[W. K. Lis]

The end has finally come for Atlantis at Ontario Place

See link.

The Atlantis Pavilion at Ontario Place is entering its final month. The long-standing lakeside event venue will close on Oct. 31, 2016.
​

 

[Towered]

Can't believe that shitty nightclub lasted 20 years. Who even went there??

 

[Torontovibe]

I think that was more of a wedding and corporate event space, than a night club. I'm glad it's closing but I wonder what's happening? Is a big announcement coming?

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I think that was more of a wedding and corporate event space, than a night club. I'm glad it's closing but I wonder what's happening? Is a big announcement coming?

I think its last few years yes. I also herd it was the pace tah most often had its liquor license revoked in the city.

 

[stjames2queenwest]

It was popular for raves.

 

[MetroMan]

At the InFuture talk that took place in the Cinesphere last week, Waterfront Toronto CEO William Fleissig thanked the organizers for bringing the space back from the dead and hinted that this won't be the last we see of these sorts of events. He also had high praise for the original architecture and the original concept of Ontario Place so I think that it's in good hands since Waterfront Toronto is going to be the one redeveloping it whenever that happens.

If Atlantis is leaving, then I would think that something is going to be announced for the space. As much as they didn't work out as a club, I used to live in the area and recall seeing weddings there every weekend.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

I wonder if they would open the cinesphere again on its own. I think its actually last use over the past couple of years has been Imax using it to to test various Laser projectors for digital imax theatres.

 

[jje1000]

An article from the weekend.

The difficult task of reviving Toronto’s Ontario Place

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts...iving-torontos-ontario-place/article32170251/

Thinking of In/Future, I definitely think Ontario Place would work well revitalized as an unique space for arts-based programming and organizations, start-ups, retail, and food.

Of course it'll probably never happen since we have the Liberals guiding its development from top-down, but Ontario Place has lots of interesting spaces well suited for re-purposing, plenty of space for further small-scale densification, a good location for pre/post-concert spillout from the Molson Amphitheater, and a location that would help return some life to the area south of the Lake Shore.

The only problem I could think of is its isolation (which could also be a good thing), but that could be solved through inserting residential into the parking lots, adding more pedestrian connections to Fort York and the Central Waterfront, and maybe shifting some bus routes.

I.e. think of a semi-isolated/hermetic space with its own independent vibe like Granville Island, the Distillery District or Freetown Christiania. Or heck, a spiritual successor to the original Harbour City concept.

Edit:

A comment from the article comments:

A) Connect the island to the rest of the waterfront (getting rid or putting underground that 1960's parking lot would go a long way of helping)
B) Create a street car line that goes there, for the first year make it free to ride to the island
c) In the summer create a floating pool on the lakeside
d) Hire a a creative team to host festivals both in summer and winter
e) Negotiate with big companies and open unique pop up stores selling unique stuff, do the same with local designers - offer low rent for the local designers and work studios
f) Open a satellite museum for a major international museum or get unique travelling exhibitions to be shown there
g) Make it all look "Toronto cool" not "generic mall dead"
10) Go to Granville Island in Vancouver for some Ideas
11) Think public private partnerships!

 

[MetroMan]

Waterfront Toronto has demonstrated that the success of the waterfront is not in just building parks and open spaces but in building full time communities around them.

Those parking lots along the shore across from Ontario Place are ideal for building residential development with commercial (ie restaurants) in the lower floors while leaving a wide promenade along the water's edge. Converting Ontario Place into an open space with individual monetized attractions would bring the lands into the city fabric and guarantee that it thrives even if some businesses turn over.

 

[Admiral Beez]

TorontoStar@TorontoStar
7 mins ago
Bill could lead to sale of Ontario Place lands. https://www.thestar.com/news/queens...tml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The bill allows Ontario Place to “dispose of land, buildings and structures, or any interest in land, buildings and structure, by sale, lease or otherwise.”

Sounds good, the Province should get on with something at the site or sell it. Maybe this will force some bureaucrat to get moving.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Sounds good, the Province should get on with something at the site or sell it. Maybe this will force some bureaucrat to get moving.

Bureaucrats don't move unless the politicos tell them to these days.

AoD

 

[Admiral Beez]

I don't understand why this became a story now, have the laws recently been discovered or newly applied?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I don't understand why this became a story now, have the laws recently been discovered or newly applied?

It was hidden in an omnibus bill - and finally gotten discovered. That said, "disposed off" could be anything - selling off the land is just the crudest of the possibilities (nevertheless, it is a possibility enabled by the legislation)

Here is the section in question:

Schedule 16
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Ontario Place Corporation Act

1. The definition of “Minister” in section 1 of the Ontario Place Corporation Act is amended by striking out “Minister of Tourism and Recreation” and substituting “Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport or such other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of the Act may be assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act”.

2. Clause 8 (a) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

(a) to operate Ontario Place for recreational, cultural, entertainment, educational, research, commercial, exhibition or public purposes;

3. (1) Clause 9 (1) (b) of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

(b) to develop, acquire, construct, operate, maintain and generally manage and provide,
(i) recreational, cultural, entertainment, educational, research, commercial, exhibition or public facilities,
(ii) activities, programs, restaurants, theatres or shops, and
(iii) any other facilities or conveniences incidental to or necessary for the proper operation and maintenance of Ontario Place;

(2) Section 9 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Acquisition and disposal of land, etc.

(3) Subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, the Corporation may,

(a) acquire land, buildings and structures, or any interest in land, buildings and structures, by purchase, lease or otherwise; and
(b) dispose of land, buildings and structures, or any interest in land, buildings and structures, by sale, lease or otherwise.

Commencement

4. This Schedule comes into force on the day the Burden Reduction Act, 2016 receives Royal Assent.

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bi...&BillID=4175&detailPage=bills_detail_the_bill

AoD

 

[Admiral Beez]

Part of me thinks Ontario Place should be cleared out, filled in and expanded with fill from all the condos, and made into a park. Get rid of the pods, rides, buildings, parking lots (but add transit), Cinesphere, Molson Stage, etc. and make a Toronto version of Vancouver's idyllic Stanley Park.

From this...

To this....

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Part of me thinks Ontario Place should be cleared out, filled in and expanded with fill from all the condos, and made into a park. Get rid of the pods, rides, buildings, parking lots (but add transit), Cinesphere, Molson Stage, etc. and make a Toronto version of Vancouver's idyllic Stanley Park.

Sorry, Ontario Place isn't even close to being Stanley Park, no matter what you do to it. Getting rid of the pods and Cinesphere is also a non-starter. What need to be done is combining it with the Ex and coming up with a coherent master plan - not only for what to do with the land, but also how it can be connected to the rest of the city. Without that the whole exercise is pointless.

As to selling off the land for condos - yeah, done right, it'd look just like what is now by the site of Four Points Sheraton *sarcasm intended* (not to mention the upcoming G+C proposal). Toronto - the city that stands on greatness but couldn't help but build s**t.

AoD