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The paver sidewalks are a great improvement for the public realm, but there should have been granite curbs in an area like this one with a lot of tourists and the prestige of the Financial District.
This is actually in the St Lawrence neighbourhood, (east of the Financial District) and a large part of the cost was paid with Section 37 $$$ and from our BIA. Granite curbs would have been great but ...... While I agree that 'paver sidewalks' look FAR better, they need to be installed properly and need more maintenance than concrete ones. Fingers crossed!
 
This is actually in the St Lawrence neighbourhood, (east of the Financial District) and a large part of the cost was paid with Section 37 $$$ and from our BIA. Granite curbs would have been great but ...... While I agree that 'paver sidewalks' look FAR better, they need to be installed properly and need more maintenance than concrete ones. Fingers crossed!

With the old town area, I think that the economic and cultural potential is high enough to support a top-tier public realm down to the fine details. People naturally gravitate to old town areas with high-quality public realms like Montreal's Old Port or most old towns in Europe.

There should be streets paved with granite pavers, granite sidewalks, gas lamps, working fountains, healthy street trees, and a signature public space like the market square I've suggested in the past for Front Street between Church and Jarvis.
 
@DSC - a big failure of the Major and other city officials to open Market St to cars again. Makes no sense for residents nor for businesses!

The coming weekend will be sunny and relativity warm. This is what sustainable city life does look like! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

BACC3C93-EBA1-46F4-9A90-90B22AFC693F.jpeg
 
@DSC - a big failure of the Major and other city officials to open Market St to cars again. Makes no sense for residents nor for businesses!

The coming weekend will be sunny and relativity warm. This is what sustainable city life does look like! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

View attachment 429939
Of course, you are right but the decision WAS to close Market St to vehicles only until end of September. If, like me, you think it should be permanently pedestrianied, email the Mayor and, after the election, the new Ward 13 Councillor.
 

Wellington Construction Update

September 30,2022

Wellington St E /Front St E /Church St Construction Update

  • Partial intersection closure of Front St/Church St intersection will be from Wednesday October 5th to Wednesday October 12th
  • All existing traffic configurations will remain until work at the intersection has been completed
Wellington St North side

  • Road and sidewalk construction on the north side of Wellington St will continue construction at the south-east corner of Church St/Front St will continue
  • Construction at Scott St/Wellington will continue
Wellington St South side

  • Work will start on the south side of Wellington between Church Street and Scott St during the week of Oct 3
Front Street & Market Street

  • Sunday Oct 2nd - there will be night work occurring at the corner of Market St and Front St ( alternate date Monday Oct 3rd)

(The work @ Market & Front is to do with the conduits for street lights on the south side of Front AFAIK.)
 
At last...
bnr-profserv2.jpg

Request for Proposal
ecblank.gif
Solicitation
number:
Doc3621156462
Commodity:Professional Services, Consulting Services
Description:David Crombie Park Improvements and The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection Cycle Track
---

The Capital Projects Unit of Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR), on behalf of the Parks unit of PFR, and Transportation Services, Cycling and Pedestrian Projects Unit are jointly issuing this RFP for a multidisciplinary team that must be led by a registered landscape architect (as the prime consultant) to provide full professional services for the detailed design and construction administration to implement the David Crombie Park Revitalization Design master plan (phases 1 and 2 - Refer to Appendix 02 and 03), and to design and implement The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection, a cycle track on The Esplanade with area traffic changes (refer to www.toronto.ca/esplanademill), and to design and implement the integrated streetscape improvements in the public ROW identified in the park revitalization design.

Public Posting: http://discovery.ariba.com/rfx/13821548

---
Issue date:September 30, 2022
ecblank.gif
Closing date:October 25, 2022
at 12:00 Noon
Pre-bid meeting:---

Suppliers are required to attend a mandatory meeting to familiarize themselves with the required Deliverables. The mandatory meeting will take place at 11am local time on October 11th, 2022 at 11 a.m. Toronto time at David Crombie Park, at south east corner of Lower Jarvis and Esplanade, Toronto. Refer to Map. Meetings will not be available at any other times.
 
