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TORONTO/CNW/ - Waterfront Toronto, together with the
Governments of Canada and Ontario and City of Toronto,
officially broke ground today on Sherbourne Park, a spectacular
new waterfront park that will transform a formerly industrial
area into much needed public green space on the lake.
Located just east of Lower Sherbourne Street, this 1.5 hectare
park spans more than two city blocks, from Lake Ontario in the
south to Lake Shore Blvd. in the north, on both sides of Queens
Quay.
Designed by renowned landscape architects Phillips Farevaag
Smallenberg in association with The Planning Partnership, and
inspired by the iconic Canadian lakeside experience, this
year-round park is scheduled to open next summer.
"Our Government is pleased to provide $20.8 million in funding
for this project, as part of the continuing renewal of Toronto's
waterfront," said Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. "We are
committed to helping transform this part of Toronto's industrial
past into a beautiful and sustainable public space. I look
forward to seeing Sherbourne Park become a year-round
destination of choice for those living in and visiting this
city."
Sherbourne Park will become the new heart of East Bayfront
bringing a feeling of life at the lake to the area. To bring the
lakeside experience to life, the park features three key
elements in its design: woods, water and wide open green space.
The north part of the park features a grove of pacific sunset
maple trees, benches and play structures creating an outdoor
living room for East Bayfront residents. Wide open green space
on the south side of the park provides ample space for
festivals, concerts and other city-wide events overlooking Lake
Ontario. In total, the park includes 182 new trees, 26 play
structures and 49 benches.
"Today's Sherbourne Park groundbreaking marks a new milestone
for the revitalization of Toronto's waterfront," said George
Smitherman, Ontario's Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and
Infrastructure. "The construction of Sherbourne Park will create
jobs and help stimulate the local economy. And, by next summer,
residents and visitors will be able use this park year-round as
a place to relax, a place to play and a place to gather - right
on the water's edge."
Sustainability plays an important role in Sherbourne Park, where
key components of East Bayfront's storm water management system
is integrated into the park's design, allowing this required
infrastructure to be both beautiful and functional.
A stunning 240 metre long Water Channel running along the east
side of the park is part of the community's innovative storm
water management system. The Water Channel features three
dramatic art sculptures that rise almost nine metres from the
ground, elegantly lifting water toward the sky and back down as
a textured veil of water. Clean water is discharged from the
base of the channel back into Lake Ontario.
"It is especially important during challenging economic times
for all governments to invest in the public realm," said Mayor
David Miller. "Sherbourne Park joins significant investment in
public infrastructure to get our waterfront ready for new
tenants such as Corus Entertainment and George Brown College by
cleaning the soil, building waterfront transit, and creating
spectacular boardwalks, wave decks, and a rejuvenated Queen's
Quay Boulevard from Bathurst to Parliament."
Park construction is beginning on the south side of Queens Quay
where the Sherbourne Park Pavillion will be located. This
144m(2) zinc clad and glass structure will house a café and
facilities designed to animate the park year-round. Surrounding
the Pavillion is a 920 m2 pond that will be frozen in
the winter for a skating rink and act as a splash pad in the
summer for water play.
The Pavillion is also an integral part of the storm water
management system, as the UV Purification Facility is located in
its basement.
"This is the waterfront park that everyone has been waiting
for," said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront
Toronto. "It transforms an under-used, mostly industrial site
into a sustainable neighbourhood park for those living and
working in East Bayfront and it creates a must-see destination
for the rest of the city."
The budget for Sherbourne Park including site preparation costs
(demolition and soil remediation) as well as design and
construction costs for the park, Water Channel and UV
Purification Facility is $28.7 million.
In addition to Sherbourne Park, construction is underway
throughout East Bayfront, the vibrant new waterfront community
which runs from Jarvis to Parliament Streets and from the rail
corridor to the lake. Work is nearing completion on East
Bayfront's first commercial building, the new headquarters for
Corus Entertainment. Municipal servicing infrastructure work for
the area is ongoing and George Brown College plans to open its
new Health Sciences Centre on the waterfront in 2012.
The construction of Canada's Sugar Beach, Toronto's second urban
beach will also begin later this summer at the Jarvis Slip.
At full build-out, East Bayfront will be a thriving new
community with 6,000 new residential units, jobs for 8,000
people and innovative storm water management facilities
integrated into the area's parks and public spaces.
Waterfront Toronto
Since 2005, Waterfront Toronto has completed several parks
and public spaces projects. The Simcoe WaveDeck opened in June
and plans are underway to open the Rees WaveDeck later this
summer. Improvements to the Martin Goodman Trail at Ontario
Place will also open this summer. Construction projects are also
underway to support new communities in the West Don Lands.
The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto
created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of
Toronto's waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence,
sustainable development, economic development and fiscal
sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.
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