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http://communities.canada.com/natio...st-track-waterfront-school-trustees-urge.aspx
SOURCE: National Post
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Fast-track waterfront school, trustees urge
Two Toronto trustees are pushing to speed up a plan to build a school complex near CityPlace that will cater to families expected to move into the downtown pocket already booming with condo development.
The Post's Natalie Alcoba reports:
“I’m anxious to move ahead,” said Catherine Leblanc-Miller, the Toronto Catholic School Board trustee who represents the row of condos that skirts the train tracks on either side of Spadina Avenue.
“As soon as we can agree on a school design and what city permits are necessary, let’s do it because construction is happening all around there.”
The row of towers between the Rogers Centre and just beyond Spadina Avenue have attracted a predominately young, professional crowd. But new condos that are already underway, and public housing that has yet to be built, will include more larger units for families.
The plan is to build a complex with a Catholic school, a public school, a community centre and a daycare to complement the changing demographics. It will be located in the development under construction in the area bounded by Bathurst, Spadina and Front, just west of the latest orange crane and across from what will one day be a park. A public library is also slated to open nearby.
“The whole idea is to have a complete community so that people aren’t living in silos,” said Chris Bolton, who represents the area on the Toronto District School Board. “I think we need to speed up on some of the things.”
Ms. Leblanc-Miller said it will encourage families to move to the neighbourhood and stay there. She hopes a school will be built in as little as two or three years, but said everyone has to be ready to construct together, if only to save money.
About $20-million has been set aside for the construction of the two schools, she said. Local city councillor Adam Vaughan said the school boards have already missed an opportunity to offset some of the construction costs by teaming up with CityPlace developer Concord as it constructs its latest tower.
He noted the “strange” position the board is in, given the excess school capacity in the downtown core. Sheila Penny, executive officer of TDSB facility services, said CityPlace students could be bused to existing area schools, such as Waterfront and Niagara Street.
But she said the board is committed to “community based schooling,” so CityPlace will get its own space. Mr. Vaughan noted the TDSB agreed to build a school in the neighbourhood years ago, so it will have to.
“You have a really interesting community beginning to emerge down there, but the reality is that based on the size of the units there is nowhere to house children,” Mr. Vaughan said.
The councillor has pushed for more affordable housing in the neighbourhood to give it a “range of experiences and economic classes.” He estimated there are about 120 children now living among the 8,000 condo units already built. Most are preschoolers.
And while condo developers are starting to construct more larger units that give families room to grow, Mr. Vaughan noted it’s mostly the affluent who can afford them — and who traditionally have fewer children. The bulk of the schools’ enrolment will come from families moving in to Toronto Community Housing units, which are expected to break ground in about a year, said Mr. Vaughan.
Ms. Leblanc-Miller said it is important to be ready for the children, whenever they move in. “We are prepared to move,” she said.
Photo of trustee Catherine Leblanc-Miller by Tim Fraser for National Post
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Published Friday, November 23, 2007 9:59 PM by Barry Hertz
Filed under: City, Politics
SOURCE: National Post
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Fast-track waterfront school, trustees urge
Two Toronto trustees are pushing to speed up a plan to build a school complex near CityPlace that will cater to families expected to move into the downtown pocket already booming with condo development.
The Post's Natalie Alcoba reports:
“I’m anxious to move ahead,” said Catherine Leblanc-Miller, the Toronto Catholic School Board trustee who represents the row of condos that skirts the train tracks on either side of Spadina Avenue.
“As soon as we can agree on a school design and what city permits are necessary, let’s do it because construction is happening all around there.”
The row of towers between the Rogers Centre and just beyond Spadina Avenue have attracted a predominately young, professional crowd. But new condos that are already underway, and public housing that has yet to be built, will include more larger units for families.
The plan is to build a complex with a Catholic school, a public school, a community centre and a daycare to complement the changing demographics. It will be located in the development under construction in the area bounded by Bathurst, Spadina and Front, just west of the latest orange crane and across from what will one day be a park. A public library is also slated to open nearby.
“The whole idea is to have a complete community so that people aren’t living in silos,” said Chris Bolton, who represents the area on the Toronto District School Board. “I think we need to speed up on some of the things.”
Ms. Leblanc-Miller said it will encourage families to move to the neighbourhood and stay there. She hopes a school will be built in as little as two or three years, but said everyone has to be ready to construct together, if only to save money.
About $20-million has been set aside for the construction of the two schools, she said. Local city councillor Adam Vaughan said the school boards have already missed an opportunity to offset some of the construction costs by teaming up with CityPlace developer Concord as it constructs its latest tower.
He noted the “strange” position the board is in, given the excess school capacity in the downtown core. Sheila Penny, executive officer of TDSB facility services, said CityPlace students could be bused to existing area schools, such as Waterfront and Niagara Street.
But she said the board is committed to “community based schooling,” so CityPlace will get its own space. Mr. Vaughan noted the TDSB agreed to build a school in the neighbourhood years ago, so it will have to.
“You have a really interesting community beginning to emerge down there, but the reality is that based on the size of the units there is nowhere to house children,” Mr. Vaughan said.
The councillor has pushed for more affordable housing in the neighbourhood to give it a “range of experiences and economic classes.” He estimated there are about 120 children now living among the 8,000 condo units already built. Most are preschoolers.
And while condo developers are starting to construct more larger units that give families room to grow, Mr. Vaughan noted it’s mostly the affluent who can afford them — and who traditionally have fewer children. The bulk of the schools’ enrolment will come from families moving in to Toronto Community Housing units, which are expected to break ground in about a year, said Mr. Vaughan.
Ms. Leblanc-Miller said it is important to be ready for the children, whenever they move in. “We are prepared to move,” she said.
Photo of trustee Catherine Leblanc-Miller by Tim Fraser for National Post
Link to this | E-mail this | Digg this | Post to del.icio.us
Published Friday, November 23, 2007 9:59 PM by Barry Hertz
Filed under: City, Politics