Toronto Ten York Street Condos | 224.02m | 65s | Tridel | Wallman Architects

[Zeiss]

It's a big job dismantling this part of the Gardiner as well as constructing the new ramp. Likely take 2 years. But the saving grace is that the City will kindly allow people to exit at Spadina and Jarvis for those 2 years .

Why not build the new off-ramp first and when it get ready to remove the old one?

 

[innsertnamehere]

As I said, there is no space to build a new ramp beside the existing. You have to first tear down the old one to make space for the new one.

 

[Zeiss]

As I said, there is no space to build a new ramp beside the existing. You have to first tear down the old one to make space for the new one.

Yes, you are right. After looking at the satellite map I realize that the present ramp branches off the Gardener way west of Rees street.

 

[cogito ergo]

I can see High-Line type of linear park installed on (at least portion of) the decommissioned ramp, touching ground at new, redesign square in front of RBC.

 

[innsertnamehere]

The whole thing is going. The space that the circular ramp takes up will be replaced with an at grade park.

 

[cogito ergo]

I know that's the current plan, but it doesn't mean it is the best one

 

[NBGtect]

Umm, yes it kinda is the best plan. Greening up the off ramp would be silly.

 

[cogito ergo]

Umm, yes it kinda is the best plan. Greening up the off ramp would be silly.

yeah! ..how about greening up elevated railway tracks? now.. that was really silly, huge mistake, disaster!!

 

[Ryan_T]

I actually like the idea of leaving the loop within the park. Cut it off in mid-air, just at the park's west side border.

 

[NBGtect]

yeah! ..how about greening up elevated railway tracks? now.. that was really silly, huge mistake, disaster!!

Yes, the High Line is nice. Disused and abandoned infrastructure can be ripe for greening up. The people of NYC need more green, that's for sure lol.

 

[DasilvaS17]

Get rid of that part of Gardiner, cover the ugly train tracks with green space & we are good!

 

[edwardtoronto]

The railway tracks were all at grade originally. Raising them was considered (at the time) a measure to improve access to the waterfront. View corridors were not considered of course because the harbour was commercial / industrial.

 

[Hamiltonian]

I still don't understand how we still haven't built a large-scale park over the railway tracks yet. Seems like the perfect place for a large urban park that can cater to the Financial district and the waterfront...?

 

[NBGtect]

Ya, they will come in time. Our building boom isn't all that far along to warrant a park over the railway tracks to exist at this very moment. It was difficult enough to get a developer to build on the railway lands, let alone have a park over the tracks in 2015. But there are several proposals which will make these parks a reality one day. Even the greening of the train shed roofs at Union is a much appreciated improvement to the cityscape.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Interestingly, the main Union Station building was completed in 1920 but did not open until 1927, and reach full completion until 1930. The reason? The city couldnt decide whether or not to elevate or trench the rail corridor. They eventually decided to elevate it, which I think was a big mistake in hindsight. A trenched corridor would be much easier to bridge over and hide from the modern landscape. The station building ended up sitting empty for 7 years as they built the trainshed and the elevated approach corridors, and even when it did enter operation, a small wooden plank bridge over York street to the old union station platforms was required before the new trainshed was completed.

its rather unfortunate really, one of Toronto's grandest pieces of architecture sat unused and became the running joke of the town for the first 7 years of its life.