It has begun already … replacement of a 143-year-old watermain along Richmond Street West, along with a partial reconstruction of some sidewalks and restoration of the road and cycle track.
For additional detail click HERE.
|
The alleyway just west of Portland running north-south from Queen West to Rush Lane is soon to have a “make-over”. With input from various players … City staff, electricians, commissioned architects and sculptors, the Queen West BIA, adjacent residents/businesses, Project Laneway, the GDNA and graffiti artists … plans can be viewed here:
If you zoom in on the “landscape plan” you will note: 1.Paving, with good drainage construction, in an irregular weave pattern. 2.Lighting on poles. The diagram shows 4, but my notes say 5. 3.Metal (bronze?) inlays. TBD but I like an idea proposed by Allan (aka Uber500) that the inlays should contain the “handles” of the Toronto graffiti artists who have made the Alley what it is. 4.One bollard at the south end and removal of a curb cut at the north end of the lane to prevent vehicular access. 5.Two light pillars, one on Queen Street and the other in Rush Lane, denoted by triangles on the diagram, within sculpted steel assemblies. As for the practical aspects, the BIA will be responsible for maintenance of the laneway (the City will add a line item in the BIA's budget). the BIA will have access to electrical outlets on the lighting poles should they want to use the laneway for special events. Original architectural renderings included seating in the laneway but local businesses said they would prefer to pull out temporary tables and chairs for occasions requiring such. This “no name” laneway needs a name. I have confirmed that suggestions collected in 2017 have not been lost … so maybe this laneway will not be nameless for long. As for timing, the City and the BIA want to move quickly but the project will probably not be completed before next spring. One of the goals of this project was to set a “standard” for other lanes going forward. So I expect we will be asked for feedback when this phase of the project is compete.
There are 14 candidates running for the position of Councillor in Ward 10 (Spadina - Fort York) in the municipal election on October 22nd. The GDNA and seven other resident associations who call Ward 10 their home have organized an All-Candidates meeting on Tuesday October 9th at 6:30pm at OCAD University (100 McCaul Street). Click below to open flyer with active links and RSVP to Eventbrite:  On May 1st, at a meeting of the Planning and Growth Management Committee, the long-awaited TOcore report (here, as submitted) was adopted with amendments (here, the amendments). The amended Downtown Plan will be submitted to City Council at its May 23-25 session. The GDNA gave input into the May 1st meeting by way of this comment from Valerie, cc Joe Cressy’s office, as follows:
Cressy’s office worked hard to incorporate various resident and stakeholder comments into the long list of resultant amendments. The short italicized amendment suggested by Valerie was revamped as a new policy to read as follows:
That’s one for the good guys!
Here is a list of applications we are following and where in the application cycle each one sits. Six applications have filed with the OMB:  Of the remaining four applications in our catchment, two were submitted only recently and, if they are contested at all, will need to appeal to the new LPAT (Local Planning Appeal Tribunal) rather than the OMB. Both these applications make their "debut" at a Community Consultation Meeting scheduled for April 30th.  Not included on either list are developments that have already been approved either by the City (ie Waterworks) or by the OMB (ie the James). 379 Adelaide is not listed because an application has not yet been submitted ... what we saw last summer was a pre-application presentation only. Then we follow other proposals that are actually outside our catchment but located on the periphery:  And lastly we follow some big developments which, though several blocks away, promise to affect our neighbourhood substantially:  P.S.Urbantoronto.ca does an excellent job of keeping tabs on developments in Toronto in general. This article really demonstrates how much activity there is in our larger neighbourhood (Simcoe/Bathurst/Queen/Front):
http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2018/01/growth-watch-2018-entertainment-district TOCore, King-Spadina Secondary Plan, King-Spadina Heritage Conservation District ... yes, we are involved in all these initiatives. And all three initiatives are moving quite quickly and in tandem. TOCore The TOCore Proposed Downtown Plan was adopted without amendment at the City Council session on October 2, 2017. This means that the principles espoused therein were ratified by the City but stakeholder and public consultation (open houses, round-table discussions, public meetings) are still required before the Plan is "passed", presumably mid-2018. Nevertheless, even in its "proposed" form, it will be something to work from when assessing current and upcoming development applications. Here is are links related to the Plan in question: 
The first, on September 12th, will present details of a private application known as the ORCA Project, a mixed-use and open-space development that includes a parking structure for 1,225 vehicles and 9 buildings up to 59 storeys tall.  Click on image for link to official application. Expand "Supporting Documentation" for details of the proposal. At the other, on September 25th, the community will hear about City plans to turn the area into a park. This proposal has been widely covered in the press. This meeting will lay out the details and give our broad community the opportunity to ask questions and/or express opinions.   TIFF 2017 starts next Thursday, September 7, and runs through until Sunday, September 17. This means a lot of exciting activities and spectacles to enjoy, as well as some changes that may require residents and businesses to make advance preparations or alternative arrangements.
Please see the website below for some general information about road closures and TTC diversions during the opening weekend "Festival Street" on King Street between Peter and Simcoe, from September 7 to September 10: http://www.joecressy.com/tiff_2017_festival_street_and_other_important_information. Generally, during Festival Street the 504 King streetcars will be using Queen Street between Spadina Avenue and Osgoode Subway Station. Visit the TTC website for detailed descriptions, maps, and information about Wheel-Trans service changes: http://ttc.ca/Service_Advisories/Route_diversions/TIFF_2017.jsp. During Festival Street, there will be free outdoor performances and film screenings to enjoy, including Wayne's World, The Truman Show, and Mean Girls. Many restaurants and cafes along King Street will also be offering expanded outdoor patio seating. TIFF is a very busy time for our community when many people visit from other neighbourhoods, across the country, and around the world. Please anticipate crowding, congestion, and noise. Toronto Police will be monitoring pedestrian crowding throughout the entire duration of TIFF and they will take necessary safety precautions, including emergency street closures, if crowding is too severe at red carpet events or any other times. |
Archives
July 2019
Categories |
RSS Feed