[junctionist]

I am very impressed with the quality of the streetscaping but have significant concerns about maintenance. Toronto does a lot of things right but maintaining high-design public spaces is not one of them. What's to stop Hydro from ripping up and patching that pavement anytime they please?

That's an important concern. Toronto Hydro and other utilities will eventually have to do repairs to underground infrastructure and patch the pavement. However, in researching Toronto's existing brick streets, I've seen a good collection of streets that had underground utility work done and were restored to their original state. The bricks are removed and set aside somewhere, the work is done, the area is patched with asphalt for about a year and then the asphalt is removed and the pavers are put back in place. There's usually a visual difference between the original pavement and where the work was done. It tends to be very subtle, though, and doesn't ruin the effect of the pavement.

 

[maestro]

The Fred Victor and Wigwamen buildings aren't too impressive. Doesn't help they will be the first to be finished too.

 

[RiverCity1]

They have been laying down concrete for the streetcar tracks the last few days, including the loop

 

[DSC]

They have been laying down concrete for the streetcar tracks the last few days, including the loop

I saw them working on concrete in the track area nearer Eastern Avenue and it is interesting they are laying the loop concrete as they used to say that the reason there will be no streetcar service until 2016 is that the loop area cannot be done now as it is needed for something else during Games. I wonder if they are only doing the concrete 'foundation" part not the top layer with the rails??? The TTC said recently that the King/Sumach connection would be made in 2016 but it would certainly make sense to lay all the rail now (even if it is not actually connected at King - if for no other reason than to get it off Cherry Street at T & T.
At the end of May West Don Lands Committee it was announced that "The TTC will install their tracks on Cherry Street even though the
connection to King Street tracks will not occur until after the 2015 Games. The connection work will interrupt streetcar service on King Street, but this will be co-ordinated with changes at other points on the line to minimize the overall disruption."

 

[Davidackerman]

view of construction pan am village June 17 2013

 

[RiverCity1]

June 27th

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Stunning - thanks RC. The Downtown/Corktown Common view corridor framed by the rest of WDL development is ingenious!

AoD

 

[rdaner]

Photo of Old Eastern Avenue.

 

[Silence&Motion]

Wow, what a change! Just as a point of comparison: http://goo.gl/maps/SaFQl

 

[DSC]

Photo of Old Eastern Avenue.

Great to see the new trees - planted on Friday.

 

[interchange42]

Here's a reminder of what this street looked like on May 23, just to emphasize who quickly this is all coming together down here.

42

 

[someMidTowner]

Quite the change right there. I am loving the widened sidewalks, and if those trees make it through the next few years it will be a nice canopy. Great to see such an emphasis on walkability going on in the WDL.

 

[interchange42]

The black plastic you can see in the pic above are the base of the silva cell system that went in before the sidewalks went on, so they've planned ahead for healthy root systems…

42

 

[someMidTowner]

Cyclists are going to be a pretty major factor once the area is fully inhabited, but hopefully the trees mature past the point of bike locks being an issue before the 2015 games.

 

[Torontovibe]

It appears that all the new buildings going up in the West Don Lands are grey spandrel, looking west from Corktown Common. I don't care how much this city loves grey spandrel but that's just way too much. What kind of a city are we creating with 75% of buildings being grey and having a bank as their main retail? When will the madness end and who besides developers, thinks this is a good thing? Grey spandrel has come to dominate every single new neighbourhood in this city but one day that trend will pass and we'll be stuck with that dreary colour everywhere. Come on Toronto developers, enough is enough! Haven't you guys heard, that too much of a good thing, is not good?