jje1000
Senior Member
I do wonder how much of the land developers would be willing to buy- some areas are good, but other areas have contaminated soils that may need costly remediation.
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Rob Ford's Toronto
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I do wonder how much of the land developers would be willing to buy- some areas are good, but other areas have contaminated soils that may need costly remediation.
TrickyRicky
Senior Member
What's important here is not that waterfront toronto should or shouldn't be scrutinized, it's that anyone cares what Doug Ford says. The fact that the media is interested in what Doug Ford says and more importantly that they are right to because he has such a frankly scary amount of influence in the Mayor's office is the real issue. This is something to be concerned about if you care about good government regardless of your political affiliation.
allabootmatt
Senior Member
This all seems rather a dangerous game with regard to the East Bayfront anyway. Presumably Hines and the other developers involved have very serious contracts with WaterfrontToronto, and very serious lawyers if those agreements aren't honored. And I would be willing to bet rather good money that those documents specify public realm and infrastructure improvements to be provided by the City and/or WT. Similarly, tripartite funding agreements between the three levels of government aren't typically written in gravy, but in rather permanent ink.
I know this is asking a rather lot of the Brothers Grim, but if I were them I would be awfully careful about shooting my mouth off.
I know this is asking a rather lot of the Brothers Grim, but if I were them I would be awfully careful about shooting my mouth off.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
My favourite Edsel ( or whatever his name is ... ) Ford quote from the Globe article:
Mr. Ford wants things to happen faster – big things. He talks about making the waterfront a true destination, with attractions like the giant London Eye Ferris wheel and dramatic buildings like the curvy “Marilyn Monroe” condominium in Mississauga – not just “square glass condominiums.”
He says that when he brings U.S. visitors to Toronto, they tell him, “Doug, you’ve got a beautiful, clean city but there’s nothing to do here.”
“Well,” he tells them, “there’s going to be something to do.”
Methinks we've heard this all before - spectacle! the Edifice Complex! etc. etc.
Mr. Ford wants things to happen faster – big things. He talks about making the waterfront a true destination, with attractions like the giant London Eye Ferris wheel and dramatic buildings like the curvy “Marilyn Monroe” condominium in Mississauga – not just “square glass condominiums.”
He says that when he brings U.S. visitors to Toronto, they tell him, “Doug, you’ve got a beautiful, clean city but there’s nothing to do here.”
“Well,” he tells them, “there’s going to be something to do.”
Methinks we've heard this all before - spectacle! the Edifice Complex! etc. etc.
nfitz
Superstar
Doesn't really matter how willing they are. They will find it difficult if not impossible to get financing if the land doesn't pass standards. And most of these developers don't have the financial resources at hand to self-finance ... they need someone to put up the money.
adma
Superstar
Yeah, I guess Toronto's failed. I mean, compare Plano, Texas. If Toronto grew the way Plano has over the past half century, we'd have 15 billion people living here by now. But all we have is a piddly 2.5 million
GraphicMatt
Looking forward to a FRESH START for Toronto
To be fair, I tried to make a list of potential things-to-do-in-Toronto recommendations for Doug Ford's friends and came up only with "baseball game" and "????"
urbandreamer
recession proof
Doug Ford was talking about his city, not our city. Etobicoke.
W. K. Lis
Superstar
In Doug's ward, he must have spent nights seeing the airplanes land on the runways as they pass overhead, place bets on horse races at Woodbine Racetrack, and shop at the Woodbine Centre (and ride in the amusement park in the centre).
Tewder
Senior Member
I guess both Doug and Billy Bob feel that Toronto is a whole lot of mashed potatoes sans gravy... wait, no gravy?
Still, I can see a little of Doug's point here. The waterfront is starting to feel a little overdesigned, a little too precious for words.
Still, I can see a little of Doug's point here. The waterfront is starting to feel a little overdesigned, a little too precious for words.
