Council votes to close in corner

[attach]1474[/attach][attach]1475[/attach][attach]1476[/attach]On April 1, city council gave the green light to a redevelopment that will see a radical reshaping of one of Toronto’s most important intersections, Yonge and Eglinton.

In the years and months leading up to the approval of developer Riocan’s plans to build a three-storey enclosed shopping addition onto the Yonge-Eglinton Centre, ratepayers’ groups from across North Toronto decried the project, urging Riocan and the city to make improvements to the concrete square, rather than eliminate it.

Local councillor Karen Stintz organized meetings between planners, the developer and the community. Councillors from neighbouring
wards got involved. Demonstrations were mounted and designs were revised.

Following almost a full day of debate in council chambers, the decision came down 34–7 in developer Riocan’s favour.

Perhaps anticipating a backlash from residents groups, some councillors gave explanations for their vote in favour of the development.

In nearby Ward 26, Councillor John Parker sent out an email to his constituents following the vote, outlining his reasons for supporting the development, including that the site is barren, underused and, ultimately, the property of a private company.

Now the dust is settling and reality is setting in.

A day before the vote, Riocan released artist renderings of the impending redevelopment, helping to paint a picture of that reality.

Hours after the council vote, the Town Crier took those renderings to the fated open space at Yonge and Eglinton to gauge local reaction to the decision.

Some are welcoming the change.

“Every time I come here there’s nothing going on,” said Mike Morrison, a frequent visitor to the area. He complained that the space is unattractive and he won’t miss it when it’s gone.

“It’d be different if this was green,” he said. “I would have a totally different attitude.”

Morrison is planning to move to the neighbourhood and believes that the development will be good for the area.

“This will make jobs for people,” he said.

Raj Singh, who works in a nearby building, echoed that sentiment.

“It will mean more people working. More construction people at work,” he said.

A smoker, Singh is concerned the small open space that will remain after the redevelopment won’t be enough for the many workers in the area that use the space for cigarette breaks.

“I think there will be a lot more smokers near entrances now so I’m sure non-smokers are going to complain about that,” he said.

Perry Silverberg also believes the remaining space won’t do. He lives and works in the area and said he sits in the open space every day, weather permitting.

“Pretty much two-thirds of our open space is gone,” Silverberg said. “(The new section) is going to block the sun in the afternoon. This sun that I’m enjoying right now will not exist.”

Silverberg’s friend Scott Hughes added he wasn’t happy with the artist renderings.

“What disappoints me is that it got passed,” he said. “Toronto is way behind on development. We need better urban planners.”

High-schooler Kelly Heeley liked the drawings. He was with several friends and said that they often hang out in the area after school.

“(The artist rendering) shows they have an upper level. In the summer you can go up top and chill with your friends,” he said.

That upper level, planned as a publicly accessible space three floors above the current open land, was a feature that came about partially as a result of community design consultations hosted by Stintz.

But those opposed have long said that they view the future open space as no concession for the loss of the current space, but on this afternoon most people had a favourable opinion of it.

“I think it will be interesting to see how this all plays out,” Heeley said.