Public invited to discuss Manor Road land sale

A long-coming plan by Manor Road United Church to sell a portion of its land to the city of Toronto and turn it into a park is finally going through, sources close to the discussions have confirmed.

Nearby residents are invited to attend a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 to learn more.

Manor Road United board member Stephen Hewitt said that while he “cannot speak about it in the past tense yet,” the deal’s closing date is expected to be in early November.

“I am so happy to have been able to work with the Manor Road United Church to not only preserve the existing community space on their property, but also purchase a portion of their property for the city of Toronto to create a new park for the neighbourhood,” said Ward 22 councillor Josh Matlow, who will be speaking at the meeting.

Representatives on both sides have been discussing the deal since June 2014, and city council approved the purchase in May this year.

The plan is for the city to purchase about half of the 240 Manor Rd. E church’s property, including the green space in front of the east entrance and the Christian Education Building, which was built in the 1950s and would be demolished, and turn it into a park.

The church would then use the funds to renovate its sanctuary, adding upgrades such as a folding wall, accessibility ramp, and modern video equipment to accommodate more community activities.

“Manor Road United Church has exciting plans to modernize our 90-year old building, remain a vital community hub and grow our congregation,” Reverend Debra Schneider said. “We can’t wait to share more details about our plans with our neighbours and ask for their support.”