Waterfront Toronto's highly anticipated Underpass Park is set to begin construction on Thursday, May 26, 2011.

Image by Waterfront Toronto

This new urban oasis will bring much-needed vitality and sense of community to an otherwise derelict space beneath the Eastern Avenue, Richmond and Adelaide Street overpasses at the base of the Don Valley Parkway. The project comes as an essential addition to Waterfront Toronto's extensive plan for the new West Don Lands neighbourhood near base of the Don River, which will also be home to the Toronto Pan Am Games 2015 Athletes Village.

This is what the site looks like today:

Image by Waterfront Toronto

Image by Waterfront Toronto

Designed by leading urban design firms Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg and The Planning Partnership, Underpass Park will be the first park of its kind in Toronto. It will take up 2.5 acres of this under-utilized space and will be home to 54 new trees, with public art by the renowned Paul Raff Studio.

Image by Waterfront Toronto

A quick before-and-after comparison:

Image by Waterfront Toronto

Image by Waterfront Toronto

Groundbreaking is set to begin at 11 a.m on Thursday morning at the site, with Federal Minister of Finance, Honourable James Flaherty and Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation, Honourable Glen Murray in attendance.  

We can't wait to see the completed transformation!

For more information, please visit: http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca