[MetroMan]

Yes. That's a major part of the revitalization: improving access into the square. The grass along Queen street will be replaced with a stone forecourt with squares of grass surrounding some of the existing mature trees.

 

[taal]

Yes. That's a major part of the revitalization: improving access into the square. The grass along Queen street will be replaced with a stone forecourt with squares of grass surrounding some of the existing mature trees.

That's great, honestly that'll make a huge difference in it self.

 

[MetroMan]

Aside from replacing the ugly cinderblock bunker, the Queen St. forecourt is probably the most important element of the redesign. The fact that the grass has always been muddy and poorly maintained, shows us how people want to access the square. The perimeter needs to be more porous and the PLANT Architect design addresses that. I'm looking forward to this part the most, but unfortunately, it's going to be amongst the last things to get done, sometime in early 2012.

 

[junctionist]

Stone paving would be a great improvement for a space that has looked sloppy for so many years.

 

[Towered]

Agreed - that strip of grass is not just useless, but also ugly.

 

[Kraylin]

The perimeter needs to be more porous and the PLANT Architect design addresses that. I'm looking forward to this part the most, but unfortunately, it's going to be amongst the last things to get done, sometime in early 2012.

Simply amazing, 2012!! No wonder life seems to go by so quickly now that we watch such things with anticipation that take years to complete.

 

[FutureMayor]

The City of Toronto is Absolutely PATHETIC:

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/rob_granatstein/2011/02/04/17157646.html

The fact they can't keep stay within budget and took their sorry time designing and finally starting construction on this project just makes me angry.

Toronto should take lessons from Mississauga on how to get a major civic square project funded and completed.

Mississauga is renovating a similar if not larger sized civic square. Both have roughly the same major project elements - relocating peace monument, new premanent stage + (2 Video Walls), a renovated skating rink and new water feature, a new cafe and restaurant and major landscaping. While the Mississauga project doesn't have a green roof - it does include the reconstruction of a portion of City Centre Drive, the renovation of a 300 seat outdoor Amphitheatre and a new Market Trellis.

The budget is almost identical $40million for Mississauga vs $42.7 million for Toronto, however Mississauga made the smart move and designated the project for ISF- Infrastructure Stimulus Fund and got the two senior levels of government to cough up 2/3 of the budget with a firm deadline to complete major work by March 31, 2011.

I agree with the headline: 'Half-assed' Toronto City Hall will flop!

Louroz

 

[taal]

Reading the article, they plan on asking for 'expressions of interest' from the private sector ... I think if anything this can work out in our favor - much more likely to get something grand this way. This would indeed be a pretty prime spot - but only if it's done right i.e. the right tenant / size / ...

Regarding the Infrastructure stimulus; Recall at one point Toronto wanted to use this to fund transit city (part of it - or maybe it was the purchase of the street cars) anyway this fell through - in the end, although there was a lot of articles how we'd get nothing, a lot of this money went to road repair and the repair of many older community centers across the city.

In other words, other projects fell under the ISF and many of these were extremely important in their own right ...
Secondly, by this point the city had already apporved funding for this internally while other projects (the ISF) eventually went to had not been.

Not that I disagree with the 'Half-assed' comment in regards to many other things led by the city.

 

[yyzer]

from today's Daily Commercial News, posted with the usual warning.....

RECREATION, RESTAURANT, RETAIL, PUBLIC BLDG Proj: 9022679-23

Toronto, Metro Toronto Reg ON NEGOTIATED/WORKING DRAWINGS
Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St West, M5H

$30,000,000 est
Start: June, 2011 Complete: October, 2012

Note: Working Drawings are underway and expected to be completed by the end of March 2011. Once Working Drawings are complete there will be a budgeting process for approximately two months. Sub Trade pricing is not being accepted at this time. Further update Summer 2011.

Shore Tilbe Perkins + Will is completing this project under their former name of Shore Tilbe Irwin & Partners.

Project: concrete foundation, structural steel frame, electric heating system, proposed environmentally friendly construction of a theatre, concession, and underground bike storage. The project will also include a new washroom building, a two storey restaurant building with a roof terrace and glass topped stage on the west side of the grounds, a new tourism kiosk at the corner of Queen and Bay Streets, and more than 100 new trees in a border around the plaza. The new buildings will connect to the square with elevated walkways, which will also be connected to the first phase of the project, report number 9082399.

Scope: 50,000 square feet; 2 storeys; 3 structures
Development: New
Category: Recreational bldgs; Restaurants; Public bldgs; Retail, wholesale services

 

[androiduk]

.

 

[jallan71]

Thanks for posting this pic Android - though I have to say the pace of development here is pretty depressing. It'll be April or even May until this building is done, at this rate. **sigh**

Does anybody know the official reason for this latest delay? As I recall, the most recent deadline for this structure was the end of February...

 

[Torontovibe]

Thanks for posting this pic Android - though I have to say the pace of development here is pretty depressing. It'll be April or even May until this building is done, at this rate. **sigh**

Does anybody know the official reason for this latest delay? As I recall, the most recent deadline for this structure was the end of February...

This seems to be really slow moving. Every time I pass by here, I only see a few guys working on this project.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

The LED's that light up the two towers have been off since early January, is that gravy?

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

The centre of the Square where the Peace Garden used to be and the west side. The square looks massive with the Peace Garden gone and the west side cleared. They can't get to the mud pit by the Queen Street sidewalk quick enough.

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

 

[Torontovibe]

The mud patch along Queen Street was the worst part of the square. Once they put in some pavement, I hope they add tables & chairs, so people can sit and eat their truck bought food.