Community triangle

When I first embarked on my AGO feature, I had a rough idea of what I was getting into. A Toronto establishment was trying to establish itself as a landmark. A community opposed an expansion. Municipal officials tried to get some sort of result and keep everyone happy.

What I ended up getting into was a triangle of opinion, with the residents and the gallery forming the bottom two corners, and the city councillor forming the top point, bringing the two together.

Along the way, my sources were all very willing to speak. They all had something valid and intelligent to say about the gallery, and they each had a different opinion.

The gallery, naturally, thought they've done great. The building looks great, they've stayed on budget (so far) and they communicated with the residents closely to avoid any unhappiness. The resident I spoke to, on the other hand, feels misled because the gallery had previously promised not to expand after their last renovation. Meanwhile the councillor took the middle road. Yes, the building isn't the prettiest (the back especially) and the residents were upset, but he thinks there was a compromise. And the interior architecture should be stunning.

It will be interesting to see what everyone says once everything's all said and done. Will the gallery be completly content, and not want to expand again? Will residents demand revitalization for the park? Will bridges still need to be mended between the concerned parties?

Let's wait and see...