Toronto Queens Quay & Water's Edge Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

So with all this work being done to improve the local infrastructure, is there anything planned to encourage an improvement to the businesses in the area? I see chain restaurants, convenience stores, tourist knick-knack shops, and not a lot else, all with a lot of very ugly signage.
 
Can somebody remind me what happens at the western end of the new streetscape? How does the eastbound car lane get across the tracks? And where - at the Spadina intersection? Finally, is there a firm plan to extend this further west in future?
 
k10ery said:
Can somebody remind me what happens at the western end of the new streetscape? How does the eastbound car lane get across the tracks? And where - at the Spadina intersection? Finally, is there a firm plan to extend this further west in future?
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This is what Steve Munro said in a recent post. It sounds like the crossover won't be at the Spadina intersection itself.

A new traffic crossover with signals will be installed west of Spadina so that eastbound cars can get from the existing lanes south of the streetcar right-of-way to the new north-side alignment. Eventually, when it is time to rebuild the section from Spadina to Bathurst, this crossover will be eliminated because all motor traffic will be north of the streetcar lanes.
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The retail spaces in Harbour Square are probably some of the ugliest in the city. It would be so easy to extend them towards the street and improve them, yet year after year, they stay as ugly as ever. The parking garage could also use a renovation to cover those windows and beautify it. It's one of Toronto's biggest blunders, yet there is nothing done to try to correct it. I'm sure if the city and condo owners got together, a good solution could be found. Why spend multi millions to beautify Queen's Quay and leave this eye sore as is? It just makes no sense.
 
I wonder at times if anyone has taken that into account ... there's very little in the way of interesting retail on the north side of the street, and the south side (in the few places there is retail on the south).

What's the point of making this grand street ... I'd so much rather they spent the money on Yonge or Queen ...
 
taal said:
I wonder at times if anyone has taken that into account ... there's very little in the way of interesting retail on the north side of the street, and the south side (in the few places there is retail on the south).

What's the point of making this grand street ... I'd so much rather they spent the money on Yonge or Queen ...
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Did you consider that making a grand street will probably attract better retail? And also be good for the waterfront in general.
There's also studies looking at improving downtown Yonge St. Not sure if Queen really needs millions spent on it...
 
Swarley said:
Did you consider that making a grand street will probably attract better retail? And also be good for the waterfront in general.
There's also studies looking at improving downtown Yonge St. Not sure if Queen really needs millions spent on it...
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I'm not so sure it'll be able to attract much, as others have mentioned there's not much retail space on this stretch anyway, the ugly bunkers on the south side of QQ near Bay aren't going anywhere soon.

I'm referring to Queen from Yonge to Unveristy. But if NPS takes care of their part I'd be happy.
 
Torontovibe said:
The retail spaces in Harbour Square are probably some of the ugliest in the city. It would be so easy to extend them towards the street and improve them, yet year after year, they stay as ugly as ever. The parking garage could also use a renovation to cover those windows and beautify it. It's one of Toronto's biggest blunders, yet there is nothing done to try to correct it. I'm sure if the city and condo owners got together, a good solution could be found. Why spend multi millions to beautify Queen's Quay and leave this eye sore as is? It just makes no sense.
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Yes, we realize that our retail area is very ugly and it would look even uglier when the street gets renovated.
There are plans for renovating the storefronts and extending them to the property lines, the change has been approved by the condo owners last year, however.... the lease holders are against it. Their concern is that the rent would be increased as a result of increased square footage.
 
Zeiss said:
Yes, we realize that our retail area is very ugly and it would look even uglier when the street gets renovated.
There are plans for renovating the storefronts and extending them to the property lines, the change has been approved by the condo owners last year, however.... the lease holders are against it. Their concern is that the rent would be increased as a result of increased square footage.
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They think? Hahahaha

Harbour Square will eventually get a redone base, the question is only when.
 
Keep in mind the QQ revitalization is more about the public realm and relationship with the water than the state of retail.

BTW, the WT webpage for the project is now up:
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/expl...quay/constructing_the_community___queens_quay

And there are lots of info from the minutes to the 4 CLC Meetings held:

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/queens_quay_clc_meeting_2_minutes_1.pdf
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/queens_quay_clc_meeting_3_minutes_1.pdf
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/queens_quay_clc_meeting_4_minutes_1.pdf

For those who fear hydro crews having to dig up the street again in the future, here is their response from CLC Meeting #3:

Question: What about underground locators?
Answer: Hydro’s goal is that they won’t have to be back down here again for a very long time. They understand it is frustrating any time anything is underground.
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Question: Has any thought been given to increase load for shore power?
Answer: Not aware of any requirements for additional marine shore power, but this system will handle load for an extremely long period time, don’t anticipate having to do any infrastructure for maybe 50 years.
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AoD
 
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car4041 said:
This is what Steve Munro said in a recent post. It sounds like the crossover won't be at the Spadina intersection itself.
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Thanks. It's gonna be an awkward spot for the bike lanes.

Edit: It looks like the MGT will be extended west to Dan Leckie Way, analogous to what they are doing in front of Redpath. Good news, but it is a pity they can't take it all the way to Bathurst.
 
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k10ery said:
Thanks. It's gonna be an awkward spot for the bike lanes.

Edit: It looks like the MGT will be extended west to Dan Leckie Way, analogous to what they are doing in front of Redpath. Good news, but it is a pity they can't take it all the way to Bathurst.
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I try during the EA stage to get the section between Spadina and Bathurst to be the same as rest of the new road, but TTC keep shooting it down as they said there is too much life in the existing ROW at this time to do this.

It was said at various meetings that this section will be done when it come time to rebuilt TTC tracks. Based on lack of funding now, hard to say if it will be done as noted.
 
W. K. Lis said:
What about the Exhibition traffic while the 509 streetcar out of service? Will the 521 King Exhibition be reinstated? Could it run down Spadina and then go west on Queens Quay and eventually to the Exhibition?
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If the Queens Quay shuttle bus were to go to Bathurst, then north to Lakeshore, and finally east toward Union Station, perhaps they can loop the 509 Exhibition from Lakeshore, up Bathurst to King, and back to Exhibition Place. Then you will be able to transfer from either the Queens Quay shuttle bus or the King streetcar if you are travelling from Harbourfront or the South Core to Exhibition Place.
 
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