Full column from
@AlexBozikovic on the Airport, the Islands, and the opportunity to close the former to create a truly great, much more accessible greenspace.
A well-run redesign of the Billy Bishop airport lands could create a beautiful, and distinctively Torontonian, space for cultural programming, good food and even some much-needed housing
www.theglobeandmail.com
Good piece.
This is essentially his thesis:
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From there he goes on to discuss the extensive lobbying by Ports Toronto and Nieuport Aviation to get the City's agreement on RESA and on a long-term extension to the Tripartite Agreement and Airport land lease.
This line is key to supporting his argument:
"The airport moved just 2 million passengers last year; Toronto Pearson International Airport moved 44.8 million."
He follows that with this, a perfectly reasonable ask:
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I don't think there's any question that the majority of any economic value produced by Billy Bishop would simply shift to Pearson in the event of a closure. That's before considering any offset value created by the closure. Said value isn't just parkland/access/tourism........its the removal of the flight path over a large portion of the Portlands, among other areas.
The airport also owns or occupies land on the mainland side for its corral, and public parking.