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-- The Globe and Mail: A master plan to rein in 'Clubland'
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The Globe and Mail: A master plan to rein in 'Clubland'
quote:
ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT: 'YOU NEED A VISION'
A master plan to rein in 'Clubland'
DAVE MCGINN
Special to The Globe and Mail
October 18, 2008
Business owners in Toronto's Entertainment District are poised to release a new master plan, and although they won't come right out and say it, the blueprint appears designed to put the squeeze on Richmond Street's booze-soaked club zone.
The strategy: Improve landscaping, protect heritage sites and, above all, encourage more residents, shops and restaurants to move in so there'll be a critical mass of people with a vested interest in cracking down on "Clubland."
"The reality is, the clubs cause more problems than they're worth," says Councillor Adam Vaughan, whose ward, Trinity-Spadina, includes the Entertainment District.
"I'm bringing in development to get rid of clubs. Boo-hoo."
Although Mr. Vaughan has been fighting nightclubs for two years, the difference now is that business owners in the Entertainment District - which, as a neighbourhood, stretches well beyond Richmond's nightclubs, as far south as Lake Shore Boulevard - founded a formal Business Improvement Area (BIA) last November.
Since then they've spent more than $50,000 hiring an urban design firm to draft the master plan, which will be presented to the BIA's board next month. Some club owners fear it's all subtly engineered to force them out of business.
"Clubs are too often unfairly demonized," says Peter Gatien, owner of CiRCA, a 55,000-square-foot nightclub on John Street south of Richmond. "If they make it impossible for legitimate operators to function, it will end up going the way it was 10 or 15 years ago, where you had raves in warehouses and unsafe areas."
The Entertainment District boasts about 2,000 businesses. (Not all are members of the BIA.) The BIA began working on the master plan in the spring. "You need a vision," says Jack Robinson, chair of the BIA's board.
"The master plan can assist in guiding us with decisions, priorities, impacts on the physical environment of the district in a strategic way so that we can go forward with the city to make things happen."
While the master plan has long-term goals that may not be realized for a decade, the first phase is expected to roll out as early as next year, a phase that will include "beautification" projects.
"The reality is that the club district is changing," says Harold Madi of The Planning Partnership, which the BIA hired to write the master plan. "The real exciting stuff in this master plan is, what does that Richmond-Adelaide corridor become, what's it going to evolve into?"
An online survey conducted earlier this year by the BIA as part of the master-plan process identified "noise, crime and safety" as an "issue."
But pushing clubs out is not a goal of the plan, says Mr. Robinson.
"I think it's important to have clubs. You've got to have some reasonable, good entertainment. It's just got to be the right people and safe," he says.
Indeed, the BIA has formed a "safe streets" committee tasked with the job of "constantly working with police" and ensuring that "forms are filled out when somebody sees something that is not right," says Mr. Robinson.
The owner of the club Crocodile Rock sits on the BIA board, says Mr. Robinson, and other clubs have been invited to participate in creating the master plan.
But some clubs are just now discovering that a plan exists.
"This is the first I've heard of the master plan," says Arthur Geringas, general manager of Republik nightclub.
With the plan calling for more residential units and retail businesses in the area, it will inevitably increase pressure on clubs to close, he says. "There's a general sense against nightclubs to begin with downtown, so anything at this point doesn't really surprise me."
For his part, Mr. Vaughan believes the club fad is beginning to disappear on its own - the BIA master plan and his crackdowns are only hastening the inevitable.
The club industry "is a generational phenomena that's had its moment and is disappearing all over North America," he says.
"We're just making sure it disappears in a responsible way and what gets replaced with it is not empty warehouses but, in fact, the new neighbourhood. And if [clubs] don't like it, well, they can move."
While the club district is changing, it is still too dangerous, he says. "From 3 o'clock in the morning to 5 o'clock in the morning it's a friggin' war zone. It's less so now. We've been cracking down for two straight years and coming after the club owners with everything we can get our hands on."
However, Mr. Vaughan says he is not intent on forcing all clubs out of the neighbourhood. "If we build the neighbourhood properly, then the good nightclubs will survive and be viable and contributing partners to the business community," Mr. Vaughan says.
Mr. Gatien says he will be happy to see more caf�s and retail stores brought to the Entertainment District. However, he says nightclubs contribute to the culture of Toronto, and their contribution should not be ignored by the BIA or the city.
"I believe that most of the operators in this area are very focused and they're very legitimate," says Mr. Gatien. "If they treat us fairly, we can survive."
source:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...0081018.ENTER18
| quote: |
"The reality is, the clubs cause more problems than they're worth," says Councillor Adam Vaughan, whose ward, Trinity-Spadina, includes the Entertainment District. |
| quote: |
| "Clubs are too often unfairly demonized," says Peter Gatien, owner of CiRCA, a 55,000-square-foot nightclub on John Street south of Richmond. "If they make it impossible for legitimate operators to function, it will end up going the way it was 10 or 15 years ago, where you had raves in warehouses and unsafe areas." |
| quote: |
| While the master plan has long-term goals that may not be realized for a decade, the first phase is expected to roll out as early as next year, a phase that will include "beautification" projects. |
| quote: |
| For his part, Mr. Vaughan believes the club fad is beginning to disappear on its own - the BIA master plan and his crackdowns are only hastening the inevitable. The club industry "is a generational phenomena that's had its moment and is disappearing all over North America," he says. "We're just making sure it disappears in a responsible way and what gets replaced with it is not empty warehouses but, in fact, the new neighbourhood. And if [clubs] don't like it, well, they can move." |
| quote: |
| While the club district is changing, it is still too dangerous, he says. "From 3 o'clock in the morning to 5 o'clock in the morning it's a friggin' war zone. It's less so now. We've been cracking down for two straight years and coming after the club owners with everything we can get our hands on." |
| quote: |
| However, Mr. Vaughan says he is not intent on forcing all clubs out of the neighbourhood. "If we build the neighbourhood properly, then the good nightclubs will survive and be viable and contributing partners to the business community," Mr. Vaughan says. |
i lol'd when he said nightclubs are disappearing all over north america
wow, this guy is nuts, usualy politicians with their fancy plannings for the urban hipsters don't tell the obvious: quiet down neighbourhoods and kill nighlife.
