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$6M teardown of Heritage Theatre Block will make way for new downtown destination Brampton | inBrampton

The city is now accepting offers to tear down a part of history in downtown Brampton to replace the Heritage Theatre Block with a "landmark development" and revitalization project.
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Brief reference to the LRT.

"The redevelopment isn’t the only big change planned for downtown as the province announced plans to kickstart the Hurontario LRT project with an extension into Brampton just blocks from the demolition site."
 
Wm Perkins Bull said:
Staff within BT have zero confidence of the LRT extension to downtown being completed before 2030, there is simply too much work to be done.
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At the rate Brampton is tearing heritage buildings down especially in the downtown area, it will out strip Toronto.

Given the fact that Brampton wants to gut the downtown, the start of any LRT work will depend on when the area is torn down and most likely the removal of the existing channel around 2027.

If the surface route is to happen, work can start at Steeles in 2027 and work toward the north and be done by 2029 depending on the DT work. It can open in phases with the section south of the creek being Phase 1.

Doing the tunneling route will be done by 2031 depending on what has to be relocated in the DT area first before the tunneling can start.

Start date depends on the timeframe to gut the DT area along relocating service. At the same time is the timeframe for building the 3rd track along with the new platforms and bus terminal. If the LRT station is to be on the south side of the rail corridor in place of the north side, it will have less impact by the track and station work. At the same time, the EA must be updated.

IF BT thinks 2030 is not a good date, the 2035 most likely be a good date for them. Sad to see this line being delayed longer than it should because of the Council original refusal to have a surface line in the first place.

At the end of the day, when work may start depends on ML as to when they want to go to the market for the extension or how to deal with Mobilinx contract extension for maintaining the line.

Yes my views
 
Great Timing

Got a notice for Elm Dr closure and it's a full closure Starting April 8 to May 5, though the notice said partly closure. Today is April 10

The bus service is a really screwy one. 3 and 8 going to Sq One will go north from Elm to normal routing which I was expecting to a point. Routes 3 & 8 will return by Kariya Dr, go west on Elm Dr to Joan Dr, south to Central Parkway, east to Hurontario St, North to Elm Dr and then Mississauga Valley normal routing. The return wasn't what I expected and adding extra travel time at least 5-10 minutes based on traffic.
 
April 13
One needs to take dates as to when things will be completed or started with a grain of salt as the record of accomplishment is extremely poor for them these days let alone the past year.

Queensway intersection was to see guideway construction Jan 8 to the point miWay had buses on detour for that day and it was canceled as the intersection wasn't ready that day nor is at this time. That date was given in early Dec.

Both Robert Speck and Matthew Gates intersections were closed a week later than announced along with signage.

Topflight open up at the end of January that the plan early Oct date.

Elm Dr was to be closed April 3rd with notices up for 2 weeks in advance only to have it canceled April 1. It ended up taking place April 8 with residents receiving a notice for it days after it was closed, including me. The intersection is ready for the base to be poured this coming week.

It was show in a photo above that the crosswalk was missing for Matthrew Gates intersection that now has a temporary asphalt walkway in place of a concrete on like all the rest that has been done to date for some unknown reason.

It was noted Absolute intersection was to be closed in the first 3 months of this year and I expected it to happen after Robert Speck was reopened fully. Crew was working on Absolute intersection today that was closed on April 9 to May 7 according to the notice on Hurontario St.

I expect Square One Dr will be next that will take 2 months to do and cause some traffic issues.

Burnhamthorpe is an T connection like Topflight, but opposit hand that it will have to be built in 3 phases over a course of 3-4 months if they don't do the same screw up like Topflight.

The south pier of the Hwy 403 bridge is still the same as I shot it on March 28. The north pier base and the major slab to the north of it will be poured this week with the rebar in place for some sort of support from the pier. I expect this will be a transition support base from the bridge to the Styrofoam base for the ramp to connect to Hurontario St at the 403 off ramp location. Looks like the support will be a T shape.

Looks like the last section of the north retaining wall for the Rathburn ramp has been poured.

I was planning to look at the corridor today, but other things came up.

All the photos from March 28 to today are now online.

