Charles St GRT terminal redevelopment

[nms]

Here are two, never-going-to-happen, scenarios that everyone seems to avoid, but that would solve two or three other downtown "problems":

1. Go the Madison Square Gardens route and build a new arena on top of the proposed intercity station at King & Victoria. The land parcel is a bit small, but the dreamers have to dream right?

2. Put the new facility where the King Centre is and merge the property with 44 Gaukel. You could even stack your extra ice pads towards King St. With two nods to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the mid-Century façade of 44 Gaukel could be incorporated into the arena wall, while the upper floor ice pads would be a nod to Maple Leaf Gardens where Loblaws put retail space on the lower floors and the ice rink went up top. (downtown grocer: third problem solved). Heck, go for broke, and figure out how to also include provisions for the much anticipated, also not going to happen, conference centre.

Oh, and turn the bus terminal land into an extension of Victoria Park.  If underground parking is a must, create something like Toronto's Roundhouse Park.

*mic drop*

PS As to why we used to get big acts here, and now we don't, a new documentary, "Rock This Town", explores how bands like Chicago, the Supremes, Led Zepplin, Supertramp, KISS, Rush and Elton John arrived here in the 1960s and 1970s. [CBC Interview here] [Record article about Joe Recchia here]. Fun Fact: Elton John played five nights at the Bombshelter Pub in Waterloo in August 1970 en route to his big break at the Troubadour in the United States.