[ADRM]

Concrete is good, beats out the the parking lot

Certainly beats a parking lot, yes, but this (in addition to the previous phase immediately next door) is now part of a huge open space that's pretty severely lacking in green space. Would've liked to see some grass or at least a more thorough integration of plantings.

 

[interchange42]

I suspect that it'll be a couple of years before resident groups propose changes to make the park work better. Unless they can successfully bring in markets or other programming that takes advantage of all of that flat, hard-surfaced open space on a regular basis, no one will want to put up with all that concrete. I suspect that at least a third of that space will be turned over to an oasis of greenery within a half dozen years.

42

 

[Solaris]

wow that's quite a (concrete) park !

 

[northto]

More Lisgar Square than Lisgar Park

 

[agoraflaneur]

From today:

 

[Towered]

It's better than a parking lot.

 

[interchange42]

If, over the next few years, a substantial amount of that concrete is not put to good use for fairly regular outdoor markets or something of that ilk, I can see a call for more greenery coming.

42

 

[Irishmonk]

I suspect that it'll be a couple of years before resident groups propose changes to make the park work better. Unless they can successfully bring in markets or other programming that takes advantage of all of that flat, hard-surfaced open space on a regular basis, no one will want to put up with all that concrete. I suspect that at least a third of that space will be turned over to an oasis of greenery within a half dozen years.

42

Terrible design. Why can't they get it right the first time? This is challenging June Callwood Park as the worst new public space in the city--and that's saying a lot.

 

[interchange42]

They tried to get it right the first time. The park design came out of a charrette led by local group Active 18 with many participants from across the community. Looks like maybe this was a too many cooks spoil the broth situation, trying to please too many people so that in the end it's an unfocused mass.

42

 

[TSC]

So there was obviously a lot of complaints about the park, especially about the gravel and the smell that came out of it last spring. The councillor asked the parks dept. to find a solution to the problem. Apparently the smell was due to decomposing organic material underneath the gravel. They looked into replacing the gravel with grass or turf or paving stones. grass and turf were deemed unsuitable because of the dog problem, sunlight, cost and the expectations that there will be more events happening in the park. They finally decided that they will dig up the gravel, improve the drainage and replace the gravel with a different gravel that is pink. I am not entirely satisfied with this outcome and was wondering if anyone on this message board has any suggestions for improving this park. The construction will not happen until after the summer so there may be time to make some better suggestions.