Toronto Ontario Square and Canada Square | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

[Whoaccio]

^
My understanding of the Baltimore Aquarium is that it is a bit of a flop. People visit it, but it had no effect on the implicit goal of preventing Baltimore's population outflow. At best I think we would end up with another Science Center. (I like the OSC, but I have a hard time believing people come to Toronto to visit it. I get the feeling field trips are much more common).

A casino could be a neat-ish idea. I know that casino economics is a fairly well developed field and that the general consensus is that casinos only begin to benefit the local community once they attract a very large customer base. So, while the MGM Grand benefits Las Vegas whereas some of the smaller ones just manage to attract bums and bankrupt locals.

 

[taal]

I wouldn't call the science center a flop ...
It get's quite a few visitors. Yes a large majority are field trips but that's to be expected.

I think an Aquarium would do rather well downtown Toronto.

I won't even get into the casino ... of course a casino would do well, amazing actually. Particularly if it was grand in scale. I really doubt the OLG would be very fond of that - it would really hurt the other casino's in southern Ontario. There are also some ethical issues to be addressed.

 

[taal]

An Aquarium down there would attract lots of people 365 days a year.
Here is a pic of the National Aquarium in Baltimores waterfront

I'll say one thing ... I really love the fact there here in Toronto we have *decks* on our waterfront. It's really important I think and I hope we continue that trend throughout the central waterfront.

But yes I do see potential if it get's Torontofied

 

[adma]

Ixnay on the asinogay. We're not *that* desperate.

And as for OSC: remember that with Aga Khan and all, that general vicinity might get more "cultural" with time. (And conversely, if Transit Toronto means either an Eglinton or a Don Mills line or both, the OSC location problem may be alleviated somewhat.)

 

[Ziggy]

Also a scaled down 24 hour casino might be also nice down there similar to Amsterdams Holand Casino,Its about time this city of 5-5 million lands one.

Yeah, I'd be in favour of a casino also. I'm sure lots of people would disagree though. To me it seems ridiculous that a large cosmopolitan city like Toronto wouldn't have a single casino. I think it would have to be a big extravagant one though, with shows, great restaurants, clubs, etc. The kind of place the celebrities and rich people go to see and be seen, not just some crappy slot machine den. The waterfront could work for something like that, but Woodbine would be a decent location also (though farther from downtown).

 

[Whoaccio]

^
Speaking of the Aga Khan Museum, has that moved past the vaporware stage?

 

[lokyin]

why hasn't anyone mentioned hotels? i think the waterfront/queens quay area can have more hotels, with lake/skyline views, a nice walk (after queens quay is redone). retail will then build up more down there and it'll be more vibrant. no?

 

[adma]

The kind of place the celebrities and rich people go to see and be seen, not just some crappy slot machine den.

My feeling is, you'd be dreaming of the former, but winding up with the same old denizens of the latter. Maybe with real celebs performing, rather than tribute acts and the like. But not there to "see and be seen"...

Hey, if you want that level of a place where celebs go to see and be seen, we already have stuff like the Brass Rail come TIFFtime...

 

[egotrippin]

An aquarium hotel! Their tagline could be "Sleep with the fishes." Hot damn, I should be in marketing.

 

[Archivist]

I wouldn't be thrilled with a casino, and if we got an aquarium I'm afraid I would miss our annual aquarium announcement.

 

[Ziggy]

My feeling is, you'd be dreaming of the former, but winding up with the same old denizens of the latter. Maybe with real celebs performing, rather than tribute acts and the like. But not there to "see and be seen"...

Hey, if you want that level of a place where celebs go to see and be seen, we already have stuff like the Brass Rail come TIFFtime...

Yeah, it would have to be done right. The only casino I've ever been to was the Hull Casino near Ottawa. It was pretty decent, it had some of the t-shirt/sweatpants type clientelle there, but it also had one of the nicest (and most expensive) restaurant in Ottawa, and I know lots of people who went there just for that.

I know that the concept of a casino doesn't appeal to most people in Toronto, I just think that cities should have a bit of everything, and something to appeal to all tastes. There should be opera, ballet, strip clubs, fancy restaurants, hot dog stands, $1 vietnamese sandwiches, $50 hamburgers, busy media squares, quiet relaxing parks, crazy clubs, nice quiet pubs,... and a casino.

 

[taal]

If there were a choice I'd take an aquarium over a casino in a snap.

 

[AKS]

It's really a shame that Wonderland wasn't built where Ontario Place is, because I've always envisioned how much more awesome it would be to ride coasters along the lakefront.
Although roller coasters do look stupid in skyline photos of a city.

I don't know but ferris wheel looks nice. Like Minato Mirai in Yokohama

Odaiba in Tokyo. ferris wheels and bridges

 

[ShonTron]

An Aquarium down there would attract lots of people 365 days a year.
Here is a pic of the National Aquarium in Baltimores waterfront

Move over Baltimore, Springfield, er, Toronto has stolen your idea!

 

[Dan416]

I've never been a big fan of casinos. But I was at the Montreal one when I was there around New Year's. It was pretty much the only thing open on Jan 1, so they are good for something.