Construction of Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan improvement projects begins
October 28, 2019
Today, Mayor John Tory was joined by Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York), Robert G. Kearns, Chair and Founder of Ireland Park Foundation (IPF), Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Trustee Stephanie Donaldson and Geoffrey Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of PortsToronto to officially mark the start of construction on approximately $15 million in capital projects to be delivered under the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan.
Toronto’s waterfront will be transformed into a space that residents and visitors can enjoy throughout the year.
Mayor John Tory
The City is leading the multi-partner effort to deliver improvements to the Bathurst Quay neighbourhood and the Canada Malting property – a City-owned, underused brownfield site on Toronto’s waterfront. These improvements include new and improved public spaces and streetscapes; dockwall restoration to support enhanced public access to the water’s edge; reconfiguration of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport’s operating footprint on the property to accommodate planned features and improve public access to the waterfront; and transformation of an existing City-owned building to support new cultural programming space on the waterfront.
Six distinct but overlapping local improvement projects are at various stages of funding, design and implementation in this waterfront neighbourhood:
- Rehabilitation of the Western Channel dockwall, to be rebuilt with an attractive waterfront promenade. The City is the lead.
- Various property improvements by PortsToronto, including reconfiguration of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport’s transportation footprint and work to support a future plaza space on the Canada Malting property. PortsToronto is the lead with the City.
- Repair and repurpose the historic Administrative Building as a new arts, community and cultural hub on the waterfront. IPF is the lead.
- Redesign the Eireann Quay right-of-way with enhanced focus on pedestrian safety and amenities. The City is the lead with PortsToronto.
- Construction of a new public plaza on the City-owned Canada Malting property and TDSB play-space improvements. The City is the lead with the TDSB.
- Repairs to the historic Canada Malting Silos. The City is the lead.
Artists’ renderings of the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan improvement projects are available at https://www.toronto.ca/home/media-room/backgrounders-other-resources/bathurst-quay-neighbourhood-plan-improvement-project-renderings/.
Construction of the first two projects (dockwall and property improvements) will begin in 2019 and have a combined construction value of approximately $10 million. The next three projects will start construction in 2020 and are expected to be completed by 2021. Total construction value of currently funded projects is about $15 million. The City has prepared a cost estimate for necessary repairs to the Canada Malting Silos, with future funding sources to be determined.
City funding sources to date include: Section 37 funds; environmental remediation reserve funds; a financial contribution from CreateTO (formerly Toronto Port Lands Company) towards dockwall repairs; and City divisional funding for various technical studies. The project has been made possible through a funding partnership with PortsToronto and IPF.
The July 2017 Council direction for the City to develop a strategy for delivering public realm and streetscape improvements in the Bathurst Quay neighbourhood, with a focus on the under-utilized Canada Malting Silos site, is available at http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.TE25.55.
Quotes
“Through the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan, Toronto’s waterfront will be transformed into a space that residents and visitors can enjoy throughout the year. I’m proud that this revitalization will build Bathurst Quay into a destination where our beautiful waterfront intersects with the strong arts and culture sector of our city.”
– Mayor John Tory
“The Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan is waterfront revitalization at its best. The product of more than 50 meetings with dozens of groups, including every single co-op, condo, and apartment building in the neighbourhood, our plan is transforming derelict public land into a waterfront destination for arts and culture that is knit seamlessly into the existing local community.”
– Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 10 Spadina-Fort York)
“We are forever grateful to Councillor Joe Cressy and the City of Toronto for the opportunity to acquire this building beside Ireland Park on Toronto’s Waterfront. We plan to renovate this building as an arts and heritage destination as part of our long-term agenda. Ireland Park Foundation commemorates and celebrates the story of the Irish in Canada.”
– Robert G. Kearns, Chair and Founder, Ireland Park Foundation
“PortsToronto is proud to support the City-led Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan, which will include various improvements in the vicinity of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Eireann Quay, and lay the groundwork for a revitalized space that will bring the community and visitors down to enjoy Toronto’s waterfront. It is collaborative projects like this one that make our great city even greater, and we are exceptionally proud to be a part of this initiative, one that will provide enjoyment for Torontonians and further blend Billy Bishop Airport into this thriving community.”
– Geoffrey Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport
“The school community and TDSB staff have been working hard to advance plans for a much-needed revitalization of the playground at The Waterfront School. I am delighted that we are constructing the playground improvements this coming year as part of the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan and with funding from the City of Toronto. The new playground will support safe and fun play for students and the whole community.”
– Toronto District School Board Trustee Stephanie Donaldson (Ward 9)
About Ports Toronto
For more than 100 years, PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed 2.8 million passengers in 2018; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada’s largest freshwater marinas; and, Marine Terminal 52, which provides transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $11 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto’s waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government. http://www.portstoronto.com/
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto