The Design Museum of London selects projects from the last 12 months nominated by a group of internationally distinguished design and architecture writers, critics and curators.
Opened in September 2008, the Spadina WaveDeck is the first in a series of spectacular new public spaces being built along Toronto’s waterfront. Designed by the internationally recognized and award-winning team of West 8 fro m Rotterdam and du Toit Allsopp Hillier (DTAH) from Toronto, the new wavedeck is a gateway to the lakefront at a site that previously lacked public access.
An exhibit showcasing the nominated projects will be on display at The Design Museum of London from February 12 – June 14, 2009 and the winners will be announced on February 24, 2009. This year, in addition to an international jury reviewing the nominees, the public is also able to vote for their favourites at www.designsoftheyear.com.
American Society of Landscape Architecture Honor Award for Analysis and Planning 2008
Waterfront Toronto’s Lower Don Lands plan has received another prestigious award. Design team Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) received a 2008 Honor Award for Analysis and Planning from the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA) for its Lower Don Lands design. MVVA’s design was the winning entry in Waterfront Toronto’s 2007 international design competition for the Lower Don Lands. Previously the design for the Lower Don Lands received the 2008 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Sustainable Development Award and a 2007 Toronto Urban Design Award.
ASLA works to increase the public’s awareness of and appreciation for the profession of landscape architecture and its contributions to quality of life. Each year, the ASLA Professional Awards honor the best in landscape architecture from around the globe. For more information
The Lower Don Lands will transform the 76 hectare area that runs from the Parliament Street Slip east to the Don Roadway and from the rail corridor south to the Ship Channel. Currently, the design team is working towards finalizing the preferred planning alternatives and is studying the alternative infrastructure configurations for Keating Channel Precinct in greater detail. In spring 2009, the third public meeting will be held to present the recommended Precinct Plan elements (including massing and zoning proposals) and the recommended infrastructure designs for Keating Channel Precinct.
East Bayfront Construction Update
Construction in East Bayfront, which includes the installation of municipal services such as water, hydro, sanitation, storm, gas facilities and district energy infrastructure, is progressing on schedule. These services will accommodate the new amenities being developed on the waterfront, such as the new headquarters for Corus Entertainment and the new George Brown College campus. Construction on TEDCO’s First Waterfront Place, the future home of Corus Entertainment located just east of the foot of Lower Jarvis Street, is on schedule for a 2010 occupancy. Work will be tendered this month for the demolition of the Abel Building and Town and Country Restaurant, and will commence in early spring. Waterfront Toronto’s Board of Directors approved the water’s edge promenade, boardwalk and storm management facility at its December board meeting.
Martin Goodman Trail at Ontario Place Construction Update
Reconstruction of the Martin Goodman Trail at Ontario Place has wrapped up for the season, and will start again in March weather permitting. Trail reconstruction began in October 2008, proceeded on schedule and is half completed. The reconstruction of the Martin Goodman Trail will provide a continuous connection from Marilyn Bell Park in the east, to Coronation Park in the west. The newly configured trail will provide a more direct and user-friendly bike route, by redirecting traffic through a singular entrance to Ontario Place. The reconstructed trail is anticipated to be complete summer 2009.
West Don Lands Construction Update
Despite the on-set of winter, construction crews are busy working away in the West Don Lands. The installation of more than 30,000 wicks, long plastic strips required to “wick” away ground water and secure the base of the 3.4 hectare flood protection landform is now complete. The wicks are made of a long corrugated plastic strip wrapped with filter cloth and act as a straw in a sponge and help remove water from the soils. Over the next few months as part of ongoing preparation we will continue to import soils and monitor the rate of settlement in the compressible soils.
West Don Lands Phase 2 Plan of Subdivision
In December 2008, Waterfront Toronto made a huge step forward in obtaining the approvals to develop Phase 2 of the West Don Lands with its submission of applications for plan of subdivision, rezoning and lifting of the (“H”) Holding symbol.
The Phase 2 area is bordered by Cherry Street to the west, the newly aligned Bayview Avenue to the east, Old Eastern Avenue to the north and the rail corridor to the south. This area will eventually include approximately 3,300 residential units, 600,000 sq.ft. of commercial space, grand Front Street parks and promenade, the new Cherry Street streetcar line, Mill Street, and other smaller pedestrian-oriented streets.
