[drum118]

Aug 24

Lets set in on the site meeting

 

[Tewder]

I'm surprised that more hasn't been made of the 'torch'. Any plans for it?

 

[MetroMan]

^ Yes, but no real info is available other than the applications to the city for advertising.

What I do know is that the base of the Torch -- from the sidewalk to the top of the elliptical "plate" -- will receive the most modifications while the actual torch structure will remain largely unchanged.

What I've heard from an iffy second hand source but mostly corroborated by the city application:

The Torch:
- A Citytv logo will be added to the top of the torch
- LED lighting will be added to the interior of and around the torch allowing it to glow different colours
- The torch may be painted white to better reflect the new lighting and allow for the torch to be any colour at night.

The base of the Torch:
- Red cladding for the concrete portions of the base
- backlit advertising along the Victoria side of the base
- a red trimmed sidewalk level where the radio studio will go
- a slimmer ticker running the entire Victoria façade of the building and around the ellipse.

 

[JasonParis]

^^^ Any word on what channel the 24-hour Citynews Channel will be on?

It's a specialty service, so there's no broadcast channel. Therefore, it would depend on who your provider is (i.e., Bell-TV, Rogers, Star Choice, etc.) As of now though, I haven't seen anything about any of the companies picking up this channnel, nor do they have to based on its licensing (although, it's a shoe-in that Rogers will be carrying it and likely assigning it a somewhat low number).

 

[Roy G Biv]

I hate Toronto Life and this extension of it. The whole, lets tame-the-overly-busyness-of-our-death-by-ads-aesthetic-with-a-gloomy-plastic-grey-Lego-backdrop doesn't work for me.

Tourism-wise, it's the most important spot in the city, and therefore it would have been nice if we brought something more to it (instead of turning it into a monstrosity-bordered bus shelter).

 

[Patriot]

"Metroman,"

Please ask your sources why the exterior work is taking so long. How can the station launch if the exterior work is incomplete? What is the timeline of completing the exterior?

Thanks

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I hate Toronto Life and this extension of it. The whole, lets tame-the-overly-busyness-of-our-death-by-ads-aesthetic-with-a-gloomy-plastic-grey-Lego-backdrop doesn't work for me.

Tourism-wise, it's the most important spot in the city, and therefore it would have been nice if we brought something more to it (instead of turning it into a monstrosity-bordered bus shelter).

I'm with you on the CityTV HQ (and of course TLS), it's a marginal improvement from what it was but I expected much more from Rogers (ya, I know, I know it's not complete...). It sure is a step down from 299 Queen West (CHUM-City Building).

 

[Solaris]

I'm with you on the CityTV HQ (and of course TLS), it's a marginal improvement from what it was but I expected much more from Rogers (ya, I know, I know it's not complete...). It sure is a step down from 299 Queen West (CHUM-City Building).

A step down from 299 Queen West ... don't think so !

It's more like a jump off the cliff ~

 

[Torontovibe]

I wish they would have changed that unfortunate grey colour too. This building really hasn't changed all that much from Torch and I'm getting worried it might stay mostly as it is now, including not covering up those god-awful, monster HVAC units on the roof. I still think that building is way too small for 2 TV stations.

 

[Student99]

lol it still says "Olympic Spirit- Toronto" on the side of the building

 

[ganjavih]

Yeah, not much of an improvement so far, but if the changes that MetroMan listed are implemented, it could look decent... especially the coloured LED torch thingy.

 

[MetroMan]

"Metroman,"

Please ask your sources why the exterior work is taking so long. How can the station launch if the exterior work is incomplete? What is the timeline of completing the exterior?

They had all their resources put into the interior with marginal work being done on the outside.

Building a tv station isn't a piece of cake. Along with all the equipment, mind boggling kilometers of cables, layouts that need to be worked out like a jigsaw puzzle to fit everything in that limited space, etc etc etc.... I'm impressed at how fast they actually got everything done inside.

They're aiming for a fall launch to coincide with the new TV season and have already finished most of the interior so I'd expect the added resources and looming deadline to speed up the exterior work.

My opinion on the building itself is that, yes it's a step down from the beautiful 299 Queen W. but the location has immense potential.

Will Y&D Square do more for Citytv than Citytv does for Y&D Square? I think they're mutual assets to each other. Citytv will benefit from the highest pedestrian traffic intersection in Canada and Y&D Sq. will benefit from the pull that this new building will have on people towards a previously quiet corner of the square.

All the concentration of pedestrians has been on Yonge and Dundas with some traffic spilling into the square and since Toronto Life Sq opened, along Dundas' north sidewalk. Citytv/OMNI will change that flow dramatically I think.

In the end, with the new picture window, all the activity going on inside the building as seen from the exterior, the pedestrian draw, the new lighting and all the new detailing will have improved this building more than most people can foresee right now.

 

[CodeMonkey]

The building itself has room for expansion, the two buildings and parking lot to the south can be knock down and the torch can expanded into that space for more offices and maybe a sound stage?

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

August 25th

A few additional photos of the CityTV Omni building today

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

 

[DSC]

The building itself has room for expansion, the two buildings and parking lot to the south can be knock down and the torch can expanded into that space for more offices and maybe a sound stage?

I think the building to the immediate south (the old Top of the Senator Jazz Club) is protected and the Senator restaurant one may be too.