One of three companies selected to redevelop Ontario Place has pulled out of the project, raising new questions about the future of the Toronto waterfront spot. Quebec-based adventure tourism provider Écorécréo is no longer involved, according to two senior sources in the provincial government, which oversees the site. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly. No one at Écorécréo was available to speak by phone Wednesday, and an e-mail to one of its founders went unanswered. “I hope it’s a trend,” said Cindy Wilkie, a waterfront advocate and member of the group Ontario Place for All, which opposed the redevelopment plans. He noted some mixed feelings as the Écorécréo proposal may have included the most affordable offerings on the site, but added that it would have filled a significant area of the site. “The pods, the Kinesphere, the landscape are iconic. The more rubbish you put around it, it all gets lost.” Still involved in the redevelopment of the site is Austrian spa and water park provider Therme Group, whose $350 million bid is the bulk of the project. And Beverly Hills, Calif.-based concert promoter Live Nation, whose Canadian arm operates an outdoor live music venue at Ontario Place, is set to expand its site there. The three companies were announced with much fanfare last summer, and construction was expected to begin as early as 2024. But selecting those three took years of a stop-and-start bidding process, and it’s unclear how quickly a new company could step in with design that matches the rest of the site. In a statement, a spokesman for the infrastructure ministry said the timetable should not be changed. “We do not expect any impact on the project schedule,” Sofia Sousa-Dias wrote. “Repair work on the Cinesphere, pods and bridges is progressing normally this autumn. Service to the site, including sewer, water, electric and gas, is expected to begin in the spring of 2023. We are well on our way to bringing Ontario Place back to life.” Ontario Place opened in 1971 and closed in 2012 amid declining attendance numbers. While some of the land remained a popular park, parts of it fell into disuse. The previous Liberal provincial government called for bids on new uses for the site before that process ran out of time and the Grits lost the 2018 election. That vote handed power to Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. The Tories have reopened the bidding process, with provincial documents specifying that the new Ontario Place should be a “spectacular destination that will attract local and international visitors” and could include “landmarks such as recreation and sports facilities, public spaces and parks, retail and entertainment attractions.” While the documents say no taxpayer subsidies are being offered, they also promise the government will first make Ontario Place — which lacks water and sewer and other services for larger buildings — ready for development. That cost alone, according to estimates dating back to when the Liberals were still in power, was budgeted at $100 million. The waterfront has caught Mr. Ford’s attention since his days in local politics. And as premier, he has taken an active interest in Ontario Place. After months of speculation about its plans for the site, the government in 2019 ruled out apartments or any new casino. The province said, also in 2019, that it planned to lease and not sell the land. The open bidding process allowed the government to start talks with any bidder, combine elements of different bids or reject all that came up. Among the suggestions was one from Ken Tanenbaum, a prominent Toronto developer. His idea was to move the Ontario Science Center to the site and surround it with a park. In 2019, The Globe reported that Carl Demarco, a Toronto businessman and former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, was among those bidding on the location. But his exact plans were never revealed. Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
title: “The Ontario Place Redevelopment Is Facing New Hurdles After Private Partners Pulled Out Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Enrique Pagan”
One of three companies selected to redevelop Ontario Place has pulled out of the project, raising new questions about the future of the Toronto waterfront spot. Quebec-based adventure tourism provider Écorécréo is no longer involved, according to two senior sources in the provincial government, which oversees the site. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly. No one at Écorécréo was available to speak by phone Wednesday, and an e-mail to one of its founders went unanswered. “I hope it’s a trend,” said Cindy Wilkie, a waterfront advocate and member of the group Ontario Place for All, which opposed the redevelopment plans. He noted some mixed feelings as the Écorécréo proposal may have included the most affordable offerings on the site, but added that it would have filled a significant area of the site. “The pods, the Kinesphere, the landscape are iconic. The more rubbish you put around it, it all gets lost.” Still involved in the redevelopment of the site is Austrian spa and water park provider Therme Group, whose $350 million bid is the bulk of the project. And Beverly Hills, Calif.