$40 million on Nathan Philips?

Toronto has a spending problem. You know it, I know it. Even our mayoral candidates know it.

“Toronto doesn’t have a funding problem. It does have a spending problem” - George Smitherman
“Toronto has a spending problem, not a revenue problem”- Rob Ford

It seems as if Smitherman and Ford have been drinking the same Kool-aid.

The biggest challenge for our new mayor is definitely going to be handling that beautiful budget of ours, but that’s a given. How they are going to do it is actually what we should all be worried about.

Ironically enough, today an article on some improvements to Nathan Philips Square caught my eye. I took a closer look and what I thought was just a minor enhancement turned out to be anything but.

Can someone please explain to me why we are spending $40 million to give Nathan Philips a facelift?

Alright, so it’s not the most modern or technologically impressive of places, but it’s not supposed to be either. Apparently the upgrades are going to make it a more inviting place. Well, I walk through it every day and the last thing I’m thinking is that it’s empty and cold.

Once the cold Toronto winter passes, the place is packed. It’s full of tourists taking a break from walking under the sun, kids running around playing and even couples enjoying a quiet romantic moment near the water.

There’s beauty in simplicity sometimes.

How will building yet another restaurant (that we don’t need) and creating a fancier landscape really benefit Torontonians? This multi-million dollar project is coming right out of the city’s capital budget too. Just what we need.

But hey – I’m all for an information and tourist Kiosk on Queen Street.

Let’s hope our new mayor can put this city’s money to good use because this sure isn’t a good way to start.

About Alexandra Orlando

Comments

[Peter]

Just another example of how governments of all levels waste our taxes. They all complain about deficits and belt tightening, cut services where it hurts us and then spend where it is not a priority. Will governments ever learn to act in a responsible manner? Maybe they will create a committee to study the benefit of spending money differently .... and waste even more of our money.

[al]

I think it's worth it. We are talking about our city hall here. And it definitely has lost a bit of its luster over the decades.

[Sue]

I thought the same thing about the money Mississauga spent on upgrading it's City Hall. Why? It was perfectly fine. The money could definitely have been used elsewhere where it was really needed.

[Jim]

About time, the square looked dull and seemed like a giant concrete pit with a puddle up at the front, 40 million in the grand scheme is not a lot to give Toronto's City Hall some character and not be as bland (but then Toronto might lose it's rep for being plain and bland, wouldn't want that to happen would we?).

[Rich]

I'm NOT a free spending type... but on this one I'd say the photo speaks for itself - the place looks brutal!

Now what I would focus on though is getting VALUE - do we really need to spend $40M? Could we figure out a way to do it without overpaying? Sadly, the city has a pretty poor record of delivering on-time and on-budget...

[Gav]

So, the author enjoys the half-empty reflecting pool with semi-functioning fountain; the dark, Soviet-style concession counter; the reeking toilets; the patchy and pointless lawns between the square, Queen St., and Osgoode Hall; the rickety rent-a-stage that's worse than what most elementary school fairs have; the lack of bike facilities in the downtown; the dismal maze amongst parking slots between the PATH at the Shertaon and City Hall; and the bare, never-accessible podium roof and upper walkways? Or, did she not know the $40 million included the roof garden that's now open, as well eventual occupiable gardens on the walkways, as an improved PATH link, and a new 300 bike parking/storage facility with change rooms and showers down on the first level of the car garage?

I'd agree the city has a spending problem; but civic beautification and improved usability of spaces open to all should not be sacrificed to the greedy union gods and bureaucratic deities who presently and unjustifiably gobble up most of our city's funds. If this was a common ethos, City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square would never have ended up in the sorry state they did.

[Eric Severn]

What goes on in these peoples' minds? They take our money (we don't give it - they take it) and spend it any which way they can. How about a referendum on things like this (and garbage collection and social programs and ...)? When you're about to spend OUR money on things that do not have to be done and on doing things differently that were just fine the way they were, how about asking us first? Do not assume that because we elected you, we agree with everything you think, say or feel. We voted for you because you were the least desireable candidate and we had very little to go on. This is OUR money. You TOOK it from us. It should be spent on things to benefit US. And what will benefit us? Ask us.

[MacGregrrrr The Terrier-ist]

Hey - it's only money, and heck ... it's SO easy to spend somebody else's money, eh? Grrrr ... it's times like THIS that I respect the sentiment behind Abe Lincoln's "government of the people, by the people, for the people" (as opposed to our own shameful banana republic of The North ... where our elected politicians and hired bureaucrats keep searching for new and innovative schemes to burn our tax dollars ... GRRRRR)

[Robert M]

Oh but don't you know this is a classic sign of Toronto for the last 20 + years spend money irresponsibility that it doesn't have

[Chris]

People need to have pride in public spaces. These type of expenditures are expenditures for the people. We all deserve beautiful public spaces and buidlings. If the government does not spend money on such things then places of beauty will be left to the elite. We all deserve bread AND roses.

