[Djeffery]

Honestly, it felt like they were on the right track in the late 90's, starting with the new market and then getting the arena across the road. The 80's were the problem though with allowing Galleria to happen and I don't think there is much they can do to counteract how that killed street level retail. I don't think the library going in there really helped Dundas St. I almost feel like that spot would have been better for the arena but that would have been brutally expensive to demolish that entire side of the mall to do the arena. Then the Talbot block could have become a new civic square with city hall and library, the market across the street one way, the museum and old courthouse across the other way leading in to the forks.

I think the biggest thing killing downtown now is that god awful Dundas and Richmond corner. Complete dead zone. If that entire west side of Richmond disappeared overnight, it would be an instant improvement. Replace the RBC building with a 30s residential tower and finish off the market tower site into a square incorporating Dundas Place, maybe a summer outdoor performance area with the street festivals or something, and opening up that corner to the Market.

The last 15 years of residential development downtown is impressive but I don't know what the sweet spot is for how many people to get living down there to build it back up as the vibrant place it was 50+ years ago. Would having every single proposal getting built make a difference? There are lots of densely built downtowns across the continent that suck. People are different now, they stay in at night more than back then. So maybe 10,000 more people living downtown isn't noticed because they are all in their apartments after 6pm.

One thing I wish had come about from those late 90's discussions was the mega movie complex (AMC I believe it was talked about back then). 24 plex on that property north side of Queen west of Talbot. I agree with OP that some kind of actual tourist draw downtown would be great, but I can't really come up with something off the top of my head. A Ripleys Aquarium type idea is as good as any though.