Westin Harbour Castle (?, ?, ?)

[Northern Light]

Are you proposing that the State (city) buy the property?

I believe that was the intent / sorta.

The City owns the land on which the hotel's conference centre sits (11 Bay) which is the subject of another thread here; I could imagine a scenario in which the City traded off ownership of that site as partial payment for the Lakeside property.

Otherwise, perhaps the owners who, you know, legally own it, quite like it as it is.

Well, that's not exactly true, the owners here have spent considerable time trying to figure how to maximize their revenue from the current site, including intensifying it.

The decision was made to pursue 11 Bay first; but the existing footprint will get another look later.

I agree w/the poster above that this site, at least in part should be more of a signature waterfront Park.

I'm practical enough to concede that buying the property outright for that purpose is unlikely to happen.

But I would not be surprised at all to see a future scenario in which the current site is redeveloped, going much taller, in exchange for a smaller footprint at-grade that will become park space.

However, should that come to pass, it's likely many, many years away.

 

[milkycontent]

Are you proposing that the State (city) buy the property? Otherwise, perhaps the owners who, you know, legally own it, quite like it as it is.

Maybe we could convince some local billionaires to pitch in a couple hundred million. Instead of Westin Harbour Castle we could have Weston Harbour Park?

 

[ProjectEnd]

Chestnut was new when I was at U of T in the early 2000s, but contrary to Wikipedia's claim above that it's luxurious and desirable, for most folks in my friend group it was distant and isolated. The 27th and 28th floors are indeed student lounges / study spaces. You can view them here:

https://chestnut.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/27th-Floor-Wayfinding.png

https://chestnut.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/28th-Floor-Wayfinding.png

 

[JMSRead]

It's so painfully obvious what should happen here:

1) Build an iconic tower with a hotel and conference centre along with the proposed office space at 11 Bay (across the street)
2) Tear this sucker down and replace it with a wide open park/piazza
3) Rebuild Jack Layton Ferry Terminal

We have one shot to get it right... so of course it will never happen

I couldn't agree with you more. I find that part of the central waterfront really ugly and unwelcoming. Aesthetically I think it would do wonders to open it up a bit.

 

[lenaitch]

I believe that was the intent / sorta.

The City owns the land on which the hotel's conference centre sits (11 Bay) which is the subject of another thread here; I could imagine a scenario in which the City traded off ownership of that site as partial payment for the Lakeside property.



Well, that's not exactly true, the owners here have spent considerable time trying to figure how to maximize their revenue from the current site, including intensifying it.

The decision was made to pursue 11 Bay first; but the existing footprint will get another look later.

I agree w/the poster above that this site, at least in part should be more of a signature waterfront Park.

I'm practical enough to concede that buying the property outright for that purpose is unlikely to happen.

But I would not be surprised at all to see a future scenario in which the current site is redeveloped, going much taller, in exchange for a smaller footprint at-grade that will become park space.

However, should that come to pass, it's likely many, many years away.

Fair enough. The evolutionary process of free market and private land ownership within public land use planning. I just get a little twitchy when folks suggest a bulldozer, usually funded by the public purse, followed by the inevitable complaint of too-high taxes.

Maybe we could convince some local billionaires to pitch in a couple hundred million. Instead of Westin Harbour Castle we could have Weston Harbour Park?

Land use planning that is dependent on private philanthropy seems a little wanting. Perhaps the city could make life uncomfortable for Redpath or Lafarge then make them an offer they can't refuse. Opens up land, gets rid of those rusty ships and nasty trucks; win, win, win!