Toronto Rail Deck District | 227.23m | 70s | Craft Dev Corp | Sweeny &Co

[interchange42]

Even if we let them reach for the stars on density? It does go through the heart of the city

If they (or someone they flip to) ends up building here, and if they provide more than 10% of the site as parkland (which is the only amount that development sites normally have to dedicate), then you can be sure they'll be telling the City that the City will have to pay for the remainder of the park. That might technically only be the roof on the hidden parking levels, and all of the landscaping around it, but that would be hundreds of millions of dollars worth of infrastructure and "land". (You can be sure there'd be some kind of charge to the City for the amount of space beyond the 10% that they weren't developing.)

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[Northern Light]

I'd say let the developer build density, but try to negotiate maximum parkland as part of the development but also try to secure some Section 37 funds to invest in the other parks around the city.

I know this is probably a pipe dream.. but I think a large part of the lack of access to parkland problem the city has can be solved or reduced greatly by constructing a pedestrian and transit bridge from downtown to the Toronto Islands. The Islands are a huge parkland asset to the city that is very under utilized (from the unfair leases on the houses that sit on the island as well as the park design and ecological preservation). The bridge could possible be done from either the Portlands (Extend the Broadview/Cherry Street Car route) or from Bathurst and Queens Quay area (Extend the Bathurst Street car route). Or both..

Take a look at the size of the islands compared to the billion dollar knockoff highline the city wants to create.

View attachment 280938

Note that we already have a pedestrian tunnel to the islands at the foot of Bathurst.

The problem is you arrive at an airport.

The airport occupies roughly 200 acres of land.

That would make a nice park!

That aside, the connection there or any other at this spot (such as a bridge) still takes you to the airport. Even if the airport stays, to make such a connection work, you need a way around/through the airport.

Obviously I'm biased towards just closing the airport; but a connection around/through it would still be useful.

But very hard to achieve given the placement of the runways and consideration of public safety.

 

[ProjectEnd]

If you look closely I believe the property is the green long strip of land sandwiched between above Lake Shore Boulevard East and East Harbour land. As you can see in the your view attachment above. I don't know if East Harbour has bought it or not. But from what's going to happen in this area that's prime property! P.S. I WAS JUST MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT THE SITUATION GOING ON BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES ! Maybe the city has other properties it can sell with the density included for exchange.

Do you think that a given parcel, beside a highway offramp, east of the Don, is as valuable as one between Bathurst and Spadina? Leaving aside the near impossibility of a decent plate on a building there, and the fact that the site you're referencing is about a third the size of the one above the tracks...

 

[cd concept]

Do you think that a given parcel, beside a highway offramp, east of the Don, is as valuable as one between Bathurst and Spadina? Leaving aside the near impossibility of a decent plate on a building there, and the fact that the site you're referencing is about a third the size of the one above the tracks...

Yes I do ! I think this area is going to be worth gold. With a huge office and civic complex. That will rival The Well. A huge multi-use transit hub to north. A large film studio production expansion area etc . And a huge nature style leisure park all in walking distance to the south . Not to mention easy access to highway and being located on a beautified future boulevard with an LRT ! !

 

[am29]

If they (or someone they flip to) ends up building here, and if they provide more than 10% of the site as parkland (which is the only amount that development sites normally have to dedicate), then you can be sure they'll be telling the City that the City will have to pay for the remainder of the park. That might technically only be the roof on the hidden parking levels, and all of the landscaping around it, but that would be hundreds of millions of dollars worth of infrastructure and "land". (You can be sure there'd be some kind of charge to the City for the amount of space beyond the 10% that they weren't developing.)

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I hear you, didn't think of it that way. ~ Im not so up to date with their claim for the land (air space), but I'm guessing in that case they've been able prove their rights. But without the city's cooperation on achieving density here, wouldn't it be in their best interest to float the deal into feasibility by providing the additional parkland, as say a gift from turning that net present value of those building rights from $0 to $X?

 

[ProjectEnd]

Yes I do ! I think this area is going to be worth gold. With a huge office and civic complex. That will rival The Well. A huge multi-use transit hub to north. A large film studio production expansion area etc . And a huge nature style leisure park all in walking distance to the south . Not to mention easy access to highway and being located on a beautified future boulevard with an LRT ! !

So I've got this bridge. Barely used. 'As new' condition...

 

[WislaHD]

Just a quiet observation of marketing renderings, the ORCA project's rail deck park as visioned in the Safdie video feels much more like a civic space than the City's park lands vision.

I am of the opinion that I think we are missing that form of civic space more-so than grass lawns (for which we can go to Trinity Bellwoods or the Island). So I do appreciate the vision for that space in the Safdie renderings more-so than the City's vision at this point in time. Less can be more if the space and use is well thought through.

If this was not proposed over a railyard but instead was a privately owned parcel, I think many would have quite a different opinion on this proposal. Or perhaps the beauty of renderings is working their magic on me, ahaha.

Also - did anyone catch that the Safdie video includes a Spadina GO station?

 

[cd concept]

The bottom line is that ORCA is not going away and the city is set on building nothing but a park. And we're going to end up paying more for this park for idiotic reasons. Here's something of an expensive fantasy but possible. Since this city is intensifying the railway company should get involved in the real estate business. To allow private developers to develope underneath the whole rail yard from CNE to the Don River if possible . Creating an underground living ,working and leisure area that's climate controlled all year. Expanding the path system underneath as well as park system above for the future of this city centre . I found a photo of a Mexico city rendering of a 300 m underground earthscraper under a park that they're attempting to develop.

Photo by bunkerarquitectura com.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Everyone relax. This is not getting built. The whole thing is a gigantic ploy to drive up land values to squeeze as much cash out of the city for the expropriation. If the city calls the project off, this will return to what it was like for the last 15 years - airspace over the rail corridor that nobody really thought about.

 

[ProjectEnd]

 

[someMidTowner]

"Come on Cohaagen, you got what you wanted, give this people context"

 

[TossYourJacket]

I just can't get excited about a project that's obviously just an attempt to get more taxpayer dollars for the land. It's clear Tory sees Rail Deck Park as his legacy project and will probably just throw money at making it happen, and these developers know it.

 

[Jasonzed]

I can totally recall going to see this film when it first came out. Or, do I?

 

[Amare]

I just can't get excited about a project that's obviously just an attempt to get more taxpayer dollars for the land. It's clear Tory sees Rail Deck Park as his legacy project and will probably just throw money at making it happen, and these developers know it.

Or will just add it to his never ending list of "approved but unfunded projects". Which is quite the dizzying list as it currently stands.

 

[karledice]

Everyone relax. This is not getting built. The whole thing is a gigantic ploy to drive up land values to squeeze as much cash out of the city for the expropriation. If the city calls the project off, this will return to what it was like for the last 15 years - airspace over the rail corridor that nobody really thought about.

Agreed, that's exactly what I was saying