June 30, 1999

To:Planning and Transportation Committee

From:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

Subject:Parkdale Deck - Status Report (Ward 19 - High Park) (Ward 20 - Trinity Niagara)

Purpose:

To provide background and comment on the Parkdale Deck proposal.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Background:

At its meeting of June 9,10 & 11, 1999, City Council approved the following amendment to Clause 4 of Report No. 8 entitled "F.G.Gardiner Expressway East Dismantling Project": "It is further recommended that the Executive Director and Chief Planner be requested to re-examine the proposal put forward by Mr. John Sewell respecting decking over the Gardiner Expressway in the Parkdale area and submit a report there-on to the Planning and Transportation Committee".

This report presents the history of the proposal and comments on the issues regarding implementation.

Comments:

In 1980 the City of Toronto, under the guidance of then Mayor John Sewell, developed a proposal to create 17 hectares (42 acres) of new land between the southern edge of South Parkdale and Lakeshore Boulevard West and between Dufferin Street and Dowling Avenue, by decking over the railway corridor and Gardiner Expressway. The proposal included extensive modifications to the road network including two new partial interchanges with the Gardiner Expressway. The concept was adopted by City of Toronto Council at its meeting of March 3, 1980. Subsequently, a study of the feasibility and costs of the proposal was undertaken.

The consultant developed a modified proposal which improved upon the original proposal, through the realignment of the Gardiner Expressway and the shortening of the deck over the rail corridor.

In 1980, the consultant's land development cost estimate was approximately $62 million ( including road relocation costs). However, given the prime location of the land relative to downtown Toronto, it was envisioned that private interests would undertake a significant part of the required investment for the purchase or long-term lease of the newly created lands.

In 1988, the Parkdale Deck proposal was once again highlighted as part of the report prepared on behalf of the Task Force on the Gardiner Lakeshore Corridor entitled "Gardiner Lakeshore Corridor: A Civic Design Study".

The topography of the lands west of Exhibition Place lends itself very well to the concept of extending the Parkdale neighbourhood south over the railway corridor and the Gardiner Expressway. The purpose for such a project would be to provide new land for building development as well as to improve the neighbourhood connections to the waterfront.

The concept of decking over the railway and Gardiner Expressway corridors south of Parkdale continues to be of interest because the goals of the original proposal remain the goals of the City and the community today. The primary goals of the original proposal were:

• to link the South Parkdale neighbourhood directly with the lakefront, opening up the Western Beaches for recreational use by its residents.

• to create a substantial amount of new developable land so as to make the proposal worthwhile from both an urban design and an economic perspective.

• to reduce the noise impacts of the rail corridor and expressway to the existing neighbourhood to the north and the parklands to the south.

Some of the major obstacles that were identified were the structural and height clearance requirements associated with decking over the existing rail corridor, the extensive and expensive road modifications that would be necessary, including the realignment of the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard, and of course the financial feasibility.

Given the complexity of the undertaking, from a physical as well as financial perspective, and the lack of an initiative by a private developer, the concept has not developed substantially since the completion of the consultant study in the early 80's.

Conclusion:

The Parkdale Deck proposal continues to have merit today, and is an incredible, albeit costly, opportunity to extend the fabric of the city and to significantly improve the connection of Parkdale to the waterfront.

If the proposal were to be reconsidered at this time, it would require private sector interest to further the land development benefits and would likely involve some public contribution towards the road modifications. An updated feasibility study would be necessary to address the changes that have occurred in the area over the last 20 years, including a complete structural, land use, urban design and financial feasibility assessment.

Contact Name:

Maggie Easton

Metro Hall

Telephone: (416) 392-7218

Fax: (416) 392-3821

E-mail:measton@toronto.ca

Reviewed by:

Paul J. BedfordVirginia M. West

Executive Director and Chief PlannerCommissioner of Urban Planning

City Planning Divisionand Development Services

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