TORONTO EDITION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 Vol. 19 • No. 37 Setting precedent on the Danforth Realigning foreign direct investments TRANSITION REGIONAL CONCERN APPROACH By Edward LaRusic By Leah Wong Striving to meet the mid-rise performance standards while Greater Toronto Area municipalities, including Toronto, are accommodating a shallow lot has one developer pitted against staff rethinking their approach to attracting new foreign direct concerns about setting a precedent in advance of an avenue study. investment into the region. Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth councillor Paula Fletcher told Toronto council will decide later this month whether it will NRU that 1177 Danforth Avenue (Sierra Building Group)’s endorse the creation of a new regional foreign direct investment application for a nine-storey building is the fi rst mid-rise attraction agency and if Invest Toronto should be folded into the development on the Danforth in her ward. While she’s happy new agency. At its meeting Friday the Economic Development to see the application, she said the proposed building doesn’t Committee will consider recommendations from economic transition to the neighbourhoods to the south as called for by development and culture general manager Michael Williams the city’s mid-rise performance standards. on the city’s role in the new agency. “I think we want it to [achieve the mid-rise performance Th e new agency, currently being referred to as NewCo, will standards], because it’s a signature corner—Greenwood and meld Invest Toronto and the Greater Toronto Marketing Danforth—and as the fi rst [mid-rise] development it has to Alliance. While council has yet to decide the future of Invest lead the way. We’ll be looking for excellent public realm and Toronto, the GTMA has already announced it will close down making it a signature building... It’s important that when we’re at the end of the year. building on tight sites, that these new buildings don’t loom Williams, who is a member of both boards, recommends over the existing neighbourhood. No looming.” council fold Invest Toronto into the new agency. He told NRU Sierra’s proposal is to amend the zoning by-law to permit a having one large, well-funded agency that represents the 29.75 m. tall building with 104 condominium units and 545.2 region around the world is long overdue. m2 of retail. Th e site is currently occupied by a Beer Store and “We don’t need multiple agencies. It’s confusing for companies parking lot. Like many lots along the Danforth, the majority looking at coming here,” said Williams. He added that having of the site has a smaller than ideal lot depth of 41 m., which both Invest Toronto and a regional agency CONTINUED PAGE 8 > would allow a 27 m. tall building under CONTINUED PAGE 7 > INSIDE YOUR Election watch OMB SWAT Team From zipcar to zip Getting climate Turning great Car sharing TEAM change on agenda planners into great spaces missing to Navigate Successful Real Estate witnesses Financing and Development Deals > > > p 3 p 4 p 5 www.robapp.com @RobinsAppleby 2 CITY OF TORONTO EDITION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 UPCOMING Improving access DATES SEPTEMBER 18 TTC MAKES Economic Development Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 Parks and Environment Committee, 9:30 STRIDES FORWARD a.m., committee room 2 SEPTEMBER 21 By Monica Silberberg Executive Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 Challenging Toronto to become the global SEPTEMBER 22 Metrolinx Board of Directors, 97 Front leader for accessible transit, TTC chair Street West councillor Josh Colle told participants at Public Works and Infrastructure the TTC’s annual public forum yesterday Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 2 that accessibility needs to become the SEPTEMBER 24 Ryerson Department of Architectural standard for all transit services. SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA Science lecture by Nasrine Seraji (Atelier With a target of making the TTC fully Seraji Architectes et Associés), 6:30 p.m., The Pit (ARC 202), 325 Church Street accessible by 2025, panel members spoke said that in 2016 the TTC will implement a SEPTEMBER 28 about the ongoing progress being made real-time elevator and escalator monitoring TTC meeting (time and location TBC) and listened to participants concerns and system to reduce downtime resulting from SEPTEMBER 30 suggestions for enhancing accessibility. unplanned outages. Also subway trains Council, 9:30 a.m., council chamber Panel members included Wheel-Trans have been lowered to address concerns OCTOBER 1 senior manager Eve Wiggins, TTC service over the height diff erence between trains Council, 9:30 a.m., council chamber planning manager Mitch Stambler, CEO and platforms. He outlined TTC initiatives Design Review Panel, 12:00-5:30 p.m., committee room 2 Andy Byford, deputy CEO Chris Upfold to ensure priority seating on transit vehicles OCTOBER 2 and Advisory Committee