AlvinofDiaspar said:
The TTC version is a pale imitation of the TfL version

AoD
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Off-topic (?) but am adding this to my transport book library:
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interchange42 said:
I believe that Osmington know what they are doing, and they are looking for a bar/restaurant here, not just a coffee shop. If they say a resto/bar can be done... somehow I trust them to know both what Public Health demands and the hospitality industry needs. Is it your average space? No, certainly not. Could it be a very cool new place for a meal? Sure thing, once the lighting is fixed in the hall!

42
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I am not sure how attractive this space will be until the Great Hall is fixed. I walked through yesterday and it is in bad shape.

Terrible lighting that casts shadows and makes everything look dank. Broken marble flooring. Vacant storefronts and hoarding. Bad seating.

It's really a shame on our city that such a historic space has been left like this for any period of time, let alone years. 😢
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
The TTC version is a pale imitation of the TfL version

AoD
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You are surprised?
Dr. Snoot said:
I am not sure how attractive this space will be until the Great Hall is fixed. I walked through yesterday and it is in bad shape.

Terrible lighting that casts shadows and makes everything look dank. Broken marble flooring. Vacant storefronts and hoarding. Bad seating.

It's really a shame on our city that such a historic space has been left like this for any period of time, let alone years. 😢
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I suspect that demands from Osmington may have 'speeded up' the lighting work and one assumes they may also complain about the flooring in due course too.
 
Are there plans to upgrade the finishes of the other three teamways to look as nice as Bay East? They look kind of rough.
 
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Willybru21 said:
A ramp was added to one of the units in the Front Street Promenade.

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If I had to guess, I assume Union Security is moving into this unit (43) from the one they’re currently in (37), which will then be leased out to a retailer:

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nightstreak said:
Yeah, that security office is in a way too high profile spot as passengers walk to Front Street from the York Concourse. A blank wall and security office is what they see now. That's such good exposure wasted. Hopefully another restaurant joins the other 3 in that vicinity.
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And here we have it. It’s a wrap around unit (or split units) with ramps on both sides to the moat. Hopefully it leads to opening the west moat. If this were to be a restaurant or a cafe, it could have a patio in the moat. Would be lovely all seasons. Sunny but cool in the summer, snowy but warm in the winter.

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Hi all, does anyone here know about the ground floor of the Skywalk?

While making the next set of maps for my project, I noticed there are 3 truck entrances on the west side of the skywalk:

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I’m having trouble finding out what these are used for, the underground space immediately south of the Skywalk appears to be parking for regular vehicles, and no connection to surrounding buildings, why does it need 3 truck sized delivery entrances?

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WB62 said:
Hi all, does anyone here know about the ground floor of the Skywalk?

While making the next set of maps for my project, I noticed there are 3 truck entrances on the west side of the skywalk:

View attachment 663480

View attachment 663481

I’m having trouble finding out what these are used for, the underground space immediately south of the Skywalk appears to be parking for regular vehicles, and no connection to surrounding buildings, why does it need 3 truck sized delivery entrances?

View attachment 663482
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I'm reaching way back with memory here to like 35 years ago when it opened, I recall the Skywalk was lined with retail stores, cafes and take out food restaurants, all of which probably needed regular loading space for resupply and parking space for employees of those stores. That lasted all of about four years or so, I guess until the leases expired, and they slowly shut down from a lack of business. I think they far overestimated the business the Jays / CN Tower would generate (can't win the World Series every single year), not to mention people wanted to eat at the ballpark and not in a busy hallway with limited seating, and also people preferred to walk outside to/from the SkyDome, weather permitting. There was also a sharp recession in Canada in the early 90's and consumer discretionary spending dropped off a cliff until around 1995 and many downtown office workers were laid off, so it never matured into the retail destination as envisioned and they simply gave up on the space.
 
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The building was repurposed from a Canadian National express freight facility; CP's was on the east side, where the GO Bus Terminal was for a while and now part of the CIBC Square development. Express freight was things like parcels and small goods loadings that were usually carried by passenger trains, and off loaded at passenger stations. That business was lost to trucking in the 1950s and 1960s, and the buildings became vacant. That is why there are teamways on the east side of Bay and the west side of York.

When converted to the Skywalk, the CN building was renovated almost beyond recognition. I wonder if those elevators were installed during the Skywalk conversion, or if they pre-date it from CN operations.
 
Jonny5 said:
I'm reaching way back with memory here to like 35 years ago when it opened, I recall the Skywalk was lined with retail stores, cafes and take out food restaurants, all of which probably needed regular loading space for resupply and parking space for employees of those stores. That lasted all of about four years or so, I guess until the leases expired, and they slowly shut down from a lack of business. I think they far overestimated the business the Jays / CN Tower would generate (can't win the World Series every single year), not to mention people wanted to eat at the ballpark and not in a busy hallway with limited seating, and also people preferred to walk outside to/from the SkyDome, weather permitting. There was also a sharp recession in Canada in the early 90's and consumer discretionary spending dropped off a cliff until around 1995 and many downtown office workers were laid off, so it never matured into the retail destination as envisioned and they simply gave up on the space.
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Pepperidge Farm remembers those too here as well... >.<
 
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I can't really remember the details, but I only went to two Jays games in that era. I lived in Ottawa, so it was a big deal to go to Toronto for a game, and I remember the walk from Union to Skydome through the Skywalk as being really exciting. I don't think I would have those memories if it was in the state it's in today.
 
evandyk said:
I can't really remember the details, but I only went to two Jays games in that era. I lived in Ottawa, so it was a big deal to go to Toronto for a game, and I remember the walk from Union to Skydome through the Skywalk as being really exciting. I don't think I would have those memories if it was in the state it's in today.
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I do recall the shops in the skywalk but they closed up around 1995.

There was a few takeout places including a pizza shop but I don't recall them being too busy.

By its very nature the skywalk is a means to an end. It was designed as a covered walkway to Skydome, not as a retail mecca akin to the path.
 
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