dodgeram
Active Member
Unfortunately this entire complex is bad enough that it leaves a lot to be desired but too good for it to be economically viable to change much.
- Thread starter allabootmatt
- Start date
artyboy123
Senior Member
The new rendering is updated in the database. Rendering taken from the architectural plan via SPA. The height changed from 39.24m to 32.87m. The storey count changed from 7 storey to 6 storey.
Doppleganger
Active Member
At the risk of sounding like a broken record...here I go again. Earlier, I had suggested that instead of locating the proposed 'Museum of Toronto' at Old City Hall, they instead consider the vacant Eatons/Norstroms department store at the north end of the Eaton Centre. It now seems that opportunity is lost as this building has been leased. Though I still consider it the ideal location for a museum, the empty Bay store at Yonge and Bloor comes in at a very close second. For a variety of reasons that I mentioned earlier, Old City Hall, though arguably Toronto's finest heritage structure, may be ill-suited to the needs of a modern museum. The reasons for this include fixed loadbearing walls and spaces that are inflexible to the needs of a modern museum which requires large open gallery spaces and easily moveable interior walls to direct visitors through chronological or thematic exhibits/galleries detailing the city's history. An empty department store like the Bay would be ideal for this, and would also much more easily accommodate curatorial and climate-controlled storage spaces, not to mention the prerequisite gift shops, cafes, restaurants, lecture hall and/or a theatre. Though all of its space would likely not be needed at present, it would amply provide for future growth. Though already one of the city's major intersections, with the rapidly rising 'One Bloor West', the intersection will only gain in prominence, and the 'Museum of Toronto' located at such a high visibility site as this would be an asset to this urban epicentre. The site sits astride the city's busiest subway station, soon to receive a massive overhaul, and would allow patrons direct access from two of its major subway lines. Its location at the eastern terminus of the 'Mink Mile' and proximity to Yorkville, two of the city's top tourist destinations, is another bonus, and after well-heeled shoppers get their fill of Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton, they would only have to 'scramble' across the intersection to get a bit of cultural enlightenment. Its relative proximity to the 'ROM', the 'Gardiner', and even the Bata Shoe Museum, each world-class in its own right, also couldn't be more ideal. As for precedent for conversion of a commercial structure to institutional use, as I've previously mentioned, it certainly exists: the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa was once a bread factory, Berlin's defunct Galeries Lafayette department store is set to become that city's new central library, and even the venerable Museum of London will relocate from the Barbican to Smithfield Market, once a famous meat wholesaler. We're already well into Toronto's third century, and incredibly, we still have no museum documenting its heritage and growth...this is a missed opportunity of epic proportions. Why doesn't the city explore long-term leasing opportunities with Brookfield, and after securing a deal, invite architects from around the world to submit proposals for turning this site into a stunning new museum? Instead of yet another banal-looking retail development, 2 Bloor East could easily become one of Toronto's great new attractions!
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Lyphe
Active Member
Anyone have any updates on this project?
Seeing that the TTC has most of Bloor East ripped up for their advance work, it made me wonder if there was ever a resolution with Brookfield and their Chiller relocation that might allow this Reno to go ahead. Haven't seen much chatter on it, but feel like something must have been accomplished now that the TTC is moving ahead with all sorts of stuff related to the project.
Seeing that the TTC has most of Bloor East ripped up for their advance work, it made me wonder if there was ever a resolution with Brookfield and their Chiller relocation that might allow this Reno to go ahead. Haven't seen much chatter on it, but feel like something must have been accomplished now that the TTC is moving ahead with all sorts of stuff related to the project.
Northern Light
Superstar
There are a series of updates in the Bloor-Yonge Capacity Expansion thread, starting here:
Bloor-Yonge Station Capacity Enhancement
An update from the Major Projects Report to next weeks' TTC meeting. * Crossposted to TTC Other Items * @Richard White you asked to be linked to this thread.
Read all the way to the end for maximum irritation.
***
There is no update on the retail/commercial portion of any changes here.
I would be surprised to see the office component move ahead right now. I think a one-floor retail component just might move, but not yet.