Towered
Senior Member
^ Indeed, and I think the fugly bus terminal has a lot to do with that. It's got to go, along with the parking lot right next to Prii's Nightmare on Elm Street.
Northern Magus
Active Member
Building on that parking lot would help rehabilitate that area immensely. But I couldn't disagree with you more about the 1931 art deco Toronto Coach Terminal, although its coach platform buildings could definitely use a spruce-up.
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Its mediocre...i say keep the facade and build large.
adma
Superstar
If you gotta keep the facade, be prepared to keep the interior as well (which'd make a decent office/condo lobby)
Northern Magus
Active Member
The facade may be mediocre for AG but the fact is that it's one of the few Art Deco buildings still left in the downtown core. It may not be the Chrysler building or 30 Rock, but it's still protected and worth keeping.
The bigger problem for the "build large" argument is that it necessitates relocating the bus terminal somewhere else. That somewhere else would have to be downtown, linked to the subway, and no further north (and not much further west) than it currently is. So we're looking at about $150+ mil to buy land and build a replacement, not taking into account any money recouped from selling off the current site.
But of course that's only a problem if it's an either/or proposition: build large OR keep the functioning coach station. If the proposition is actually "build large OVER the existing bus bays", then it could certainly lead to something interesting.
The bigger problem for the "build large" argument is that it necessitates relocating the bus terminal somewhere else. That somewhere else would have to be downtown, linked to the subway, and no further north (and not much further west) than it currently is. So we're looking at about $150+ mil to buy land and build a replacement, not taking into account any money recouped from selling off the current site.
But of course that's only a problem if it's an either/or proposition: build large OR keep the functioning coach station. If the proposition is actually "build large OVER the existing bus bays", then it could certainly lead to something interesting.
Towered
Senior Member
I should clarify that when I called the coach terminal fugly, I specifically meant the bus bays, which are a nightmare to walk past. I couldn't believe how dark, dreary and filthy they are. A total embarrassment to travelers whose first impression of Toronto is this unfortunate place. The old terminal building is quite nice, though it seems there's been a lot of misguided mucking about with the interior in the name of "updating"...
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Northern Magus
Active Member
Yep ... do you remember what I wrote after that?
Automation Gallery
Superstar
ganjavih
Senior Member
Yeah, the coach terminal is no masterpiece, but definitely worth saving.
The demolition of the Addison building was a real piss off... would have made a great base for a condo.
adma
Superstar
Er...it's being resurrected as the base of a condo...
adma
Superstar
For what they are, I don't even mind the bus bays--at least they're original and integral to the whole. (And they were better still years ago before the original brick pavers were Unilock'd.)
junctionist
Senior Member
"It's no masterpiece" is the saddest argument against preservation. If that's the only criteria for preservation, that the building be a masterpiece, we'll lose many beautiful and architecturally important buildings.
ganjavih
Senior Member
Yeah, but it will be rebuilt with new materials, like at the Bay Adelaide Centre. What's the point of that? One of the reasons to preserve historical structures is that we cannot recreate them without them looking fake.
HHC
Active Member
If the coach terminal was 5 or 6 stories taller, we wouldn't be having this discussion on whether to keep it or not. It adds a lot of character at street level.