Very interesting -- a MAJOR infill project here, not far from where the new subway line will go, particularly the stop at Keele & Finch and right on the upcoming Finch LRT. It looks like it'll include seniors units, ground-floor retail, a number of mid-rise towers and even some townhouses. And the report suggests that most of the new buildings will go on space that is currently surface-level parking.
I gather that there was some serious resistance from current residents of the area -- but the report suggests that the consultation process after that has been effective. Does anybody have any other sources of info?
I see that there's a whole whack of Section 37 goodies, including:
- a recreation centre (w/ swimming pool) for the use of residents of the current rental buildings on the property
- $700,000 towards a public artificial ice-rink in a nearby par
- the construction of a non-profit child-care centre that will belong to the city for 99 years
- a $250,000 public art component
- and a significant contribution (up to $1 million) to public housing
And also some other significant requirements, including $5million in improvements to the current rental buildings on the property AND the guarantee that those buildings will remain low and medium-rent buildings for the next 25 years and will not be torn down and turned into condos.
The interesting thing, from the plan, is that even with all of this additional development, there's still a HUGE amount of empty space on the site (this was part of what the current residents wanted) and that in the end, the area isn't all that more "urban" when it's done -- in terms of buildings fronting on the street creating interesting streetscapes, etc. The extension of Fountainhead Road from its current dead-end down to Finch will provide an additional point of access, and possibly some through traffic, but I"m not sure the whole design will increase eyes-on-the-street in the Jane-Jacobs sense. (Once again, I gather that the previous version had more street-fronting buildings, but that current residents weren't in favour of that...)
See below for a link to a map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&sour...=6ive_jBZ2YmLgxqWmD5MnQ&cbp=12,170.64,,0,0.39
Thoughts?
- J.