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Monday’s headlines

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• Build it, they won’t come [ Globe & Mail ]
• City Hall plans hiring binge [ Toronto Star ]
• Spring fever sparks rise in reckless vandalism [ Toronto Star ]
• Protest may affect afternoon rush hour [ Toronto Star ]
• ‘Ragged right’ hopes to come together to oppose Miller’s
budget [ Globe & Mail ]
• Film scene is looking bright for Toronto [ Toronto Star ]
• Moving back to the reborn Regent Park [ Toronto Star ]
• Icy falls cost city millions in legal bills [ Toronto Star ]

6 comments

  1. Oh, the AGO (ROM…). This is what inevitably comes of stunt-architecture: and it leaks. And my friend who once worked there would tell you it wasn’t like they paid a living wage to most of their staff. Just goes to prove that ‘elites’ have no more %$#@ing idea how to run anything than the plebs: they’re just smart enough not to use their own money.

  2. Regarding slip-and-fall, just do what New York did and offload the legal liability to the adjacent property owner. I clear my sidewalk in winter because I get sued if someone trips and falls, not the city. Certainly provides incentive for some quick shoveling.

  3. I’m not sure a letter to the editor printed by the Globe (“Build it, they won’t come”) really deserves top billing in the headlines list.

    The “stunt-architecture” label fits most Frank Gehry buildings (and the ROM crystal) but I don’t see how it applies to the new AGO. Most of the spaces are simple and highly functional. It really was finished in a hurry; are a few leaks over a harsh first winter such a surprise? As for attendance, their timing was terrible. But from what I’ve seen, the folks at the AGO have the competence and attitude that’s lacking among the leadership at the ROM, so it’s pretty unfair to paint them with the same brush.

  4. It’s funny how some of our most ambition architectural projects have problems with climate. The aboveground Spadina line stations have roof leaks, City Hall has air quality issues with the solid cement wall of the towers, and the AGO has condensation problems in the winter. This isn’t a condemnation of any of those buildings as I enjoy them and they contribute immensely to the appeal of the city, but one does gain a greater appreciation for the more functional Jack Diamond opera house aesthetic.

  5. Toronto Star had an article on the Portland Airport, voted best US airport.

    http://www.thestar.com/article/602819

    The Star points out how this airport has a rail link to the downtown core. What the Star doesn’t bother mentioning is that the rail link to the downtown core only costs about $2 in Portland, compared to the $22 one-way that we be charged under Blue22 proposal in Toronto.

  6. The Portland airport is indeed nice. I found that actually finding the MAX line can be a tad confusing. But it is worth the walk through the terminal!