-based concert promoter Live Nation, whose Canadian arm operates an outdoor live music venue at Ontario Place, is set to expand its site there. The three companies were announced with much fanfare last summer, and construction was expected to begin as early as 2024. But selecting those three took years of a stop-and-start bidding process, and it’s unclear how quickly a new company could step in with design that matches the rest of the site. In a statement, a spokesman for the infrastructure ministry said the timetable should not be changed. “We do not expect any impact on the project schedule,” Sofia Sousa-Dias wrote. “Repair work on the Cinesphere, pods and bridges is progressing normally this autumn. Service to the site, including sewer, water, electric and gas, is expected to begin in the spring of 2023. We are well on our way to bringing Ontario Place back to life.” Ontario Place opened in 1971 and closed in 2012 amid declining attendance numbers. While some of the land remained a popular park, parts of it fell into disuse. The previous Liberal provincial government called for bids on new uses for the site before that process ran out of time and the Grits lost the 2018 election. That vote handed power to Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. The Tories have reopened the bidding process, with provincial documents specifying that the new Ontario Place should be a “spectacular destination that will attract local and international visitors” and could include “landmarks such as recreation and sports facilities, public spaces and parks, retail and entertainment attractions.” While the documents say no taxpayer subsidies are being offered, they also promise the government will first make Ontario Place — which lacks water and sewer and other services for larger buildings — ready for development. That cost alone, according to estimates dating back to when the Liberals were still in power, was budgeted at $100 million. The waterfront has caught Mr. Ford’s attention since his days in local politics. And as premier, he has taken an active interest in Ontario Place. After months of speculation about its plans for the site, the government in 2019 ruled out apartments or any new casino. The province said, also in 2019, that it planned to lease and not sell the land. The open bidding process allowed the government to start talks with any bidder, combine elements of different bids or reject all that came up. Among the suggestions was one from Ken Tanenbaum, a prominent Toronto developer. His idea was to move the Ontario Science Center to the site and surround it with a park. In 2019, The Globe reported that Carl Demarco, a Toronto businessman and former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, was among those bidding on the location. But his exact plans were never revealed. Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
title: “The Ontario Place Redevelopment Is Facing New Hurdles After Private Partners Pulled Out Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-04” author: “Ada Young”
One of three companies selected to redevelop Ontario Place has pulled out of the project, raising new questions about the future of the Toronto waterfront spot. Quebec-based adventure tourism provider Écorécréo is no longer involved, according to two senior sources in the provincial government, which oversees the site. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly. No one at Écorécréo was available to speak by phone Wednesday, and an e-mail to one of its founders went unanswered. “I hope it’s a trend,” said Cindy Wilkie, a waterfront advocate and member of the group Ontario Place for All, which opposed the redevelopment plans. He noted some mixed feelings as the Écorécréo proposal may have included the most affordable offerings on the site, but added that it would have filled a significant area of the site. “The pods, the Kinesphere, the landscape are iconic. The more rubbish you put around it, it all gets lost.” Still involved in the redevelopment of the site is Austrian spa and water park provider Therme Group, whose $350 million bid is the bulk of the project. And Beverly Hills, Calif.-based concert promoter Live Nation, whose Canadian arm operates an outdoor live music venue at Ontario Place, is set to expand its site there. The three companies were announced with much fanfare last summer, and construction was expected to begin as early as 2024. But selecting those three took years of a stop-and-start bidding process, and it’s unclear how quickly a new company could step in with design that matches the rest of the site. In a statement, a spokesman for the infrastructure ministry said the timetable should not be changed. “We do not expect any impact on the project schedule,” Sofia Sousa-Dias wrote. “Repair work on the Cinesphere, pods and bridges is progressing normally this autumn. Service to the site, including sewer, water, electric and gas, is expected to begin in the spring of 2023. We are well on our way to bringing Ontario Place back to life.” Ontario Place opened in 1971 and closed in 2012 amid declining attendance numbers. While some of the land remained a popular park, parts of it fell into disuse. The previous Liberal provincial government called for bids on new uses for the site before that process ran out of time and the Grits lost the 2018 election. That vote handed power to Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. The Tories have reopened the bidding process, with provincial documents specifying that the new Ontario Place should be a “spectacular destination that will attract local and international visitors” and could include “landmarks such as recreation and sports