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St. George Street Reconstruction

A

AlvinofDiaspar

Guest
From U of T News:

St. George Street under construction
Road work slated for October completion
Jul 13/06
by Mary Alice Thring

If it’s summer it must be time for road work, and work on St. George Street is among the City of Toronto’s 2006 projects.

Work crews are beginning phased construction to replace St. George Street water mains and repair and restore the decorative paving, sidewalks and roadway. The first phase of the work will be Willcocks Street to Harbord Street, phase two will be Willcocks to College Street, and the third, Harbord north to Bloor Street.

“The city’s goal is to continually maintain at least one lane on St. George Street open for traffic,†said U of T property manager Steve Barratt. “Bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be affected, so cyclists may wish to consider another route.†Construction is expected to last until mid-October.

Meanwhile, U of T grounds and maintenance staff are taking advantage of the road work to replace some dead and dying trees, particularly in front of Sidney Smith Hall.

“These trees were part of the original revitalization of St. George Street in the 1990s,†said Stan Szwagiel, manager of grounds. “We commissioned an arborist to asses the condition of these trees, concluding that they were in very poor shape. There was insufficient irrigation and with salt, compaction of the roots and the hazards of being a city tree, including people who staple notices into the bark, they had really suffered. Irrigation will be added for the replacement trees, all maples, and they will do well.â€Â

Elizabeth Sisam, assistant vice president (campus and facilities planning), emphasized the importance of the restoration work.

“St. George Street is important to the city and the university, and illustrates a co-operative effort between these institutions initiated through a lead gift from a private benefactor,†she said. “The work scheduled for this summer will bring the street back to its original grandeur. It is wonderful to see that the city together with the university remain committed to maintain this urban space for our community.â€Â

Sir Daniel Wilson Walkway between Hoskin Street and King’s College Circle is also getting attention. The pedestrian route will be closed for six to eight weeks to repair and update the surfaces with the same decorative granite pavers used in other parts of the King’s College precinct. Weather permitting, an August completion date is anticipated.

AoD
 
Å“We commissioned an arborist to asses the condition of these trees, concluding that they were in very poor shape. There was insufficient irrigation and with salt, compaction of the roots and the hazards of being a city tree, including people who staple notices into the bark, they had really suffered
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Visually hideous though it is, I can't see that postering could damage trees that much, unless they're really small and weedy. Come to think of it, they'd have to be fairly big in circumference - and therefore mature - to be logical sites for wrap-around posters anyway. By which time their protective bark would certainly be thick enough to prevent penetration by staples.

Trees are quite tough, even when ill. My pink saucer magnolia, which suffered scale for three years in a row, has finally pulled out of it unaided.

Which reminds me, one spring I must try to tap the huge silver maple at the front of the house and make syrup. I make jam from just about everything else that grows on city property.
 
Good to hear St. George is getting repaired. This street was a perfect example of Toronto incompetence. A beautiful street with great stonework covered with large patches of asphalt.
 
how on earth did St George end up as a candidate for reconstruction when it's probably in the top 5% of roads in the city in terms of it's condition. there's an endless list of more deserving roads in the city in need of reconstruction ie Dupont, Adelaide, Richmond, Dundas, Sherbourne etc etc... Yet another thing about the swivel servants at city hall that makes me shake my head
 
jayo:

I think they left it unrepaired due to the ongoing construction along the street - no sense to repair it only to have the trucks rip it all apart.

AoD
 
They might as well wait till construction at the Economics Dept. is finished.
 
Thank god! I so approve of this road being rebuilt.

As it currently stands it's a major embrassment to the city.

Louroz
 
scarberian:

Probably not necessary, given Econ is a relatively minor addition (3s) with likely limited use of heavy machinery.

AoD
 
nstuch: If water mains are being repaired, maybe there was no choice but to repave St George at this point; the mains on it may have hit the top of the priority list for replacement.

Meanwhile, after so much was poured into St George Streeet in the 90s to spruce it up, it really is embarrassing the way it looks again.

42
 
The campus as a whole is looking like a dump these days. Whether it's due to age, neglect on the part of the city/U of T, or the attitude of the students, it's becoming more of an eyesore each year.
 
"Meanwhile, after so much was poured into St George Streeet in the 90s to spruce it up, it really is embarrassing the way it looks again."

i completely agree with you that it's an eyesore, but it's relatively less of an eyesore than countless other streets that are crying out for major reconstruction
 
Why not unpave some of our streets to reveal cobblestones beneath?

It would give the city some great character - like those of european cities.
 
"Probably not necessary, given Econ is a relatively minor addition (3s) with likely limited use of heavy machinery."

Keyword here is probably...the spraypaint cans are all but assured of coming out in force as soon as it's done, followed by who knows what.

U of T has poured so much money into its buildings that there seems to be next to nothing left for landscaping/maintainance.
 
I only hope that the city or its contractors properly set the brickwork, as the lifecycle of cobblestone streets should be much longer than only 15 years.
 

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