Traffic Island Green Space -

Bloor Street West and Christie Street -

Public Art Potential

The Toronto Community Council recommends the adoption of the following report (June21,1999) from Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services:

Purpose:

The purpose of this report is to respond to the Toronto Community Council on the process required to accommodate a written request from the Korea Town Development Association.

Source of Funds:

Not applicable.

Recommendations:

That the green space on the traffic island located at Bloor Street West and Christie Street, north side, be reserved for public art purposes for the Korea Town Development Association for a period of five years; and, that the appropriate City officials be asked to take whatever action necessary to accommodate this request.

Background:

City Council at its meeting of October 1 and 2, 1999, adopted Clause 10 in Report No. 11 of the Toronto Community Council, entitled "Alteration of Christie Street", and enacted By-law 702-1998 authorizing the alteration of Christie Street by narrowing the pavement between Bloor Street West and Dupont Street. The contract to undertake this reconstruction work was tendered and subsequently awarded to Ferma Construction Ltd., by City Council at its meeting of November 25, 26 and 27, 1998. The work on this project commenced in April, 1999, and will be completed by the end of June 1999.

The capital budget of Urban Planning and Development Services included funds to enhance the pedestrian environment of Christie Street between Bloor Street West and Dupont Street. This roadway reconstruction project includes the enlargement and landscaping of the traffic islands located at the northeast corner of Bloor and Christie Street, opposite the Christie subway station. In the early spring, representatives of the Korean Town Development Association approached the local Councillors and City staff inquiring about the possibility of utilizing the improved traffic islands as a location to commemorate the Korean Community in Toronto.

Discussion:

Bloor Street between Bathurst and Christie Streets has attracted a large number of Korean based businesses which have organized into the Korea Town Development Association. With the assistance of the local councillors, staff have met on a number of occasions with representatives of the Korea Town Development Association to advise on the City's public art process and appropriate competition methods for commissioning art at this prominent site. I have discussed the concept of including the public art to commemorate the Korean community in the Christie and Bloor Traffic Islands with staff of Works and Emergency Services, Economic Development Culture and Tourism and Heritage Toronto. City staff are supportive of this concept subject to their appropriate involvement in the detailed design and implementation of the art work to ensure that there is no adverse impacts on traffic operations and maintenance.

Attached to this report is a letter from the Korea Town Development Association to Councillor Adams requesting that the Bloor Christie traffic island be reserved for a period of five years. Currently the Korea Town Development Association is at the preliminary stages of determining a realistic fundraising target and potential funding sources for such a commemoration. Therefore, it is for this reason that the association is requesting that the site be "held" as an opportunity for a public art project in the future. City staff will continue to meet with and advise the association on this initiative.

Conclusions:

The Korea Town Development Association approached the local councillors with this idea, and although it is very much in the preliminary stages, everyone recognizes a public art commemoration has strong potential to promote the existence of the Korean community within the City of Toronto. The local councillors and my staff would like to accommodate this Association's wishes to run a public art competition, in accordance with the City's guidelines, when sufficient funds have been raised by the Korean community for such an initiative.

Contact Name:

Jane Perdue, Public Art Co-ordinator, Urban Design

Tel: 416-392-1304

Fax: 416-392-1744

Email: jperdu@toronto.ca

(A copy of the letter, referred to in the foregoing report was forwarded to all Members of the Toronto Community Council with the agenda for its meeting on June 22, 1999, and a copy thereof is on file in the office of the City Clerk).