When theatre impresario David Mirvish and world renowned Canadian architect Frank Gehry unveiled a bold plan to erect three towering skyscrapers in the city’s theatre district, it hit a wall of red tape.
The city's planners didn’t like it. The biggest criticism was that it was too commercial and not cultural enough. That was two years ago.
Now, after almost five months of collaboration and compromise, Mirvish has unveiled a whole new design that the city's chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, hopes will inspire people to change the way they think about the tall buildings.
"This project has the potential…to really be a landmark cultural site with some architecture that is truly defining for the city" Keesmaat told CTV Toronto.
The new design includes two towers instead of three, and is shorter, slimmer and more dimensional. It also includes a redesigned pedestrian walkway.
The Ed's Warehouse building and Princess of Wales Theatre will stay, according to the new plans.
The plans will be officially unveiled at a public meeting at Metro Hall on Tuesday night.
