FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017 REFUSAL 3 20 YEARS LATER 4 Replacing rentals Vol. 21 Stronger not enough No. 24 t o g e t h e r 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION NRU TURNS 20! AND THE STORY CONTINUES… Dominik Matusik xactly 20 years ago today, are on our walk selling the NRU faxed out its first City neighbourhood. But not the E of Toronto edition. For the developers. The question is next two decades, it covered whether the developers will the ups and downs of the city’s join the walk.” planning, development, and From 2017, it seems like municipal affairs news, though the answer to that question is a email has since replaced the fax resounding yes. machine. Many of the issues “One of the innovative the city cared about in 1997 still parts of the Regent Park resonate in 2017. From ideas for Revitalization,” downtown the new Yonge-Dundas Square city planning manager David to development charges along Oikawa wrote in an email the city’s latest subway line and to NRU, “was the concept of trepidations about revitalizing using [condos] to fund the Regent Park. It was an eventful needed new assisted public year. housing. A big unknown at The entire first edition of Novæ Res Urbis (2 pages), June 16, 1997 Below are some headlines from the time was [whether] that NRU’s first year and why these concept [would] work. Would issues continue to captivate us. private home owners respond to the idea of living and New Life for Regent Park investing in a mixed, integrated (July 7, 1997) community? Recently, some condo townhouses went on sale In 1997, NRU mused about the in Regent Park and were sold future of Regent Park. out quickly with prices in the Bringing It All Together $1,000,000 range so I would say “The architects are here,” Partnering with Private & Public Partners Getting Your Project Built and Sold NRU wrote. “And the planners. that the answer is ‘yes!’” Dealing with Polluted Land Leasing out your Building Financing your New Development Affordable Housing Solutions The federal and provincial and Even now, the Buying and Selling Portfolios Condominium Documents and Closings city bureaucrats are here. Even redevelopment of Regent robapp.com @RobinsAppleby the community organizers CONTINUED PAGE 8 NRU AT 20 UPCOMING JUNE 19 Executive Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD 22 Toronto Preservation Board, 9:30 a.m., committee room 2 23 Toronto Port Lands Company Peter Pantalone Board, time and location TBC 2015- JULY 4-6 hen I took the job of my days writing OMB news for year’s rankings. Council, 9:30 a.m., council chamber planning researcher at NRU may well be numbered NRU may be a small team, 12 Toronto Public Art Commission, W NRU, I was relatively (nice to meet you, LPAT). but it has become a massive 5:30 p.m., committee room 3 fresh out of a graduate planning In addition to my other community thanks to the hard TTC Board, time and location program and eager to soak in contributions, I was given the work of publisher Ian Graham, TBC as much practical knowledge herculean task of preparing editor Lynn Morrow, the other 18 Design Review Panel, time TBC, committee room 2 as humanly possible, right out NRU’s 2015/16 Toronto and fantastic individuals I have AUGUST of the gate. Having read NRU GTHA law reviews, an annual had the privilege of working 11 Toronto Port Lands Company as a student, I figured this job tradition which is genuinely a alongside, and last but certainly Board, time and location TBC would be a fantastic place to lot of fun to produce—and we not least, our loyal subscribers. 24 Toronto Preservation Board, 9:30 a.m., committee room 2 launch my career. What I did love that our readers enjoy it as While it is undeniable not fully appreciate at the time much as we do! I look forward that there are major changes 30 Budget Committee, 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 was that in exchange for the to our 2016/17 reviews and, as looming on the planning and SEPTEMBER steep learning curve, I would a reminder to our subscribing development horizon, I look 5 TTC Board, time and location TBC receive an indispensable crash legal professionals, send me forward to adapting to our new 6 Etobicoke York Community course in GTHA planning and your Toronto and GTHA OMB urban realities while propelling Council, 9:30 a.m., council chamber, Etobicoke Civic Centre development issues that I could decisions prior to the end of the legacy of NRU’s past 20 years North York Community Council, not possibly have obtained June for consideration in this into the future. 