For Fresh there is no justifiable return on a shiny bean, for example, which for me is like saying there is no return at all on public art.
This is where you are dead wrong. Put it this way....HC runs on an annual budget of, coincidentally enough, the same cost as a big shiny bean (keeping in mind it was originally $6 million, which "ballooned", ha, to $23 million). Would I justify trading in closing down HC for an entire year and building the big shiny bean instead? of course not. And it's not because I don't like big shiny beans by Kapoor (personally I prefer big shiny bunnies by Koons).
It's the same as preferring building subways, but still preferring Transit City's LRT plan over Rob Ford's subway plan (pretending he really had a subway plan).
I thought we were talking about buidings and public realm here?
MP doesn't actually have many "buildings" (unless you count the parking lot underneath it), and they aren't of notable architecture, so HC wins that one by default.
I have been to a few "cultural events" there. Never impressed. Sometimes the performance was OK, but the stage set-up, the lighting, the seating area are just small town like, reminding me of the casual theatre events at university - simple, low cost, a bit shabby, plus the genric street food at elevated price.
Thought it isn't worth the trouble to walk past the rails and gardiners any more. I guess people from Vaughan or Collingwood or Mississauga will always find it amazingly interesting.
Pah ha ha...so in other words, you have clue what goes on down there. Let's just say you can kiss your career away as a cultural critic.
To get specific,
...HC's site is better than MP's (owing largely to it's waterfront location which provides the nautical feel).
...the Natrel Rink is better than the McCormick Tribune ice rink (and doubles as a water feature when not in use)
...the Power Plant is a world class non-collecting contemporary art gallery, and outclass anything the outdoor Boeing Galleries exhibit in MP (Not to even mention HC's other galleries and installations).
...The Music Garden (although not technically on the 10 acre HC site) is certainly more impressive than MP's Lurie Garden.
...the re-purposed heritage building that houses both the Power Plant gallery and Enwave Theatre is more architecturally attractive than MP's Harris Theatre.
...HC's Waterfront Promenade/Boardwalk/Wavedeck is a more impressive space than MP's Chase Promenade.
So yes, it is very easy to say I would not trade HC for MP. But it isn't as if we lose out on anything...don't forget we also got a fantastic goody bag of architectural/design/cultural/recreational additions to the city lately that far outweighs blowing the wad on a single entity such as MP.
