Something Fishy - Updated

I was walking by the CN Tower grounds the other day and I noticed a new rezoning board. Urban Strategies, the planning consulting firm, has put forward an application to build an aquarium and commercial building on the CN Tower grounds. The aquarium would be built on the green space to the east of the tower. The commercial building would abut the SkyDome terrace to the west of the tower.

There’s no doubt that the CN Tower grounds need relandscaping. The not-so-recent renovation to the lobby/gift shop was well done, but the exterior has a long list of problems: too much concrete on the SkyDome side, perennial Christmas lights, an asphalt pathway to the Skywalk with a painted yellow curb warning, and the Communities In Bloom display that inexplicably trumpets non-destinations like Oshawa and Burlington.

The city has long had aspirations for an aquarium. But whether it would be economically viable is the question, especially since Toronto’s institutions are crying poor and charging $20 admission.  Checking the City of Toronto's website, I found that the aquarium would be a Ripley's aquarium.  There seem to be two others in Tennessee and South Carolina.

Field of Dreams

Next year, the Minnesota Twins will play baseball at a new outdoor field. Foolish or not, outdoor baseball in Minnesota will reduce to two the number of artificial turf stadiums in Major League Baseball –Toronto and Tampa Bay being the culprits. Furthermore, since Tropicana Field is baseball-specific, Toronto’s will be the only stadium with a reduced-dirt infield (no dirt between the bases), which is necessary for quick conversion of the field. This baseball embarassment hurts the field’s aesthetic which already suffers from the visible FieldTurf panel seams. (Why doesn’t the Metrodome have this problem too?)

So, is it time for a baseball-specific outdoor stadium in Toronto? There may be no money to pay for it. But where might we build it? A brief survey of downtown shows a potential location on Queen’s Quay between Freeland and the Loblaw's on Lower Jarvis. These two blocks (Cooper street would have to close) are surface parking lots save for the LCBO distribution warehouse which would be properly relocated to the 905. The site is roughly equidistant from Union station as the former SkyDome, and is adjacent to Waterfront Toronto’s East Bayfront development area.

Maple Leaf Square Not As Advertised

It’s a given these days that architectural renderings will look different than what’s actually built. It’s only a matter of degree. The most egregious offender must be Maple Leaf Square. From the rendering you would expect towers of blue glass and a glass curtainwall podium with light-coloured, solid (masonry?) elements at one corner. Look at what’s actually being built – green glass on the towers and a black podium also with green glass making it an unfortunate example of the condo-quarium look, as if the entire building were a giant fish tank. It’s really a shame for Maple Leaf Square to lose its aesthetic quality as the massing, amenities and location of the project are so good.

Queen's Quay Redesign

Last month, I attended a presentation on the central waterfront environmental assessment. The work has progressed to the preferred alternative stage. From a master plan standpoint, this means we’re back to where we were in 2006 when the design competition ended. Up until now, the EA has been working to prove that the winning design is the best planning solution for the area. Not surprisingly, it found that it is. With one exception. Waterfront Toronto and West 8 had always preferred a one-way street on the north side of Queen’s Quay. At this point, they are recommending a two-way street. I believe this change has come out of stakeholder meetings and further technical investigation. The other elements of the winning design that are supported include: a TTC right of way with a grass track-bed; and the continuous Martin Goodman trail to replace the south side car lanes.

http://tinyurl.com/ctp6dm

I’m impressed with the preferred alternative, but its success will lie not in its vision but in its details. As part of the environmental assessment process, the specifics of how each intersection along the street will actually operate have been defined. It’s a complicated mess that lacks consistency. On paper, it’s easy to see how each piece works, but it’s hard to imagine whether a trip will feel impeded or promoted. Areas of concern include: multiple stage traffic lights to accommodate different modes of travel; a service road in front of harbour square; and eastbound traffic crossing the streetcar tracks between Bathurst and Spadina. I’m still excited for the project. They’ve actually finished constructing some elements (Spadina slip built, Rees and Simcoe slips to be completed in the summer.) Let’s hope the plan succeeds.