***Waterfront Development Thread***

[Jaye101]

We're attracting the best

Feb 03, 2007 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume

Toronto is fast becoming a meeting ground for some of the best landscape architects in the world.

That ground is located on the waterfront, where at least 12 major projects – parks, beaches and whole neighbourhoods – are underway.

The latest project to be launched, the $65 million Lower Don Lands Innovative Design Competition, has attracted a gaggle of internationally renowned practitioners. The shortlist, released yesterday, includes five firms chosen from the 29 who entered. They are:

Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, New York, with acclaimed Toronto planner, Ken Greenberg. MVVA is already familiar with Toronto's waterfront through its work at Don River Park, now under construction.

Weiss/Manfredi Architects, New York, much admired for the recently opened Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, an exquisite waterfront project that has many lessons for Toronto. Local partner is highly respected DTAH.

Atelier Girot and Landscape Morphology, Paris, who have worked throughout Europe.

Hargreaves Associates, whose San Francisco project, Crissy Field, transformed a military airstrip into a waterfront park. Their local Toronto partner is the Hough Group.

Stoss Landscape Urbanism, Cambridge, Mass., with Brown & Storey, the small Toronto architectural practice best known for Yonge-Dundas Square.

Organized by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp., the competition is a complicated one.

"It's the spot where the West Don Lands, the East Bayfront and Docklands all connect," explains TWRC vice-president of development, Chris Glaisek.

"It's the hole in the doughnut. It's a very complex site with various competing demands: naturalizing the mouth of the Don, redeveloping private lands including the old Victory silos and The Home Depot property, and everything east of Cherry St.

"The firms have been asked to come up with an integrated strategy that deals with transit, roads, social and recreational needs.

"We want to pick a team that's creative and visionary, but that also has a demonstrated ability to work with technically complex projects."

The teams have been invited to an orientation session on Friday. They will have eight weeks to prepare their submissions. The winner will be announced April 30.

[Jaye101]

Does anybody realize that the most progress the city has made in a long time began with David Miller taking the seat as mayor?

[Filip]

...No.

[phunky]

I wouldn't let David Miller take the credit for it. He's not responsible for it at all. It just so happens things are going in the direction they have with him in power.

[Jaye101]

So if Mel Lastman was still mayor, these same things would be accomplished?

-The Toronto Act
-Redeveloping Regent Park
-Actual renders of the waterfront with construction imminent... Experiments to see what will work. (i.e Queens Quay summer 2006)
-Plan to Redesign NPsq
-Multiple effective Community programs

I just don't understand how people dislike him as much as they do, when he has done so much for the city.

[jeicow]

The fact everything happened under Miller is just timing. Lasman got a lot of bad press for the things he couldn't control (provincial downloading) though he was far from perfect. Of the things you listed, only one could be really contributed to Miller directly (community programs). The redevelopment of Regent Park has been a long time coming (predates Miller), the redesign of NP Sqaure likely will never see the light of day after a proposal wins, The TO Act is much more of a vote buying tactic by the Province to show they care about cities, and even then it doesn't look like the city will actually even use any of the real powers they gained. The TWRC could be contributed to Lasman, but even then the idea has been floating around for a while. The fact that proposals are coming out now is just timing more than anything else- the question is will any of these ubber-fancy plans ever actually become anything more than paper. Lots of nice things on paper but nothing really to show in person.

[Filip]

Exactly - most things Miller takes credit for were a long time coming and were just a question of timing.

I really dislike that man, he's so.. plain.

[Jaye101]

Everything that happened was a long time coming? Even though they all started happening one after another shortly after he took office? Although some of those issues were spoken about before, nobody pushed it as hard as Miller to go through. Even though he may be plain that doesn't effect the debate at all--if you don't recognize a person for what they accomplish, how are you going to criticize them on what they do not.

[nitzomoe]

Originally Posted by Filip

Exactly - most things Miller takes credit for were a long time coming and were just a question of timing.

I really dislike that man, he's so.. plain.

but hes got great hair!

[Taller, Better]

He is "plain" and that is one of the main reasons people dislike him. In this modern age we want everyone we see on tv to be glam or sexy, and judgements on politicians are made on their physical appearance. If he was handsome or a bit more showy, people wouldn't dislike him so much.

[Filip]

Nah.. not that kind of plain, I'm not looking for a sexy mayor Basically, if only he had a tad bit more charisma - he'd be able to do better with the feds and the province. Imagine a loud mouth mayor - one who can voice his opinions with class, no not Lastman, but someone with class, charisma, who'd be able to pull strings for Toronto.

[Taller, Better]

It is true that good looking people do well in politics, and sometimes get a lot more respect than they deserve.. but that is unavoidable... but I think Miller's style is more subtle than to publicly yell and scream at senior governments... as of yet, that is. Things might change if a federal election is called. Toronto can yell and scream all it wants, but until we actually start dropping support for the Tories in the polls, they won't take a damn bit of notice of us. Why should they, if we are going to vote for them anyway? In any case, I find Miller passionate about Toronto, and I believe he is doing a pretty good job under a lot of constraints. The mayor of Toronto doesn't really have a lot of power, and sometimes people forget that. He is certainly doing better than that dreadful Pitbull woman would have.

