Toronto Ontario Place | ?m | ?s | Infrastructure ON

I always thought there was an opportunity to create a showcase for green technology. How about a botanical garden or butterfly sanctuary. Imagine something like Singapore gardens by the bay.
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I had a (possibly fevered) thought this evening, that I have admittedly not given much thought too, but I figured I would map it out and see what people think.

What if we relocated Lake Shore Blvd away from the water, mostly on Princess Blvd? See below.

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This would open the area up by a lot. Many parcels would be freed up for alternative uses. The new Lake Shore alignment can be lined up with condos, while parkspace can be expanded throughout. The Exhibition Grounds can be refocused into a smaller and more intensive open-space area, more akin to a grand civic square or plaza. Ontario Place can be masterplanned as part of a greater community, more connected to the rest of the city, and including the currently underutilized spaces on the south side of Lake Shore Blvd (and the water in-between) as an expansion of Ontario Place.

Un-mapped, but the 509 Streetcar could actually be extended past Exhibition Loop and sent south to the lake to meet Ontario Place and then east along the current Lake Shore Blvd alignment on an exclusive ROW until Strachan, before connecting back onto the streetcar tracks on Fleet Street using the loop at the lighthouse.

Again, maybe this is a dumb idea, but I can't help but think that a lot of this land is just not very optimally configured and a lot of it is due to the alignment of Lake Shore Blvd (which is hostile and highway like through this stretch). This idea was also partially inspired by a thought that if the premier had to proceed with a casino and condos in the area, how could it be done while also preserving Ontario Place.
 
WislaHD said:
I had a (possibly fevered) thought this evening, that I have admittedly not given much thought too, but I figured I would map it out and see what people think.

What if we relocated Lake Shore Blvd away from the water, mostly on Princess Blvd? See below.

View attachment 176885

This would open the area up by a lot. Many parcels would be freed up for alternative uses. The new Lake Shore alignment can be lined up with condos, while parkspace can be expanded throughout. The Exhibition Grounds can be refocused into a smaller and more intensive open-space area, more akin to a grand civic square or plaza. Ontario Place can be masterplanned as part of a greater community, more connected to the rest of the city, and including the currently underutilized spaces on the south side of Lake Shore Blvd (and the water in-between) as an expansion of Ontario Place.

Un-mapped, but the 509 Streetcar could actually be extended past Exhibition Loop and sent south to the lake to meet Ontario Place and then east along the current Lake Shore Blvd alignment on an exclusive ROW until Strachan, before connecting back onto the streetcar tracks on Fleet Street using the loop at the lighthouse.

Again, maybe this is a dumb idea, but I can't help but think that a lot of this land is just not very optimally configured and a lot of it is due to the alignment of Lake Shore Blvd (which is hostile and highway like through this stretch). This idea was also partially inspired by a thought that if the premier had to proceed with a casino and condos in the area, how could it be done while also preserving Ontario Place.
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A non-starter. Anytime you had events at Exhibition Place you would be closing Lake Shore Blvd if you relocated it to match Princes' Boulevard. During the CNE this is a major thoroughfare. Also, you end up cutting right through the midway. Not only would this idea kill the CNE but it would also cause problems during TFC Games, Conferences at the Beanfield Centre or events at the Enercare Centre.
 
Richard White said:
A non-starter. Anytime you had events at Exhibition Place you would be closing Lake Shore Blvd if you relocated it to match Princes' Boulevard. During the CNE this is a major thoroughfare. Also, you end up cutting right through the midway. Not only would this idea kill the CNE but it would also cause problems during TFC Games, Conferences at the Beanfield Centre or events at the Enercare Centre.
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Aware of the importance of Princes Blvd currently. I'm thinking that the CNE would in this configuration relocate around the new alignment and into the space opened-up towards the south, perhaps all the way towards the lake and providing synergy with whatever happens at Ontario Place. A new midway can be build on the existing parking lots (as pictured here) and in the opened up area from Lake Shore to the lake. This is a lot of land we are talking about here. I would of course have the CNE be heavily involved in the design process, with the intent that we end up with something even better than now.

I think BMO field will be alright, there would still be sufficient space for fans to walk to Strachan, and better yet if the streetcar can loop around the grounds. I'm also like, totally not opposed to closing down Lake Shore Blvd for a brief period before and after games. Seattle Sounders fans do it in their downtown.

Ironically, if there is one thing that I have a feeling would kill this idea, is the proposal would eliminate a lot of parking. The CNE needs that parking, and a lot of it can't just be put underground.
 
