TDSB choose their own architects.
Unforgivably bad choices
On this particular school, they also chose to spend millions of dollars providing a staff parking garage, which isn’t mandated and probably won’t get used very much.
Inexcusable.
Those decisions belong entirely to them.
Agreed.
On the bigger picture: this organization runs a real estate portfolio worth at least $10 billion. The fact that they can’t figure out any creative or productive ways to get value out of it is a problem. Not everything is the province’s fault.
This one I'm a bit more sympathetic on; with the city growing by at a phenomenal rate, I understand a desire to hold on to currently closed school sites in case they are needed in the future; there's a lot of sense to that, given where land prices are going.
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While there are school sites well suited to additional development, the number isn't so high as one might think.
Take a look at the Mid-Town area which has a school crunch. While I am on the record suggesting a landswap involving the Eglinton Public school to create some space; there are 3 other nearby Elementary schools.
Davisville is one you would have saved, which would preclude a tower there.
Oriole Park is in the middle of an sfh neighbourhood fronting side streets.
John Fisher is a heritage building on a small lot.
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Likewise, if you look at the downtown sites:
Lord Lansdowne is well appreciated architecturally.
Jesse Ketchum, Brant, Central Tech , Jarvis, Rose Avenue, and Winchester would all qualify as heritage.
That doesn't leave very many sites with opportunities........maybe Church Street Public School?
Doubtless we could find some sites in suburbia that have the magical mix of a good, easy to rezone location, with transit access and no heritage qualities where something workable could happen; but I don't think those are a dime and dozen.
TDSB choose their own architects.
On this particular school, they also chose to spend millions of dollars providing a staff parking garage, which isn’t mandated and probably won’t get used very much.
Those decisions belong entirely to them.
On the bigger picture: this organization runs a real estate portfolio worth at least $10 billion. The fact that they can’t figure out any creative or productive ways to get value out of it is a problem. Not everything is the province’s fault.