Raise the Hammer

you're the man Dave. Keep up the great work on James North. Really? you nailed it with that last post. I can't stand being crammed on a 40 foot bus on the B-Line knowing that the A-Line is using artics in order to help 'brand' it. Give me a break. The B-line deserves artics all day, all night, everyday.

Part of the problem with people coming to AGH but not hanging around after is because it's easy to step out onto King St and if the Honest Lawyer doesn't appeal to you, you can look either way along King and see nothing but fast moving traffic, a wide road and few people or destinations within eye sight. Why would anyone just start wandering down seemingly empty streets in a city they aren't familiar with? We need the entire Gore area - both sides of King - to become a Hess/Locke/Augusta type destination with the same broad range of appeals and destination that all 3 of those places have. JS and the Eaton Centre need to be turned out to the streets and for the love, we had better not screw up the Gore master plan process. I see a lot of ribbon gardens and walkways to nowhere. Just allow people to put out huge patios in front of all the buildings on King with attractive public spaces that encourage hanging out and market stalls, vendors, buskers, festivals etc....and the place should come to life slowly but surely. I'm very concerned about this entire process and hope that if nothing else, they allow for a very generous right of way for outdoor patios along the entire street from James to the Connaught. Make it better than Hess. Better than Augusta. Just as cool as Locke, and watch the big retailers start clamouring for space in JS, the Right House, Connaught (assuming it sells to someone willing to spend money on it) Terminal Towers and even some of the crappy empty lots all around the Gore.