Ontario Place's spa developer released new designs this week. Here's a recap

There were new developments and reaction this week to the plan to build a spa and waterpark on Ontario Place's west island.

Therme Canada, the company the province selected to redevelop the site, released new designs following a series of public consultations. Those designs will be sent back to the city for further review.

But while the lead architect behind the project is trumpeting the improved designs, others remain critical and firm in their stance that Ontario Place is still the wrong site for this type of project.

Need to catch up on the latest?Here's a chance to review some of what both sides are saying.

Architects say more public space in redesign

First, on CBC Radio's Metro Morning, we heard from the architect Gary McCluskie, of Diamond Schmitt Architects, who are designing Therme's spa.

LISTEN l Architect Gary McCluskie makes the case for the new redesign:

According to Therme, the size of its planned building has been reduced by 25 per cent. Instead of a single large building, the development willnow be composed of a campus of connected buildings.

As well, some 1.6 hectares of rooftop parkland and trails have been added on top of the buildings. That's in addition to the 4.8 hectares of public parkland, including a new beach, boardwalk and cycling trails included in the previous design.

"Our goal has been to address a lot of those comments worried about scale," McCluskie said. "It will be perceptively smaller in terms of the size of the building."

McCluskie said the rooftop space will be "100 per cent" public park and visitors won't notice a difference between it and the parkland on ground level. He says it will be open to the public at all times, like any other park.

"We've woven trails and terraced in a way that it all feels like one space," he said.

The initial redevelopment plan submitted to the city called for a five-level underground parking lot for more than 2,000 cars, plus a surface parking lot with space for 600 cars.

That parking would defy established city and provincial planning policies that stress the use of public transportation over private vehicles, Toronto city staff said in a report earlier this year.

McCluskie said the number of parking spaces has been "slightly reduced" but he couldn't say by exactly how much.

Key issues 'you can't design around,' says critic

Metro Morningalso heard from Ken Greenberg, a prominent architect and member of the Ontario Place for All coalition.

LISTEN l Why one prominent architect has concerns about the project:

He says building a large parking lot while the city works to fight climate change "makes no sense."

With thenew design beingsent back to the city for consideration, there will be anew wave of public consultations. But Greenberg is worried that will happen too quickly for people to take in the new proposed plans.

He also still has questions for the province about the contract Therme's been granted for the land.

"There are some fundamental [issues], which you can't design around," he said. For starters, he pointed to Therme's 95-year lease.

"What does the public get out of this? And very importantly, what happens down the line this is virtually a century. This is equivalent to selling off a piece of public land," he said.

Greenberg is also still concerned that Therme's spa was not included in an environmental assessment of the redevelopment.

"This is a really serious problem and it violates all normal practices," said Greenberg.

His message to those behind the project is to find another site.

WATCH |Therme Canada unveils a new design for Ontario Place redevelopment:

Therme Canada unveils a new design for Ontario Place redevelopment

1 year ago

Duration 2:41

The redesigned plans feature a smaller main building and more public park space. While the province has praised the redesign, critics remain opposed.

"It just doesn't fit here," he said. "It needs space, it needs parking access, it needs all those things. It just doesn't fit on the west island of Ontario Place."

Members of the public will have a chance to express their opinions on the new design next month during another round of consultation. There will be an in-person meeting on Sept. 7at the Beanfield Centre and a virtual consultation meeting on Sept. 12, according to Coun. Ausma Malik, whose ward includes Ontario Place.

Malik also still has concerns about the plan.

"Hundreds of millions of dollars of public funds spent by the province to subsidize site preparations for a private spa and water park, and accompanying parking structure for thousands of cars, could be put to much better use," Malik said in a statement.