W. K. Lis
Superstar
Let me guess. School buses. If only there was a TTC bus route or underground electric railway in the area.
- Thread starter Automation Gallery
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AlexBozikovic
Active Member
Nope, sadly, it’s staff parking. 16,000-square-foot garage, not required by the city or mandated in the teachers’ contract. I got cost estimates, two years ago, of $3-million.
Northern Light
Superstar
Unforgivably bad choices
Inexcusable.
Agreed.
This one I'm a bit more sympathetic on; with the city growing by at a phenomenal rate, I understand a desire to hold on to currently closed school sites in case they are needed in the future; there's a lot of sense to that, given where land prices are going.
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While there are school sites well suited to additional development, the number isn't so high as one might think.
Take a look at the Mid-Town area which has a school crunch. While I am on the record suggesting a landswap involving the Eglinton Public school to create some space; there are 3 other nearby Elementary schools.
Davisville is one you would have saved, which would preclude a tower there.
Oriole Park is in the middle of an sfh neighbourhood fronting side streets.
John Fisher is a heritage building on a small lot.
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Likewise, if you look at the downtown sites:
Lord Lansdowne is well appreciated architecturally.
Jesse Ketchum, Brant, Central Tech , Jarvis, Rose Avenue, and Winchester would all qualify as heritage.
That doesn't leave very many sites with opportunities........maybe Church Street Public School?
Doubtless we could find some sites in suburbia that have the magical mix of a good, easy to rezone location, with transit access and no heritage qualities where something workable could happen; but I don't think those are a dime and dozen.
Towered
Senior Member
Choosing to build an underground garage for a school that's a stone's throw away from a subway station? Unbelievable. I can't even think of another school that has a below-grade garage. Some heads should roll for this decision. No comment from the local councilor?
vic
Senior Member
Nearby there's the French Catholic highschool on Lansdowne at College. Parking lot under the field. https://goo.gl/maps/a5tr64tvJ7fsHxrb6
Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton at Bloor and Dundas also has a parking lot under their field: https://goo.gl/maps/LTtadNL651FCxW8U9
No idea how well they are used though.
AlexBozikovic
Active Member
Many schools have underground garages. What’s remarkable is that they continue to build them, including here and at Davisville PS.
As for selling sites: Toronto lands corporation, which is TDSB’s real estate agency, has plans to sell off many more sites. In my view, some of that is going to be necessary - but which ones? With what development strategy?
As for selling sites: Toronto lands corporation, which is TDSB’s real estate agency, has plans to sell off many more sites. In my view, some of that is going to be necessary - but which ones? With what development strategy?
W. K. Lis
Superstar
The teachers who use the school garages or parking lots had better be charged for using them else declare them as taxable benefits.
Northern Light
Superstar
Not sure about the French system; but at least the Catholic system opted to charge teachers for parking.
The TDSB has not; and my nominally progressive trustee who I wrote about to about the issue, declined to champion the idea of charging for parking.
From @Towered
IF, the TDSB would turn over decisions about parking provision to Green P, let them assess total demand, charge market prices, and it still made sense to build underground, I'd be fine w/that.
But only under those conditions.
centralblue
New Member
Harbord Collegiate and Jarvis Collegiate both have underground parking.
jcam
Active Member
I'd like to see the TDSB get creative about gentle redevelopment around some schools, and to then plow the money back into the adjacent schools that need it. An example in my neighbourhood is Weston Collegiate, which has an FCI of 51%. In the graphic below, highlighted in yellow, the old tennis courts would be great opportunity to develop some, perhaps, stacked townhouses, and use the proceeds to repair both Weston Collegiate and nearby C.R. Marchant.
We used to have a gorgeous old high school, but it was replaced with the current brutalist building in the 1970s.
We used to have a gorgeous old high school, but it was replaced with the current brutalist building in the 1970s.
AlbertC
Superstar
Some amusing signage on the fence of Bloordale Beach:
AlbertC
Superstar
Bloordale Beach is expected to close later this month:
www.blogto.com
Bloordale Beach in Toronto is closing and it's being replaced by a new high school
Bloordale Beach in Toronto is closing after a year and a half due to a new high school being built on the land space. The unofficial beach was cre...
www.blogto.com
vic
Senior Member
RIP Bloordale Beach
AlbertC
Superstar
Ode to Bloordale Beach
AlbertC
Superstar
Dec 12, 2021