[Andrew]

I think the square is in need of an upgrade. I hope the restaurant isn't a chain and I highly welcome the tourist kiosk.

[Kevin in Taxoronto]

If it really needs updating, spend the money when we are not in a recession. When (if) there is a surplus, use some of that money to revitalize the place. I just don't have any extra money at the end of the month to pay additional property taxes to fund this.

[James]

At least it is a better use of money than the billion dollars we spent on bringing in thousands of police thugs to beat up innocent citizens.

[Gabriel]

I think it's worth every penny. The green roof is FANTASTIC. If you haven't been, go check it out. And the rest of the changes promise to make NPS a real destination for Torontonians and tourists alike. I may sound like a simple booster, but it costs money to have a beautiful city.

[selma]

it looks our city officials are totally irresponsible with our money. the fact that we are constantly short and have to beg around, had tax and various fees increases just tells them that they can do more shoe shopping. people!!!! you have to say no!!!!

[Sara]

Sorry but NPS it definitely NOT "perfectly fine". It IS empty and cold. Haven't you people seen it's infrastructure deterioration over the years? The washrooms/changerooms were woefully inadequate, the lockers never worked, the concrete was crumbling, an entire side of the square was being used as a construction equipment parking lot for crying out loud - not to mention those awful chip wagons out front. Thank heavens the skating pavillion is gone. This is our most important public space - it should absolutely be a place we can point to with pride instead of embarrassment. I took part in the public consultations back in 2004 to guide the redesign. I'm thrilled with the choice they picked, and the green roof on the podium (the first step to open to the public) is AWESOME. Only in Toronto would anyone show such an attitude against renovations. News flash: there will ALWAYS be other things perceived to be 'more important' to use public funds for.

[Val Rynnimeri]

Nathan Philips Square has excellent architectural bones but today it is thoroughly worn around its edges. The square, its buildings, the pond and rink, the landscape around the square, the art and artifacts in it (like the peace monument) are and have been wildly overused. This is a very good thing but it leaves them tired, falling apart, badly in need of renewal, and looking for some ambitious new ideas for a new generation of Torontonians and visitors. The square today is on the edge of being an embarrassment to the city and is only popular due to its location, scale and public programming. Even shopping centres get periodic fix-ups and upgrades. Why not our public square? If we don't have the ambition to put our best foot forward in our most obvious public space, we really deserve to go back to being Hogtown.

[markie yan]

This is just what we need.

Another project that will go into cost over runs of another 40-50 million dollars followed by an inquiry that costs another few million.

However, I guess the tourists need something grand to look at as they are bombarded with requests for a dollar.

[Sara]

Note: this EXACTLY what capital funds are supposed to be used for. Now hopefully they'll get going on that other pathetic eyesore: Union Station. Having just returned from scenic Quebec City, I can once again confirm that some of our public spaces here in Toronto are poorly maintained, ugly, convered in bird dung, etc. etc. etc.

[JB]

Your article makes a case FOR the renovation, as you say there are lots of people (and tourists) using this space, why not spend some money to make it less of a urban wasteland? God forbit a nice restaurant replaces those crappy old food trucks. Toronto does not suffer from a spending problem, we suffer from a leadership and vision problem.

[Bettie]

It's bleak and nasty, almost industrial. The same applies to the rear view of City Hall itself. I'd like to see the whole lot demolished and replaced.

[Jada]

Ugh... Ok, the fact that people are complaining about this is unreal and shows how little people understand in terms of selling our city to the world. This is the face of our city! This is what corporate investors and foreign leaders see when they come to Toronto!

Imagine going to invest in a company and their headquarters is some dingy, run-down dump. Most investors would have a hard time getting through the door, let alone taking the owners seriously. The city is no different... we want investment, we want money to come to this city, then we need good presentation. It's just smart business.

Also, let's not mince words here, the place is a dump. It's cold and uninviting, outdated and just doesn't look good. It certainly is NOT the face of a city that wants to be taken seriously on the world stage. I have been in business along time, perception is nearly everything, this $40m facelift is a small investment into the future of this city and is needed BADLY.

[Luke]

The real travesty is that the stupid elevated walkways around the square are staying. It's the biggest seagull toilet in town!