News   Jul 12, 2024
199 Church Showcases Heritage Facade and Artwork at Street Level
 1.6K     0 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Six Points Plaza Redevelopment Advances With 36-Storey First Phase
 1.2K     1 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Trading Spaces: Can Real Estate Conversion Help Boost Housing Supply?
 449     0 

John Street Roundhouse: Toronto Railway Heritage Centre, Steam Whistle, The Rec Room

While attending the CN Tower illumination launch, I was struck by how good the Roundhouse is as a public space in the city, despite the fact that there is a giant round hole where the turntable used to be, and half the site is covered by weed (must be a grow-op, I kept smelling other people's pot throughout the ceremony). I think the Roundhouse would make a great public square and a gathering place for visitors to the CN Tower, and fans attending games at the SkyDome.

Leon's can certainly move into Roundhouse Park, but I would suggest that it not move into the Roundhouse itself. I'm thinking it could build a new Umbra-like building northeast of the Roundhouse, between the Roundhouse and Bremner. Not only would it look good for the area, it would also help to enclose the Roundhouse space. The enclosed space would be paved, with trees and vegetation spaced out evenly, plus public artwork, street furniture, and lighting. It could be used for Jays/Argos pregame/tailgate parties, evening concerts, and CN Tower sound and light shows like what happened on Thursday night.

The turntable hole can be transformed into an amphitheatre space, or even a water fountain/skating rink. If no railway museum will be placed in the Roundhouse, it would make a great "tourist trap" (insert whatever great ideas you have for a tourist trap here).
 
I've always thought that a History of Canada museum would be a perfect fit. It also fits the railway theme since Canada was pretty much created by the first CPR line. Any patriotic billionaires out there? (Yes, I'm talking to you, Westons and Thompsons)
 
From the Globe:

JOHN STREET ROUNDHOUSE
Brewery offers $10-million toward rail museum
JAMES RUSK

July 17, 2007

On the eve of a crucial city council vote to stop negotiations that could see part of a historical John Street Roundhouse turned into a furniture store, Steam Whistle Brewing offered yesterday to put up $10-million to build a rail museum instead.

"I do think that it [a furniture store in the roundhouse] is a crazy idea," said Cameron Heaps, president of Steam Whistle. "What is so crazy about it is that it is the culture department of our city that is supporting it, not a department like real estate."

Later today, the city could vote on a motion by councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20 Trinity-Spadina) for the city to stay until October any further negotiations on the completion of a deal that would result in the leasing of the roundhouse space to Leon's Furniture.

Mr. Vaughan has been leading the charge to stop Leon's from using the roundhouse as a furniture store, and he has lined up high-profile support, including former mayor David Crombie, former Metro Toronto chairman Paul Godfrey, and entertainment district executives to argue for a tourist use of the space.

Mr. Heaps said that since the plan to use the space for a furniture store became known, "I've never seen public reaction so strong. Nine of 10 people I've talked to think it is crazy to put a Leon's next door."

Leon's would sublease the space from State Building Group, a company that rents 18 of the roundhouse's 32 bays from the city. State Building Group plans to convert three bays to a rail museum, which Steam Whistle says would be large enough for only two rail cars, even though nine are currently being held in the roundhouse for museum use.

Steam Whistle, which rents 14 bays for its brewery, wants to rent the remaining 18 bays on the same terms that have been offered Leon's, and would convert 10 bays to a rail museum, use two for a service facility for the museum, and use three for a shop where rail buffs could restore equipment.

The proposed lease would give State Building Group the right to take over the three museum bays from the Leon's deal if the proposed rail museum, which Steam Whistle is prepared to subsidize for up to $900,000 a year, is not financially viable, the company's proposal says.

If council adopts Mr. Vaughan's motion, city staff would have until September to study Steam Whistle's proposal and business plan. A crucial issue for council is whether the Leon's lease is a done deal.

The Steam Whistle proposal says that it has an opinion from an outside counsel that, if the lease between State Building Group and the city was not executed by Dec. 31, 2006, and no formal extension was granted, the city can walk away from the negotiations "without precipitating any reasonable grounds for action."

