City
Ontario Place site to become a public park
Ontario Place will become "a state of the art public park" under revitalization plans unveiled today by John Tory, the chair of the revitalization panel charged with repurposing the land occupied by the shuttered waterfront site.
The park, which will include some residential and commercial development, will be accessible in all seasons and form "a new backyard for Ontarians," Tory announced in a press conference at Queen's Park. Designs and renderings are still a way off, but the panel emphasized the need to create a vibrant waterfront destination like those found in other major cities.
According to the report, the park won't just be green space. The plans recommend a year-round music venue like the old Forum and several shops and artist studios. A hotel and resort is also on the cards but the report says the panel are specifically against "a wall of high-rise buildings."
Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced the closure of the park until 2017 and the demolition of several feature including the famous Cinesphere earlier this year as part of money-saving measures by the province. Park attendance had been gradually falling since a peak of 2.5 million guests in 1971, the year Ontario Place opened.
At the press conference, Tory suggested the Cinesphere and famous features like the pod pavilion could be renovated and incorporated into the final design. The former Ontario PC leader stressed the need for sustainable principles and green materials for any new buildings
After the decision to close was made public, there were suggestions the park become a waterfront casino or the site of condo developments. The province nixed the casino idea before the release of today's report. Previously, Tory said improving access to the waterfront would be the revitalization panel's top priority. A suggested public promenade around the edge of the site would appear to fulfill part of that idea.
The total cost of the project is still unclear but Tory said the cost of adding a streetcar connection to the park would be in the region of $100 million. He also said the bulk of the money is likely to come from private interests and philanthropists interested in acquiring naming rights, not higher levels of government.
The decision whether to proceed with the plans outlined in the report now lies with the province.
So, what's the consensus? Is a park a good way of repurposing this prime waterfront real estate post swan boats and water slides? Is there anything that could be added or removed to improve the overall proposal. Speak up in the comment thread.
Full report: Ontario Place Revitalization [PDF]
Photos: "Ontario Place" by mississaugapictures and "Toronto Skyline and Ontario Place" by Tom Podolec in the blogTO Flickr pool.
Discussion
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I don't remember them announcing the demolition of Cinesphere. At least I hope they didn't. That would be an awful thing to do. There was some discussion here the other day about the heritage value of the Sam the Record Man signs. Well, the heritage value of Cinesphere should be beyond debate.
"At the conference, Tory suggested the Cinesphere and other famous features could be incorporated into the design."
I doubt they'll have many proposals for condos on the site, it's pretty isolated. The whole condo draw is to live downtown, but Ontario place is a fair hike from downtown. Kudos to them for not wanting a wall of highrises though. This could become like a second Toronto Island. I hope they have canoe, kayak, etc. camps there, and really keep the focus on the waterfront and water activities.
Of course this is historically what we've been doing in this city for the last half-century :( If we wonder why there's no sense of self in Toronto, mercilessly bulldozing our otherwise famous architecture might be one of many reasons.
-I'm not sure that "explore ways" is a solid endorsement of Ontario Place's greatest asset.
There is a pretty clear precedent for this entire venture, possibly worth a full BlogTO post. It's called Brooklyn Bridge Park, on the Brooklyn shoreline facing Manhattan. Very similar to the future Ontario Place:
- 85 acres (OP is 96 acres)
- waterfront redevelopment of former industrial land
- somewhat disconnected by highways, etc. from rest of city
- multiphase redevelopment over many years (about 50% open at present)
- park is required to be economically self-sufficient, financed through revenues from commercial and residential development within the site.
- public park
- heavily programmed, with a carousel, pop-up pool, kayaking, etc.
- Massive playgrounds. Very family-oriented
- pre-existing buildings being renovated and integrated
- live music regularly presented in the park
If I were Tory & Co. I would visit Brooklyn Bridge Park and study it very closely, but I suspect they may have done so already. It is clearly a model that works.
Any funny how some people on various news sites (and the BlogTO FB page) have been poo-pooing housing on the site - urban planning 101 calls for mixed use and that is what is ebing recommended.
Would love to see some shoreline rehabilitation too - get rid of some of the concrete and steel walls and let nature do its thing.
Do we have to devalue our attractions and have everything branded with a corporate name? The new park will bring in tourist money which will more than pay for its construction. Let's not fall for this corporate agenda nonsense.
I am getting excited just thinking about all of the great opportunities for this space! its great that they have decided to oust potential highrise buildings and a casino.
Instead, why not source out architectural firms such DTAH, who have re-thought out spaces such as wynchwood barns, brick works, or the waterfront revitalization project which is currently underway... http://dtah.com/project/
exciting stuff!!!
Take it from one who used to go to those Big Screen Film Festivals in the dead of winter. Getting off the streetcar at the wrong end of The Ex and walking to Ontario Place wasn't fun.
And yes! Absolutely keep the Cinesphere and turn it in to greenhouse space. Makes perfect sense. Dwight would be a dimwit if he decided to tear that structure down.
Just too many docked boats, rusting away, when it could easily be another attraction to this great city.
However, it is a good sign at least.
It was always one of my favourite log flumes, and if parks can have a carousel, why not a log flume? It's be different, that's for sure.
I also really hope they keep the water park available; I only noticed at Warped Tour they got a Tantrum slide and I really want to give it a try.
Seriously, there's already a transit connection nearby. This could be a chance to have a stretch of track that is almost entirely off-street and serving multiple attractions (Exhibition Place/GO, BMO Field, Ontario Place).
Condotario Place Village, anyone? That's probably the only recommendation the province will follow because it's the only one that will result in $$$$$$$.
Otherwise, love the rest of the ideas.