (and would like to take a moment to thank) all of those people who do line up to pay a voluntary tax so that my personal burden is lessened a bit....thanks all.
Now, I am also not opposed to gambling and, as someone else said, limiting the forms of gambling at Woodbine to slots and trots, as opposed to full fledged casion with cards and dice too, is splitting moral hairs (IMO)....if you are opposed to gambling shut the whole thing down...if not, open it up to a more commerically viable form of gambling.
The places in Ontario that, to me, make most sense for a casino are Niagara and near Pearson Airport. These are places with a naturally ocurring tourist/visitor base, lots of people staying in lots of nearby hotels and an opportunity to let them satisfy their urge to gamble while bringining in some cash. Other places (eg Orilla) seem to me to be just an attempt to suck more money out of our own populace.
Now, I am also not opposed to gambling and, as someone else said, limiting the forms of gambling at Woodbine to slots and trots, as opposed to full fledged casion with cards and dice too, is splitting moral hairs (IMO)....if you are opposed to gambling shut the whole thing down...if not, open it up to a more commerically viable form of gambling.
The places in Ontario that, to me, make most sense for a casino are Niagara and near Pearson Airport. These are places with a naturally ocurring tourist/visitor base, lots of people staying in lots of nearby hotels and an opportunity to let them satisfy their urge to gamble while bringining in some cash. Other places (eg Orilla) seem to me to be just an attempt to suck more money out of our own populace.