Elm Dr
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Matthrew Gates
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Absolute Intersection
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Part 2 next
 
April 15
I have a few shots for the south end of Rathburn overpass next to Hurontario that I shot for the brief time I was out when I had some free time today, and you need the drome folks to get a good shot of the work taking place there.

Kingsbridge/Elia intersection was closed off March 25 for guideway work and no work has taken place so far on it.

A few hydro poles north of the 403 are on about a 15-degree angle with one been brace as it is the worse one. It has been said all the wires should have been buried based on all the extra work that has taken place to do things 2-3 times. The wires will withstand another 2014 ice storm and more as well winds up to 140 miles/hr. The poles have a 30–40-year life cycle as well the wires.

Foundation Base is being formed for the Substation at the Plaza at Kingsbridge.

The Substation has been built in the north-east corner of the north-east plaza.

Wintergarden Intersection has been built but is not to open until April 28 as they are doing duct bank work under the northbound curb lane. It didn't take them long to do it. The police officer on duty had his hand full of illegal left turns in both directions and reading the ACT to those drivers.

About 200' of trackwork still must be installed north of Nahani Way with a 1/3 of the southbound track poured in place.

No trackwork for Eglinton-Wintergarden, Bristol-Barondale, the crossover area at Waitline and south of Britannia Rd as well the Hwy 401 overpass

Maybe this month will see the concrete poured for the track work for Matheson Station that was to be poured last year.

OS poles being installed between Matheson and Trader as well between Britannia Rd and Hwy 401 off ramp.

Did the firm from Quebec close their doors or walk away from the project as the Derry Shelter is still the same as it was back in January unfinished??

Crew working on the crossover at Topflight.

Support poles are being installed at Topflight Intersection with several still to be installed that are on both sides of Hurontario as well in the intersection.

More poles have been installed at Topflight and Edward intersection with more support cables to be strung for the intersection.

Photos to follow
 
April 20
Had nothing on my schedule for Sat and decided to chance the weather by shoot the corridor from Elm to PC as well a few urban projects. The weather was a mixed bag and a bleak day that allowed me to shoot the full corridor section after all.

Will break my comments now by zones that I have set up for the corridor for my photos.

Hurontario LRT Zone (8) Central Pkwy To Burnhamthorpe Rd
Crew installing the duck banks in the centre of the guideway at Elm and grading the area to allow the base to be pour

Hurontario LRT Zone (7) Cooksville Station To Central Pkwy
Crew looking at fixing the waterline work at Fairview to allow the paving of the northbound curb lane.

Wet/dry work is taking place south of the plaza at Fairview with the sidewalk close for the east sidewalk. Duct work is being installed from the substation going north where the sidewalk is.

Hurontario LRT Zone (7) Cooksville Station To Central Pkwy
Wet/Dry taking place in the northbound lanes.

Transforms vaults are being installed at TL Kennedy along with underground work

Hurontario LRT Zone (5) Queensway To Dundas St
The south-west corner is block off and to the west with nothing taking place yet.

South of the RBC driveway, road curb has been poured for the southbound curb and right turn lane to King St that is ready for paving.

From King St to Paisley Ave, 2 lanes ready for paving with curb poured in most places with paving machine on site.

From Paisley Ave to the south side of the fire station is ready for paving with most of the curbs in place. Crew working in the northbound lane with curb in place.

No curb in place for the southbound lanes for the turning lane.

Hurontario LRT Zone (4) North Service Rd To The Queensway
Noth southbound or eastbound turning lane curb in place yet or ready for it,

Building of the guideway for the Queensway is getting close a 4 300' rail lying next to the sidewalk by Bronte College/Sherobee Rd intersection or could be for that intersection as the road is ready for paving with most of the curb in place.

The Bronte College/Sherobee Rd intersection will have to be 3 phase closure to allow access to the hospital parking lot, the funeral home, and the office building if it still has tenants.

South of Bronte College/Sherobee Rd intersection, the curb lane is ready with most of the curb in place to north of the plaza and what I call the north service Rd.

Hurontario LRT Zone (3) South Service Rd To North Service Rd
The curb lanes for access to the QEW are closed with traffic accessing the westbound lane where the new access will be one the rebuilding of the southbound lanes.

No change to the northbound lanes nor the new westbound QEW off ramp will be other than a new light mast pole.

