Construction starting on Forest Hill north gateway project

The Forest Hill Village BIA is giving Sudyam Park a facelift.

The 22 Relmar Rd. park, located just north of Lonsdale and Spadina roads, has been cordoned off with temporary fencing since April 20 and work is set to start on the addition of new pathways, planters, pedestrian lighting poles and trees. It will create what the BIA calls the Forest Hill north gateway, a north entrance into Forest Hill Village.

“We’re making it more inviting for people to come to the village, by giving them a place to stop and meet their friends, or relax,” BIA chair Peter McClelland said.

The BIA’s board of directors have been developing plans for the gateway since 2006, when they surveyed pedestrians in the area and discovered more than half of them walk there, McClelland said. The results inspired the board to collaborate with Kearns Mancini Architects on a multi-step master plan that began with the 2011 renovation of Montclair Avenue parkette, located immediately south of Lonsdale Road, and will continue with the gateway.

The revamped park is expected to re-open in July, but the featured element — custom pedestrian lighting poles, which are less than eight feet tall and have been designed vertically to blend in with nearby trees — won’t be installed until August.

The gateway was designed by Toronto firm Plant Architect, and the work is being carried out by Midome Construction. Members of the BIA raised half of the $570,000 price tag, which was matched by the city, McClelland said.

Ward 21 councillor Joe Mihevc praised the Forest Hill BIA for its “civic-mindedness.”

“I applaud them for creating a gateway coming from the north after having doing the one coming from the south,” Mihevc said. “It’s a great area to hang out in, and provides a real village feeling that is valued by the community.”