Globe: Olympic Spirit Closing!

[unimaginative2]

It had a lot of potential. Certainly many people are enamoured of the Olympic concept. I have a friend who went to Lausanne just to visit the Olympic museum (and loved it). Even when she lived in Toronto, though, she never went to Olympic Spirit. She thought it was outrageously priced and likely didn’t have very impressive displays. It was then that I realized the place was doomed to fail. PenEquity was obviously an abysmal choice to operate the thing, and it should be the IOC suing them, not the other way around. The admission should have been ten dollars at the most, and it should have had a huge gift shop of Olympic-related merchandise. There’s so much that could’ve been done with something like that, but PenEquity ran it like they were running a Harvey’s.

 

[MetroMan1000]

Nobody's raised the question: Is this telling of the future of the yet unborn Musical Hall of Fame, also managed by the largely incapable PenEquity?

 

[blixa442]

Possibly, but the Music Hall of Fame should be easier to market, not to mention it'll have better location.

 

[SD2]

Really really west I'd say.

:lol

 

[The Burgher of TO]

is penequity actually managing the music hall of fame, or are they just the landlord? i was under the impression that the same people who were behind metronome were behind the hall of fame

 

[thenay]

It didn't look professional from the outside, nor did it look finished. The cost to go in was a bit pricey, at $16 for an adult, and i'd rather go up the CN Tower and spend $5 more. So it doesn't surprise me that it got closed.

I hope whoever takes over the new building makes the exterior nice and professional. I was inside Olympic Spirit once, it was ok, its large enough for a nightclub and a restaurant on-top. Wonder what will fill it. Time will tell

 

[Ed007Toronto]

i was under the impression that the same people who were behind metronome were behind the hall of fame

Different people are behind the two projects.

 

[esplanade guy]

Once you saw how 3rd rate the outside looked, you certainly weren't enticed to go inside and friends of mine who did go, gave it a bad review. If Pen Equity is going to run the Music Hall of Fame, I am not feeling too good about that. I have no faith in them at all , even run a Tim Hortons.

 

[alklay]

Pen Equity is not the manager of anything. They are simply landlords.

Come to think of it, the Torch would be an excellent location for the Music Hall of Fame and Pen Equity could use the space in Metropolis (that was set aside for the Hall) for retail purposes (which the building is obviously very suited for). It may be easier to cut up the space in Metropolis for retail than perhaps re-leasing the Torch.

And the Music Hall of Fame would not be lost in the clutter that is and will be Metropolis.

 

[unimaginative2]

If you go to the Metropolis website and look at the leasing plan, the Music Hall of Fame doesn't seem to be there anymore. Nor is the Boston Pizza, as far as I can tell. Much of the subway-level space has been leased, though, for a Shoppers. An Adidas shop seems to be taking the corner unit. Wasn't something else there before?

 

[building babel]

I like how the rust is creeping up the grey metal mesh cladding on the east side of the tower. The approach from the east is actually somewhat interesting - the building is mysteriously unlike any other in the city, from that angle.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"Wasn't something else there before?"

A Virgin store?

 

[Darkstar416]

It didn't look professional from the outside

To be frank, it never looked completed. Nor did it look inviting. It constantly looked like a "work in progress." Moreover, I rarely saw any literature or media advertising the place.

 

[samsonyuen]

Well, on the lease plans, they definitely have:

AMC
Fourth Floor: Wolfgang Puck Café
something called Jam Rock's

Third Floor: Food Court (Opa! Souvlaki, Made in Japan, Juice Rush, Saute, Subway, Koryo, California Thai, Caribbean Queen, Pita Village, Beijing Express, Tab Ltd.), lots of space (10 slots)

Second Floor: Future Shop

Ground Floor: Future Shop, Adidas (where Canadian Music Hall of Fame was, I believe), Starbucks, Modrobes, Johnny Rockets, Tim Hortons

Concourse: Adidas, Shoppers Drug Mart, Jugo Juice, Timothy's, Wolfgang Puck, Cinnabon, Via Gelateria, Mrs. Fields/Pretzelmaker, Bubble Tease, another Subway, Bagel Stop, Crepe Delicious, Lottery Kiosk, Sushi Q

lots of office space as high up as Level 10, and no tenants yet for Concourse 2 and 3!

 

[scarberiankhatru]

It's basically just one big food court at this point.