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Rail Deck Park (?, ?, ?)

Northern Light said:
Because City staff have already specified that there are 2 phases and are moving to acquire the air rights for phase 1, which is the eastern portion. (east of Spadina)

torontostoreys.com

City of Toronto Looking to Secure Air Rights for 3 Acres of Rail Deck Park

Toronto is taking the next steps to bring its ambitious Rail Deck Park plan to life: by looking to secure the air rights along the rail corridor.
torontostoreys.com torontostoreys.com

You seem a bit confused, Spadina to Blue Jays Way IS the eastern part. The western part is west of Spadina to Bathurst.
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Thank you for clarifying. I would assume for this phase it will still take a long time to expropriate or negotiate for the air rights for the first phase (east of Spadina). Does anyone know how long this process usually takes?
 
toronto647 said:
Thank you for clarifying. I would assume for this phase it will still take a long time to expropriate or negotiate for the air rights for the first phase (east of Spadina). Does anyone know how long this process usually takes?
Click to expand...

Council has authorized staff to use expropriation if necessary.

Times for these processes can vary widely.

The City could negotiate forever; though if determined to get a property will typically move for expropriation within six months.

Though I'm not aware of the City having made such a move yet; and authorization was granted in February.

Once the City moves to expropriate, it can essentially take possession immediately.

A rights owner can only stop this by disputing whether the expropriation has a legitimate public purpose. In this case, a park would easily pass that test.

However, once the City moves to take possession, if no price is agreed on, the matter (of price) leaves the City's hands and goes to the OMB, as I recall for arbitration.

In theory (and this has happened) that decision can in turn be appealed to Divisional Court.

However, that is entirely a matter of price, not possession.

****

I can affirm that City staff had been planning to begin construction as early as 2021.

Due to pandemic related delays if nothing else, that will not likely be met.

But I feel quite safe with the suggestion there will be a finished park long before 2030.
 
Northern Light said:
Council has authorized staff to use expropriation if necessary.

Times for these processes can vary widely.

The City could negotiate forever; though if determined to get a property will typically move for expropriation within six months.

Though I'm not aware of the City having made such a move yet; and authorization was granted in February.

Once the City moves to expropriate, it can essentially take possession immediately.

A rights owner can only stop this by disputing whether the expropriation has a legitimate public purpose. In this case, a park would easily pass that test.

However, once the City moves to take possession, if no price is agreed on, the matter (of price) leaves the City's hands and goes to the OMB, as I recall for arbitration.

In theory (and this has happened) that decision can in turn be appealed to Divisional Court.

However, that is entirely a matter of price, not possession.

****

I can affirm that City staff had been planning to begin construction as early as 2021.

Due to pandemic related delays if nothing else, that will not likely be met.

But I feel quite safe with the suggestion there will be a finished park long before 2030.
Click to expand...

Wow, your explanation is well detailed and step by step for people not familiar to process like me. Looking forward to the space being expropriated rather sooner than later. We desperately need a central like park for Downtown Toronto rather than new condos. (I am sure most folks would agree with that)
 
afransen said:
It's a nice idea, but that space has to be effective for transportation foremost. You really have to think ahead as to how the tracks to Union are going to be used for a long time into the future if you are going to build a structure like this above.
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This is an excellent point that seems to be ignored because people have this idea that having Grand park over the railroad tracks is going to bring tourists and give locals a place to walk dogs and have kids play etc.
 
EastYorkTTCFan said:
This is an excellent point that seems to be ignored because people have this idea that having Grand park over the railroad tracks is going to bring tourists and give locals a place to walk dogs and have kids play etc.
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Nobody goes to Central Park in New York City for the same reasons... not!

 
Northern Light said:
But I feel quite safe with the suggestion there will be a finished park long before 2030.
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Agreed. This is the only thing John Tory has ever shown any ambition about. He definitely sees it as his legacy project. No way is at least Phase 1 not under construction before he steps down as mayor.
 
Northern Light said:
Council has authorized staff to use expropriation if necessary.

Times for these processes can vary widely.

The City could negotiate forever; though if determined to get a property will typically move for expropriation within six months.

Though I'm not aware of the City having made such a move yet; and authorization was granted in February.

Once the City moves to expropriate, it can essentially take possession immediately.

A rights owner can only stop this by disputing whether the expropriation has a legitimate public purpose. In this case, a park would easily pass that test.

However, once the City moves to take possession, if no price is agreed on, the matter (of price) leaves the City's hands and goes to the OMB, as I recall for arbitration.

In theory (and this has happened) that decision can in turn be appealed to Divisional Court.

However, that is entirely a matter of price, not possession.

****

I can affirm that City staff had been planning to begin construction as early as 2021.

Due to pandemic related delays if nothing else, that will not likely be met.

But I feel quite safe with the suggestion there will be a finished park long before 2030.
Click to expand...
Let's hope so!!!
 
^Well that's a BFD. Could we see more lax approvals in the coming years as the City/Province scramble for revenues post-COVID?
 
Last edited:
Tory did not request for funding for the rail deck park from the feds as per of the budget 2021. So Tory doesn't believe in the rail deck park either.

Do you folks think this decision will be appealed at all? or can Tory somehow get his way you think?
 
toronto647 said:
Tory did not request for funding for the rail deck park from the feds as per of the budget 2021. So Tory doesn't believe in the rail deck park either.
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I don't think you can infer that. I think it's more likely that transit was something that all three governments could agree on because it aligned to their priorities and the tenor of the times. I guarantee if Tory pushed the Rail Deck Park people would point to how it was a waste of money and out of touch with the challenges we are currently facing.

At any rate, I'm happy he didn't waste political capital currently on the Rail Deck Park. As much as I'd like to see it, transit is way, way more important.
 
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