on Accessible is available for those who need it, such as Budget Committee, 12:30 p.m., Transit chair Mazin Aribi. changing the colour of the priority seats committee room 1 Upfold responded to concerns raised at and introducing educational programs. OCTOBER 5 last year’s public forum, noting the progress Government Management Committee, In a review of new service initiatives, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 that has been made to address them. To Upfold said that all TTC buses are now OCTOBER 6 make booking Wheel-Trans service easier accessible and 97 per cent are low fl oor with Etobicoke York Community Council, 9:30 and faster, he said that seven reservation the goal of 100 per cent by the end of 2016. He a.m., council chamber, Etobicoke Civic Centre staff have been added and another six more said the TTC is currently installing external North York Community Council, 9:30 a.m., council chamber, North York Civic Centre positions are anticipated. To address issues notices on buses, subways and streetcars to about ramps not working, the TTC has advise customers of the vehicle’s route and implemented routine checks before each direction prior to boarding. Upfold told bus is deployed and the installed a tool to participants that 19 of the 41 objectives in CITY OF TORONTO EDITION allow drivers to manually lower the bus if the the TTC’s fi ve-year accessibility plan, 2014- ramp doesn’t lower automatically. Upfold 2018, have been achieved to date. nru Ian A.R. Graham, Publisher Monica Silberberg SALES/SUBSCRIPTIONS NRU City of Toronto Edition NRU Publishing Inc. Billings Department [email protected] Planning Researcher [email protected] is not to be redistributed Editorial Offi ce 34B McMurrich Street [email protected] without the written consent 26 Soho Street, Suite 330 Toronto, ON M5R 2A2 Lynn Morrow, Editor Annual subscription rate is of the publisher. Toronto, ON M5T 1Z7 Tel: 416.440.0073 [email protected] Jeff Payette, Design/Layout $369 +HST (ON). Tel: 416.260.1304 Fax: 416.440.0074 [email protected] Edward LaRusic NRU City of Toronto Edition Fax: 416.979.2707 ISSN 1918-7548 Planning Reporter Irena Kohn Complimentary trial is published 50 times a subscriptions are available. [email protected] Sales and Circulation year by email by NRU [email protected] Publishing Inc. Leah Wong Advertising rates available Municipal Affairs Reporter Twitter @nrupublishing upon request. [email protected] CITY OF TORONTO GREA TER TORONTO VANCOUVER 3 CITY OF TORONTO EDITION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 Prioritizing climate change ENVIRONMENTAL PLATFORM By Leah Wong As the economy has quickly become the most talked about change than focusing on particular races. Th e group is issue during the federal election, environmental advocates are organizing demonstrations at federal leaders’ campaign working to ensure the next government makes climate change events—both attending events to question candidates about a priority. environmental policies and having a presence outside. Th e Both GreenPAC and 350 Canada have taken a non- group is focusing its attention on the Conservative, Liberal partisan approach to advocacy around the federal election. and NDP campaigns. Neither group is endorsing a specifi c party as they want to see “We want to make sure climate change is on the agenda Canadian politicians address climate change regardless of who and get clarity on the parties’ platforms,” 350 Canada energy forms the next government. organizer Aurore Fauret told NRU. “People across Canada “If you try to focus on one party or exclude just one party who are part of the climate movement want to make sure the it’s begging for the environment to become a political football. leaders understand that they have to give concrete answers And, in many ways it has become a political football in and positions.” Canada,” GreenPAC president and founder Aaron Freeman All of the leaders have addressed climate change following told NRU. “We need an approach that builds leadership in all these demonstrations. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said corners.” his government has set a target of 30 per cent reduction For the fall election GreenPAC has endorsed 18 candidates over 2005 levels by 2030. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and from across the country. All are environmental champions. It NDP leader Tom Mulcair pledged to overhaul the regulatory has endorsed at least one candidates from each major political process for pipelines in Canada. party. Endoresements include Wellington-Halton Hills MP Fauret said it is particularly important to have the leaders Conservative candidate Michael Chong, Etobicoke North make commitments during this campaign, and for Canadians Liberal candidate Kristy Duncan and Guelph Green Party to hold them accountable aft erwards. As the 2015 United candidate Gord Miller, from within the Greater Golden Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21, is happening a Horseshoe.