[allabootmatt]

A little weekend fun, as I'm curious what others think. Despite Toronto's enormous development boom, there are still lots of parking lots/crappy buildings/underused sites which are not spoken for. What would be your top 5 on the kill list? I was inspired by a Kyle Rae quotation in the paper last week to the effect of "my mission is to get rid of parking lots."

My list, in no particular order:

The awful strip plaza at Yonge and Roxborough (Starbucks and Roger's Video). Totally wrecks what could be one of the city's nicest corners.

The Cooke's Church lot at Queen and Mutual. When the heck is that going away!?!?

Cumberland Terrace.

The chain of strip malls on the south side of College between Spadina and Bathurst. There's 3 or 4 of them, amazing they have survived.

Surface lot behind Hotel Le Germain on King/Mercer. Bah!

 

[ganjavih]

The three or four lots around Bay St north of Dundas (including the one at Yonge and Gerrard). They make this prime central location one of the ugliest in the downtown core.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

I'd like to nominate the parking lot at Yonge & Wilson.

 

[RJR123]

The series of parking lots along the south side of Richmond, between Church and Victoria...yuck! And, of course, the Office Depot on King across from UpCountry.

 

[jaborandi]

The three or four lots around Bay St north of Dundas (including the one at Yonge and Gerrard). They make this prime central location one of the ugliest in the downtown core.

Those would be my choice as well

 

[unimaginative2]

The parking lot at Queen and Peter. I pass it almost every day. I'd love to see it turn into some kind of Camdenesque market.

 

[Edward]

Cookes Church and Yonge and Gerrard.

 

[Hipster Duck]

There are still way too many...

- That giant thing at Queen and Mutual.
- Colborne and Church
- the former Opera house lot at Wellesley and Bay/Yonge
- the stuff that Ganja said
- King and Spadina, SW corner (technically this is a Budget car rental lot, but it still is a blight on an otherwise excellent intersection)
- Bathurst and College, SW corner
- That huge one south of Wellesley subway station

Crappy buildings that we need to obliterate almost deserve their own thread.

 

[lordmandeep]

are these empty lots or underdeveloped lots...


I would like to see some empty lots get filled out side in the inner city burbs as well. Quite a few of them are getting filled, but mostly with retail stores..

 

[Pep'rJack]

Horrors not yet mentioned...

- Bloor & Church (SW)

- Front & Spadina (NE)

- Queen & Portland (SW)

- East side of Spadina, just north of Bloor subway entrance (in front of Madison pub)

"The chain of strip malls on the south side of College between Spadina and Bathurst."

The one at Augusta was once supposed to become 'Al Waxman Square' - where's my Al Waxman Square? 'Twould be supercool.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Mentioning sites south of Front isn't really fair, so, by default, 3 of 4 corners at Yonge & Sheppard win the 'gaping void' award almost unanimously, but I believe there may now proposals for all 3.

 

[adma]

That huge parcel at the SW corner of Bloor & Keele

 

[ShonTron]

Any downtown Beer Store - Bathurst S. of College, Church N. of Wellesley, Gerrard E. of Sherbourne, etc, etc.

One more reason why I'd like beer to be sold in grocery and corner stores.

Queen/Mutual, John/Adelaide, Bay/Elm, Dundas/Bond, the crappy strip plazas on Church between Gerrard and Carlton (like Mr. Tasty), Victoria/Richmond (and the tiny St. Mike's lot at Queen).

At least there's plans for other hated lots - Queen/Portland, Yonge/Gerrard, University/Adelaide.

 

[khris]

That power substation at Wellington/John.

 

[EnviroTO]

^ Bingo. That is the biggest eyesore. Most of the substations have buildings wrapped around them, like the one north of city hall on Bay. The lame wall and billboard combo they poorly hide the property on John Street fails to make the area any more inviting.