Fez Batik to be turned into homeless shelter

[marcus_a_j]

From Adam Vaughan's Ward 20 Newsletter, March 6, 2009

129 Peter Street - Housing Assessment and Referral Centre updates

(images available in PDF version of newsletter)

The City's new Housing Assessment and Referral Centre is scheduled to open at 129 Peter Street in the late spring of 2009. Since February 2008, extensive renovations have been underway to convert the facility from its former uses as a restaurant and nightclub into the city facility.

Services to be provided at 129 Peter St include coordination of the enhanced Streets to Homes program, which helps homeless people living outdoors to get a safer place to sleep and find long-term housing. The program has a high success rate, with 91% of individuals still housed through intensive case management and post-housing supports. The facility will also provide street respite (temporary escape from the cold) for street-involved individuals, and includes a 40 bed shelter for street-involved clients and people who do not use the traditional shelter system.

The building has numerous green initiatives in its design, including living walls and a green roof on a portion of the roof. There will be rainwater harvesting, drain water recovery, solar thermal hot water, and photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. Photovoltaic cells will be installed in tree-like formations to provide shade to the rooftop smoking area.

As part of the Council approval for the facility at 129 Peter Street, the facility will not occupy the wide sidewalk space in front of the building. There will be staff at the HARC that will direct people inside and upstairs.

A liaison committee of area residents and BIA representatives has been developed to help problem-solve on any issues that arise around the operations of the facility.

 

[adma]

Maybe to keep the "Fez" spirit alive, they can call the shelter "Major Hoople's Boarding House"

 

[syn]

"Rooftop smoking area"? It looks like they're just building another club .

It certainly looks unique, I'll give it that. I still think this is the perfect spot for a restaurant/lounge though.

 

[Felino]

It's a bad idea to put a homeless shelter in the middle of a tourist area.

The city has received numerous application to build mid-sized and boutique hotels in that very area and some have already started.

Whoever came up with this idea obviously didn't have to consult with the locals, either residents or businesses. If they did, concerns were obviously overridden. Although I understand the NIMBY idea, I think this was a terrible choice nonetheless.

Adam Vaughan is not a good representative of this area, he clearly doesn't reflect what people want.

 

[MetroMan]

In the town hall meetings with business owners in the area (clubs), Adam Vaughan in pretty straightforward terms, told those complaining that this shelter is going here to discourage them from doing business in the area.

He's also rushing to approve condos where they were once not allowed. Of course property owners see it in their interest to sell land for condos which will earn them more money than the rent clubs pay. In turn, clubs close down and Adam Vaughan gets what he wants: to kill the club district.

 

[khris]

Cost of homeless shelter project skyrockets

A homeless shelter in downtown Toronto has seen its renovation budget nearly double — and it's still months away from opening.

The shelter, which will be at the corner of Peter and John streets in the heart of the entertainment district, cost the city nearly $5 million when it bought the building more than two years ago.

Now it turns out the cost of making the building safe is going to cost a lot more than first thought.

With cash from the federal government, the city said it would spend $2.8 million on turning the one-time bar into a shelter.

But it now turns out the building needed new drains, had a faulty foundation and the roof was in danger of collapse.

Instead of $2.8 million, the repair work is now going to cost $4.8 million.

"This was an older building and when one gets into a full renovation job, one can find other things that need to be fixed that weren't apparent when we first purchased it," said Phil Brown, the city's general manager of Shelter Services.

Coun. Adam Vaughn says it's unfortunate the cost has ballooned, but said the facility is urgently needed.

"I think that Shelter Services needs to manage their projects better to deliver them on time, but also purchase with greater certainty," he said. "They're great at handing out programs to the homeless but building buildings may not be their strongest suit."

Neighbourhood resident Rosemary Beer has been watching the project from her nearby condo.

She's stunned to hear of the cost overrun.

"How it can it be over budget when it sat there for two years and nobody did anything about it? How do get over budget when you haven't done anything," said Beer.

The shelter is slated to open in the spring.