9:30 a.m., council chamber, anywhere else. North York Civic Centre The most engaging part of Scarborough Community Council, 9:30 a.m., council chamber, my job is writing the Toronto “As development lawyers, we eagerly await each Friday issue of Toronto Scarborough Civic Centre and GTHA OMB news. It is NRU to see which developments are making headlines and which issues Toronto & East York Community not an exaggeration to admit Council, 9:30 a.m., committee are being debated across the city. Of course the Year in Review and room 1 that I have now read hundreds Law Firm rankings issues are favourites, but so are the synopses of 7 Planning & Growth of board decisions, yet I am community council agendas, the directories of municipal planners Management Committee, 9:30 constantly amazed by the a.m., committee room 1 and staff, the OMB case summaries, and the weekly reporting range and scope of appeals that 8 Parks & Environment Committee, on the big stories in the world of planning and development. come before the board, and 9:30 a.m., committee room 1 Congratulations on 20 years!” the complexity of the issues 11 Community Development & Christopher J. Tanzola, Overland Recreation Committee, 9:30 at stake. When the province a.m., committee room 1 unveiled its sweeping planning appeal reforms a few weeks ago, I considered the prospect that NRU PUBLISHING STAFF NRU PUBLISHING INC Ian A.R. Graham, Publisher Dominik Matusik Jeff Payette SALES/SUBSCRIPTIONS Novæ Res Urbis Toronto Editorial Office Billings Department [email protected] Planning Reporter Design/Layout [email protected] is published 50 times a 26 Soho Street, Suite 330 34B McMurrich Street [email protected] [email protected] year and is not to be Toronto, ON M5T 1Z7 Toronto, ON M5R 2A2 Lynn Morrow, Editor Annual subscription rate is redistributed without the Tel: 416.260.1304 Tel: 416.440.0073 [email protected] Peter Pantalone Irena Kohn $389 +HST (ON). written consent of the Fax: 416.979.2707 Fax: 416.440.0074 Planning Researcher Sales and Circulation Complimentary trial publisher. Sarah Niedoba [email protected] [email protected] ISSN 1918-7548 Municipal Affairs Reporter subscriptions are available. [email protected] Advertising rates available upon request. FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017 NOVÆ RES URBIS TORONTO 2 AMALGAMATION REVISITED FINE-TUNING NEEDED Sarah Niedoba s the 20th anniversary of she told NRU. “It may not of amalgamation. She says what power should be delegated Toronto’s amalgamation always seem that way, from the that today, many believe that to them, and what should be A draws near, city way the province responds, but the former inner suburban city-wide,” he says. “I think councillors continue to debate I think it’s true.” municipalities are neglected that that’s probably something the soundness of the decision However, Hall says that under the new model. that we should review, so that to merge Metro Toronto and many of her concerns about “There’s advantages and [decisions] like the Bloor Street its six municipalities in 1998. what an amalgamated city disadvantages—but my bike lane pilot don’t have to [be While some say that the city would mean for Toronto’s constituents really feel in made by the] full council.” is now more efficient, others residents have come to pass, some parts of my wards that And despite some argue that its former inner especially when it comes to we don’t receive the focus that councillors concerns about suburbs are getting left behind. finding funding for important downtown does,” she told NRU. which neighbourhoods On January 1, 1998, Metro services. Nunziata acknowledges that are getting prioritized over and the cities of Etobicoke, “The planning and the certain developments in her others in terms of services Scarborough, York, East York, details of amalgamation have wards—including the recent and funding, Tonks says the North York and Toronto taken resources and energy opening of the York Recreation situation is an improvement merged into what was then away from building a city,” she Centre—wouldn’t have been on what came before dubbed “the megacity.” says. “I think we see that in possible before amalgamation, amalgamation. At the time, Alan Tonks many respects today—things when York had limited funds. “If there’s a difference was chairman of Metro that used to be very positive, But she says that today the of opinion between the old Toronto, and in favour of the like the city’s response to process to get projects off the suburban municipalities controversial merger. Tonks housing need or the region’s ground is too long, and there and Toronto itself now, you says that 20 years down the response to transportation, isn’t the political will to invest can’t imagine how much road, the amalgamated city those are enormous holes in the suburbs the way there is dissatisfaction there was with has its challenges, but also its t o d ay.” in the downtown core.