Masters of Industry: South Riverdale to be the new West-of-Spadina High-rise Tower Goldmine

Finance - Industry would line East Waterfront with Highrise Condo Towers from Don River to Woodbine.

By Michael Holloway 

Streetcar Developments - the developer who bought Jilly's - and is voluntarily including low income units in their plan for the remodeling of the property - have also acquired a 4 acre site between Eastern and Queen along the Don Roadway, a project they're calling "Riverside Square".

Streetcar Developments Site Context drawing - Cycling Connections

It's not Mid-rise - it's Highrise - and it's a good indication why the developer did the 'loss-leader' thing about the low income units at the Jillys' proposed development. A little good-will goes a long way (a long way Up - in this case).

Jillys' is the 'Hi how are ya?'

The three, 7, 13 and 24 story towers are the,

'I'm your new neighbour (with the three loud barking dogs).'

But in case, the new neighbour with the loud dogs didn't just buy the house next door - they bought the whole block, and all the blocks in a 1/2km radius!

Welcome to the neighbourhood - I guess...

The good news is this company gets the Complete Streets and Sustainable Transportation part that going up 22 stories necessitates (that Mid-rise on the Avenues necessitates for that matter).

Quoting a recent letter to the Broadview/Queen Community:

"Given the scale and location of Riverside Square we see great opportunity to make much needed bike and pedestrian connections across the Don River to Corktown Common, provide new green space and perhaps most importantly: reintegrate the site into the traditional mixed-use character of the Queen East while providing valuable new services and publicly accessible amenities to the community."

Just so we're all on the same page on this - the elites, the establishment of this country - the banks, the financial institutions and their governments - are out of room on the West of Spadina side of Toronto's downtown - there's no room in South Parkdale - they can't build along the bottom of High Park

And so mark my words - and this development proposal and the First Gulf Leaver site proposal (that visions a Second City Centre anchored by a World Trade Center style array of towers) are the indicators - South Riverdale (and the new Lower South Riverdale, the Port Lands), is the new West-of-Spadina.

The functioning of greed and powerful special interest is visioning miles and miles of lake front highrise towers made of ticky-tacky* - all the way to Woodbine. A wall of private development that will create a another barrier to the water at the Lake front - a barrier to all but those who buy south-facing concrete cubicals (with windows that don't open).

Information link (via Paul Young newsletter) Spring Realty inc. | "Streetcar Plans Largest Development in Riverside History" | http://springrealty.ca/?breaking-news-streetcar-plans-largest-development-in-riverside-history.&p=5340

References:

Streetcar Developments | Riverside Square | http://streetcar.ca/welcome-riverside-square/

* 'tickey-tacky'? --> Pete Seeger - Little Boxes





mh

Another Walkabout of the Eastern Avenue Closure at Leslie Street

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 - 12noon to 2pm

Leslie Street reconstruction Site-Walk Notes

I bicycled both eastbound and westbound approaches, and walked the entire site - with special attention paid to the immediate area of Eastern at Leslie.

Eastbound on Eastern from Booth to Leslie:

Signs say only "Eastern Closed at Leslie til Sept. 7th"

One just before Pape, indicates that Pape Avenue is open northbound.

The Larchmount intersection has a northbound left-turn lane and is signaled. After this point the chicane begins making lane changes and left turns, very dangerous.

I concluded that Larchmount is safest Northbound Cyclist's Detour Route.

Inspection of the West-side road closure at Mosley & Eastern - 30 minutes:

On the walkabout portion of the site visit I noted, now ten days into the Closure of Eastern at Leslie - that Rushbrooke is still receiving traffic as a result of a large number of 'emergency' exits off of Eastern - as motorists become aware of the closure just before they get to Rushbrooke. As a result of this surprise situation the Rushbrooke/Mosley/Eastern area is a mass of confusion with vehicles doing U-Turns and stopping short and making sudden turns without looking or signaling. This is further complicated by Traffic Pulses of Cars Exiting the FreshCo Lot - which they are using along with the Loblaws Lot, as a Eastern Avenue Closure Detour Route.

95% of road users on Eastbound Eastern are turning southbound at Mosley and going through the FreshCo/Loblaws Parking lots and back onto Eastern via the east-side Loblaws driveway.

I noted 14 Cyclist road users while at this observation point; 1 of the 14 went straight through and crossed Leslie via the pedestrian walkway on the south side of the intersection (after coming into conflict with a car at the corner of Mosley as she decided to go straight through).

Westbound on Eastern from Queen/Kingston to Leslie:

Signs on Eastern Avenue, East of the Closure are same as in the opposite direction; but no 'last-chance' sign (as near Pape Ave).

Inspection of the East-side road closure at Leslie & Eastern - 30 minutes:

Drivers traveling Westbound along Eastern can see the closure from about 400 metres east of the intersection (past their last exit at Laing) - as a result they are taking the East and West Entrances to the Loblaws Lot and using the parking lot driveway along the North edge to Exit back onto Easter in the opposite direction.

As 'Traffic Pulses' of Cars are coming up the East delivery-way lane - there is some congestion and confusion as people aren't sure where they are allowed to drive. Some try to go southbound along the delivery-way lane which is a One-Way Northbound - as such the placement of the Traffic Guidance Officer at the Entrance/Exit is key.