Eug
Senior Member
NOW Magazine has filed a complaint against Rob Ford.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/977067--now-files-integrity-complaint-against-ford?bn=1
In a complaint to the city’s integrity commissioner, NOW Magazine says Mayor Rob Ford abused his influence when a member of his staff contacted a City Hall custodial supervisor on Mar. 31 about an issue of the publication that featured doctored images showing Ford nearly naked.
The supervisor, Lorraine Pickett, subsequently instructed custodial colleagues at other city facilities to remove and dispose of all copies of the issue. Pickett said she had been asked to do so by “the mayor’s office.”
Ford’s spokesperson, Adrienne Batra, said the staffer had never made such a request. She called the situation a “misunderstanding.” But NOW editor and chief executive Alice Klein expressed skepticism on Tuesday.
“Under media scrutiny, the mayor’s office claimed that the order to remove and destroy our newspaper at all city facilities, including libraries, was a misunderstanding. We feel that that was a significant breach of citizens’ right to free expression, and we deserve a more detailed explanation. We obviously are suspicious that the mayor overstepped the powers of his office,” Klein said.
The integrity commissioner, Janet Leiper, investigates complaints that city councillors and the mayor have breached the council code of conduct. She does not have jurisdiction over staff members. Batra, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, said on Mar. 31 that Ford himself had nothing to do with the staffer’s call to Pickett and that he responded to the images with “good humour.”
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Yeah, freedom of speech and all that, but honestly NOW now just sounds like a bunch of whiners.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/977067--now-files-integrity-complaint-against-ford?bn=1
In a complaint to the city’s integrity commissioner, NOW Magazine says Mayor Rob Ford abused his influence when a member of his staff contacted a City Hall custodial supervisor on Mar. 31 about an issue of the publication that featured doctored images showing Ford nearly naked.
The supervisor, Lorraine Pickett, subsequently instructed custodial colleagues at other city facilities to remove and dispose of all copies of the issue. Pickett said she had been asked to do so by “the mayor’s office.”
Ford’s spokesperson, Adrienne Batra, said the staffer had never made such a request. She called the situation a “misunderstanding.” But NOW editor and chief executive Alice Klein expressed skepticism on Tuesday.
“Under media scrutiny, the mayor’s office claimed that the order to remove and destroy our newspaper at all city facilities, including libraries, was a misunderstanding. We feel that that was a significant breach of citizens’ right to free expression, and we deserve a more detailed explanation. We obviously are suspicious that the mayor overstepped the powers of his office,” Klein said.
The integrity commissioner, Janet Leiper, investigates complaints that city councillors and the mayor have breached the council code of conduct. She does not have jurisdiction over staff members. Batra, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, said on Mar. 31 that Ford himself had nothing to do with the staffer’s call to Pickett and that he responded to the images with “good humour.”
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Yeah, freedom of speech and all that, but honestly NOW now just sounds like a bunch of whiners.
Redroom Studios
Senior Member
see, my impression of Toronto is completely the opposite: its a messy, broken down, poorly planned, garbage littered eyesore that has plenty of things to do.
RC8
Senior Member
That quote shows that these 2 live in Etobicoke and not in Toronto.
The CN Tower, Distillery District, and central King St. alone are substantially more than what most U.S. cities can brag about.
I feel, after living in both places, that there is a lot less to do in the entertainment mecca that is Miami, than in Toronto.
The CN Tower, Distillery District, and central King St. alone are substantially more than what most U.S. cities can brag about.
I feel, after living in both places, that there is a lot less to do in the entertainment mecca that is Miami, than in Toronto.
Jonny5
Senior Member
Now complete with nesting swan at HTO! (Best picture I could get under the circumstances)
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Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Yes, and if we generously accept that he has the worldview ( or city view ... ) of an entry-level-skyscraper-geek-online-forum-newbie, his wide-eyed wonder at the London Eye and any building that isn't rectilinear sorta makes sense. But he's Edsel Ford, dammit, the power behind Ford Fairlane's throne, and if we took him to Yonge and Bloor and showed him Casa and walked him north to the Clewes Block and showed him 18 Yorkville and the new Four Seasons condo/hotel ... he still wouldn't get it, unfortunately.
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