EXHIBITION PLACE
Toronto, Ontario
Program and Conceptual Plan
The Board of Governors of Exhibition Place to develop a conceptual program and site plan for the grounds, working with Staff of the City of Toronto Urban Planning and Development Services and Exhibition Place.
Our mandate for this project included the consolidation of information from past studies and the development of a set of definitive Planning and Development Objectives.
We developed a ‘Menu of Potential Uses’ for the site which complied with the Planning and Development Objectives, prepared the Evaluation Criteria and were reflective of the quality level and ideal uses for the site. In concert with the development of the objectives, criteria and menu of potential uses, a Structure Plan was developed which was reflective of the established goals. This addressed public open space, pedestrian connections, streets, transit, view corridors and gateways.
The Exhibition Place Program and Development Concept has been adopted by The Board of Governors.
EXHIBITION PLACE
Toronto, Ontario
Hotel Marketing Program
The Program and Conceptual Plan co-developed by our company, and adopted by the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place identified the need for a headquarters hotel adjacent to the Direct Energy Centre.
In order to suitably showcase the opportunity and attract an appropriate hotel operator, we were engaged to develop a marketing program and information package.
The package established the business case and the synergy with the Direct Energy Centre, while also highlighting the site’s numerous advantages: the inclusion of a historic landmark; the unique location within the park setting of Exhibition Place grounds; and its waterfront location.
GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER
Columbus, Ohio
Retail Development
Located in downtown Columbus, the Greater Columbus Convention Center is comprised of two buildings, the South Facility completed in 1981 and the North Facility which opened in 1993. The two buildings were disparate in function and appearance. The North Facility houses conventions and trade shows and contains 220,000 square feet of contiguous space, as well as a ballroom and meeting rooms.
The South Facility houses a significant retail component in addition to Battelle Hall, a convention and entertainment venue, and meeting rooms for the adjacent Hyatt Regency. In concert with a major expansion of the convention center, an extensive re-development plan was prepared by our company for the South Facility.
The new plans called for a complete re-configuration of the public areas and retail premises which improved public circulation and retail exposure, a public area enhancement program and improved signage and identification for both the interior and exterior. In addition, a new merchandising program has been developed for the Facility incorporating Specialty Retail, Retail Services, Business and Convention Services, a modernized food court, cafés and a large destination restaurant. In addition to the Hyatt Regency meeting rooms, a substantial amount of space has been allocated for Educational and Conference facilities.
KITCHENER CIVIC AUDIT0RIUM
Kitchener, Ontario
Redevelopment Plan
Our company, with IBI Group was engaged to prepare a redevelopment plan for the existing 7,500 seat Civic Auditorium located in Kitchener, as well a master plan for the lands surrounding the facility.
The redevelopment plan included recommendations for new revenue generating programs including suites, premium seating and state of the art concessions within the existing arena as well as the inclusion of a full service sports themed restaurant and themed entertainment centre.
In addition to the existing facility, the recommendations for the surrounding lands including the addition of two ice pads and upgrades to the existing outdoor sports facilities.
ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
Toronto, Ontario
Master Planning
Our company formed an integral part of the selected team with Zeidler Roberts Partnership, to provide master planning services to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto.
Our role within this exercise included providing real estate and operational consultancy services. This included the preparation of a full operational assessment of the facility.
The real estate consulting services included an assessment of the real estate opportunities within the existing facility as well as two potential development parcels adjacent to the existing facility. The opportunities reviewed included retail, restaurant, hotel and residential. A program detailing the defined uses was developed for both the existing facility and the development parcels and was incorporated into the final Master Plan.
