Parks - new & revitalized

[allengeorge]

No, this one you'd have to walk back, most parks washrooms were open for their normal hours throughout the pandemic.

I appreciate you keeping me honest @Northern Light!

Yes - that was overly broad. Actually, it was just wrong.

 

[TRONto]

Relic Linear Park System

Provide feedback on the proposed design for each park in an online survey that closes on March 5, 2024. Take the Survey The Relic Linear Park System is a community-led vision that features architectural relic stones and Indigenous artwork within the Grange Park neighbourhood. The park system is...

www.toronto.ca

Wasn't sure where to put this.

There is a survey for the "Relic Linear Park System" around Grange for the parks that are being created with the new developments.

 

[DSC]

This park was refreshed quite recently, I wonder what they have in mind.

Request for Proposal		Solicitation number:	Doc3586878865
Commodity:	Professional Services, Architectural Services
Description:	Landscape Architectural Design Services for Victoria Memorial Square Park Refresh Project ----- Request for Landscape Architectural design services for Victoria Memorial Square park refresh project. Posting Type: Request for Information ------
Issue date:	July 28, 2022		Closing date:	August 23, 2022 at 12:00 Noon
Pre-bid meeting:	------ Mandatory Site Meeting Info - Suppliers are required to attend a mandatory meeting to familiarize themselves with the required Deliverables. The mandatory meeting will take place at 10:00 AM local time on Thursday, August 11, 2022 at Victoria Memorial Square, 10 Niagara St. Toronto, ON, M5V 1C2.

 

[DSC]

Join us on November 30, 2022, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Canoe Landing Community Recreation Centre to learn more about how the new Toronto Island Park Master Plan is taking shape, speak with the project team and share your thoughts!

See: https://www.toronto.ca/city-governm...-plan/toronto-island-master-plan-in-progress/

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

Found this interesting and a look into philanthropic parks:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...-50-million-playground-on-its-waterfront.html

Civic-minded donors had a hand in building Toronto. Will they help build a $50-million playground on its waterfront?​

There have also been misses, including, the Star has learned, fruitless efforts by a member of Canada’s richest family to donate tens of millions of dollars for a city community centre with an LGBTQ focus.

Hopes for a revival of city-building largesse flared in 2015 when Judy and Wilmot Matthews donated $25 million to create The Bentway , which transformed gritty spots under the Gardiner Expressway into year-round activity spaces. Here in Toronto, officials and prospective donors say that the Bentway gift and its structure — Judy Matthews, a former city planner, required strict timelines and site-maintenance guarantees — opened philanthropists’ eyes to new possibilities.

What’s now known as “the Bentway model,” includes creation of a conservancy, a charitable non-profit created to develop, operate and program the site year-round, with its own fundraising capacity, such as the one New York’s Central Park has.

One project that hasn’t got off the ground, according to two sources with knowledge of negotiations, but not authorized to discuss them publicly, was proposed by a member of the billionaire Thomson media empire family.

Travis Farncombe approached the city years ago about funding a community centre that could have been built in Moss Park, the sources said. However, amid what one source called an unfocused city response, the project stalled.

 

[DSC]

Request for Proposal - Prequalification		Solicitation number:
Commodity:	Professional Services, Architectural Services
Description:	Request for Supplier Qualifications – Stage One Design Competition for a New Park at 229 Richmond Street West - This Request for Supplier Qualifications ("RFSQ") is an invitation by the City of Toronto ("the City") to Design Teams led by a Landscape Architect to submit their qualifications for the first of a two-stage design competition for the new park at 229 Richmond Street West. Teams that are shortlisted through this RFSQ will be invited to stage 2 – a Design RFP, as further described in Part 5 – RFSQ Particulars. Public Posting: http://discovery.ariba.com/rfx/15276277 -
Issue date:	January 31, 2023		Closing date:	March 2, 2023 at 12:00 Noon

 

[DSC]

BA18.7 - Award of Ariba Document Number 3724611101 to 671860 Ontario Inc. Operating as Somerville Construction for Yonge Street Linear Parks Improvements for Parks, Forestry, and Recreation​

Consideration Type: ACTION

Ward: 13 - Toronto Centre

Origin​

(March 9, 2023) Report from the Chief Procurement Officer

Recommendations​

The Chief Procurement Officer recommends that the Bid Award Panel grant authority to award the following contract:

Solicitation Number:
Request for Tender, Ariba Document Number 3724611101, Contract Number 22-PFR-195

Description:
For the Supply and Delivery of all Labour, Materials, Equipment and Supervision required to complete the Yonge Street Linear Parks Improvements (George Hislop and Norman Jewison Parks), on behalf of the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division of the City of Toronto.

