Maple Leaf Square
Maple Leaf Square | |
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General information | |
Status | Completed |
Type | Public square, Hotel, Condominium, Office, Retail |
Address | 15 York St. |
Town or city | Toronto, Ontario |
Country | Canada |
Coordinates | 43°38′33″N 79°22′49″W / 43.642632°N 79.380200°W |
Construction started | January 2007 |
Completed | 2010 |
Height | |
Roof | 186 m (610 ft) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 54 (topped out) |
Floor area | 1,800,000 sq ft (170,000 m2) |
Grounds | 2.1 acres (0.85 ha) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects with Page & Steele Architects (Architect of Record) |
Main contractor | PCL Construction[1] |
Other information | |
Number of units | 872 |
Website | |
www |
Maple Leaf Square is a multi-use complex and
Name
Maple Leaf Square is named after Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, both of which play in Scotiabank Arena next to the square.[3][4] During the 2014 postseason for the Raptors, the public square became a popular gathering area to view playoff games, and was nicknamed by fans as Jurassic Park,[4][5] in reference to the film from which the Raptors team name originated. The square is now colloquially referred to as Jurassic Park by the fans and media in addition to the real name, the Raptors Tailgate.[6]
On September 25, 2014, it was reported that the official name of the square would be changed to Ford Square from Maple Leaf Square, after the
History
Construction on the project began in January 2007.
The two glass and cast-in-place concrete towers are 65 storeys, containing 872 residential units, a 167-room Hotel LeGermain Boutique Hotel, 230,000 square feet (21,000 m2) of office space, 110,000 square feet (10,000 m2) of retail space, a 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) daycare centre, a high-definition theatre that broadcasts Leafs Nation Network and NBA TV Canada 24-hours a day, and four levels of underground parking with nearly 900 spaces.
The retail complex includes a
The building partly served as inspiration for
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Retail complex
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Longo's Supermarket
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North Tower
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Maple Leaf Square topped out in Spring 2010
Public square
Maple Leaf Square | |
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City of Toronto | |
Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Location of Maple Leaf Square in Toronto | |
Coordinates: 43°38′35.5″N 79°22′49.4″W / 43.643194°N 79.380389°W |
The public square has a capacity of 5,000 people. It hosts pre-game gatherings and other sports-related events.[12]
In conjunction with the project, the Scotiabank Arena itself on the side of Maple Leaf Square was renovated.[12] The renovations included a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) atrium addition to the west side of the arena which abuts the plaza. The outside wall of the atrium features a 50 by 80-foot (24 m) video screen overlooking the plaza which was inspired by similar plazas at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, and Victory Park in Dallas.[12] Games going on inside the arena are often displayed live on the outdoor screen.
The square was the first such plaza in Canada. It has been since emulated in
Viewing space for sports
The public square holds special outdoor viewings of significant games like home openers and playoff games for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors on a giant video screen affixed above the west entrance of Scotiabank Arena. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns both franchises, puts concession and merchandise stands on the square during such occasions.[4] These viewings happen regardless of whether the team is playing at home or on the road. Popularity of this fan experience has risen over the years and has required heightened security and traffic control.[13] Interest in attendance reached a new level on May 25, 2019 to watch the Raptors win Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time.[14][15][16] Following the Raptors' historic win in the 2019 NBA Finals, the City of Toronto renamed as Raptors Way a portion of Bremner Boulevard from York Street to Lake Shore Boulevard.[17]
See also
References
- ^ - Construction Update Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Maple Leaf Square Update | June 9, 2008 Archived September 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Toronto Raptors fans pack Maple Leaf Square for Game 7 against Brooklyn Nets Archived September 28, 2014, at archive.today, National Post, May 4, 2014
- ^ a b c Levinson-King, Robin (April 26, 2016). "Why Jurassic Park is ground zero for Raptors fans". Toronto Star.
- ^ "Toronto's Jurassic Park adds college vibe to NBA Finals". The Oklahoman. Associated Press. May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
Officially, it's called 'Raptors Tailgate in Maple Leaf Square,' but it's better known as Jurassic Park.
- NBA.com.
- ^ "maple leaf square gets renamed". No. Sep 25, 2014. Global News. September 25, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
- ^ a b c Maple Leaf Square will live on, MLSE says, Toronto Star, September 30, 2014
- ^ Never mind what MLSE wants, the square's name stays the same, September 26, Toronto Star
- ^ a b Maple Leaf Square will not be renamed Ford Square, CityNews Toronto, September 30
- ^ Maple Leaf Square will not be renamed Ford Square after all, Global News, September 30, 2014
- ^ a b c Shoalts, David (September 10, 2008). "ACC could look better than Leafs this season". Globe & Mail. Retrieved September 12, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ Blum, Benjamin (May 6, 2016). "Welcome, Raptors fans, to Jurassic Park". CBC Sports.
- ^ "Thousands gather to watch Raptors at Jurassic Park". 680 News. May 25, 2019.
- ^ McQuigge, Michelle; Rizza, Alanna (May 25, 2019). "Raptors fans overload Toronto's Jurassic Park for Game 6, spill onto street". Global News.
- ^ Stevenson, Jane (May 25, 2019). "Raptors fans gather at Jurassic Park 'to be part of history'". Toronto Sun.
- ^ "The Raptors are getting their very own street in downtown Toronto". cbc.ca. June 19, 2019.