JasonParis
Moderator
"Woodbine, Woodbine Centre. Just a smile away!"
Toronto Woodbine Racetrack Ancillary Facilities Building | 14.5m | 2s | Woodbine Ent | DIALOG
junctionist
Senior Member
That was how old I was when I was taken there. The rides were all enjoyable, and the slides were unlike anything that I remember from the Orlando amusement parks which was also taken to. There was that allure that it was all indoors too, and that train would go over that bridge right over the ground level entrance of the mall. I was fascinated by trains, so any such ride was great (Centreville had a good one, though Busch Garden's Serengeti Railway and that monorail at EPCOT were by far the best in their own ways).
adma
Superstar
Remember, too, that it was back when the West Edmonton Mall phenomenon was fresh, so an indoor amusement park seemed an engaging and au courant gesture...
Ziggy
Active Member
That's a great idea, One of the things missing from Toronto is a full casino, and Woodbine would be an ideal location for one. It would also spur a huge amount of development in the area.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
Including a gambling addiction centre, no doubt. 
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
Casino Rama would close 5 seconds later.
ShonTron
Moderator
Member Bio
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 12,536
- Reaction score
- 9,521
- Location
- Ward 13 - Toronto Centre
Maybe that train set and track (I remember that along with the huge McDonalds, the giant indoor playground with the great slides) can be ripped out and rebuilt as the Woodbine-Pearson rail connection!
I loved the two level crossings with gates, lights and bells.
slickpete83
Active Member
any new updates on Woodbine Live ????
J
Janbe
Guest
They are building a new barn, once the new barn is finished by September 1, they will tear down the old barn, for the Woodbine Live hotel.
ahmedyusali
Member
Woodbine live
according thier official web site the project is expected to complate 2010. I am living woodbine centre area and I am detecting there is no construction activity at the proposal site I don't know how they could finish the complation date they posted:
http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/WoodbineLive/
according thier official web site the project is expected to complate 2010. I am living woodbine centre area and I am detecting there is no construction activity at the proposal site I don't know how they could finish the complation date they posted:
http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/WoodbineLive/
W
woobine_livelocalupdate10
Guest
construction started.
I live in the area, and I from what I can see, construction has begun. There are huge gravel mounds and construction vehicles on the racetrack parking lot. I confirmed it with a worker at the racetrack that this is indeed construction for the phase I of Woodbine Live. Can anyone else confirm this?
I live in the area, and I from what I can see, construction has begun. There are huge gravel mounds and construction vehicles on the racetrack parking lot. I confirmed it with a worker at the racetrack that this is indeed construction for the phase I of Woodbine Live. Can anyone else confirm this?
J
Janbe
Guest
I have heard the same thing that this is part of phase 1. The are building a new barn. The old barn will be torn up in August, for the hotel for Woodbine Live.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
From the Star:
$120M tax break urged for Woodbine project
Jul 01, 2008 04:30 AM
Comments on this story
John Spears
City Hall Bureau
Toronto should offer a $120 million tax break, spread over 20 years, to the developers of a proposed entertainment, restaurant and shopping development beside Woodbine Racetrack, says a report from city staff.
While offering tax breaks to spur development in disadvantaged communities is commonplace in the United States, the proposed incentive for the Woodbine development would be the first ever offered by Toronto under a new program just approved by city council in May.
The report, which will go to the economic development committee for discussion next Tuesday, says the development would boost the economy of north Etobicoke, which suffers from high unemployment and low incomes.
The report doesn't cite any explicit "community benefits" deal with the developer to ensure more local jobs, affordable housing, transit, child care and community space, as some American communities have secured – an idea that energized a coalition of Rexdale community groups called CORD (Community Organizing for Responsible Development) when the project was announced more than a year ago.
But it does note that "Woodbine Entertainment has a policy of hiring locally for its existing 3,000 positions and regularly holds job fairs in concert with local agencies."
The proposed development, called Woodbine Live, is a $707 million project that would feature live entertainment venues, bars, restaurants, shops and a skating rink just north of the racetrack.
A second phase just to the west would include 1.5 million square feet of office space and 2,500 residential units. The proposed tax break is limited to the first phase of the project.
Under the city's new rules, developers in designated areas where the economy is struggling can get a tax break when development drives up a property's value – and therefore its tax bill.
The city continues to collect taxes based on the property's original value, but forgoes the extra amount that would normally accrue because of the property's rising value.
The staff report says Woodbine Live had asked the city to forgo $147 million in taxes over 20 years, but city officials are recommending a lesser figure of $120.4 million in tax forgiveness over 20 years.