Recommended Supplier:
671860 Ontario Inc. operating as Somerville Construction

Contract Award Value:
$5,355,317 net of all applicable taxes and charges
$6,051,508 including HST and all applicable charges
$5,449,571 net of HST recoveries

The contract is expected to start following the date of award and end by December 31, 2023.

 

[DSC]

Lots of (not very clear to me) info on budget reallocations and carry-overs for Parks in this: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-235962.pdf

 

[Northern Light]

Lots of (not very clear to me) info on budget reallocations and carry-overs for Parks in this: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-235962.pdf

If it makes you feel any better, even I find much of it to be clear as mud. I may know what's going on w/many of the noted projects, but I would never figure it out based on that!

***

The length of that list is indicative of some of the problems with the way in which PF&R handles budgets. I'm not going to get too far into the weeds on that, I'll simply say, its convoluted and inefficient.

 

[emphurent]

Work for the Relic Park at Queen and Simcoe seems to be underway (source).

These are excess pieces that were not displayed previously at Guild Park.

The cylinder under the stone is so simple but looks quite elegant. This is a 'signpost' peice.

This concept "gateway piece" at Queen would be this interesting interpretive column if it happens:

I recommend reading the Prospectus, as there are some neat photos of the stonework, and the ways they intend to be interpreted. I quite love the sketches of them all, as the interweaving with greenery looks great and whimsy.

It should be noted that the placement in certain documents vary from the proposal document, as some elements seem to be moved from Simcoe to MS Ave, which is a little unfortunate.

 

[Northern Light]

Work for the Relic Park at Queen and Simcoe seems to be underway (source).

These are excess pieces that were not displayed previously at Guild Park.

The cylinder under the stone is so simple but looks quite elegant. This is a 'signpost' peice.

View attachment 478933

This concept "gateway piece" at Queen would be this interesting interpretive column if it happens:

I recommend reading the Prospectus, as there are some neat photos of the stonework, and the ways they intend to be interpreted. I quite love the sketches of them all, as the interweaving with greenery looks great and whimsy.

It should be noted that the placement in certain documents vary from the proposal document, as some elements seem to be moved from Simcoe to MS Ave, which is a little unfortunate.

View attachment 478934

I think I neglected to post this from my most recent walk w/the camera.........

 

[emphurent]

I think I neglected to post this from my most recent walk w/the camera.........

View attachment 478945

Thanks for the overview of the work so far, it does seem the most recent plans for this stretch on the Cambell House website are a bit out of date and very non-specific (2021 but it is labelled concept), and i'm having trouble finding any info on what the finalized plan is overall here.

 

[Northern Light]

I don't know if any UT'ers are local to south-west Scarborough/Upper Beaches area; but the City is looking at giving Blantyre Park a facelift.

Said park is located just a bit east of Victoria Park Avenue and a bit north of Kingston Road (off Fallingbrook)

There is a live survey open only another few days soliciting input on preferred playground design, splash pad design, fitness area design and then an 'other' section if there's something they haven't mentioned.

- Exploring Options: Blantyre Park Improvements

s.cotsurvey.chkmkt.com

As the City is looking at adding sidewalks adjacent to the park on two sides, where they are currently none, I put it for investing in making them nice w/boulevards and plantings; and also naturalizing some of the slope into the park (leaving some mowed for kid's sledding in the winter and for those who wish to sun themselves) but taking a chunk and making a little woodlot/forest.

Park Location:

Park as at 2019 - per streetview:

 

[junctionist]

Found this interesting and a look into philanthropic parks:

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...-50-million-playground-on-its-waterfront.html

Civic-minded donors had a hand in building Toronto. Will they help build a $50-million playground on its waterfront?​

If Toronto is going to have world-class public spaces like major American cities and European capitals, we're definitely going to need more donations from wealthy benefactors. The amounts of money that hospitals and universities get from donors is excellent in Toronto. But we need to bolster the quality of our public spaces and public architecture and art as well.

 

[evandyk]

If Toronto is going to have world-class public spaces like major American cities and European capitals, we're definitely going to need more donations from wealthy benefactors. The amounts of money that hospitals and universities get from donors is excellent in Toronto. But we need to bolster the quality of our public spaces and public architecture and art as well.

I don't really understand how a playground can cost $50M. But I also don't really understand how if the government can find $1.2B to build these parks, they can't also find another 4% of that to build its "marquee attraction".