Just a FYI for those interested in this topic:

Toronto’s Official Plan, Site and Area Specific Policy 194, states the following:

“…in the event that the airport on the City Centre Airport is closed, it is the policy to seek the immediate conversion of the lands on which the airport is located for parks, or parks and residential purposes, and uses incidental and accessory thereto”.

 
Uhh that was an incredibly illegal and contentious thing that happened in Chicago. I'm not sure you want to use such a flagrant corruption of politics as a blueprint for what we should do here.

Yes, the manner of the action was rash, legally dubious, to put it charitably; though not moreso that much of what happens in Chicago municipal politics.....(see their 'sale' of city parking meters to private interests)

But, irrespective of the means, the move has proven popular, and the loss of that airport was not an impediment to Chicago economically either at the City-wide level or the downtown.

One can be pleased enough w/the outcome w/o endorsing the means.
 
Toronto certainly needs more parks in many areas - but I don't think this is one of these.

An interesting take.

Downtown Toronto writ-large has the lowest amount of parkland per capita in the City; far, far less than the 28m2 per person that is the stated goal.

On a nominal basis (if we agreed you could consider Toronto Island Park as part of meeting downtown's park's deficit, I don't think you could find any other way to remotely address the deficiency. (its ~ 200 acres); you're not buying that on the mainland between Bathurst and the Don River.

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Of course, completely fair to point out the access limitations, but worth adding in the same breath that removing the airport resolves that issue in many ways, or at least mitigates it, since the pedestrian tunnel would now be available as a connection to said park space.
 
An interesting take.

Downtown Toronto writ-large has the lowest amount of parkland per capita in the City; far, far less than the 28m2 per person that is the stated goal.

On a nominal basis (if we agreed you could consider Toronto Island Park as part of meeting downtown's park's deficit, I don't think you could find any other way to remotely address the deficiency. (its ~ 200 acres); you're not buying that on the mainland between Bathurst and the Don River.

***

Of course, completely fair to point out the access limitations, but worth adding in the same breath that removing the airport resolves that issue in many ways, or at least mitigates it, since the pedestrian tunnel would now be available as a connection to said park space.
If we ever came to the day where the City Centre airport were decommissioned and turned into a park, it would probably be best to close off the tunnel for public access.

The city cant even properly maintain pedestrian overpasses (ie: see the Liberty Village overpass), just imagine how badly neglected the tunnel would get under its full watch.
 
If we ever came to the day where the City Centre airport were decommissioned and turned into a park, it would probably be best to close off the tunnel for public access.

The city cant even properly maintain pedestrian overpasses (ie: see the Liberty Village overpass), just imagine how badly neglected the tunnel would get under its full watch.

That can't be the answer to anything. If we accept that, we might as well pack up and leave Toronto, and probably anywhere else we'd go to.

The answer to the state of neglect found through many parts of the City is fixing same; have better funding and procedures in place, so the issue does not recur; not avoiding doing anything or having nice things, because we may fail to look after them.
 
And apropos of the discussion above Gil Penalosa is out with his campaign plank to turn the Billy Bishop into a park!


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In the article above, Tory is very 'status quo' on the airport.............

Which is amusing...............

Because Ports Toronto is very clear in their interest to make some kind of deal that would give some concessions to the community in exchange for City support for the airport's continued existence....
 
That can't be the answer to anything. If we accept that, we might as well pack up and leave Toronto, and probably anywhere else we'd go to.

The answer to the state of neglect found through many parts of the City is fixing same; have better funding and procedures in place, so the issue does not recur; not avoiding doing anything or having nice things, because we may fail to look after them.
In an ideal world I couldnt agree more with this,

But the fact that we've been living in this status quo/austerity world for over the past decade now, to the point we cant even maintain basic infrastructure and leave things to crumble isnt exactly awe inspiring. Knowing what happens in this city, we'd probably end up restricting the hours of operation and closing it down seasonally anyways due to "risks". In any case my point is, it would be better to come up with a mainland link (ie: Humber Bay bridge style for instance) that could accommodate all the pedestrian flow in an efficient manner which the city could more "affordably" maintain.
 
And apropos of the discussion above Gil Penalosa is out with his campaign plank to turn the Billy Bishop into a park!


View attachment 432636

In the article above, Tory is very 'status quo' on the airport.............

Which is amusing...............

Because Ports Toronto is very clear in their interest to make some kind of deal that would give some concessions to the community in exchange for City support for the airport's continued existence....
This is where I think as a person working and employing and running a business paying city taxes, I should get a vote as well, or maybe half a vote. Decisions that are made in this city affect my ability to carry on a business and employ Toronotonians and others commuting from outside the city, and yet, my voice is restricted to written and oral communication, and local Business organizations.

The island airport is an asset to the city, it happened to be there long before any lakeside residences appeared, the islands are all park, except the coveted and select enclave of homes (perhaps they should be ripped down as well) and I would argue that yes, the city really needs parkland, but in a more central and accessible locations - so back to the rail lands , the CNE, Ontario Place, and perhaps some acquisitions. Add a 1/2 point to the property taxes and go wild. And perhaps spend some on upkeep and maintenance.

