May 13, 1998
To:Toronto Community Council
From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services
Subject:Greening the Port Industrial District (Downtown)
Purpose:
To update City Council on initiatives to green the Port Industrial District.
Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
Not applicable.
Recommendation:
That this report be received for information.
Background:
At its meeting on August 21, 1997, the former City of Toronto Council adopted a series of recommendations dealing with
the principle of greening the Port Industrial District. The recommendations mirrored the approach to greening that was
proposed in Greening the Toronto Port Lands, a report prepared by Hough, Woodland, Naylor, Dance, in collaboration
with the Waterfront Regeneration Trust.
Since August, 1997, I have been working with TEDCO, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, the Toronto Harbour
Commission, the Task Force to Bring Back the Don, other City staff and business interests in the Port Industrial District to
implement City Council=s recommendations and the concept of greening the Port Industrial District.
Comments:
City and TEDCO staff have been working together on a three part implementation strategy to greening the Port Industrial
District.
The first part includes items that have been or will be undertaken through TEDCO=s Capital Budget, with implementation
expected to be carried out between 1998 and 2000. These items include design drawings for the Don Roadway Corridor
and the Basin Street extension, naturalization along both sides of the Keating Channel (save and except for the THC Works
Yard) and extension of the Turning Basin park.
The second part is the longer term implementation of the strategy through development applications. To date, City staff
have been successful in securing green infrastructure (stormwater management swails and ponds, thickets and woodlots) as
part of a Site Plan Application at 300 Commissioners Street.
The last part are the greening opportunities that the City and TEDCO should consider for existing road allowances. As
recommended by the former City Council, City and TEDCO staff are preparing design guidelines for these areas of the Port
Industrial District. Once completed, these guidelines will be priced and City staff will report on the impacts of this phase of
the program on the City=s Capital Budget.
In addition to the need for green corridors in the Port Industrial District, Greening the Toronto Port Lands also suggested
the City consider the rehabilitation of the lands at 480 and 554 Lake Shore Boulevard East and investigate the possibility of
establishing a public open space corridor along the southern edge of the Ashbridges Bay Sewage Treatment Plant. City
staff have held discussions with various departments and agencies on these two matters. These discussions will continue
and the naturalization of these properties may become part of a city initiative complementary to the preparations for the
2008 Olympic Games bid.
Conclusions:
The implementation of green infrastructure in the Port Industrial District is underway. Existing efforts will be augmented
through future capital works by TECO and the City. I will report back to the Toronto Community Council in six months on
further progress.
Contact Name:Blair Martin
Telephone (416) 392-1317
Fax (416) 392-1330
e-mail: bmartin@city.toronto.on.ca
Beate Bowron
Acting Director, City Planning, Toronto Community
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