Northern Light
Superstar
@AlexBozikovic has an excellent column in the Globe (currently not paywalled) looking at the renewal of 3947 Lawrence Avenue East and the surrounding buildings. This is a TCHC site, which has now undergone some standard 'Tower Renewal' type work with new windows and balcony railings, and been given a new childcare centre.
Next up will be a renewed lobby and cladding.
Column here:
Here's a 'before shot' via Streetview:
Current state, also via Streetview (from January)
This is more recent still and from SvN's website:
Lots of renders and tracking progress pics here: https://svn-ap.com/projects/lawrence-orton-community-and-daycare/
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Very good project so far, looking forward to seeing more.
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Additional observations:
Very isolated community in that it is surrounded by ravine parklands on 3 sides:
Through fronting all that ravine parkland, access to same is fairly poor. There is no access point on the west side of the bridge, and with a six-lane version of Lawrence, one would likely need to cross at the traffic light at many times of day.
Access to the ravine is almost 500M away:
Though seemingly parks rich, the site actually lacks a park with a playground or sports amenities in close proximity.
There are many school yards relatively close, but access is often cumbersome.
It's fairly clean access, but over 500M to Willow Park Jr. Public school to the south-east.
Galloway Road public school is across an uninviting bridge, and almost as far 'as the crow flies'; but access appears to require a longer trip with no visible cut-throughs from Kingston Rd.
This section of Lawrence in general is not very hospitable to pedestrians. But the bridge strikes me as an acute barrier, particularly in winter.
Wider sidewalks, with snowmelt systems; cycle tracks, attractive railings and parapet walls would do wonders here.
Next up will be a renewed lobby and cladding.
Column here:
A public housing tower gets a daycare, and a new lease
City-run daycare designed by Toronto architects SvN, with renovation of the tower with ERA Architects, captures the challenges that such projects present
www.theglobeandmail.com
Here's a 'before shot' via Streetview:
Current state, also via Streetview (from January)
This is more recent still and from SvN's website:
Lots of renders and tracking progress pics here: https://svn-ap.com/projects/lawrence-orton-community-and-daycare/
****
Very good project so far, looking forward to seeing more.
****
Additional observations:
Very isolated community in that it is surrounded by ravine parklands on 3 sides:
Through fronting all that ravine parkland, access to same is fairly poor. There is no access point on the west side of the bridge, and with a six-lane version of Lawrence, one would likely need to cross at the traffic light at many times of day.
Access to the ravine is almost 500M away:
Though seemingly parks rich, the site actually lacks a park with a playground or sports amenities in close proximity.
There are many school yards relatively close, but access is often cumbersome.
It's fairly clean access, but over 500M to Willow Park Jr. Public school to the south-east.
Galloway Road public school is across an uninviting bridge, and almost as far 'as the crow flies'; but access appears to require a longer trip with no visible cut-throughs from Kingston Rd.
This section of Lawrence in general is not very hospitable to pedestrians. But the bridge strikes me as an acute barrier, particularly in winter.
Wider sidewalks, with snowmelt systems; cycle tracks, attractive railings and parapet walls would do wonders here.