Toronto Queens Quay & Water's Edge Revitalization | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

For the central waterfront, definitely the boardwalk-footbridges. It will be a fight with Ports Toronto and some local residents - though the new popularity of QQ should be ammunition against both.

AoD
 
drum118 said:
Talking to Waterfront Toronto at Tuesday night meeting, there is no money to take the design west to Bathurst St when time comes to replace TTC tracks. There is no long range budget to do it. They are going to look at it and see how it can fit into the next budget cycle.

The work west of where the QQ design stop, that work was done at the last moment by the city at their cost.

As for changing current MTO standards for traffic lights, Waterfront has already had talks with them and they are being being stuck in time on it at this time.
Click to expand...

Did you talk to them about the ongoing issues with cars entering the streetcar ROW?

Did you talk to them about solutions to this problem I.e. colouring the ROW on the vicinity of intersections?
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
For the central waterfront, definitely the boardwalk-footbridges. It will be a fight with Ports Toronto and some local residents - though the new popularity of QQ should be ammunition against both.

AoD
Click to expand...

Why would Ports Toronto object? Safety concerns or some such? Or do they still think that renting boat spaces in the slips is a viable revenue source?
 
Riverdale Rink Rat said:
Why would Ports Toronto object? Safety concerns or some such? Or do they still think that renting boat spaces in the slips is a viable revenue source?
Click to expand...

Not sure, I can dig into the reports a little. There is also opposition from 401 QQ, which of course is kind of ironic given the condition of said property and how it interfaces with the new QQ public realm.

From the Sept 2009 CEO report:
Implementation Update
Central Waterfront The Rees Wave Deck was substantially completed on July 16, 2009 and was formally opened to the public at a community celebration held on Saturday August 8, 2009.
Funding, approvals and tenders for the Spadina Footbridge remain on hold pending resolution of federal environmental approvals, Contribution Agreement funding, Toronto Port Authority
issues, and resident concerns.
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/ceoreport_sept_09_2009_1.pdf (p.1)

October 2009:
Funding, approvals and tenders for the Spadina Footbridge remain on hold pending resolution of federal environmental approvals, Contribution Agreement funding, Toronto Port Authority issues,and resident’s concerns. WT Management and individual Board members continue to receive correspondence specifying concerns and questions about the construction of the Spadina Footbridge from residents of 401 Queens Quay and representatives of a local condo association. Letters are being responded to on a timely basis (see attached).
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/ceoreport_oct_28_2009_1.pdf (p.3)

Dec 2009:
Discussions between WT and TPA are scheduled to resume on January 6, 2010 for the purpose of concluding our negotiations regarding the design, construction, ownership, operation
and maintenance of the boardwalk/finger piers/bridges, and storm water tanks along the water’s edge.
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/ceoreport_dec_16_2009_1.pdf (p. 1)

Feb 2010:
Toronto Port Authority (TPA)
On January 6, 2010, we had a meeting with the TPA to finalize the term sheet between the TPA
and WT re: water’s edge protocol. We also had the opportunity to meet their new President and CEO, Geoffrey Wilson who was very supportive and engaged in resolving any outstanding issues.
In particular, we discussed the following issues: schematic design of the water’s edge; operation and maintenance of promenade/boardwalk/piers; fee simple or long term lease of the water-lots; and mooring of vessels.
The next step is to review a revised term sheet which we expect to receive from the TPA shortly
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/ceoreport_feb_17_2010_1.pdf (p. 2)

Nothing afterwards on the footbridges.

Also note:

http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=673ef652-4360-4b02-a3df-216357879f32&sponsor=

AoD
 
Last edited:
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Not sure, I can dig into the reports a little. There is also opposition from 401 QQ, which of course is kind of ironic given the condition of said property and how it interfaces with the new QQ public realm.

AoD
Click to expand...

Condition? Is the property in a bad state of repair? If I'm not mistaken, both the unit prices and condo fees for that building are quite high.
 
ttk77 said:
Condition? Is the property in a bad state of repair? If I'm not mistaken, both the unit prices and condo fees for that building are quite high.
Click to expand...

Don't take my word for it - walk around the building. For such a high priced property it certainly could have looked better.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
October 2009:
Funding, approvals and tenders for the Spadina Footbridge remain on hold pending resolution of federal environmental approvals, Contribution Agreement funding, Toronto Port Authority issues,and resident’s concerns. WT Management and individual Board members continue to receive correspondence specifying concerns and questions about the construction of the Spadina Footbridge from residents of 401 Queens Quay and representatives of a local condo association. Letters are being responded to on a timely basis (see attached).
http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/ceoreport_oct_28_2009_1.pdf (p.3)


AoD
Click to expand...

There are quite a few building in the waterfront that have riparian rights. After all this area was shipyards and port land which needed access to the edge of the water and the new owners acquired these rights.

As I understand it, when Toronto allows building by the waterfront they demand a 99 year ROW along the water's edge. However, the condo corp still has the legal title to the water's edge. So any changes still may be required to be approved by the condo corp.

I'm not sure if 401QQ has this type of legal ownership but it is a concern at other buildings. And interesting to note in 70 years or so this ROW disappears and the condo can fence in their ownership to the waters edge.
 
.. they put up a bunch of signs on the MGT stating it's to be shared between Pedestrians and Bikes, and I dont really get the point because the south sidewalk is very wide.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
For the central waterfront, definitely the boardwalk-footbridges. It will be a fight with Ports Toronto and some local residents - though the new popularity of QQ should be ammunition against both.
Click to expand...
I thought that the main issue at this point was funding. My impression was that Queens Quay was among the last funded projects, and we won't be seeing much more progress until funding becomes available or WT is granted borrowing privileges.
 
muller877 said:
There are quite a few building in the waterfront that have riparian rights. After all this area was shipyards and port land which needed access to the edge of the water and the new owners acquired these rights.

As I understand it, when Toronto allows building by the waterfront they demand a 99 year ROW along the water's edge. However, the condo corp still has the legal title to the water's edge. So any changes still may be required to be approved by the condo corp.

I'm not sure if 401QQ has this type of legal ownership but it is a concern at other buildings. And interesting to note in 70 years or so this ROW disappears and the condo can fence in their ownership to the waters edge.
Click to expand...

PortsToronto, by virtue of federal charter and regulation, either owns or maintains a lien on the first 6 feet of land in from the water's edge.

The condo corps may own the land that PT doesn't, but they can't do anything to it without involving them.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
smably said:
I thought that the main issue at this point was funding. My impression was that Queens Quay was among the last funded projects, and we won't be seeing much more progress until funding becomes available or WT is granted borrowing privileges.
Click to expand...

Not 100% sure, but the plans for the bridge was quite advanced (with detailed designs) and it just froze in its' tracks. That suggest it's not simply a funding issue.

In any case, now that the success of QQ has been demonstrated I think there will be a cultural shift in how the waterfront is being viewed.

AoD
 
I wonder what the Port Authority's view is of the footbridges? Also the ratepayer groups?
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top