In this case I'm glad they didn't just say, hey it's a drab area, let's not make an effort. The design is at least benign.

My minimal knowledge of design says that when the surroundings are as drab as they are here, one has to do something very bright and flamboyant to pull the eye and mind away from the clutter. I don't see this design doing that. It's tasteful and slightly elegant, but the effect is bland.

Sometimes it's worth going with granite and marble, sometimes an Ikea kitchen is just fine. This strikes me as an Ikea kitchen impact at the granite price.

- Paul
 
In this case I'm glad they didn't just say, hey it's a drab area, let's not make an effort. The design is at least benign.

My minimal knowledge of design says that when the surroundings are as drab as they are here, one has to do something very bright and flamboyant to pull the eye and mind away from the clutter. I don't see this design doing that. It's tasteful and slightly elegant, but the effect is bland.

Sometimes it's worth going with granite and marble, sometimes an Ikea kitchen is just fine. This strikes me as an Ikea kitchen impact at the granite price.

- Paul
It is a somewhat drab area right now but the Soap Factory will, eventually, become East Harbour https://urbantoronto.ca/database/projects/east-harbour Not so drab then and if the proposed bridge design is well executed it looks quite suitable to me (maybe in GO Green to pay homage to the WT bridges further south!)
 
New TOC page is up for Gerrard.

 
New TOC page is up for Gerrard.

So happy to see the mall get redeveloped. This is going to be a really nice and convenient neighbourhood once the OL opens.
 
Here are the bridges for the GO tracks at the same location as the proposed arched bridge.
THESE are utilitarian.
Likewise, the proposed Ontario Line bridge could just have been another series of girder spans, but isn't.

lFY9Yhy.png

 
So happy to see the mall get redeveloped. This is going to be a really nice and convenient neighbourhood once the OL opens.
It was inevitable given that some of it is in the way of the construction.

A bigger question though, is the future of Gerrard Square. I'm surprised it's not part of this. Presumably owned by a Tory backer? (I have no idea who owns it, TBH)

Hey at least it's a value-engineered automated light metro and not a value-engineered LRT with grade crossings.
Because, as discussed previously, the initial Transit City studies indicated that unlike the rest of the Transit City lines - that additional capacity was necessary - at least south of Eglinton.

And since when was a capacity of 20,000 to 34,000 passenger per hour per direction, "light metro"? That's on the magnitude of many London deep tube lines!
 
Last edited:
It was inevitable given that some of it is in the way of the construction.

A bigger question though, is the future of Gerrard Square. I'm surprised it's not part of this. Presumably owned by a Tory backer? (I have no idea who owns it, TBH)

Because, as discussed previously, the initial Transit City studies indicated that unlike the rest of the Transit City lines - that additional capacity was necessary - at least south of Eglinton.

And since when was a capacity of 20,000 to 34,000 passenger per hour per direction, "light metro"? That's on the magnitude of many London deep tube lines!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-capacity_rail_system
 
It was inevitable given that some of it is in the way of the construction.

A bigger question though, is the future of Gerrard Square. I'm surprised it's not part of this. Presumably owned by a Tory backer? (I have no idea who owns it, TBH)
Is there any chance the government might announce a separate TOC program for the Gerrard Square site?

Regardless, there’s no way Gerrard Square doesn’t get redeveloped, even without government intervention. A TOC would make it easier though.
 

Back
Top