The city will still receive $179.3 million in new additional revenue – through development charges, $76.3 million in new taxes, and the city's cut of additional slot-machine earnings, worth an extra $75.5 million over 20 years.
Woodbine Live is a partnership between Woodbine Entertainment Group and a U.S. developer, The Cordish Company.
Woodbine Entertainment Group now employs about 3,000 people, but the first phase of the proposed development could create as many as 6,400 new jobs, according to the report.
The city hired a consulting firm, Hunden Strategic Partners, to evaluate the proposed tax break.
Hunden reported that the tax break proposed for Woodbine Live is "significantly less" than incentives available in many U.S. cities.
Toronto's contribution will be about 12 per cent of the cost of the first phase of Woodbine Live, Hunden calculates, while a dozen similar projects in the U.S. received incentives worth 30 per cent of the project costs on average.
The report stresses that the risk for the city is minimal, because it's not contributing any upfront money.
"The risk to the city is actually greater if the project does not proceed and Woodbine Racetrack continues its slow decline," the report says.
"The city will forgo additional tax revenues, slot revenue, development charges and will lose opportunities to develop local employment programs.
"The city will also lose the opportunity for a new tourist attraction."
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/452145
AoD
$120M tax break urged for Woodbine project
Jul 01, 2008 04:30 AM
Comments on this story
John Spears
City Hall Bureau
Toronto should offer a $120 million tax break, spread over 20 years, to the developers of a proposed entertainment, restaurant and shopping development beside Woodbine Racetrack, says a report from city staff.
While offering tax breaks to spur development in disadvantaged communities is commonplace in the United States, the proposed incentive for the Woodbine development would be the first ever offered by Toronto under a new program just approved by city council in May.
The report, which will go to the economic development committee for discussion next Tuesday, says the development would boost the economy of north Etobicoke, which suffers from high unemployment and low incomes.
The report doesn't cite any explicit "community benefits" deal with the developer to ensure more local jobs, affordable housing, transit, child care and community space, as some American communities have secured – an idea that energized a coalition of Rexdale community groups called CORD (Community Organizing for Responsible Development) when the project was announced more than a year ago.
But it does note that "Woodbine Entertainment has a policy of hiring locally for its existing 3,000 positions and regularly holds job fairs in concert with local agencies."
The proposed development, called Woodbine Live, is a $707 million project that would feature live entertainment venues, bars, restaurants, shops and a skating rink just north of the racetrack.
A second phase just to the west would include 1.5 million square feet of office space and 2,500 residential units. The proposed tax break is limited to the first phase of the project.
Under the city's new rules, developers in designated areas where the economy is struggling can get a tax break when development drives up a property's value – and therefore its tax bill.
The city continues to collect taxes based on the property's original value, but forgoes the extra amount that would normally accrue because of the property's rising value.
The staff report says Woodbine Live had asked the city to forgo $147 million in taxes over 20 years, but city officials are recommending a lesser figure of $120.4 million in tax forgiveness over 20 years.
The city will still receive $179.3 million in new additional revenue – through development charges, $76.3 million in new taxes, and the city's cut of additional slot-machine earnings, worth an extra $75.5 million over 20 years.
Woodbine Live is a partnership between Woodbine Entertainment Group and a U.S. developer, The Cordish Company.
Woodbine Entertainment Group now employs about 3,000 people, but the first phase of the proposed development could create as many as 6,400 new jobs, according to the report.
The city hired a consulting firm, Hunden Strategic Partners, to evaluate the proposed tax break.
Hunden reported that the tax break proposed for Woodbine Live is "significantly less" than incentives available in many U.S. cities.
Toronto's contribution will be about 12 per cent of the cost of the first phase of Woodbine Live, Hunden calculates, while a dozen similar projects in the U.S. received incentives worth 30 per cent of the project costs on average.
The report stresses that the risk for the city is minimal, because it's not contributing any upfront money.
"The risk to the city is actually greater if the project does not proceed and Woodbine Racetrack continues its slow decline," the report says.
"The city will forgo additional tax revenues, slot revenue, development charges and will lose opportunities to develop local employment programs.
"The city will also lose the opportunity for a new tourist attraction."
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/452145
AoD
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
City of Toronto Economic Committee Staff Report:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-14463.pdf
Hunden Report:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-14465.pdf
AoD
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-14463.pdf
Hunden Report:
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-14465.pdf
AoD
khris
Senior Member
Does Toronto really need a tourist attraction in the ghetto?
Or maybe that money would be best spent elsewhere.. like maybe the TTC?
Or maybe that money would be best spent elsewhere.. like maybe the TTC?