The new Devonian Garden(s) are not much different to the Jamieson Place winter garden.
Which is a pretty strong argument against the city paying for it, imo. If the mall wanted it to be like that for skylight/food court reasons, then they should be paying for it.
The Following User Says Thank You to bizaro86 For This Useful Post:
Several years ago, city officials knew the park — originally completed in 1977 — was in dire need of upgrades.
Shortly after, mall ownership changed and management decided to install a three-block skylight in the shopping centre, which would overlap into the garden area.
“We dovetailed with their design work and we re-configured the gardens into a horseshoe shape,” said Anne Charlton, director of parks.
The garden overhaul took an extra year to complete due to delays bringing in the plants using a crane on the outside of the building — a task that was pushed back from last fall to this spring.
Council approved $37 million for the facelift rolled out in two phases.
The first, worth $23 million, was to cover the garden envelope — including ceiling, walls, floors, mechanical and electrical — as well as demolition costs associated with the existing gardens, said Kyle Ripley, manager of parks, planning and development services.
An additional $14 million was approved for Phase 2: Planting and garden features, he added.
About 10% of the budget was covered by contributions from mall owners, said Ripley.
New infrastructure will also allow for significant energy savings, including half a million dollars in gas bills annually.
The city is also negotiating a leasehold for a restaurant in the gardens.
Koi fish that were part of the original park are back, however turtles that were there previously have been relocated.
So mall owners kicked in $3.7 million. Large structural changes $500,000 in savings a year, plus whatever else they're saving. Potential revenue from a restaurant.
The Following User Says Thank You to ranchlandsselling For This Useful Post:
Is the restaurant to be run by the River Cafe group as well?
I think since there's Koi and the name will include "garden" it's a requirement that it must be an Asian restaurant. There's another thread where you can probably inquire if that's 100%.
The Following User Says Thank You to ranchlandsselling For This Useful Post:
I think since there's Koi and the name will include "garden" it's a requirement that it must be an Asian restaurant. There's another thread where you can probably inquire if that's 100%.
What an utter joke of a "park." If these pictures are any indication of what I'd see, I have no interest in ever checking it out. This looks like a total failure of epic proportions. A garden is supposed to have lots of plants and greenery in natural, non-uniform arrangements. It should also have interesting, natural looking water features along with paths, benches, sculptures, etc. This 'park' has non of this. What it has are bland, sterile looking path ways, boring water features with cheap spouts, and minimal plants. I guess another high end restaurant, 500,000sf banquet hall, and slate tile trump having a 'garden.' Brutal.
__________________
Stanley Cup - 1989
Clarence Campbell Trophy - 1986, 1989, 2004
Presidents Trophy - 1988, 1989
William Jennings Trophy - 2006
It's like an Ikea showroom for fake plants with the isolated garden sets and harsh spotlights. Yes, I'll take the skomalåka in demonstration planter 5 please!
Several years ago, city officials knew the park — originally completed in 1977 — was in dire need of upgrades.
Shortly after, mall ownership changed and management decided to install a three-block skylight in the shopping centre, which would overlap into the garden area.
“We dovetailed with their design work and we re-configured the gardens into a horseshoe shape,” said Anne Charlton, director of parks.
The garden overhaul took an extra year to complete due to delays bringing in the plants using a crane on the outside of the building — a task that was pushed back from last fall to this spring.
Council approved $37 million for the facelift rolled out in two phases.
The first, worth $23 million, was to cover the garden envelope — including ceiling, walls, floors, mechanical and electrical — as well as demolition costs associated with the existing gardens, said Kyle Ripley, manager of parks, planning and development services.
An additional $14 million was approved for Phase 2: Planting and garden features, he added.
About 10% of the budget was covered by contributions from mall owners, said Ripley.
New infrastructure will also allow for significant energy savings, including half a million dollars in gas bills annually.
The city is also negotiating a leasehold for a restaurant in the gardens.
Koi fish that were part of the original park are back, however turtles that were there previously have been relocated.
So mall owners kicked in $3.7 million. Large structural changes $500,000 in savings a year, plus whatever else they're saving. Potential revenue from a restaurant.
Thanks, I was withholding judgement until seeing a little bit of a cost breakdown and how much of it was structural, how much was aesthetic. $23 million for structural doesn't seem too bad, given the extensive demolitions. But $14 million for planting and garden features seems crazy, and the results are underwhelming even without knowing that pricetag.
The Following User Says Thank You to octothorp For This Useful Post:
That jungle gym is an abomination. Sure it's probably fun for the kids but it sticks out like an eyesore in the midst of all this hospital white and stainless steel modernized minimalism.
The old jungle gym in the 80s was actually made of wood and it blended into the park. It was also stuffed into a cool corner at a slightly lower level under an overpass/overhead walkway and kind of felt like a secret hideout.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Hack&Lube For This Useful Post:
That jungle gym is an abomination. Sure it's probably fun for the kids but it sticks out like an eyesore in the midst of all this hospital white and stainless steel modernized minimalism.
The old jungle gym in the 80s was actually made of wood and it blended into the park. It was also stuffed into a cool corner at a slightly lower level under an overpass/overhead walkway and kind of felt like a secret hideout.
Don't you know wooden play grounds can't be built anymore because of the potential for splinters? That jungle gym thing looks so boring. Nothing will ever compare to the three level wooden park at my old elementary school St. Wilfrid. If some kids today knew what we had back in the 80's and 90's they would feel ripped off.
__________________
Stanley Cup - 1989
Clarence Campbell Trophy - 1986, 1989, 2004
Presidents Trophy - 1988, 1989
William Jennings Trophy - 2006
Don't you know wooden play grounds can't be built anymore because of the potential for splinters? That jungle gym thing looks so boring. Nothing will ever compare to the three level wooden park at my old elementary school St. Wilfrid. If some kids today knew what we had back in the 80's and 90's they would feel ripped off.
I'm a bit partial to the old wooden monstrosity we called "The Big Toy" at Dr. E.W. Coffin.
There was also this ridiculous death catapult for children. I don't know what medieval warfare expert invented that but it was basically a bunch of old tires chained together in between several old telephone poles. One kid would sit on one corner as several other kids hung onto the chains and jumped up and down using their weight as leverage causing the tires to jacknife up and down until the kid on the tires couldn't hold on anymore and was flung off through the air only to smash his face into a pile of gravel on the other end.
We all survived although I almost lost an eye and twisted my ankle once. Kids these days...
The Following User Says Thank You to Hack&Lube For This Useful Post:
I'm the saddest about the West side of the Gardens. The East side doesn't exist anymore because it was ripped up for The Core but you can tell exactly where the West pond/rink used to be. This is practically the same vantage point.
Goodbye most beautiful indoor pond in the world...
Hello stupidest waste of space and tax dollars ever. Yes they boarded up the open-air mesh skylight with corrugated steel!
Wow. What they've done is beyond disappointing. Even calling it a botanical garden at this point is a giant stretch.
