The Park Post

Please be advised that TTC’s work has and will continue to involve periods of late evening, overnight work and extended weekend hours. Please be advised that after-hours work by TTC is required to support the daytime construction and to expedite the project as much as possible.

The TTC track work is progressing northerly on Roncesvalles Avenue.  Sanscon Construction has commenced streetscape improvements, which include sidewalk, road TTC platform and tree trenching, on the west side of Roncesvalles Avenue, starting at The Queensway, Sanscon’s work will be following the TTC crew in a northerly progression.

Be advised that the reconstruction of the curved TTC tracks at the intersection of Roncesvalles Avenue and Dundas Street West will require the closure of the intersection.  Important closure dates are as follows:

• 5:00 am, August 23 to 5:00 am, August 30, 2010;

and

• 5:00 am, August 30 to 5:00 am, September 7, 2010;

and

• After 5:00 am, September 7, 2010

Traffic diversion details are available on Construction Notice #2.

• Transit routing details during the intersection closure will be posted on the TTC website at www.ttc.ca – Route Diversions page.

Please expect a closure at Howard Park and Roncesvalles in the next couple of months, further details will be shared once the technical and traffic issues have been confirmed.

Construction Notice #2  will be delivered to all area residents, posted on the City website an and lane restriction signs will be posted at key locations to notify drivers of the upcoming closures.

Please refer to Construction Notice #2 for more information.

Microsoft Word – 2010-08-13_Update Notice_2_FINAL

Unfortunately the opening of the Dufferin Street underpass has been delayed by four weeks.

Staff confirmed that the delay is related to the lowering of the rail bridges over Queen Street onto the portal frame at the south entrance to the underpass.   The City’s contractor, Dufferin Construction, had originally scheduled the lowering of the Queen Street rail bridges in early August, however due to a  revision in Dufferin Construction’s procedure for positioning the rail bridges on the portal frame this has been postponed.

Dufferin Construction will now be lowering the rail bridge on the weekend of September 11th.

Following this operation, asphalt paving, lane marking, installation of lighting, traffic signals and architectural cladding will complete the project.  The public art installation, by Luis Jacob will be installed in spring 2011.

Finally, I am very disappointed, but as a result of this technical delay, the landscape architects will not be able to access the amphitheatre park until the first week in October, so we will not be able to coordinate a park opening for Nuit Blanche as planned.

Please be advised that during the closure last weekend, work was also carried out to reinstate one lane in each direction on the Jameson Ave. bridge over the Gardiner Expressway to allow access in both directions through the new temporary signals at Lake Shore Blvd.  During future weekend closures of the Gardiner, Jameson Ave. traffic will be allowed to continue to access Lake Shore Blvd. eastbound and westbound.

Unfortunately, an unmarked high voltage cable was in one of the bridges being demolished. It was broken during the start of the demolition. Some of the demolition was stopped and the balance of the demolition was delayed until the cable could be de-energized and clearance to proceed was given by Toronto Hydro.

This resulted in the demolition work continuing over Saturday night into Sunday in order to reopen the Gardiner Expressway last Monday morning.

There is no planned work for the demolition to continue overnight. Closures will continue as scheduled.  For more information please refer to the construction notice.

Public Notice v16

As you are aware, construction has commenced on Roncesvalles Avenue. TTC track and streetscape improvements are ongoing.  Attached is the first construction notice.  Notices have been delivered to all the properties on Roncesvalles and will be posted on the information board near the Sanscon trailer at Westminister and Roncesvalles.  For more information on the project or to review all notices to date please visit:

www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/roncesvalles_reconstruction

2010-08-03_Update Notice_1_FINAL

If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact my office.

The contractor has experienced delays in delivery of final items required for completion of the project.

To avoid further delays and make the park accessible to residents, the parkette and wadding pool will be opened as soon as possible (pending proper staffing, through Aquatics, can be provided, for the safe operation of the wading pool).

I will continue to provide an update as well as let you know when the Grand Opening celebration is planned.

In a letter addressed to our City Solicitors, the Executive Vice Chair of the OMB refused the request for a review of the OMB decision dated March 9, 2010. The March decision refused the re-zoning request to permit a 27 storey building on the site at the north west corner of Bloor Street West and Dundas Street West intersection.   Accordingly, the OMB decision remains in force and effect.

This OMB Decision and letter of July 30, 2010 are in accord with the Council direction on this matter, which directed the City Solicitor and appropriate staff to attend the Ontario Municipal Board hearing of the owner’s appeal, to oppose the current applications and to advise that Board that City Council’s position is that any redevelopment of the site at 1540 Bloor Street West must comply with the zoning by-law implementing the Bloor-Dundas Avenue Study.

This is indeed a step in the right direction.  There are some legal procedures that our Solicitors and the Developer need to resolve, my office will keep you posted along the way.

Attached is a copy of the decision for your reference: OMB 2010-07- 30