Jurassic Park could be a destination even after the playoffs
The biggest threat to Maple Leaf Square is that those in control of the space will try to “improve” it.

thestar.com
By CHRISTOPHER HUME
April 24, 2017

You don’t have to be a sports fan to recognize a winner when you see one. But it helps. Just look at Jurassic Park. It was just another concrete void until Raptors fans transformed it into Toronto’s newest and most dynamic public space.

Perhaps public isn’t the right word. Jurassic Park, officially Maple Leaf Square, was built by a group of developers and business types who envisioned little more than the usual mix of condos, office towers, restaurants and bars. None of them had the wit to put so much as a bench on the ground. So what if it’s right beside Union Station, Canada’s busiest transit hub, and the Air Canada Centre, home of the Maple Leafs, Raptors and a major concert venue, and used daily by thousands?

What Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment did grasp - apparently all on its own - was that it might be worth erecting a large video screen on the wall of the ACC facing the square. Its primary use was to advertise upcoming events. Then the bright lights at MLSE decided to broadcast Raptor playoff games.

The fans did the rest.

First off, they showed up in droves. Being young, gregarious and strong of lung, they soon became a self-selected army. They wore the same uniforms, cheered in unison and were united by shared passion for the Raptors.

Pretty soon what was going on outside was more interesting than what was happening inside. As ticket prices soared, the excitement moved outside with the crowd. The ACC, a boardroom for 20,000, is filled with corporate boxes, empty seats and business men drinking red wine and scotch.

No wonder the rest of the NBA is so taken with Jurassic Park. U.S. teams would love one, but have no idea how to go about it. Outside the big cities - New York, Boston, Los Angeles - America’s mall mentality sees the urban landscape as essentially hostile. A crowd like the one that gathers for the Raptors would be viewed as a riot waiting to happen. Even here, Jurassic Park draws legions of cops and organizers who fence off the square, as they like to say, “for our safety.”

The people know better, of course, and so far fans have mostly ignored their minders’ presence. Still, the biggest threat to Jurassic Park is that those in control of the space will try to “improve” it or, worse, succumb to the pressure to make money from it. Most likely that would mean organizing things and charging admission. The spontaneity and hunger for shared spaces that lie at the heart of Jurassic Park’s success have been tempered but not smothered. To date, MLSE has exercised admirable restraint and respected the will and wisdom of the crowd.

That’s no mean feat. When the Blue Jays made the playoffs last fall, the city tried to replicate Jurassic Park with something called the Bird’s Nest. Installed in Nathan Phillips Square, in the shadow of city hall, the contrast could not have been more stark. The audience, generally older and more genteel, brought lawn chairs and baseball shirts. They would have been laughed out of Jurassic Park.

The Leafs have been eliminated and, if history is a guide, the Raptors won’t make it deep into the playoffs either. So just as the weather starts to warm up, the teams will be gone, leaving Jurassic Park inert and unused. The challenge for MLSE is to figure out how to extend its season without sport. It shouldn’t be difficult. The Europeans would simply set up a few dozen chairs, tables and umbrellas and sell coffee. It’s a formula that never fails. The outdoor restaurant in the square now is fenced off and formal. It lacks the casual spirit and easy accessibility of a café and fails to take advantage of the opportunity.

Given that Bremner Blvd., which runs to the Rogers Centre and beyond, starts its westward journey in Maple Leaf Square, it’s clear the numbers are there. So far, however, neither the city nor the owners have been able to make it work. Speaking of Bremner Blvd., the best thing might be to close all or part of it to traffic and fully pedestrianize the square.

The lack of public space in Toronto is perennial problem. And like nature, cities - and the people who inhabit them - abhor a vacuum.