At 110 years old, Ramsden Park is coming ever closer to receiving a much-needed revitalization.
Plans to upgrade the 13.7-acre park, located just across Yonge Street from Rosedale subway station, have been in the works for some time, with stakeholder meetings on the matter taking place as early as February of this year.
A series of public walks through the park have brought local residents, stakeholders and members of PMA Landscape Architects together to discuss the future of the green space.
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Suggestions thus far have ranged from improving the appearance of Ramsden Park lane and improving entryways to the park to implementing measures to separate pedestrian and cyclist paths to potentially adding play features for children.
Ramsden Park also features tennis courts and a separated area for dogs, and the revitalization would consider changes or upgrades to both facilities.
"There are a lot of things being discussed, but our main concern is bringing it up to City of Toronto parks and rec department standards," said Dan Connolly of the City of Toronto. "The park’s in a state of disrepair, so it needs an overhaul, for sure."
"Some people want to make changes to the tennis courts, some want new walkways and new gateways and landscape features."
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Other suggestions include lighting near the Hillsboro Lookout to discourage loitering, improving drainage and upgrading the derelict baseball diamond.
Connolly noted the public consultation process has been thorough, with residents consulted from the outset and given opportunities to offer their feedback on preliminary designs.
Another public meeting has been set for Monday, July 7, during which residents can offer still more input on possible designs.
"This was going to be the final meeting, but now we’ll be getting more comments and feedback," Connolly said.
The city has secured $4 million for the revitalization through its capital budget and developer fees, and work on the park would be expected to be completed by the end of 2016 at the latest.
The upcoming public meeting will take place at Belmont House, 55 Belmont St., from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, July 7.
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