Newsletter from Downsview Park

In This Issue

Toronto FC at Downsview Park

Summer construction

Stanley Greene update

New TTC station

Secondary Plan update

New at the Downsview Park Sports Centre

Athletic Training Professionals (ATP) is an innovative sport conditioning centre . . . read more

National Squash Academy opens. . .

Cricket Connex

Learn to play cricket at Downsview Park

Free for youth 16 to 24

Read more. . .

Construction is in full swing this summer as Downsview Park pushes to get more public greenspace open to the public

More than $15 million has been spent to date

on Park construction, improvements to infrastructure and renovations of older buildings. Over the next year we will invest an additional $20 million on a series of projects, all geared toward opening up the Urban Park in the summer of 2012 along with more facilities for the Downsview Park Sports Centre and infrastructure for the Stanley Greene neighbourhood.

The investment that Downsview Park is making in the public realm will have a significant impact well beyond its 231.5 hectares (572 acres). Job creation, increased real estate values, social and cultural engagement and numerous environmental benefits are all a direct result of the work we are doing.

And remember, no funding is provided to Downsview Park from any level of government for the construction plan ahead.

See map of construction with project description

Update on the Stanley Greene neighbourhood

As a result of an in-depth process to find developers interested in working with Downsview Park to implement the vision for the Stanley Greene neighbourhood, we are now in a position to move forward with plans to create this exciting community.

Several highly regarded residential developers expressed interest in Stanley Greene. Our process culminated in the selection of an ideal partner (soon to be announced) experienced in downtown/midtown urban development projects of similar scale to Stanley Greene.

There remains much work to be done.

The zoning by-law amendment and Draft Plan of Subdivision (with the City of Toronto) need to be approved in order to move on to detailed engineering, construction of new roads and underground services--and ultimately new residential construction. We anticipate that engineering design will proceed this summer/fall with the hope that initial site work can begin late fall 2011 and run through to spring 2012.

Sheppard West Station at Downsview Park

As evident by the impressive equipment and non-stop activity at the north end of Downsview Park, the new intermodal TTC subway/GO Transit station construction is well underway. Already 50,000 cubic metres of soil has been excavated and moved to make way for subway tunneling. Much of the excavated soil is being kept for reuse within the Park.

Downsview Park maintains an on-going role in the development of the site planning and urban design associated with the station.

In late 2015, when work is complete and the station is in use, Downsview Park will continue its involvement through the on-going development of Downsview Park's Sheppard neighbourhood.

Watch the progress of the new Park station at downsviewpark.ca

For more information on subway construction visit www.spadina.ttc.ca

Downsview Area Secondary Plan update

On April 21, 2011 the City of Toronto Planning Staff Report for the Downsview Area Secondary Plan was passed by North York Community Council (NYCC). This was the fourth time the City's staff report appeared before the Council-having been deferred for a third time one month prior.

Interestingly, the 10-month delay brought about by North York Community Council's three deferrals have resulted in no significant changes to the Plan originally proposed by City staff in June 2010. This comes as no surprise (to us) given that City staff and Downsview Park were more or less in agreement on the Plan from the outset. Downsview Park worked closely with both City staff and BUILD Toronto (the City's real estate development arm) to develop a plan that is supportable.