Do you guys really want Toronto to become a boring city like Bordeaux or countless other quiet cities?
| quote: |
| Originally posted by malek wow, this guy is nuts, usualy politicians with their fancy plannings for the urban hipsters don't tell the obvious: quiet down neighbourhoods and kill nighlife. Do you guys really want Toronto to become a boring city like Bordeaux or countless other quiet cities? |
Clubs have had many forms in the past, it's really crazy to say it's only a generational fad.
Fuck me.
Who is this Vaughan guy? I just read his bio and I must admit, I am appalled that such a straight laced, formal guy is councillor for the area, I mean, come on - would you want Attila the Hun representing a Kibbutz?
He clearly has no understanding of the 'scene' and to be honest, I find his comments akin to prohibition.
After not being able to get Sam's car after Circa because of a shooting, I totally understand the desire to clean up the area - forcing clubs underground is not the way to do it.
And as for the 'generational fad' comment, my dad used to go to a place called the Torch in the UK and some of the kids I see out could be my kids (almost) so that's 3 generations right there!
Yes, I'm sure that the city fathers thought the Palais Royale was a generational fad, too. (I mean its first incarnation.)
What a whiny little bitch.
I can understand him following in his father's footsteps of wanting to take the 'pro-neighbourhood' reins over in city hall but demonizing clubs is not the way to go.
hes not demonizing clubs, hes demonizing clubland.
wow. that quotation about clubs being a "generational phenomenon" really illustrates the fact that this Vaughan guy is clueless!!! LOL
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Flec hes not demonizing clubs, hes demonizing clubland. |
What the city needs to do is stop worrying about the club district and start worrying about gun control and drug trafficking. THAT is the real problem not the clubs. Peter Gatien makes a very good point by saying how underground raves were a thing of the past and now today it is much more organized. Also I remember another member of parliament trying to make a red light district (imo a good idea) but howabout a club district where no residential areas can be developed and only commercial and entertainment is allowed.
Sounds like he probably didn't get into a particular club at some point in time.
I think this was written from a personal opinion. He probably doesn't know too much or anything at all about this industry. A lot of his points seem like he went out once and this is what he experienced.
forgive me if im wrong.. but wasn't the fact that there was such nightlife activity in the club district and it became such as hot spot after being nothing but empty warehouses the reason people began to build condos and move into the area?
That's what this city gets for electing people like him. He ran on this platform in the last election and the left wing toronto residents relected him.
Trinity once again has Vaughn and Olivia Chow....GOOD JOB
They both also want to shut down the Island Airport.
| quote: |
| Originally posted by Flec hes not demonizing clubs, hes demonizing clubland. |
| quote: |
| "The reality is, the clubs cause more problems than they're worth," says Councillor Adam Vaughan, whose ward, Trinity-Spadina, includes the Entertainment District. "I'm bringing in development to get rid of clubs. Boo-hoo." |
Adam vaughn says he's bringing development in to push the clubs out
and the president of the BIA says pushing clubs out is not their goal.
huh?
p.s. someone should push Adam Vaughn in front of a street car.
Looks like we are going back to the good old warehouses for good parties.
some friends and i broke into his vaughan's house when his family lived on coolmine street years ago and we stole a few hot wheels while him and his brother were playing some video games in another room
i felt bad about it until now
ack him
You know, Clubland is a clusterfuck - but the City only has it's self to blame for putting in stupid zoneing bylaws which turned that area into 'club land' and making it difficult for clubs to open outside of that area.
From what I gather, it's pretty much impossible to open up a "new" club anywhere in the city unless your taking over an existing space due to difficulties with licensing.
Is it any wonder that from 3am to 5am is a warzone in that area when you've forced that many clubs into that area (and by design awhile ago), have a stupid last-call system which forces many bars to close shop by 3am - causing thousands of drunks to spill into the streets. Perhaps if the clubs were more distributed across the city, not gathered so densly into one area - once last call came, it wouldn't have so many people in 1 area?
I'm fine with seeing club-land become an area of the past, as long as it's made possible for other clubs to open in new areas of the city. Really, whats the big deal with letting 270 Spadina have a license?
Also - what does he want people to do for entertainment? True, there is "life beyond clubbing" but for many people - hitting the clubs a few times a month is a big/important part of their social life and is one of the factors that adds to their enjoyment of the city - I dont want to be sitting around playing scrabble every weekend because I dont have the option of doing much else. (Mind you, I did play scrabble last night and rather enjoyed it)
| quote: |
| Originally posted by MarkT but he has *consistently* demonstrated ZERO desire to serve the interests of clubs or patrons and therefore, IMHO, has no business representing that area. |
| quote: |
| Originally posted by kaniz Really, whats the big deal with letting 270 Spadina have a license? |
Just burn all of clubland to the ground and get the condos built....I am sick of all that crap noise anyhow and I am looking for a new condo so this would be perfect.
ent. district is such a fkin zoo.. it needs to be cleaned up
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