[esquire]

^ Is the only argument for those projects the idea that it is supposed to trigger further private investment, though? I'd say that many government funded projects are worth it completely on their own, including all of the ones that you listed. Many educational, cultural, administrative and other such buildings are probably going to get built anyway, might as well put it downtown.

The only one that really stands out as a notoriously costly white elephant is Portage Place, which attempted to carry out functions that should be the domain of the private sector. But I don't think we'll see something like that again in our lifetimes.