Out and about yesterday, I took a peak in on the Wellington project; photos taken October 2nd, 2022:

DSC09829.JPG


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DSC09834.JPG



Some comments:

- At the risk of stating the obvious, this work is progressing too slowly. A full-sized crew, working both hard and smart (but not all out) would have had this done awhile ago.

- Disagree with the corten steel (rusted metal) look around the trees, that is absolutely not Victorian and is a non-sequitur, so is the brick choice, but I digress; and at least I like it aesthetically.

- Honey Locust trees will probably be fine, its a bit late in the season for them (Toronto is the very northern limit for this species), but have to say, many look a bit rough; probably just got leaves shaken off during transplant and such, but I rather hope they're watering them already, if not, they may not make it to spring!
 
Secondary neighbourhood note, I've spoken to City staff about traffic (shopping) levels in St. Lawrence Market on Sundays; I'm told the numbers were very good in August, but have fallen off considerably in September.

The experiment may be in jeopardy if numbers don't go back up. Lots of vendors remain unhappy w/Sunday openings.
 
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Out and about yesterday, I took a peak in on the Wellington project; photos taken October 2nd, 2022:

View attachment 430354

View attachment 430355

View attachment 430356

View attachment 430357

View attachment 430358

View attachment 430359


Some comments:

- At the risk of stating the obvious, this work is progressing too slowly. A full-sized crew, working both hard and smart (but not all out) would have had this done awhile ago.
Yes, it should also be remembered that this project (planned for 8 or 9 years!) started in March 2021 and was 'paused' in June 2021 because they found more 'stuff' below the street that they did not know about. When this happened there was the inevitable neighbourhood outrage and the City's Auditor General is, supposedly, examining the history of the project to see if there are many lessons to be learned. At that time the City promised it would get priority in 2022, would start early and would be finished in time for at least some summer patios on Wellington. Dream on! While it is great to think it might all be done in 2022, it is not a good example of efficiency!
 
At last...
bnr-profserv2.jpg

Request for Proposal
ecblank.gif
Solicitation
number:
Doc3621156462
Commodity:Professional Services, Consulting Services
Description:David Crombie Park Improvements and The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection Cycle Track
---

The Capital Projects Unit of Parks, Forestry and Recreation (PFR), on behalf of the Parks unit of PFR, and Transportation Services, Cycling and Pedestrian Projects Unit are jointly issuing this RFP for a multidisciplinary team that must be led by a registered landscape architect (as the prime consultant) to provide full professional services for the detailed design and construction administration to implement the David Crombie Park Revitalization Design master plan (phases 1 and 2 - Refer to Appendix 02 and 03), and to design and implement The Esplanade and Mill Street Connection, a cycle track on The Esplanade with area traffic changes (refer to www.toronto.ca/esplanademill), and to design and implement the integrated streetscape improvements in the public ROW identified in the park revitalization design.

Public Posting: http://discovery.ariba.com/rfx/13821548

---
Issue date:September 30, 2022
ecblank.gif
Closing date:October 25, 2022
at 12:00 Noon
Pre-bid meeting:---

Suppliers are required to attend a mandatory meeting to familiarize themselves with the required Deliverables. The mandatory meeting will take place at 11am local time on October 11th, 2022 at 11 a.m. Toronto time at David Crombie Park, at south east corner of Lower Jarvis and Esplanade, Toronto. Refer to Map. Meetings will not be available at any other times.
An update from our friends in Cycling @ the City.

"The Parliament Square park trail will be done in early spring next year, by us. It’s not part of the David Crombie redesign for phase 1 (2024-2026). Phase 2 is unfunded and not yet planned. But theoretically includes upgrades to Parliament Square Park.

Moreover, there will be a development where the parking lot used to be and the developer will be required to provide parkland and that parkland will abut Parliament Square Park. That parkland will have an upgraded version of the (temporary) trail we are installing next year."
 

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