Part of the island experience is the ferries and the lack of cars. My vote would be to improve services but keep the mystique of the ferry ride.

And I would still like a vote, or maybe just half a vote.
 
Uhh that was an incredibly illegal and contentious thing that happened in Chicago. I'm not sure you want to use such a flagrant corruption of politics as a blueprint for what we should do here.
Not a problem for me. If it requires corruption to have a better living environment, so be it. This airport's a relic from a time when the waterfront was all industrial, the city needs to move on and create a space for people and nature instead.
 
This is where I think as a person working and employing and running a business paying city taxes, I should get a vote as well, or maybe half a vote. Decisions that are made in this city affect my ability to carry on a business and employ Toronotonians and others commuting from outside the city, and yet, my voice is restricted to written and oral communication, and local Business organizations.

Do you own or rent property in the City, for commercial purposes? Because if you do, you do have a vote.

If not, it gets a bit ridiculous to let everyone vote in everyone else's elections. The airport sits on City land (in part)

The island airport is an asset to the city, it happened to be there long before any lakeside residences appeared, the islands are all park, except the coveted and select enclave of homes (perhaps they should be ripped down as well) and I would argue that yes, the city really needs parkland, but in a more central and accessible locations - so back to the rail lands

The rail lands would be vastly more expensive (you're talking 1.5B++ for aquisition, the deck and improvements) , for parkland that would be inferior, because it would be strata; you can never grow 100 year old trees on strata, because you have to scrape off the soil every few decades to re-do all the membranes.

, the CNE, Ontario Place

Sure, but worth adding those lands are more than 1km west of the most western part of downtown, so they can't really serve the local park need very well. Also, the province owns Ontario Place and is doing with it what it pleases, irrespective of the City's wishes or those of locals.

, and perhaps some acquisitions. Add a 1/2 point to the property taxes and go wild. And perhaps spend some on upkeep and maintenance.

Land in downtown Toronto sells for over 100M per developable acre; that's some seriously expensive parkland. For the most part, buying a tower and tearing it down for park space is a non-starter, and would be even more expensive.

A single soccer pitch requires ~ 2 acres of land

Residents of downtown who wish to play, sometimes have to travel more than an hour to an available field.

The province has statutorily flatlined property taxes for multi-residential and commercial, in terms of mil. rate.

Raising Property tax solely on SFH is absolutely something that should happen, but you're talking a lot more than .5% to meet all the various needs of the City, never mind go on a buying spree for the most expensive land in the country (give or take some in Vancouver).

Part of the island experience is the ferries and the lack of cars. My vote would be to improve services but keep the mystique of the ferry ride.

The ferries have finite capacity. To some degree that can be enhanced by larger ferries, but they generally take longer to load/offload eating up much of the benefit.

To rapidly load/off load ferries we would have to have direct ramp access to every level of the ferry; that means very elaborate new ferry facilities not only on the mainland by also on the Islands.
 
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The island airport is an asset to the city, it happened to be there long before any lakeside residences appeared, the islands are all park, except the coveted and select enclave of homes (perhaps they should be ripped down as well)
I also have a business in the city which would be affected by this, though not dramatically. I have said before that I quite like the experience of flying out of the island. BUT... I genuinely don't understand how this is any different than having an airstrip down the middle of cental park in NYC or having a runway alongside the tiber river in Rome. This is the land should be most accessible and available to the public. Even though I've liked the airport, its a private enclave available to only those who can afford to fly and it's located in the best place to put a park that would be used by the most people. It just doesn't make sense to me to have it remain there.
 
Uhh that was an incredibly illegal and contentious thing that happened in Chicago. I'm not sure you want to use such a flagrant corruption of politics as a blueprint for what we should do here.
It resulted in a change in the law to massively increase the fine payable - stranded aircraft had to take off from a taxiway. Even with strong mayor powers we’re unlikely to see that here - power is already overcentralizing in Toronto with Tory openly creating a “mayor’s party” - the last thing we need is Daley powers here on top of that.

assuming that Tory, Ford and Trudeau did not sign a preemptive extension on the lease (to forestall one level of government balking in nine years), presumably PortsToronto own the land and even if airport zoning was removed would want a significant return from transformation to “parks and residential”, given the low chance that any level of government will fund the remediation of the airport and a parks only transformation.
 
The Island Airport isn't just used for passenger airlines. There's general aviation (including a flight school), and it's used by Ornge.

I assume those activities would need to move, and Pearson is too busy for GA. Downsview and Buttonville are closing. Oshawa is pretty distant. Maybe Burlington? I believe Markham and Brampton-Caledon are too small.

I love the convenience of flying out of the island, but can understand why some/many might want it to revert to parkland (I don't believe there should be any residential housing on the Islands).
 

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