#11: Circular Structure

And so it goes. The Expositor reported that City Hall has agreed on a proposal of what to do with the south side of Colburne, and the best idea is to rip is all down and build a YMCA/WLU complex center. The heritage committed has raised its concern for the facades of the older buildings, but it was reported that the concern is largely on the heritage committee, and not the council. For Brantford, the way of renewal is not through thought and good design, but rather just to destroy and start again. So in that regard it's a fitting project.

However, every instance within the last 20 years of them doing such projects have resulted in total failure. A superbock was created for the Eaton's Mall, and is now largely occupied by branches of the City Hall. The parking garage that almost spans two blocks is mostly vacant, and offered no resurgence to the downtown (as was its intention), but rather a reason to not visit the area. Both of these projects required the change of Market Street from a through way, to a T-intersection that stops in front of the Eaton's. Market street was once the gateway to downtown but now causes most drivers take roads that circle around the core, instead of driving through it. Limiting the access to any area will diminish its success.

Avoiding downtown, however, is exactly what most of the resdients want. It's depressing to see an area of heritage loose to decay and neglect. I can understand why they would circumvent Dalhousie and Colborne.

Most recently, the City tore down a brownfield site and rejected a proposed hotel (one that would have been right next to the casino) and instead approved a strip mall and Price Choppers. I'm certain the Blockbuster is a major draw to many of that area - and certainly provides more revenue then a hotel next to the casino. Hmm, no wait, I can go to a Blockbusters anywhere (and usually choose not to). The development was most likley created to provide easy commerce opportunities to the people within Eagle Place (name for the surronding area), but any of the the corporate boxes built could have easily been reworked into South Colborne (one-two blocks away).

Now with the Y complex proposal, they again make a building that requires you to drive there. Homes are being removed, and instead yet another destination place is being created. Now of the previous destination places have worked; I'm not sure why they think this place will.
What that area needs is to think of a village. Provide mix-used housing, medium density, and keep as much of the heritage buildings as possible. Reworking a site creates more jobs and costs less then building brand new.

This is all very negative, but it's disappointing to see people try to do their best and fall completely short of their ambitions. It's just frustrating seeing all this happen, and not having the voice to convince people that what they are doing is wrong.

Throughout this blog I've shown the history of my Brantford. How the canning factory in Simcoe reminded me of my roots here, and why the Downtown area is truly a site of what could be. The industrial artitechture is clearly something that I'm most drawn to - not only becuase they are wonders of artitechture but also becuase of the vast importance to our heritage, our very definition of the City of Brantford, and our overall community ideology. From the start I was just gathering single elements and pieces of what I liked, and it was the City itself that created a narrative structure.

The encouragement and passionate comments I received after my presentation was more then I've ever recieved in my planning classes; proving that everyone is concerned about what happens to a city - even if it's not theirs. I plan to continue this blog and to showcase the areas of forgotten Brantford. They hold more to me then any of the sites focused on for tourists.

#10: Revitalized Railway Bridge: Putting it All Together

Brant's Landing

Revitalized Railway Bridge: Putting it All Together

Brownfield redevelopment doesn't necessarily have to be turning abandoned factories into lofts. Here is a fantastic example of taking unused industrial structure and making it a useful and incredibly popular piece.

The bridge is connected to now defunt railway lines (some still exist, but it's clear they are no longer used) that traveled to the Cockshutt plant and the industrial sector along Greenwich St (which I learned is the old Massey Ferguson factory). Adding this bridge is a great way to finish my collection, as it not only is a piece of fantastic industrial readaptaion but also make a physical link to my first posts. Without the building of this bridge much of the industrial sectors of Brantford would not have been able to connect with the rest of Ontario. Aditionally, this is the site plaqued as where Chief Joesph Brant forded the river. Thus, the name of the City and it's very reason for prosperity exsist within these two photos.

While taking these shots I had to wait for people to leave the bridge, as it was constantly being used by byclists, families on a walk, and an elderly man checking out the younger women. -Signs of pedestrian traffic is a definitive sign of a complete success.

#9: Via Rail

Via Rail Station

Brantford

It's amazing how the aspects of collecting individual pieces over the past months have created their own narrative structure. One of my first pieces was the Yates Castle and within that post I commented on how it was built from the wealth gathered by being a railway mogul. Taken cues from the newspaper's report on the sale of Yates Castle, it really only is logical to focus on the piece of industry that made the Yates' Mansion.

This station is the heart of what formed Brantford - the railway and industry. As a sign of what Brantford could be (or at least, what is once was) the Via Rail station is a clear stature of connected heritage among the residents (and within this collection). Classic industrial design and a great introduction to the City of Brantford by anyone coming in by the train. Great pride is still taken within this station. The lines of the building are sharp and bold, the bricks have aged accordingly - blackened by the soot and exhaust of first coal trains and now disel. It's a beautiful mess that doesn't require cleaning; making this station shine would be a horse of a different colour.

As a sign of architecture, and to reinforce my comments within my Expositor article, the Via Rail station is something that can never be replaced and is, esstentially, snap-shot of an era. The work gone into building this piece, all the little details, are some that now cost too much and ones that many people just don't seem to care about anymore.

The Harmony Square (a set of buildings constructed downtown to increase pedistrian traffic flow and interactions) was designed to immitate the styles of the trainstations. Sharp lines, blend into a few curved places and the trim (though not wood trim like the station here) is a lighter brick. The Square is something I may post later, but it's absolutly the opposite of this thesis - faux brownfield (new urbanist).

When I was a kid, someone told my Mom that I had an old soul. I think that my connection to buildings like these really shows that even though I'm younger then those on city council I seem to appreciate, or understand, the importance of heritage to the city. They always seem to confuse new with good. Luckily the railway line is ingrained into the image of Brantford, it's not a piece I'll have to fight for.