After years of talk between the federal, provincial and municipal governments over revitalizing the waterfront, the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (TWRC) has announced its plan to reshape Toronto’s decrepit shoreline.
A 30-year, $17-billion plan will transform the industrial sites and wastelands that make up much of Toronto’s waterfront into a mix of parks, housing and commercial districts.
The principal focus is the renewal of the central waterfront, according to Kristin Jenkins, TWRC’s vice-president of public affairs. This area extends from Dowling Ave. in the west to Coxwell Ave. in the east.
The TWRC report, released Oct. 17, says its goal is to transform and beautify the area for tourism, housing, commerce and leisure. Sustainable communities will be developed with an improved transportation system.
New amenities such as cultural, entertainment and recreational facilities will be added to the area. Jenkins said about 40,000 residential units, and commercial space slated to create as many as 35,000 jobs are part of the plan, as well as a large-scale entertainment resort complex.
One of the driving forces for the re-development was the failed 2008 Olympics bid, but all three levels of government agreed it was a worthwhile endeavour even though Toronto lost the bid to Beijing, Jenkins said.
The TWRC’s development plan and business strategy, which illustrates the design, financing and implementation of the project, needs approval from all levels of government to proceed. Three levels of government have committed $1.5 billion for the initiative, including $300 million for four priority projects which are to begin immediately.
The waterfront property is mostly vacant and underused, with about 70 per cent of the land owned by the public.
“It is important for students to be interested in the quality of the city,” said Larry Bourne, professor at U of T’s department of geography. “This proposal offers a huge potential benefit in improving public space in the downtown core and enhancing the overall quality of life.”
The TWRC has no legislative power. It is unclear how much control it will be granted, due to the fragmented ownership of the area, Bourne said.
“Toronto’s waterfront is a disaster. There are few large waterfront cities in the world with such an underdeveloped, poorly designed public realm on the water edge,” said Larry Wayne Richards, dean of the faculty of architecture, landscape and design at U of T.
“The basic problem in Toronto is that the three levels of government cannot get their act together and agree on a comprehensive, workable vision. Halifax, Montreal, and Vancouver are rapidly developing their public waterfronts in very intelligent, attractive ways that put Toronto to shame.” Richards added.
U of T administration has looked over the plan with an eye to how it will change the neighbourhoods where students live.
“The waterfront development has no direct impact on the University of Toronto,” said Ron Venter, vice-president and provost of space and facility planning. “However, U of T is an integral part of the success of the city and as such, the waterfront development will providenew housing opportunities that could become future homes to employees and students.”
“The development will also serve to enhance the stature of the city and convert a relative waste, in close proximity to the city downtown and the university, into a very useful asset,” Venter added.
But Richards is concerned delays and political wrangling over the waterfront’s fate will cripple the momentum behind the project.“Frankly, I am losing optimism in terms of anything of any significance happening to our waterfront here. We have had a barrage of master plans, design changes, and committees examining the possibilities, but nothing much happens.
Just more weak decisions and, mostly, a lot of wheel-spinning,” Richards said.
