Star: Royal Bank Plaza Underground Reno (Hume)

[GregWTravels]

Re: Podium pavers - good - those things were buckling like crazy.

Re: Wellington - Bay corner - Hmmm - interesting. I wonder if they are going to cover up some of the stairwell down into the food court during this time? That corner has always been a bit dark - kind of like the no-man lands were people go to die... er, I mean smoke.

 

[Urban Shocker]

The photographs that I have access to, but can't post, indicate that the original Bay-Wellington corner was different from what we now see. The entrance to the lower level was via a spiral ramp ( or maybe steps - difficult to tell ) right at the intersection. And there was a fountain with about 50 jets in concentric circles - apparently one of the largest in North America - to the south of it, near where the present tight little "descent into hell" entrance is. It used to be covered every winter.

So many renovations over the years, and with each one we depart further from the original vision.

 

[unimaginative2]

Wow, I had no idea there were that many negative changes. It must have been amazing when first built!

The retail area in RBP always seemed to be among the most successful in the PATH, which makes sense since it has the highest pedestrian traffic. They should be able to make quite a showpiece of it.

 

[SP!RE]

I saw this construction back in winter and then spring. I wonder if it's starting to come along... tomorrow I'll take a look down there.

My curiousity in this forgotten-to-me office complex has peaked thanks to this thread, and its nostalgic descriptions of the original buildings.

 

[adma]

The retail area in RBP always seemed to be among the most successful in the PATH, which makes sense since it has the highest pedestrian traffic. They should be able to make quite a showpiece of it.

Well, at least the part of the retail area that fed directly from T-D into Union Station. The lower-concourse food court part was always a touch the white elephant--and with everything being on the bias, it was a devil of a place to get your compass bearings in...

 

[EnviroTO]

I can't believe how they have reoriented the walkway to Royal York in this makeover. It is almost like they have made the TTC's concourse by-pass plan unworkable because the new walkway to Royal York is not on an angle (making it less convenient) and thinner.

From Transit Toronto at www.transit.toronto.on.ca :

 

[Urban Shocker]

Correction to what I said earlier: It appears that the original fountain was where that big planter is now. I wonder if the mechanics of it are still there?

There used to be a second floor outdoor patio area that you could get to from the south side of the building, but I don't think it has been open for quite some time.

 

[adma]

It was open last summer, at the very least, still used by smokers (which was probably the main reason for keeping it open)...

 

[JasonParis]

Somebody REALLY needs to find some old pics of the place. There doesn't seem to be any on Google.

 

[samsonyuen]

Here's an old picture of the Starbucks from way back when it was next to Empori.com.

Coincidentally, Starbucks reopens officially on Friday.

 

[JasonParis]

I meant pictures from the 1970s/1980s of the atrium, etc.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

There may be some in the context of the 1984 election - what with Ed Broadbent using it as the backdrop for his famous "Why is there gold flake on the windows but no corn flakes on the breakfast table?" line and describing Turner and Mulroney as "the Bobbsey Twins of Bay Street".

 

[wyliepoon]

Original rendering of Royal Bank Plaza

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

So there would have been a pedestrian bridge over Front? Interesting. Wonder why that was never built, as it's sorely needed.

 

[Filip]

Wasn't this in the time of Metro Place? That pedestrian bridge could have connected to that office development proposed on Union.