TheKingEast
Senior Member
Will this thing ever be completed? This is ridiculous.
DSCToronto
Superstar
Agreed 100%. The developer is either having financial problems or is amazingly poorly organised (or both!)
The continuing presence of the crane is weird (and doubtless expensive) and if it is really because they are waiting for the window-cleaning equipment to arrive shows an alarming lack of planning. The unfinished state of the Claude Cormier designed 'plaza" is unexplained, the City moved forward the rebuilding of the Sony Centre plaza so they could be done at same time and BEFORE the Pan-Am Games. (It's not good when one is slower than the City :-> ) The 'overhang" over the Yonge Street sidewalk is unfinished, and the streetlights on Yonge have yet to be returned. God knows what is going on inside the building.
Miscreant
Senior Member
No kidding. It's somewhere between laughable and a travesty. Ever since I've started paying more attention to large-scale developments like these, I've been amazed at the cases of apparent incompetence for such massively expensive projects, whether it's from matters of design or planning.
If the crane is up for x reason, then so be it. But leaving the streetscape looking like an industrial garbage can is unacceptable. If I were a tenant I'd be screaming bloody murder about this.
If the crane is up for x reason, then so be it. But leaving the streetscape looking like an industrial garbage can is unacceptable. If I were a tenant I'd be screaming bloody murder about this.
zcczcczcc
New Member
Walked by this morning and there are crates of stone out front, and workers appear to be starting on the plaza.
Mr.Tang
Active Member
Does Libeskind have a general history of making buildings that are problematic to actually build? or is it really the developer here?
CharmAlarm
Active Member
Could be both. The ROM crystal wasn't exactly a cake walk.
WiddleBittyKitty
Felis catus
Wait, that's a serious question?! Do Libeskind's buildings look like anyone else's buildings? Just about everything he designs is out there architecturally, just like this building, and as well as being architecturally unique they are engineering challenges. If they weren't difficult to build, you'd see way more of these kinds of buildings, and not the standard boxes we see so many more of.
kris
Senior Member
DSCToronto
Superstar
I fear it's not for the L-Tower Plaza. It is black cladding stone for the wall/seat that separates the Front Street Sony Plaza from the L-Tower one. It seems to be the finishing touches for the Sony plaza and they are putting it on today.
Armour
Senior Member
Look at those lovely utility poles and overhead wires. Is this section of Front not going to be revitalized? What an abrupt change from the area directly east.
Miscreant
Senior Member
Yeah, you're right. And in fact, part of what is so pleasing down here is that on the east side there is, to my recollection, none of that crap.
DSCToronto
Superstar
If you are referring to the wiring and wooden poles at Front and Bay and Front and York these are still part of the temporary installations. They have not yet put up the permanent traffic/light poles at these intersections and the wiring is strung over the street. All being well they all should go soon - or I sure hope so.
DSCToronto
Superstar
I was looking at the Sony Centre Board reports today and saw this from June:
Sony Management has identified outstanding deficiencies that restricts use of our backstage space as intended. The deficiencies are primarily due to the presence of the construction hoist and crane for the L Tower. The hoist has since been removed and the Developer has begun to address the deficiencies, albeit slowly. It is our understanding that some of the work will be completed by end of July.
The construction crane is located on the south side of the Sony Centre and has yet to be removed. The remaining backstage deficiencies including exterior work is contingent on the removal of the crane. The Developer has not confirmed a date for removal.
Phase Three – Public Plaza and Exterior Renovations
1. West Plaza The west plaza has yet to be completed. The construction agreement between the Developer and the Sony Centre/City has not been signed. The granite bench portion of the west plaza was removed from the agreement with the Developer and instead completed by the Sony Centre through Buttcon (the north side contractor).
The ridiculous presence of the crane is clearly 'in the way' and the developer is also dragging their feet about the west plaza. "Something needs to be done."
Sony Management has identified outstanding deficiencies that restricts use of our backstage space as intended. The deficiencies are primarily due to the presence of the construction hoist and crane for the L Tower. The hoist has since been removed and the Developer has begun to address the deficiencies, albeit slowly. It is our understanding that some of the work will be completed by end of July.
The construction crane is located on the south side of the Sony Centre and has yet to be removed. The remaining backstage deficiencies including exterior work is contingent on the removal of the crane. The Developer has not confirmed a date for removal.
Phase Three – Public Plaza and Exterior Renovations
1. West Plaza The west plaza has yet to be completed. The construction agreement between the Developer and the Sony Centre/City has not been signed. The granite bench portion of the west plaza was removed from the agreement with the Developer and instead completed by the Sony Centre through Buttcon (the north side contractor).
The ridiculous presence of the crane is clearly 'in the way' and the developer is also dragging their feet about the west plaza. "Something needs to be done."
I don't understand all the fist pounding on this. Do you not all think that the developers will clear this up as soon as they can? There are obviously issues holding up completion, and it must be costing a fortune. Whatever is taking the time is not because of a lack of commitment to complete the job. The crane's continued presence is a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself.
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