Lots of workers on site today. Finishing the tent, hooking up the electricity and installing a pathway from the Yonge/Bloor corner of the site to the north entrance of the tent. Framework is also being constructed for 2 more large signs similar to the ones already there.
Workers were hard at it this evening decorating the inside of the tent with miles and miles of white drapery. Looks like they're pushing hard to get this rolling asap.
I have little doubt that this building will not have a street podium, because there is growing rumor that the developer want to turn outside the building a small public square with water feature outside the main entrance of the building, if this is a true, for those who were campaigning the site should be turned into a public square have something little to celebrate.Becuase when you carefully looked the architect design of this building they are hiding something.The only thing that you could see from rendering is the towers itself with no prove of detail about the base of the building so let us see when they start selling.
The only way I can see them going to the expense of hooking up with the Hudson Bay Centre is if there is an underground component to their retail mall.
The original Kolter proposal had underground connections into the PATH under Bloor and knock out panels for a Yonge connection towards the Manulife centre. Although the Famous Players theatre component made it more important from a retail traffic perspective to include such underground connections. Hopefully this proposal will include those connections to expand the Yonge/Bay/Bloor PATH.
In theory Cineplex could negotiate a much cheaper, long term lease to go into Number One Bloor and when completed, shut down the Varsity cinemas. Rent in the Manulife Centre must be astronomical.
My son said that Mr. Harry Pontarini worked on his school (Economics at u of t) and they are not happy with it - it has already gone rusty - but i think he does nice work. i like what i see so far. has construction begun?