Forming of the northbound curb for the new northbound underpass is taking place and see no new sidewalk in the underpass for it. The forming is saying the sidewalk will be 2 meters wide. A barrier wall has been formed on the west underpasses wall.

Extraordinarily little has taken place since the new underpass was put in place.

Hurontario LRT Zone (2) Port Credit Station To South Service Rd
From what I have seen in the last year, crews doing underground utilities work on the west side and still are.

All kind of hydro poles need to be removed on both side of Hurontario St be for any real road wok can take place. The new poles on the east side are in a zig zag lineament.

Wooden sound barrier wall up on the south-east corner at Mineola Dr.

Some roadwork has started north of Mary Fix Creek with several poles in the way to do the drainage system as well the curb work in the new location.

Was expecting to see Englewood new bridge in intersection open, but no so due the topcoat of the northbound track has been removed. They have finally poured the concrete at the north end of the guideway.

Nothing new south of Englewood that I could shoot.

Hurontario LRT Zone (22) Mary Fix Creek Revitalizing
The creek is set up and ready to see the last section rebuilt once the new intersection is open along with the removal of the current road over it.

Hydro work
If one looks at the hydro poles from Central Parkway to the QEW, tons of work still to be done that it will not be completed this year that was pointed out to me by someone with firsthand knowledge for it. This also includes work to the north.

All photos are online that are broken down by zone with some being block by block as noted.
 
April 20
Hydro vaults being built at TL kennedy School
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Southbound lanes at the Queensways wailting for curbs to be pour and lanes rebuilt before Guideway can be built across the intersection
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Southbound Lanes ready for paving once the curbs are pour south of the Queensway
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Southbound lanes at the QEW waiting to be rebuild to new intersection design for off/on ramp
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Curb being formed at the QEW
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Ducting waitng to be install Zone 2
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Widening Of Hurontario with poles to be remove north of Mary Fix Creek
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Mary Fix Creek Waiting for existing road close to be rebuilt
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Englewood Intersection
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I’m in Spain on holidays and in Sevilla they have their tram on the surface besides unesco listed cathedrals and other heritage buildings and it works fine.

We have Patrick Brown wanting to bury this LRT through downtown Brampton which is nothing special. If they can build the tram in Seville through heritage districts which makes downtown Brampton look like a village, I don’t see the need to bury this LRT. I will post a video when back in Toronto.
 
Adjei said:
I’m in Spain on holidays and in Sevilla they have their tram on the surface besides unesco listed cathedrals and other heritage buildings and it works fine.

We have Patrick Brown wanting to bury this LRT through downtown Brampton which is nothing special. If they can build the tram in Seville through heritage districts which makes downtown Brampton look like a village, I don’t see the need to bury this LRT. I will post a video when back in Toronto.
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Does it have overhead, or does it run on battery??

There are tons of examples in Europe where trams run though the city centre with and without overhead like Brampton without any issues
 
Adjei said:
I’m in Spain on holidays and in Sevilla they have their tram on the surface besides unesco listed cathedrals and other heritage buildings and it works fine.

We have Patrick Brown wanting to bury this LRT through downtown Brampton which is nothing special. If they can build the tram in Seville through heritage districts which makes downtown Brampton look like a village, I don’t see the need to bury this LRT. I will post a video when back in Toronto.
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Was there last summer too, nice city. Brown's main talking point is the self induced bottleneck of traffic on the surface as they removed 2 lanes to extend sidewalks in the Integrated Downtown Plan.

His political agenda is to pacify the downtown groups of businesses and opposing residents from standing against him with the tunnel compromise. We'll see what the province commits to with the ball in their court, they both have 30% designs for both options. While there is mention of funding in the budget, Ford made comments the City Centre loop and DT Brampton extension would be around "a couple Billion". Seems short if the $3B tunnel is the chosen option unless feds put up something.


I talked to a guy who worked on the LRT development at a public session 3 weeks ago in Brampton on how it's possible to route vehicle traffic off Main st. Eliminate the mixed traffic section entirely. He was really adamant about the benefits of the tunnel route and direction council has chosen. Stated how George st is identified as the pedestrian district which is hilarious as there's tons of parking garage entrances for vehicles in this future pedestrian district. The main pedestrian district should be main st with Garden Square as main public space of interest for anyone downtown.
 
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