TORONTO EDITION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 Vol. 17 • No. 37 City needs downtown park plan Coalition for 2025 World’s Fair NO SPACE FIGHTING By Greg MacDonald FOR EXPO Two high-rise residential developments slated for the intersec- tion of Dundas and University means the city needs to reassess By Sarah Ratchford how public realm infrastructure is developed downtown, according to members of the design review panel. Despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s continued As intensifi cation continues and residential development opposition, a non-partisan group of leaders in Toronto are is concentrated in the core, the panel is worried that banding together to push for the chance to hold Expo 2025 the infrastructure that comes along with residential in the City of Toronto. Th ree former mayors and a number of neighbourhoods—such as parks and other open space—won’t prospective mayoral candidates, among others, recently sent a be in place in areas such as University Avenue. At its meeting letter to Harper outlining the many reasons why they believe Wednesday, the panel called for city staff to undertake a Toronto should hold the next World’s Fair. planning study of University Avenue to determine how Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is one of the most vocal development should proceed in the area. proponents behind the fair coming to Toronto. In her view, one “Th e city needs to examine the neighbourhood as a whole of the most important reasons we should hold it is that it will and its ongoing evolution,” panel member Joe Lobko (DTAH) enforce a deadline for much-needed transit and infrastructure said. “Th e pairing of these projects and the intensity of urban development in the city. life they represent presents challenges. And these are not the “Yes, we have transit at its capacity, but we’ve also not been only two residential projects on University.” able to focus our eff orts,” Wong-Tam told NRU. Th e panel was reviewing two proposals. Th e fi rst is Th e Icon, She says an event of Expo’s magnitude is needed to provide a 55-storey, mixed-use tower being developed by Amexon that focus, pointing to the Pan Am Games as a way of putting Development Corporation and designed by Core Architects, a strict deadline in place. Th is has resulted in the necessary located at 480 University Avenue. A 37-residential tower will bodies rushing to fi nish everything from the construction on be built on top of the existing 18-storey offi ce building on the Front Street to the link to Billy Bishop Airport. site. Th e project received zoning by-law amendment approval “I’m absolutely convinced that if we set the timeline for from the Toronto East York Community Council at its meeting ourselves, we’re going to get a lot done. Toronto continues to earlier this month. CONTINUED PAGE 3 > stumble along on the big questions because CONTINUED PAGE 4 > INSIDE Active advocacy Waiting game Sweet spot Report calls for Affordable housing OMB OKs Mimico investment list grows tower The cornerstone > > > of successful projects. p 2 p 5 p 9 www.robinsapplebyandtaub.com/bridge 2 CITY OF TORONTO EDITION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 UPCOMING Regional active transportation strategy DATES SMALLER MOVES SEPTEMBER 24 Executive Committee, 9:30 a.m., By Greg MacDonald committee room 1 SEPTEMBER 25 TTC Meeting A new report from active transportation Earlier this week, Premier Kathleen Wynne SEPTEMBER 30 advocates calls on municipalities and the appointed an expert advisory panel to Board of Health, 1:00 p.m., committee provincial government to create a dedicated explore how to pay for transit expansion room 1 funding stream for walking and cycling. and the plans contained in the Big Move. OCTOBER 1 Th e Other 25%-Th e Big Move and Active (For a full list of panel members, see People Aboriginal Affairs Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 Transportation Investment was released by in today’s edition.) OCTOBER 2 the Clean Air Partnership last week, and Th e report recommends a similar advisory Budget Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee recommends that a more co-ordinated panel be set up for active transportation room 1 strategy needs to be undertaken to expand projects, which could both advocate and OCTOBER 3 Toronto Preservation Board, 2:00 p.m., active transportation networks in Toronto advise on network expansion. committee room 2 and the GTA. “We wanted to ensure that active OCTOBER 8-9 Th e transportation discussion in Toronto transportation was featured in the investment Council, 9:30 a.m., council chambers and the surrounding area has centred on strategy and we were concerned that it OCTOBER 15 public transit and how to pay for it. But wasn’t,” Smith Lea said. Government