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The City Of Toronto's Executive Committee has approved the plan to build much a needed four-arena skating facility in the Port Lands. The original concept consisted of four arenas and 440 parking spots all on ground level. The design was much derided as many felt the design violated the spirit of the plans for the entire waterfront area as it was redeveloped.

Enter Plan B.
PortlandSkateRink.jpg


The new design is by Bob Goyeche of RDH Architects and it looks great. The project will cost an $88 million to complete. Currently $34 million has been earmarked so a significant amount will still need to be raised.
 
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My spidey sense is tingling...

Spider, I'm not sure why you don't want this facility, other than cost, but all of your arguments are... suspect.

First of all, for those of us who have kids playing hockey in Riverdale, our choices are Leaside (packed) and East York (ditto). Moss Park has a sort-of house league program, but not a real house league or rep teams.

Leaside is so packed that it's causing issues by trying to find better ice times for its girls. Ted Reeves has put a bubble on the back lot to twin its arena. Our beloved Moss Park may be the crappiest arena on the planet. Where's the frickin' four pad?

So, a new arena five minutes drive from my house would be excellent, thanks. And, for any of those condo dwellers in CityPlace, Harbourfront, along Bay, etc. etc. who'd rather drive to Cherry than Rinx/York U/Lakeshore/Agincourt/Pickering (one buddy of mine), a new arena'd be great, thanks.

Hey, I'm the first to admit that I'd be happy with the original, suburban design. I'm looking for hockey in the 'nabe, not design. But, I understand why others would prefer dropping an extra 20% to design a better building, to be offset by increased density charges to developers and a bigger, better park.

Last, but not least, when was the GTHL actually relevant in any hockey discussion in Toronto? Early '60s?

Cheers.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Here is some additional info on the Leutschenbach School in Zurich by Christian Kerez shown in the presentation:

http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Switzerland/Zurich/Leutschenbach School
http://www.bartonengineers.co.uk/press-18 AT Structural Analysis Leutschenbach.html

And some rather stunning images of the interior:
http://radostar.com/media/images/magazine/uploads/architektur_gold.jpg
http://www.szs.ch/user_content/edit...CS 2009/43_leutschenbach_kerez2_3001x2028.jpg

AoD
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Ahh! Thank you AoD.

Just made me love this development even more!
 
Awesome news! Glad to see this is going through, and can't wait to see it glowing on our waterfront.
 
Not to be a naysayer, but just remember that it hasn't been funded yet, and anything can happen after November. Probably the best thing that can be done is For the city to get creative about finding ways to close the funding gap.

Me, I'd suggest adding another floor and putting in a high end gym and maybe a restaurant that can cover a big chunk of it over 20 years. The views from there would be spectacular.
 
Northern Magus said:
I'd suggest adding another floor and putting in a high end gym and maybe a restaurant that can cover a big chunk of it over 20 years. The views from there would be spectacular.
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That's a brilliant suggestion. If the actual building is going to be more conventionally office-building-shaped, there is no reason that money-making floors with tenants can't be added. This is a great location, and I'm sure that there would be others who want a great waterfront address.
 
Northern Magus said:
Not to be a naysayer, but just remember that it hasn't been funded yet, and anything can happen after November. Probably the best thing that can be done is For the city to get creative about finding ways to close the funding gap.

Me, I'd suggest adding another floor and putting in a high end gym and maybe a restaurant that can cover a big chunk of it over 20 years. The views from there would be spectacular.
Click to expand...

Its a good idea but a tough sell on complexes such as this. A restaurant would be really tough outside of say a snack bar or pizza pizza type stand. Currently there really isn't a population to support general amenities such as restaurants in this area. Tenant space would likely remain vacant for a while and early businesses would likely fold due to lack of traffic. I think grouping similar specialty functions such as a gym and perhaps sports therapy clinic could work e.g. play hockey, get injured, get fixed, rehabilitate in the gym, play hockey again!

Then again if this were to be developed as a truly mixed use area, anything is possible.
 
Tell me something, who's gonna want to ride an elevator to the 3rd or 4th floor with all of their stinky hockey gear...are they planning to have high-speed freight sized elevators?
 
bAuHaUs said:
Tell me something, who's gonna want to ride an elevator to the 3rd or 4th floor with all of their stinky hockey gear...are they planning to have high-speed freight sized elevators?
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Maybe the same people who wear around their stinky hockey gear?... why would it even be an issue?
 
bAuHaUs said:
Tell me something, who's gonna want to ride an elevator to the 3rd or 4th floor with all of their stinky hockey gear...are they planning to have high-speed freight sized elevators?
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Because taking your stinky hockey gear in your van is no issue.
 
I'm being facetious...hockey and stink go hand in hand i know that...it's the elevator ride to the rinks that to me seems counter intuative, especially at a 4 rink facility. Have you ever stood outside a mutli-rink facility on a Saturday morning and watched the hoards of young and old with all of their equipment bags, sticks, etc.. rush in and out of the facility. Now, imagine the same traffic waiting for elevators, or perhaps even ask that our pee-wee players walk four flights of stairs since the elevators are broken with their heavy equipment bags. We shouldn't stack things for the sake of staking them. Option A seems to make more sense to me only cause we are talking about ice rinks and not a shopping centre, to which I have no objection of stacking (e.g., Eaton Centre).
 
bAuHaUs said:
Tell me something, who's gonna want to ride an elevator to the 3rd or 4th floor with all of their stinky hockey gear...are they planning to have high-speed freight sized elevators?
Click to expand...

I was thinking maybe "open" elevators would do the trick. Have one side with a door where you get on or off and have other side just a cage that's open to the rest of the arena. Of course the open side would never have to pass to closely to any floors, don't want any kids losing arms in a freak accident.
 
The Rogers Centre has large ramps that huge crowds of people walk up many stories to get to their seats -- why would this place need elevators for the able-bodied public?
 
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