Just a few city blocks north of where I call “home,” a massive waterfront revitalization project is underway.
The ribbon-cutting took place a long time ago, and the bulldozers have moved in!
I’m incredibly optimistic, especially when I look at the artist’s renderings and read about all the incredible facilities that will be built, but for some unknown reason, I can’t seem to shape my overwhelming sense of skepticism…
“Sherbourne Commons.”
It’s a common area, for the common people.
Isn’t that cute!
In case you can’t get a visual image from my shaky handy-cam footage that makes old World War II clips look like they came from the lens of Janusz Kaminski, perhaps this cartoonish rendering can put things into perspective:
Again, call me a cynic – but where did all those mature trees come from?
Hey, if the city wants to transport 200 thirty-year-old maple trees from some tree depot in Orangeville, I’m all for it! But I have a feeling that this “park” will be about as beautiful as Yonge & Dundas Square.
Don’t forget about all the incredible plans for Yonge & Dundas Square ten years ago! And the result? A giant concrete slab!
Maybe it’ll look more like this:
The irony in this photo, of course, is that whoever drew up this rendering also assumed there will be a slew of 45-storey condos built around the park….in time.
Well, I’d like to quote the words of Bruce Bell as per his column about the new St. Lawrence Market that I posted on my blog last Friday:
“Anything is better than what stands there now…”
earth mother
at 7:58 am
As a senior who grew up in Toronto, I agree that the waterfront has always been a shameful eyesore. The well-used bike path, boardwalk & beaches demonstrate that the waterfront attracts people. Any grade 5 students could create great mixed-use designs for the acres and acres of waterfront property. I hope it doesn’t take years and years before we see something green & inviting…. Like you, I hope to see some wonderful new development there in my lifetime!
mike
at 9:29 am
a few blocks north of where you live? do you live on a raft in the lake?
David Fleming
at 9:44 am
@ Mike
hahahaha okay, you got me!
I meant “south”…
mike
at 1:29 pm
have you gone down to sugar beach and checked out the sand and the muskoka chairs?