Management Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 transit isn’t the only mode of transportation OCTOBER 16 covered by the Big Move, which also We wanted to ensure that active transportation Design Review Panel, 12:00 p.m., includes policies on active transportation was featured in the investment strategy and committee room 2 investment. we were concerned that it wasn’t. OCTOBER 17 • Nancy Smith Lea Etobicoke York Community Council, 9:30 Despite the inclusion of biking and walking a.m., Etobicoke Civic Centre in the transportation plan, discussions North York Community Council, 9:30 a.m., about investment haven’t touched on the Active transportation also needs to be North York Civic Centre infrastructure necessary to encourage those integrated with transit expansion plans, Scarborough Community Council, 9:30 mode choices, said Toronto Centre for Smith Lea said. As Metrolinx develops its a.m., Scarborough Civic Centre Active Transportation executive director mobility hubs, special attention needs to Toronto and East York Community Council, 9:30 a.m., City Hall, committee room 1 Nancy Smith Lea, who edited the report. be given to the networks that take users to OCTOBER 21 Th e fi rst wave of projects in the Big Move the hubs. Public Works and Infrastructure includes a $20-million annual investment “Th e active transportation component Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 in active transportation. should be included in the budgeting and “Th at has not happened,” Smith Lea the planning,” Smith Lea said, adding that said. “Th ere isn’t an annual funding formula cycling and walking networks are key for it and there isn’t coordination to make components in connecting mobility hubs that happen…Th e Big Move should be to the wider communities. CITY OF TORONTO EDITION accelerating investment at a municipal level.” In order to achieve CONTINUED PAGE 4 > Ian A.R. Graham, Publisher Sarah Ratchford SALES/SUBSCRIPTIONS NRU City of Toronto Edition NRU Publishing Inc. Billings Department [email protected] Municipal Affairs Reporter [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] NRU City of Toronto Edition Fax: 416.979.2707 ISSN 1918-7548 Greg MacDonald Complimentary trial is published 50 times a Planning Reporter Irena Kohn subscriptions are available. year by email by NRU [email protected] Sales and Circulation Publishing Inc. [email protected] Advertising rates available Twitter @nrupublishing upon request. CITY OF TORONTO GREA TER TORONTO VANCOUVER 3 CITY OF TORONTO EDITION FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 NO SPACE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Th e second is a 55-storey residential tower with a 10-storey commercial base located across the street, at 481 University Avenue. Davpart and Smith Company are currently seeking re-zoning for the project, which will incorporate an existing heritage building as a base for the residential tower. While panel members supported the designs of both buildings, they were concerned about the readiness of the neighbourhood for residential uses. “[Th ese projects] across the street can serve as a catalyst for us to understand the broader impact of [residential RYERSON.CA/JACQUELINE.ELLIOTT uses downtown],” said panel chair Gordon Stratford (HOK Canada). “We need to understand the impact of also considering doing a planning study of University Avenue, the population of these buildings and how we can achieve the similar to a recently completed study on Yonge Street that public realm space we need.” resulted in area-specifi c offi cial plan amendments. nru Th e combination of the two projects means an infl ux of thousands of residents to the intersection and wider downtown area. Areas that have previously been for offi ce or institutional uses, such as University, don’t have the infrastructure, such Real Estate Analyst as outdoor amenity space, required for an infl ux of residents, N. Barry Lyon Consultants (NBLC) is a leading real estate consulting firm said panel member Michael Leckman (Diamond Schmitt engaged in virtually every aspect of the real estate industry; from early planning and concept development, to market analysis, financial assessment Architects). and value planning. “We’re seeing the city transform before our eyes, with Our work keeps us on top of emerging economic, demographic and market new residential areas in places that were never imagined to trends, changes in government policy, the pulse of the land development be residential,” he said, adding that new residents will mean industry and land use planning and development trends. We are active throughout Canada, for the private, institutional and public sector, engaged new demands on neighbourhoods that were designed for in a range of urban, suburban and resort developments as well as public employment or commercial uses.