Toronto The Well | 174.03m | 46s | RioCan | Hariri Pontarini

[bilked]

 

[toronstruction]

Jan 6

 

[officedweller]

I do think it would have made sense to at least have some 'standing table' eating space inside; not so much due to winter specifically as just to meet the needs of customers any time of year. I do think the failure to include that was an odd mistake.

... like Pizza Pizza does!

 

[AlexBozikovic]

There is an argument in my piece (which is deeply rooted in an understanding of, and love for, the city) that I hope will earn some discussion.

1970s Reform thinking was focused on protecting house neighbourhoods - assembled sites and “blockbusting” were the enemy.

That attitude continues to shape Toronto. But it pushes density into relatively few places, which generates megaprojects like this. By avoiding big buildings, Toronto gets huge buildings. Is this good?

 

[Natika33]

I'm going to vote yes, it's good, because it's more efficient and imo, more exciting. For example, would Enwave be as doable with "big" rather than "mega" projects? We can always slowly build out the low density areas too - indeed the barriers to do so are already coming down.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

Whispers: Is there any way we can get the font that Mr. Bozikovic uses to be a wee bit smaller, Mr. 42? That's hitting me in face like a 4 by 4 post... >.<

 

[rdaner]

Taken 14 January.

 

[hawc]

Checked it out today.

Impressive.

Architecturally it seems to be a mish-mash of everything, but it kinda works.

The scope of it is huge. Like it's got to be the biggest architectural undertaking since like the Eaton Centre?

Didn't even see the underground parking.

 

[hawc]

I was in there on Wednesday morning with the kid. It has enough shelter that it probably would never be uncomfortably cold.

Hahah. I was there today.

-8c.

Wind howling through there.

It was BITTERLY COLD.

Super uncomfortable for all.

 

[rdaner]

I just want to thank everyone who took the time to take photos and post them. It was cold!

 

[Niklas]

Hahah. I was there today.

-8c.

Wind howling through there.

It was BITTERLY COLD.

Super uncomfortable for all.

Shocking that an outdoor space with -8 and windy would be uncomfortable…. like.. what did you expect?

 

[hawc]

Shocking that an outdoor space with -8 and windy would be uncomfortable…. like.. what did you expect?

I was responding to evandyk who said:

"It has enough shelter that it probably would never be uncomfortably cold."

 

[hawc]

I think one of the big factors to keeping this indoor/outdoor mall feeling really 'high end' will be whether security can keep the people suffering homelessness out of it.

I'm not making a statement on whether that's right or wrong, I'm just saying that the plain reality of it is that if all the corners and staircases start smelling like piss and if the trip down to the underground parking garages is a disgusting one and if there are people lying around or begging for change it's going to have a really different feel to the place really fast.

Again, not saying we don't need affordable housing, services to help etc, but rather that the stark business reality is if you start getting people setting up little tents/shelters in here and pissing all over the place like you get at Yonge & Dundas or most of the downtown parks, this is not going to be a place anyone goes for very long.

However, given that this is 100% private property and not like a public park or public service (think TTC or Green P parking) I assume the security guards can basically treat people experiencing homelessness the same way they would treat them if they were pissing inside First Canadian Place or trying to sleep inside the Eaton Centre.

We'll see....

 

[ProjectEnd]

The security here are wiiiiildly overbearing. There's barely time for shoppers to linger or folks to get coffee in Building G's lobby before you're accosted by rent-a-cops (it's happened twice to me at different times last year). It's wild.

 

[evandyk]

I was responding to evandyk who said:

"It has enough shelter that it probably would never be uncomfortably cold."

I suppose I was wrong about that. Though the windchill yesterday was pretty bad, and it's not often that cold in Toronto.

I think one of the big factors to keeping this indoor/outdoor mall feeling really 'high end' will be whether security can keep the people suffering homelessness out of it.

I'm not making a statement on whether that's right or wrong, I'm just saying that the plain reality of it is that if all the corners and staircases start smelling like piss and if the trip down to the underground parking garages is a disgusting one and if there are people lying around or begging for change it's going to have a really different feel to the place really fast.

You can walk around the Path all day and see very little evidence of homelessness. Any time somebody slightly disheveled enters, there are three security guards following them immediately. I imagine the Well will be the same.