 

[drone]

There are already a few homeless shelters just a few blocks from there, and nobody has complained about them. I know for a fact there are already shelters, and I can't even count the number of mental health group homes and mental health housing in that area. Most patients from CAMH are discharged to that area, and have been for 20 years, BECAUSE there are services for mentally ill people in that area. I can't see how a homeless shelter is going to ruin your evening getting wasted at some pathetic dance club. Nobody wants a homeless shelter in their area, but, everybody complains about homelessness in T.O.

Over 90% of people who use homeless shelters have mental health issues, I find it disgusting that people would complain about a place that HELPS people. In my opinion, they should close down the bars in that area, because that's where most of the violence takes place on weekends. Every sunday morning I hear reports of how there was a drunken brawl or shooting in a club. There is also the extra cost of policing the district on weekends.

People with mental health issues for the large part keep to themselves, and MOST do not have an aggression history.

Trust me, you'll still be able to get sloshed and hit on drunk chicks even though there are homeless, disadvantaged people sleeping a few blocks away.

 

[khris]

drone, who are you talking to? You forgot to quote the message you're replying to.

 

[drone]

it's directed at anybody that disagreed with a shelter in that area whom stated that it'd ruin the "scene" or reduce business in that area.

 

[Hank]

I live just down the street from this new shelter and I disagree with a shelter in that particular location. Does that make me a bad person?

That location would have been perfect for some sort of nice bar/restaurant...it had a huge patio area and it was on a prime corner spot. The area is slowly de-clubifying (not that I have anything against clubs, but I think that the area would benefit from some more non-club businesses here, like what we have on John street between Richmond and Adelaide) and I think that that spot should have had something that would make it more attractive for residents and tourists alike.

I have nothing against a shelter in the area in general, but the nature of a shelter is that it doesn't need to be on a prime location like that. Frankly I would have been happier if the shelter was closer to where I live (just a bit further west on richmond) then where it went (and I'm aware that such a location may not have been available, but shurely they could have found a better location (with fewer expensive repairs needed) than the one they found).

 

[drone]

no, and I didn't mean to make anybody out to be a bad person with my earlier post, but, has anybody even done the research to determine what type of shelter it'd be? Shelters have a strict target population...it may be a shelter for families in transition. somehow, I feel that's more important than a new restaurant.

 

[Jonny5]

But it now turns out the building needed new drains, had a faulty foundation and the roof was in danger of collapse.

"This was an older building and when one gets into a full renovation job, one can find other things that need to be fixed that weren't apparent when we first purchased it," said Phil Brown, the city's general manager of Shelter Services.

WHAT? A faulty foundation, collapsing roof and a damaged draining system aren't apparent? Isn't that what you hire a building inspector for? Hell, the city doesn't even need to hire them, it employs them!

I wouldn't be surprised to find out the city purchased a building that was ON FIRE and then six months later say it wasn't apparent at the time.

 

[js97]

250k per BED?!! you can buy a nice condo for that price! (slightly older buildings) and an operating costs of 2.5 million a year? are we runing a boutique hotel?

let me guess.. construction was done by unionized city contractors....

and new 'social' workers will be unionized city workers... at least they won't get sick leave!

I'm amazed at how efficient my my tax dollars are beeing spent...

Especially when their closing down pools and reducing library hours for kids...


I can't wait for this place to be openned..... planning to get have a too few many (all part of my disguise) and using this place as my new crash pad!

will post a review right after!

 

[AGTO]

Hell, the city doesn't even need to hire them, it employs them!

The citys' inspectors are not qualified to determine the safety of a strructure, fire code compliance, or electrical code compliance. It's up to the builder/contractor to hire professional engineers, electricians etc, who are in turn required to provide written proof of complianceto the city.

 

[Peepers]

Cost of homeless shelter project skyrockets

A homeless shelter in downtown Toronto has seen its renovation budget nearly double — and it's still months away from opening.

Even if this project was on budget the cost per BED would be $190,000! For this sum of money you could easily build self contained apartments in most parts of the city. It was a colossal waste of taxpayer money right from the start. I don't know how any responsible politician can support throwing away public money like this