The Phase 2 applications were submitted to the City of Toronto and included the Transportation Report, Functional Servicing Plan, Stormwater Management Plan, Public Realm Master Plan, Public Art Strategy, Draft Zoning By-law, Planning Report, Parking Study, Revised Block Plan and ot her required planning, engineering and design reports. Waterfront Toronto hopes to achieve draft plan approval in six to nine months with rezoning following thereafter.
Rees and Simcoe WaveDeck Construction Update
Construction is moving along at both the Rees and Simcoe wavedecks. The wavedecks, which will open this summer, will provide unique gateways to the waterfront and will create more publicly accessible spaces.
Over the next few weeks, construction activities will include: demolition of the north cap wall at Rees Slip, H-pile installation on the north wall at the Simcoe Slip, fish habitat installation at Rees Slip, the concrete lagging installation on the north wall at Simcoe Slip, installation of the Batter Piles at Simcoe Slip, backfilling behind the north concrete lag wall at the Simcoe Slip and demolition of north wall pile cap of Rees Slip. In addition to this work, construction will commence on the concrete beam to the new north wall at Simcoe Slip and drilling of small diameter piles to north wall of Rees Slip.
For more information please contact Andrea Kelemen at 416-214-1344 ext. 248 or ak [email protected].
City of Toronto Adopts Parks Operations and Maintenance Funding Strategy
Toronto City Council has voted to adopt strategies developed by Waterfront Toronto and the City to secure funds to effectively operate, maintain and program new waterfront parks. The strategy was developed to assure the alignment of Waterfront Toronto’s capital investments in parks with our sustainability mandate, ensure marketability of the waterfront area and influence the calibre of adjacent land development, and ultimately protect the long-term viability of waterfront assets. Components of the strategy include; ensuring base funding from the City of Toronto, incorporating base funding from Waterfront Toronto in the form of “capital preservation”, integrating operations and maintenance considerations into the parks planning process for new parks, identifying and maximizing on-site earned income, establishing business improvement area’s early in new waterfront neighbourhoods, and investigating special services levie s for waterfront neighbourhoods. The move marks a bold commitment to long-term stewardship of a signature set of waterfront parks that is expected to improve quality of life in Toronto and enhance the City’s competitiveness.
Lower Don Lands Infrastructure Municipal Class Environmental Assessment and Keating Precinct Plan Public Forum #2
On December 10, Waterfront Toronto together with the City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission held the second public meeting for the Lower Don Lands Municipal Infrastructure Class Environmental Assessment and Keating Precinct Plan project. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting where the emerging plans for the Lower Don Lands including new neighbourhoods, community facilities, public spaces, transit and other community infrastructure in conjunction with the revitalization of the mouth of the Don River were presented. The project team sought public feedback on the recommended planning alternatives and the draft block plan for the Keating Channel Precinct Plan and the Infrastructure Class EA Master Plan. Meeting material is available on the project website at www.waterfrontoronto.ca/lowerdonlands
Queens Quay Revitalization Environmental Assessment Public Forum #2
More than 200 people attended the second public forum for the Queens Quay Revitalization Environmental Assessment hosted by Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto. The meeting was held to present the design alternatives for the cross-section of the street and the evaluation criteria for the environmental assessment for Queens Quay. Waterfront Toronto also discussed the next steps in identifying a preferred design concept, including opportunities for public input. The evening also included a status report on the Central Waterfront Master Plan and Waterfront Toronto’s Long Term Plan. To view meeting material
UPCOMING EVENTS & MEETINGS
thinkToronto
Waterfront Toronto is sponsoring Spacing magazine’s thinkToronto, an urban design ideas competition for the next generation of city builders. Spacing is a Toronto-based media company that focuses on the joys, obstacles and politics of the urban landscape of cities. To celebrate its fifth anniversary, Spacing editors are turning the issue over to its readers by asking them to submit their ideas on how to improve Toronto’s public realm, including the waterfront.
The finalists’ submissions are featured in the current issue of Spacing. They will also be on display at City Hall from January 12-18, and then on exhibition at 401 Richmond from February 9-27th. On March 26th there will be a panel discussion with the finalists at Harbourfront Centre.
Waterfront Design Review Panel Meeting
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
**please check website for agenda**
Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
**please check website for agenda**
NEW FACES
Recent additions to the Waterfront Toronto team
Dave Madeira, Senior Construction Project Manager
Christopher Barré, Senior Project Director
Kevin Bechard, Director Environmental Assessments
Matt Wenger, Director Intelligent Communities