WislaHD said:
Aware of the importance of Princes Blvd currently. I'm thinking that the CNE would in this configuration relocate around the new alignment and into the space opened-up towards the south, perhaps all the way towards the lake and providing synergy with whatever happens at Ontario Place. A new midway can be build on the existing parking lots (as pictured here) and in the opened up area from Lake Shore to the lake. This is a lot of land we are talking about here. I would of course have the CNE be heavily involved in the design process, with the intent that we end up with something even better than now.

I think BMO field will be alright, there would still be sufficient space for fans to walk to Strachan, and better yet if the streetcar can loop around the grounds. I'm also like, totally not opposed to closing down Lake Shore Blvd for a brief period before and after games. Seattle Sounders fans do it in their downtown.

Ironically, if there is one thing that I have a feeling would kill this idea, is the proposal would eliminate a lot of parking. The CNE needs that parking, and a lot of it can't just be put underground.
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To be fair I give the CNE a few more years at best. It is on its last legs and once attendance starts to drop I can see them nixing it altogether.
 
adma said:
So what do you do with the Princes' Gates? (Yeah, I know, relocate them--but, why?)
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Definitely cognizant of the optics of how relocating a beautiful monument to build a road might raise eyebrows.

Someone more creative than I can figure out a good relocation for them under a masterplan. Perhaps near Ontario Place Blvd and what would be the former Lake Shore Blvd. Positioned there, it would be aligned linearly with a view of the CN Tower as you walk through the gate. It could serve as the entrance to a new CNE midway grounds.

As for why... well, sometimes you need a bold move. Arguably, the lack of one has led to Ontario Place's fall from grace and thus this thread.
 
WislaHD said:
Definitely cognizant of the optics of how relocating a beautiful monument to build a road might raise eyebrows.

Someone more creative than I can figure out a good relocation for them under a masterplan. Perhaps near Ontario Place Blvd and what would be the former Lake Shore Blvd. Positioned there, it would be aligned linearly with a view of the CN Tower as you walk through the gate. It could serve as the entrance to a new CNE midway grounds.

As for why... well, sometimes you need a bold move. Arguably, the lack of one has led to Ontario Place's fall from grace and thus this thread.
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Ontario place is isolated but that's not for a lack of trying. Originally a transit loop was to be put there BUT the original management fought tooth and nail to avoid it. This is why we have parking lots.

The problem with Ontario place is the isolated location and lack of attractions and not the lack of space. It thrived for years but people got stupid and turned it into an amusement park for kids.

When first constructed adults and kids alike could enjoy it. You could catch a show at the Forum and have a beer after. You could take the family out for a day and visit the Haida or the Nintendo Pod. Christ, in 1993 I went to the Cinesphere to see Jurassic Park in IMAX with my family.

This was until around the year 2000.

Around 2000 they started closing earlier and earlier, they only put educational films at the Cinesphere. The places where you could buy beer got replaced with Pizza Pizza outlets. The whole place began to shut around 5ish as it turned into a kids amusement park.

All the things adults enjoyed like the Cinesphere, alcohol and the Haida got replaced by water parks, ziplines and ball pits. Even the slide fell into disrepair around this time. It was no longer somewhere you could go as an adult. In 2000 they started to separate the adult and kids part of Ontario Place. You had the amphitheatre for adults and the kids had Ontario Place. Ontario Place slowly went from a place to stand, a place to grow to Toronto's version of Wild Water Kingdom.

I would actually say that Ontario Place is better off now that it had been just prior to closing. People are coming to the islands, they are coming there for concerts. The Cinesphere is open and was used for TIFF last year as well. Given some proper revitalization and knocking down of the little buildings (the stands, sheds, booths and stores) in the name of modernization it could be a viable venue once again.

Just prior to closing the place shut at 5 pm and there was nothing there for you if you were older than 12.

Lack of space isn't an issue, proper utilization is.
 
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WislaHD said:
As for why... well, sometimes you need a bold move. Arguably, the lack of one has led to Ontario Place's fall from grace and thus this thread.
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But how is moving Princes' Gates any more desirable as a bold move than demolishing OP?
 
Doing a Photography Project of Ontario Place so I will have a bunch of photos in the coming weeks. There was some action on Friday, a lot of demolishing and looks as though they are planning out something. No idea what, maybe someone else has some insight. I have also noticed a lot of work at the budweiser stage so maybe this has something to do with it?
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Also right outside of OP is the bike share rack, which I use every time to get down there. I don't understand this, there is a huge empty pavement area and they decide to put in in the grass/mud and make me turn my white converse into brown shit shoes!

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