Maple Leaf Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maple Leaf Square |
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Maple Leaf Square's North Tower
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| 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 | Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects with Page & Steele Architects (Architect of Record) |
| Main contractor | PCL Construction |
| Other information | |
| Number of units | 872 |
Maple Leaf Square is a big building complex and public space in Toronto, Canada. It's located right next to the Scotiabank Arena, where the Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey) and Toronto Raptors (basketball) play. This huge project cost $500 million to build. It covers about 2.1 acres of land and has lots of different spaces inside.
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What's in a Name?
Maple Leaf Square gets its name from Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). This company owns both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors.
Why "Jurassic Park"?
During the 2014 basketball playoffs, Raptors fans started gathering in the public square. They wanted to watch the games together on a giant screen. Fans nicknamed the square "Jurassic Park." This name comes from the famous movie Jurassic Park. The Raptors team name was actually inspired by that movie! Today, many people still call the square "Jurassic Park."
The Ford Fan Zone
In 2014, there was talk about changing the square's official name to "Ford Square." This was because Ford Canada wanted to buy the naming rights. But people were not happy about this idea. So, MLSE decided to keep the original name. Instead, they made a deal with Ford Canada. The square is now officially called the Ford Fan Zone at Maple Leaf Square.
Building History
Construction on Maple Leaf Square started in January 2007. It was finished in 2010.
What's Inside?
The complex has two tall glass towers. These towers are 65 storeys high. They include 872 homes (condominiums). There is also a 167-room Hotel LeGermain Boutique Hotel. The complex also has office spaces and many shops. You can find a daycare centre and a special theatre there. This theatre shows sports channels like Leafs Nation Network and NBA TV Canada all day. There are also four levels of underground parking.
The shopping area has a Longo's grocery store. There's also a big sports bar called Real Sports Bar and Grill. You can buy sports gear at Real Sports Apparel. There's a fancy restaurant called E11even. A branch of the Toronto-Dominion Bank is also located here. For people living in the towers, there's a rooftop garden and a swimming pool. The building was designed to be environmentally friendly. It aimed for a special award called LEED Silver status.
The Public Square
| Maple Leaf Square | |
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| Public square | |
| Jurassic Park | |
 Fans watching the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs |
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| Features: | Video screens |
| Opening date: | 2010 |
| Owner: | City of Toronto |
| Location: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Location of Maple Leaf Square in Toronto |
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The public square can hold up to 5,000 people. It's a popular spot for fans to gather before games. It also hosts other sports events.
Giant Video Screen
The Scotiabank Arena was also updated when Maple Leaf Square was built. A large atrium was added to the arena's west side. This atrium faces the public square. On its outside wall, there's a huge video screen. It measures 50 by 80 feet! This screen was inspired by similar public spaces in Los Angeles and Dallas. Games happening inside the arena are often shown live on this outdoor screen.
Maple Leaf Square was the first public plaza like this in Canada. Other cities have since built similar fan zones. For example, Edmonton has a plaza in its Ice District. Winnipeg also has True North Square.
Watching Sports Together
The public square is famous for its outdoor viewings of important games. Fans gather to watch season openers and playoff games for both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors. When the Raptors play, this area is known as "Jurassic Park". MLSE sets up food stands and merchandise shops in the square during these events. Fans can watch games here even if the team is playing away from home.
Watching games in the square has become very popular. So many people come that extra security and traffic control are needed. On May 25, 2019, a huge crowd gathered. They watched the Raptors win Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. This win sent them to the 2019 NBA Finals for the first time ever! After the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals, a part of Bremner Boulevard was even renamed Raptors Way.
Images for kids
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Retail complex
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Longo's Supermarket
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North Tower
