Toronto College Park Revitalization with Barbara Ann Scott Skate Trail | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | RAW Design

The increase in hardscsaping is necessary to accommodate increased traffic volumes, which the original park, build in the 1980s, did not anticipate - as evident with the parks existing state of disrepair. The consultant ensured hardscaping treatments would incorporate multi-coloured (e.g. white/grey) stone pavers, not simply concrete.
 
skorji:

Considering the size of the budget and the programming of the park as per the two options, it is unclear whether $3M is sufficient for the consultant to ensure anything (rink/waterplay area vs. stone pavers), and the practice of value engineering is very much alive and well. Now there are projects in the area than can conceivably provide additional funding, but one would be careful not to count the chickens before they hatch.

Looking at the pattern of degradation - IMHO it has more to do with the inappropriate pathlaying than park usage per se.

AoD
 
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AlvinofDiaspar:

Correct. Although the key takeaway from last evening was that the programming elements identified in the concept will not all be included. Many residents didn't want to see a dog park or a flexible space as depicted in the concepts. Many of us also had concerns with the proposed layout of the skating loop in option 1, which depicts a figure 8. There was also a point made that the replacement water feature should be smaller than what presently exists, and nobody seems to have an interest in public art features, and many didn't have an interest in replacing the existing pavilion with a new enclosed facility... opting instead for a covered feature that is open on all side that may or may not include washroom or changing facilities.

We all acknowledge that $3 million isn't significant funding for the total reconstruction of a park of this nature (i.e. on top of a parking deck). I'm simply stating the fact that the consultant indicated the surface treatment would be more than simply concrete.

The comment about user volumes anticipate increased park usage with the completion of Aura, 43 Gerrard Street, and other developments. I'm simply stating that the park was developed in the 1980s when surrounding blocks were comprised of some buildings and significant surface parking, and did not anticipate the scale of development or user volumes seen today, and anticipated in future years. This is also a point that was raised by the consultants.
 
I just hope thy retain some sort of water feature and fountain. Toronto is is devoid of them, it would be a shame to loose one.
 
Huh? They're telling the City that trying to programme the park for 19 different activities is too much for this space, especially at the budget that has been set, and that if they don't up the budget then the way to make the money work best is to delete the skating rink and related facilities: it's by far the most costly (and therefore underfunded) item.

That said, how can you have a park named after Barbara Ann Scott and not have a rink?! You would think that with all the development money with its related set-aside benefits funding that the City could find the cash needed to fix up the skating facilities. Sheesh. The DRP certainly hasn't considered the heritage/honorary value of the name of the park.

42
 
Does anyone know how the ownership of this park works? I know it has a City sign on it, but in many ways it's always felt more like the backyard of College Park than a true public park. It seems strange that it's on the roof of a parking garage, too. If remedial work needs to be done on the roof of the garage who pays for it, the property manager or the city?

Seems like a bit of a waste tho if the city can't get its act together to make that a park to be proud of. With the way the area is building up around it it seems like it would have all kinds of potential to be a highly animated and well-used park.
 
i42:

Indeed. I can't help but take notice that the city was generous enough to guarantee loans for the Lakeshore Lions Arena (which is franky built for use by a certain untouchable NHL franchise) but couldn't pony up a few more for a neglected neigbhourhood rink.

AoD
 
interchange42 said:
That said, how can you have a park named after Barbara Ann Scott and not have a rink?! You would think that with all the development money with its related set-aside benefits funding that the City could find the cash needed to fix up the skating facilities. Sheesh. The DRP certainly hasn't considered the heritage/honorary value of the name of the park.
42
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Though to be fair, it seems like a lot of people (even in high places) have forgotten that the park's named after Barbara Ann Scott--and, for that matter, all too often might have no real clue or grasp as to who she was (which may be quasi-understandable, given that you'd have to be 70 plus to have any real recall of "her moment"). Maybe it'd help if there were some kind of physical monument other than the park's name, even a Terry Fox-type statue of BAS...in the meantime, it's like "Barbara Ann Scott Park" has passed into the same ether as "Macdonald-Cartier Freeway". To most people, this is "College Park", just like the complex which surrounds it--indeed, let's remember that this thread rather deceptively started with the "College Park" title, before it was corrected/clarified.

Come to think of it, a Barbara Ann Scott statue in her namesake park would be a terrific idea, and it's a wonder nobody's thought of it before. (And yes: a *statue*, just like Alexander Wood or whatever else...)
 
And a whole lot of forumers here would like the city to design, build and maintain another park just a few blocks north of here (Opera place). Good luck. Maybe they could get the city to pony up enough for some sod that would become weed-ridden withing in a few months, but hey, would have more green space.:D
 
Register123 said:
And a whole lot of forumers here would like the city to design, build and maintain another park just a few blocks north of here (Opera place). Good luck. Maybe they could get the city to pony up enough for some sod that would become weed-ridden withing in a few months, but hey, would have more green space.:D
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Go to Google maps. How many parks can you count from say Bloor to Dundas St., University/Queen's Park to Sherbourne St? I count eight including little parkettes. Forget how many people work or shop in that area, how many people do you suppose live in that area, 230 - 270K? That will nearly double in five to seven years, so now do you think it makes sense to have more parks?
 
I think a statue would be a great idea. Toronto could use more well-done representations of her citizens. Though maybe all Toronto could afford would be a single giant skate. (grin)

Three million is hardly enough to buy enough paving stone, let alone do a good job of landscaping, ornamenting, detailing, planning, lighting and draining a new park. It might be better to wait and accumulate more money for it than to do a half-assed job. As Alvin said above, I think the park's problem are more circulatory than anything else. I love the large round pond and rink. I can't imagine why its amenity building has been left to the pigeons. I think the proposals have good ideas in them, but would rather see them enriching the exiting plan than completely tearing it up.

I think the biggest oversight is the untouched area heading into the north-east corner of College Park, IMO.
 
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dt_toronto_geek said:
Go to Google maps. How many parks can you count from say Bloor to Dundas St., University/Queen's Park to Sherbourne St? I count eight including little parkettes. Forget how many people work or shop in that area, how many people do you suppose live in that area, 230 - 270K? That will nearly double in five to seven years, so now do you think it makes sense to have more parks?
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The point I was trying to make was that the city can't even afford to maintain the parks we have let alone build and maintain another, not that we have too many parks. I would love to have a park every few blocks but only if the city commits itself to maintaining them and building them to a high standard. So If they want to cut the skating rink from a park that was named in honour of one of our great skaters, what hope do you hold out for opera place?
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
Go to Google maps. How many parks can you count from say Bloor to Dundas St., University/Queen's Park to Sherbourne St? I count eight including little parkettes. Forget how many people work or shop in that area, how many people do you suppose live in that area, 230 - 270K? That will nearly double in five to seven years, so now do you think it makes sense to have more parks?
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Do you really believe there will be half a million people living in that area you described in 5 - 7 years? Where did you here that from?
 
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