facilities, public spaces and parks, retail and entertainment attractions.” While the documents say no taxpayer subsidies are being offered, they also promise the government will first make Ontario Place — which lacks water and sewer and other services for larger buildings — ready for development. That cost alone, according to estimates dating back to when the Liberals were still in power, was budgeted at $100 million. The waterfront has caught Mr. Ford’s attention since his days in local politics. And as premier, he has taken an active interest in Ontario Place. After months of speculation about its plans for the site, the government in 2019 ruled out apartments or any new casino. The province said, also in 2019, that it planned to lease and not sell the land. The open bidding process allowed the government to start talks with any bidder, combine elements of different bids or reject all that came up. Among the suggestions was one from Ken Tanenbaum, a prominent Toronto developer. His idea was to move the Ontario Science Center to the site and surround it with a park. In 2019, The Globe reported that Carl Demarco, a Toronto businessman and former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, was among those bidding on the location. But his exact plans were never revealed. Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
title: “The Ontario Place Redevelopment Is Facing New Hurdles After Private Partners Pulled Out Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Whitney Steins”
One of three companies selected to redevelop Ontario Place has pulled out of the project, raising new questions about the future of the Toronto waterfront spot. Quebec-based adventure tourism provider Écorécréo is no longer involved, according to two senior sources in the provincial government, which oversees the site. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly. No one at Écorécréo was available to speak by phone Wednesday, and an e-mail to one of its founders went unanswered. “I hope it’s a trend,” said Cindy Wilkie, a waterfront advocate and member of the group Ontario Place for All, which opposed the redevelopment plans. He noted some mixed feelings as the Écorécréo proposal may have included the most affordable offerings on the site, but added that it would have filled a significant area of the site. “The pods, the Kinesphere, the landscape are iconic. The more rubbish you put around it, it all gets lost.” Still involved in the redevelopment of the site is Austrian spa and water park provider Therme Group, whose $350 million bid is the bulk of the project. And Beverly Hills, Calif.-based concert promoter Live Nation, whose Canadian arm operates an outdoor live music venue at Ontario Place, is set to expand its site there. The three companies were announced with much fanfare last summer, and construction was expected to begin as early as 2024. But selecting those three took years of a stop-and-start bidding process, and it’s unclear how quickly a new company could step in with design that matches the rest of the site. In a statement, a spokesman for the infrastructure ministry said the timetable should not be changed. “We do not expect any impact on the project schedule,” Sofia Sousa-Dias wrote. “Repair work on the Cinesphere, pods and bridges is progressing normally this autumn. Service to the site, including sewer, water, electric and gas, is expected to begin in the spring of 2023. We are well on our way to bringing Ontario Place back to life.” Ontario Place opened in 1971 and closed in 2012 amid declining attendance numbers. While some of the land remained a popular park, parts of it fell into disuse. The previous Liberal provincial government called for bids on new uses for the site before that process ran out of time and the Grits lost the 2018 election. That vote handed power to Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. The Tories have reopened the bidding process, with provincial documents specifying that the new Ontario Place should be a “spectacular destination that will attract local and international visitors” and could include “landmarks such as recreation and sports facilities, public spaces and parks, retail and entertainment attractions.” While the documents say no taxpayer subsidies are being offered, they also promise the government will first make Ontario Place — which lacks water and sewer and other services for larger buildings — ready for development. That cost alone, according to estimates dating back to when the Liberals were still in power, was budgeted at $100 million. The waterfront has caught Mr. Ford’s attention since his days in local politics. And as premier, he has taken an active interest in Ontario Place. After months of speculation about its plans for the site, the government in 2019 ruled out apartments or any new casino. The province said, also in 2019, that it planned to lease and not sell the land. The open bidding process allowed the government to start talks with any bidder, combine elements of different bids or reject all that came up. Among the suggestions was one from Ken Tanenbaum, a prominent Toronto developer. His idea was to move the Ontario Science Center to the site and surround it with a park. In 2019, The Globe reported that Carl Demarco, a Toronto businessman and former World Wrestling Entertainment executive, was among those bidding on the location. But his exact plans were never revealed. Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
