Toronto Scotiabank Arena Renovations | ?m | ?s | MLSE | BBB

The office building is small with only 12,000 square foot floor plates. I can't see anyone in Toronto building a 60 storey office tower with such a narrow footprint. One option is to cantilever the structure to produce larger floor plates but, that's a pretty bold expectation from Toronto developers at this time. They rather slap a heritage facade on a new build than build around a heritage building. 160 Front, for example. They could have been creative in their preservation attempt. I wouldn't have balked at the idea of erasing the building from history either for a exceptional, modern tower base. I find the compromised version between heritage and intensification to be unfortunate. Note: CF would be building the 60 storey tower here.
 
Just spitballing right now

Jurassic Park right now functions as just a really, really great viewing party, but I think we could take it to the next level and turn it into a proper regular block party, at least for the duration of the playoffs. Somewhere where people will want to be just because it’s an incredibly fun place to be, even if they’re not into the Raptors. That would really take this whole Jurassic Park thing to the next level

A big challenge at the moment is keeping the crowd animated during pauses in gameplay. The crowds right now get pretty dead, since there’s not a whole lot to do there other than stand around and wait. Adding food trucks (there are only hot dog stands now) and expanding alcohol selection would really help to animate the crowd, and give people reasons to move around during pauses in gameplay. So would playing music, and installing more and better speakers, so the sound travels throughout all of Jurassic Park. And perhaps add various games and actives as well.

They’d also need to get rid of the fencing that sections off the crowd into separate pens. Let the people flow freely though the park. I really don’t see why all this fencing is needed. If we can handle Pride and Caribana, I don’t get why we need to fence in and divide fans, as if they’re in a pig pen.

I’d also expand the edge of Jurassic Park from York Street, west to Simcoe, to allow room for the food trucks, seating and expanded activities. That would also give fans a reprieve from the dense crowd of fans at the eastern edge of the park (near the large viewing screens).

They also need to shut down the entire area to traffic. Local included. Right now they allow local traffic to drive into Telus and Maple Leaf Square buildings. That needs to end and get better fencing. It looks like a giant cage.
 
September 9 - this has been much more involved than I thought it would be.. they’ve been chipping away at this thing for a couple of weeks now. Leafs home opener is on October 2.

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September 9 - this has been much more involved than I thought it would be.. they’ve been chipping away at this thing for a couple of weeks now. Leafs home opener is on October 2.

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@sikander

I have the same thoughts. For such a simple thing as a screen it seems to be taking forever. I took the path system last week and the disruption inside the arena isn't minor. With the home opener coming up I wonder if there is pressure upon the contractor to speed things up
 
September 9 - this has been much more involved than I thought it would be.. they’ve been chipping away at this thing for a couple of weeks now. Leafs home opener is on October 2.

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This is what it looks like currently inside the arena. Not ideal for the home opener.

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This is what it looks like currently inside the arena. Not ideal for the home opener.

The work is at the external entrance (not inside the actual arena) and is not going to make a whit of difference to the game. Fans can still get in and out of the building as no entrances seem to be blocked and I doubt many spend much time looking around the atrium as they shuffle through security. and towards the game or the concert.
 
Most venue name changes garner little more than some signage updates, seems Scotiabank has really gone all in on this one as well as the arena owner's themselves capitalizing as a quick refresh to the building.
 
Most venue name changes garner little more than some signage updates, seems Scotiabank has really gone all in on this one as well as the arena owner's themselves capitalizing as a quick refresh to the building.
The new screen is nice, but it would be nicer to get a proper, safer PATH connection.
 
The new screen is nice, but it would be nicer to get a proper, safer PATH connection.
I was there an hour or so ago and they have now removed the west doors etc from the SBA ticketing area. They have put up a very strong temporary wall so I am starting to wonder if they are actually going to extend the SBA lobby a bit westwards and put in escalators to the 'upper PATH'. May be wishful thinking but it is truly dangerous now and absolutely impassable for the disabled. The SBA/MLSE folk did FINALLY put up signage about using elevators in Maple Leaf Square but that took 2+ years of whining to achieve.
 
Anybody know the impetus for the full-scale re-cladding? The original silver-steel look appeared to be perfectly fine unless that cladding was at the end of its lifespan.
 
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