[Tuscani01]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

He is "plain" and that is one of the main reasons people dislike him. In this modern age we want everyone we see on tv to be glam or sexy, and judgements on politicians are made on their physical appearance. If he was handsome or a bit more showy, people wouldn't dislike him so much.

You know what... There arent many 'sexy' politicians. Sure some are easy on the eyes, but none of them really stand out or ever have. I would say Miller is easy on the eyes... but dam the way he talks really makes him sound boring and dead.

[Filip]

From the National Post:

Waterfront project shrouded in secrecy
No one will spill the beans on Project Symphony
PETER KUITENBROUWER, National Post
Published: Thursday, February 08, 2007

Leaving city council chambers yesterday, I awaited the elevator with a gentleman in a crisp blue suit. I introduced myself.

"John Piper," the man said, shaking my hand. "What do you do?"

"I work part-time for the Mayor."

As it turns out, I was at City Hall to try to find out more about something called Project Symphony, Toronto's latest waterfront development, shrouded so far in secrecy. I took my chance with the Mayor's man: "Do you know anything about Project Symphony?"

"Those questions are best put to TEDCO," he replied, referring to the Toronto Economic Development Corp., the city agency that owns huge swathes of the waterfront. Then he closed his mouth and just smiled for the rest of the ride.

Good answer! Clearly Mr. Piper (who I now know, is the Mayor's waterfront advisor) and his part-time boss, Mayor David Miller, do know something about Project Symphony but they are not talking.

So what is this so-called Project Symphony? I first heard of it on Monday, while reporting on TEDCO's decision to kick its long-time tenant, Cinespace Studios, out of Marine Terminal 28 at 175 Queens Quay E., just east of Tate & Lyle (previously known as Redpath Sugar).

Jeff Steiner, chief executive of TEDCO, told me Cinespace has to go so he can demolish the terminal to make way for Project Symphony: an office building,

set for completion in 2009, that will welcome 800 to 1,000 employees to the spot.

Mr. Steiner says he has a deal with a company that will be the tenant but will not give more details.

"We don't just need housing on the waterfront," he said. "We need jobs."

I called John Campbell, who heads up the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation. He, too, knows about Project Symphony, but won't talk.

I called the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, but they say they're happy at Roy Thomson Hall.

I called Metronome Canada, which has a project for a "Music City" at the foot of Bathurst Street, but they don't know about Project Symphony.

Back at the newsroom here in Don Mills, I went to see David Asper, the chairman of the National Post. Two years ago, Can- West Global Communications Corp., my employer, came close to a deal with the city for a building on the waterfront but walked away. [That was code-named "Project 24/7"]. Mr. Asper said CanWest has no new deal for the waterfront.)

Earlier yesterday at City Hall, Don Wanagas, the former Post columnist who is now the Mayor's communications director, gave a tour of the city press gallery to his journalism students from Humber College.

"This is Peter Kuitenbrouwer," he told them. "He gets his hair done by his pillow."

(Ever since Mr. Miller's election team ran those "Great Hair" ads, they've been obsessed with hair, I guess.)

"Hey Don," I asked him. "Do you know about Project Symphony?" He nodded. "So what is it?"

"Well, we can't really talk about it. We're still in negotiations. We're not ready to announce anything. I'll try to get some more for you."

On the second floor of City Hall on Tuesday, two bureaucrats were having a chat.

"Are you going to the Project Symphony meeting?" one asked.

Clearly, many people know about Project Symphony, except the people of Toronto.

I checked my voicemail; a gentleman had left a message saying, "I'm calling on an anonymous basis. I read your story. Jeff Steiner does not have a deal at 175 Queens Quay E. There is no Project Symphony."

It's funny the way TEDCO does business. When seeking to attract a film studio to the port lands, they put out a public request for proposal, and chose a winner. But for this project, they go through shadowy negotiations, then will, presumably, announce the winner as a fait accompli.

Clearly, TEDCO enjoys its privacy; the agency recently won a judgment at Superior Court to block Showline Studios' Access to Information request for the terms of its lease with Toronto Film Studios on the port lands.

Mr. Miller campaigned for mayor on a pledge to "shut the back door to City Hall." Well, we have made progress: These days the people on secret business walk in and out of the front door -- and don't tell me anything.

[valantino]

hopefully the rumour isn't true - I'd hate for the West Donlands masterplan to be ripped apart to become a jumbled mess on the waterfront

[phunky]

an office building... down there? weird!

[Taller, Better]

Yes, how weird to try and get jobs back onto the waterfront. Who would ever want to do that? Best to just keep closing all existing operations, and build only nice new condos.

[Filip]

I'm really excited about this development, and I'm obviously curious as hell as to know what the hell it is!

Methinks it could be a bank....

[InTheBeach]

Maybe this is the 1000ft Manulife thingy?? Waterloo Guy drools.

[Filip]

No.. no way, not by the water, not in East Bayfronts. I'm thinking it might be Manulife - but it would be a much more "restrained" building - probably a gigantic hulking midrise.

Btw, also could be CTV Globemedia.... What I'd do to have the news with a beautiful background view of some waterfront promenades and the lake filled with yacts, people skating etc... what a great view that'd be.