11 Wellesley St. West: Park in the City?
By Lucas on Oct 23, 2012
It can be hard for planners and city officials to find that delicate balance between parkland and infrastructure. Toronto is one city that has continued to find that balance. It seems as though every surface parking lot, every older office building, and even theatres are now targets for redevelopment, with landowners hoping to cash in on our aggressive thirst for housing.
One plot of land that has been at the centre of a very intense debate is 11 Wellesley St. W., which is currently listed for sale by the provincial government. The original plan for 11 Wellesley was for it to become the home of an iconic opera house, one designed by the world renowned architect Moshe Safdie; however, the plan never saw the light of day. Since then, the land has traded owners and proposals. At one point, the plan was for it to be home to a multi-tower condominium project, but much like the opera house, the plans never moved forward. Now, Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is making an aggressive push to have the City purchase the land so that they can bring a park to the site.
“This is the very last opportunity to build a park of this significant size in a very dense urban environment,” said Wong-Tam to the Toronto Star. “If we lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity then I would say it’s gone forever.”
In theory, Wong-Tam’s plans are sound. Despite a rather intensified downtown core, Toronto has been founded on green, livable areas. Many of our outlying communities feature a significant amount of green space that is enjoyed by locals. Developers like Dundee Kilmer are focusing on adding an abundance of green space to their master-planned communities.
There are two main issues at the 11 Wellesley site. First, and most obvious, is the cost. Right now the site is owned by the Province, and the cost of acquiring the land will be significant. When Toronto is debating TTC raises and struggling to grow our transit infrastructure, should we be focusing on purchasing a plot of land for a park?
Secondly, is this a proper area to put a park? A five-minute walk to the west will put you in the midst of one of the biggest parks in the city, Queens Park, and it’s almost four times the size of 11 Wellesley. This is a very interesting situation — one that is bound to trigger a hot debate.
Last week, it was announced that the City has moved forward with plans to bid on 11 Wellesley. The Province has been accepting bids since Aug. 15, with no sign of a deadline.
What would you like to see at 11 Wellesley St. W.?