Mr. Heaps said that he thought that neither the lease between the city and State Building Group nor the sublease between State Building Group and Leon's had been signed.

But Michael Clark, vice-president of States Building Group, said in an interview that the company had received proper extensions to allow the lease with the city to be completed, that both leases had been signed, and that both Mr. Vaughan and councillor Kyle Rae (Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale) had been shown the leases.

"This is a done deal," Mr. Clark said.

AoD
 
I always thought that the round house should have been part of a working rail museum, one with operating steam and diesel locomotives taking tourists from the round house for a short run around the city. We certainly have the rail network to make that happen, see details at http://ca.geocities.com/railsintoronto@rogers.com/bigmap.html

There are lots of working rail museums throughout North American and overseas, the vast majority of which out of the public purse and instead are self funded through fares and donations.
 
Nobody should stop a private company from putting up $10M for anything, but Mr. Heaps must have fallen in the vat if he is going to sacrifice 10 mil of his own company's profit to an idea which just screams "instant failure!"

I'm reminded of that line from the Simpsons:

"Hello, I represent a group of Texas oil barons who make foolish purchases."
 
That's too bad, because considering the location, a railway museum would be perfect for the area. The lands were, after all, railway lands, and rail has a very important place in Canada's political, economic and social history.

It's the failure to see the potential value of such a museum that makes me wonder just what kind of cultural institutions will end up on the waterfront.
 
I'm guessing Steamwhistle may be hoping to get some of their money back by renting out more space for events. It does show that they've had quite a financial turnaround. They were having some problems paying the rent in the early years.
 
Finally, someone who has a brain did some real thinking. Those counsellors who approved on the Leon thing should all be fired.
 
From the Globe:

IN BRIEF
Leon's set to move into historic roundhouse
JENNIFER LEWINGTON

July 19, 2007

Last-ditch efforts have failed to block part of the historic John Street Roundhouse from being taken over by a furniture store, Councillor Adam Vaughan (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina), announced yesterday at city council.

"There is absolutely nothing we can do to stop Leon's [Furniture]," said a despondent Mr. Vaughan, moments after withdrawing a motion asking council to delay until October a final deal to lease roundhouse space to the big-box retailer.

Citing parking, heritage and other rules, Mr. Vaughan said he had exhausted all options.

He was especially incensed that councillors are not allowed to review the proposed lease between Leon's and State Development Corp., which is subleasing the space from the city.

AoD
 
Good for Leons. Even though I don't care for the store myself, I am sure there are plenty of people that do and will be glad to have it in the area. There is no reason why they should not be allowed to open a store in the roundhouse assuming they follow all the heritage guidelines and respect the building.

And sure, maybe it would have been nice if a rail museum could take that space instead, but, they failed to make it happen over the past 15 years and someone else beat them too it. Better luck next time.
 
I think Leon's and the development consortium did their homework and saw it as a big opportunity in what is going to become, in the coming decades, a very popular and highbrow part of town. I think had the lease been blocked somehow, another consortium would have stepped forward in the coming years with another option that is perhaps more appropriate for the building.. however we'll never know.
 
I guess one can hope that Leons will go into the space, spend a lot of money to fix up the joint, and then realize that they are losing money and bail on the location leaving it available (and newly restored) for a better use.

Me thinks that is highly unlikely though. This site will likely only be a showroom, kind of like DeBeers in College Park. It will be used to showcase their furniture, not to sell in-house stored furniture. Free delivery will most likely be included in any sale.
 
Now that Leon's is moving in, I'd really like to see Bremner turn into a vibrant retail street, but that's highly unlikely with so many breaks in the streetscape like the MTCC, the Roundhouse Park, the pumping station and the parking lot in front of SkyDome.

I still think it's a good idea to transform the space between the Roundhouse and the CN Tower into Toronto's next great public square (read above). Leon's could supply the street furniture! Another great PR move for Leon's could be to open a furniture museum in their space at the Roundhouse, a tourism sideshow to the CN Tower.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top