- Thread starter vistaway
- Start date
UtakataNoAnnex
Senior Member
I'll give DSC-san bonus marks for presenting it better though! <3
hawc
Senior Member
hawc
Senior Member
So.... is everything other than the pods and Cinesphere getting demolished? Will all those trees be cut too?
The pods will become the new Science Centre and the rest is going to be a spa?
The pods will become the new Science Centre and the rest is going to be a spa?
Natika33
Active Member
I attended the walk around OP last spring & they said there is supposed to be a substantially large portion of the new Science Centre built on the mainland where there's currently a parking lot.
The island west of the last pod in your photo is where the new water park & spa will go, so yes, the old silos & those trees are slated for removal. The whole thing will look more like a taller terraced hill when done, as plans call for a walkway up & over the building with lots of planters & gardens covering much of the roof.
West island plans: https://thermecanada.com/?gad_sourc...7SMwQpQqEtcXAZrXmFkoocDSjM4N6HLhoCjQcQAvD_BwE
hawc
Senior Member
Looks pretty cool. So is it a water park for everyone? Or an upscale spa for the rich? If it's a year round water park for kids and everyone I think that's a pretty good reimagining of what's there now. But I thought everyone is calling it a spa? What's the protest over? I haven't been following this one closely.
goodcitywhenfinished
Active Member
I have a feeling I might be in the minority, but I really do not mind these plans at all. The only thing that I find disappointing is the massive parking garage. The science centre move is a bit silly but I don't find it to be egregious. I would have rather seen IO try to attract a different museum or cultural space in its place.
Toronto's public space currently has too much focus on just providing "nature" in the city. There is already a lot of this. What this city really sucks at is programming and creating spaces with attractions people actually want to visit rather than another grass lawn with trees and benches. If that means blurring the lines between private and public space, so be it.
Jean Drapeau in Montreal has large portions of privatized space and that has not stopped it from being a very pleasant place to visit. If these plans are executed as advertised I anticipate this will be an even more lively and exciting place to be than Jean Drapeau, and more akin to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore or the West Kowloon Cultural District in HK.
Toronto's public space currently has too much focus on just providing "nature" in the city. There is already a lot of this. What this city really sucks at is programming and creating spaces with attractions people actually want to visit rather than another grass lawn with trees and benches. If that means blurring the lines between private and public space, so be it.
Jean Drapeau in Montreal has large portions of privatized space and that has not stopped it from being a very pleasant place to visit. If these plans are executed as advertised I anticipate this will be an even more lively and exciting place to be than Jean Drapeau, and more akin to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore or the West Kowloon Cultural District in HK.
Natika33
Active Member
It is mainly a water park with a spa component on the smaller upper levels. They are suggesting a preliminary entrance fee of $40/adult with cheaper rates for kids & families (same as the price to enter the water park in Niagara Falls and around the same as CN Tower or Wonderland). I assume some of those against the project are calling it "an expensive spa for the elite" because they feel it'll turn public opinion against it and therefore they'll achieve their aim of shutting it down.
Natika33
Active Member
Agreed! One update - the parking is now moving over to the Exhibition grounds, so even that big drawback has been removed.
generalcanada
Senior Member
The whole thing is just a massive PR blunder by therme and ford. they called it a "family wellness facility".
probably not the best words to describe it. Fords opponents latched onto it and took control of the narrative. All they had to do was say its a family friendly waterpark.
Now every word they say has be in damage control mode
And yea the whole west island will be getting a makeover.
probably not the best words to describe it. Fords opponents latched onto it and took control of the narrative. All they had to do was say its a family friendly waterpark.
Now every word they say has be in damage control mode
And yea the whole west island will be getting a makeover.
AlexBozikovic
Active Member
It's funny to be relitigating this, but the "makeover" of the West Island involves demolishing every building, removing almost all of the trees, regrading most of the island and expanding it significantly.
The new Therme building will be about the same footprint as the whole island is today.
The new Therme building will be about the same footprint as the whole island is today.
taal
Senior Member
Really my only issue is the fact we're getting a much smaller science center - with that said, a lot of the science center was open space / greenery / outdoor sections - so purely from an exhibit space perspective it's not clear to me how much different it really is ? Side note, I loved the science center growing up, I suspect many did, and I thought they did a decent job keeping it up to date until maybe ~ 2010 (it really was one of the premier North American science centers in the 1990s+) I recall I believe the telus expansion - but since then ... with the lack of investment, I find it's turned into a glorified daycare - as the exhibits are so old, in bad shape, and out of date (from a science and technology perspective).
Another thought - so the science center of course had the imax theater - is cinesphere going to be used in such a capacity as that would be great ? Do you know what would have been a dream come true, no clue if this is really feasible, but turn the cinesphere into a world class planetarium (that can still show movies as well).
I do not think the "spa" is necessarily a bad fit, assuming there is enough variety (i.e. for kids and adults) the fact that it and the science center are all year venus that's a huge win for the area.
Another thought - so the science center of course had the imax theater - is cinesphere going to be used in such a capacity as that would be great ? Do you know what would have been a dream come true, no clue if this is really feasible, but turn the cinesphere into a world class planetarium (that can still show movies as well).
I do not think the "spa" is necessarily a bad fit, assuming there is enough variety (i.e. for kids and adults) the fact that it and the science center are all year venus that's a huge win for the area.
hawc
Senior Member
Yeah seems like if it was FAMILY WATER PARK rather than SPA FOR THE RICH you'd have no issues at all.
Also, speaking as a dad with two young kids under 5, you need parking for families. It's an inconvenient truth. You're not going to attract young families without parking. Especially in that area. If it were downtown core maybe.
Also, speaking as a dad with two young kids under 5, you need parking for families. It's an inconvenient truth. You're not going to attract young families without parking. Especially in that area. If it were downtown core maybe.
hawc
Senior Member
We take the kids to the Science Centre nearly twice a month and we LOVE it to death. I will be so sad to see it moved.
However.... it is increadibly run-down. The whole place feels so dirty, as if a few years ago they literally just stopped cleaning it. Not like garbage on the ground, but like all the walls are filthy all the brass railings and doors are disgusting. The exhibits never change except for the one in the great hall. The bridge that closed for repairs a few years ago will sadly never re-open.
It makes me so sad/mad. All they needed to do was keep that building in good repair and keep it clean. You could update the exhibits and you'd have an awesome space.
Instead they literally just forgot about it and let it rot. It kills me.
goodcitywhenfinished
Active Member
This will be walking distance from the Ontario Line and Exhibition Go with 15 min all day service by the time it opens.