Over about an hour of observing from both east and west vantage points, I saw 7 cyclists ride up the East-side sidewalk of Leslie North of Eastern Ave to Queen St. Later I walked it - it is a dirty, pot-holed, narrow, winding path --- there is not enough room to walk your bike up this route without coming into conflict with other users - avoid this route with a bike.

AND FOR GOD'S SAKE - DON'T RIDE IT!!!

I also note as above - that on this side of the Closure I recorded 10 Cyclist road users during my time there; 4 of whom were riding on the Eastern Avenue sidewalks (for safety I assume - on this wide, fast roadway with no bike lanes).

Cycling Westbound towards the Closure, I suggest getting off of Eastern at Knox or at Laing. Second most popular route seemed to be the Loblaws Parking Lot West-side driveway, down to the Plaza Intersection - where an Officer is directing all comers through the intersection.

Conclusions:

After 10 days road-users still don't understand what's going on until the last minute as they approach the closure - this is leading to a dangerous mixing of modes especially in the Plaza Parking Lots - but also on the sidewalks in the area. Better signage and clearly marked detour routes for both motor vehicles and for cyclist users (separately) might help reduce dangerous mode mixing and user conflicts.

Perhaps the one simple thing that might accomplish the most good is the closure of Eastern Ave on either side of the closure (leave one lane open; posted Local Traffic Only) . Closing Eastern at Pape Avenue on the West side; and at Laing St on the East side - in this observers opinion - would greatly decrease the dangerous mixing of the three modes - especially in the Parking Lots and at their entrance-ways. This calming of the Plaza's Parking Lots might also draw off cyclists who feel too insecure to ride anything but the sidewalks in the present construction configuration.


A Map - with more notes from this walkabout:

Driving Conditions & Cyclist Detour Routes around Eastern/Leslie Closure

View Driving Conditions & Cyclist Detour Routes around Eastern/Leslie Closure in a larger map




mh

@PaulaFletcher30 to address Lower Don Accessibility Issue at Parks & Environment Committee, Friday, August 15

Councillor Fletcher, Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth, is petitioning at Committee to pass a motion asking for a study and a report-back on accessible connections to the neighbourhoods from the Lower Don Trail - at the Parks and Environment Committee meeting on Friday, August 15, 2014.

The Councillor will talk to concerns a group of us advocates raised this spring about the lack of Accessible Connections (Ramps) from the Bridges that cross the Don Valley down to the LDT below the Viaduct (Dundas, Gerrard and the Riverdale Park Pedestrian Bridge).

It sets the stage for a possible ramp build in the future - she's requesting that:
(quoting)

1) The City re-confirms its commitment to accessibility on the Lower Don Trail.
2) Further study be undertaken on potential points of access onto the Lower Don Trail in particular the pedestrian bridge joining Riverdale Park East and West.
3) Report to P and E in Q2, 2015 on the results.
.
The motion needs our community support.

You can write to the clerk in charge of communications for the Committee to make a written deputation right away - or you can request time on the agenda to speak to the issue on the 15th in Committee Room 1 at City Hall (meeting starts at 9am - meeting agenda is not yet posted).

Email the Committee: pec@toronto.ca
In the title of your email be sure to include this phrase:
"2014.PE29 - Re: Lower Don Trail Accessibility"


Secretariat Contact:
Carol Kaustinen
10th floor, West Tower, City Hall
100 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

email: pec@toronto.ca
phone: 416-338-5089
fax: 416-392-1879

TMMIS address for Parks and Environment Committee meeting of August 15, 2014 (Meeting 29): http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/decisionBodyProfile.do?function=doPrepare&decisionBodyId=368#Meeting-2014.PE29
.

Michael Holloway
Ward 30 Bikes


Here's a copy of Councillor Fletcher's letter to the Committee:

July 23, 2014

Councillor Mammoliti and Members
Parks & Environment Committee

Dear Committee Members:

Re: Lower Don Trail Accessibility

The Lower Don Trail has limited accessibility from Queen Street to Danforth Avenue.

Currently there are stairs at Queen as well as the Riverdale foot bridge. While there is a trench to wheel a bicycle up and down the stairs it is awkward and cumbersome. Many riders simply carry their bikes up the stairs. Trail access and egress at these points is limited to those who can manage their bicycles on the steep incline.

As part of the Lower Don Trail Master Plan there will be two new stair entrances; one from Dundas and one from Gerrard onto the trail.

In May, I had a site meeting on the trail with staff from DTAH, TRCA, PFR and members of the cycling committee to review the Master Plan for the Lower Don trail and to see if the new stairway entrances at Gerrard and Dundas could be made more accessible for cyclists, and anyone with mobility issues. Both of the locations are on street car routes and of course our new street cars will be fully accessible.

Sadly, it was not deemed possible at either of these locations.

There remains a real need for an accessible point on the trail between Queen and Danforth and it was suggested that the pedestrian bridge from Riverdale Park East to West may be a good option.

I am requesting that:

1. The City re-confirms its commitment to accessibility on the Lower Don Trail.
2. Further study be undertaken on potential points of access onto the Lower Don Trail in particular the pedestrian bridge joining Riverdale Park East and West.
3. Report to P and E in Q2, 2015 on the results.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,


Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 30

mh