Two major developments in the Liberty Village vicinity got the green light from Toronto’s Planning and Growth Management committee, amid worries the neighbourhood was packing itself too tightly with young families without establishing the schools, parks and transportation infrastructure they might need.
Two major developments in the Liberty Village vicinity got the green light from Toronto’s Planning and Growth Management committee, amid worries the neighbourhood was packing itself too tightly with young families without establishing the schools, parks and transportation infrastructure they might need.
"You’ve got no parking, you’ve got no park, you’ve got no library, you’ve got no school," said business owner Cathy Trail, deputing on one of the developments at 171 Liberty Street. "You put that many young people in one group, they’re going to reproduce. You’re going to have little people running everywhere if you don’t have a school, don’t have a library, and don’t have a park. What do you do with your kids?"
The committee was dealing with the Liberty Street proposal — that included a 28-storey, mixed-use building with office space, retail and 283 residential units from the seventh to 28th storeys — and not far off, a proposal to develop 10, 11, 25 and 30 Ordnance Street and 45 Strachan Avenue with residential towers of 39, 33 and 34 storeys — with 1012 residential units.
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Local councillor Mike Layton supported both of them with some amendments — but was most worried about the Liberty Street redevelopment, which would be encroaching into the commercial areas of the growing community.
"The closer we get to it, the more likely it is that more applications are coming in with residential," said Layton, noting the site at 171 Liberty Street did already have that designation. "In another location this would be a great development — it’s got one storey of retail, six storeys of commercial office and then residential on top. People can push a button from the back of their business and get up to their residential."
Layton pointed out his office is working with the city on a west-end services review "to see what our investments are and what it takes to make this a liveable community."
The Ordnance/Strachan redevelopment was another matter. The development is adjacent to a planned new pedestrian bridge leading to Fort York across the railway tracks — and Layton said that bridge, which was subject to a controversial political tug of war in 2011, was a key piece of infrastructure in making the new highrises more viable.
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"The bridge is a big part of making all this work," he said. "The connection down to King Street and Fort York are critical. And I warn folks that if they come after that bridge in the next go around we’re going to have some serious problems. The 2,000 units that are approved on this site means that it’s critical."
The units on the site have also been more geared to families, with larger units.
"Liberty Village is growing and folks are having babies," said Layton. "They’re coming here in record numbers and when they have kids, they want to stay. Many of these units are two and three bedrooms."
The matter will go to Toronto Council for its July meeting.
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