At the end of January, construction workers began driving metal poles into the ground around the disused TTC bus garage just west of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue. They were erecting hoardings around the neglected site that has found a temporary new use as a staging ground for materials while Metrolinx builds the Crosstown LRT over the next six years.
Barring an unforeseen change of artistic heart at Metrolinx, the hoardings should feature images of Toronto residents merrily hopping on and off the LRT, together with an information board letting them know how far the project has made it down the path to this shiny future.
Though modest, the hoardings are the first tangible step toward making a site that has languished behind a chain-link fence for a decade into less of an eyesore. Longer term, however, the stage appears to be set for a conflict between developers in favour of intense building — a hotel and a department store were among the ideas floating around city hall at one point — and proponents of something more modest that would come with a decent chunk of public space.
Unfortunately for those unmoved by the charms of glass-and-steel towers, their team seems poised to lose one of its most important players as area councillor Karen Stintz takes a run at the mayor’s office.
As representative for Ward 16, the southern border of which, on the north of Eglinton Avenue West, faces the bus barns, and chair of the TTC board, which owns the land, Stintz was in a strong position to influence decisions on the site’s future. Turning over the land to Build Toronto, the agency charged with developing surplus city property, would be a decision for the TTC board. Stintz had already signalled her willingness to play hardball and wait for the right plan.
Stintz, however, will be stepping down as TTC chair on Feb. 22 and will also have to vacate her council seat in October regardless of the outcome of her bid for mayor.
Rookie councillor Josh Colle and veteran Maria Augimeri have both put themselves forward to see out the eight-month remainder of Stintz’s term as TTC chair, and Toronto City Council will decide at the end of February. (Despite a number of attempts to contact them, neither councillor returned our calls.)
However, Colle has been a strong proponent of a revitalization and place-building scheme in the Lawrence Avenue West and Allen Expressway corridor in his ward. Augimeri has been a councillor in North York, Metro and City of Toronto since 1985 and has gained a reputation for being somewhat unpredictable in the way she votes. Stintz reportedly supports Colle’s bid, whereas Augimeri believes she has the backing of about 20 councillors.
Josh Matlow, the councillor in whose ward the bus barns fall, said Stintz had taken a keen interest in the future of the site and attended most meetings at which they were discussed. But he sees no cause for alarm in her departure.
“I would expect that, whoever is elected, they will want to work constructively with us. I believe that they will be supportive of our community’s plans,” he said.
Adding a little spice to the mix, in December Matlow was quoted in the Toronto Star criticizing Colle for supporting the planned subway in Scarborough. Matlow called it a “billion-dollar boondoggle” and said he’d support a TTC chair who “wants to put evidence before politics,” which was interpreted as a sign of support for Augimeri.
Regardless of who is chosen, the new TTC chair is unlikely to make many waves in the short term over the bus barns site. Augimeri has indicated she sees it as a “caretaker” role, whereas Colle has said he’s not looking to make radical changes on the transit file. Neither is likely to want to be drawn into an argument about development in a ward that’s not their own.
After October, however, it could be a whole new ball game. Whoever is chosen as TTC chair in February will have to step down or seek reappointment by council after the next election. That councillor will then have a much stronger mandate to do as he or she sees fit and may be more willing than Stintz to sign over the site for development.
There will also be a new councillor in Ward 16 (at the time of writing, only Christin Carmichael-Greb, daughter of Toronto Conservative MP Don Carmichael, had filed papers to run), unless Stintz drops out of the mayoral race before the deadline.
Matlow, who has made an issue of the bus barns site for three years, was also feisty about dealing with a new councillor in Stintz’s old ward across the road (if, that is, Matlow himself is re-elected come October).
When asked what he would do if the new representative didn’t support his vision of a moderate development featuring a chunk of green space or a public square, Matlow replied that he’d be up for the fight. “If there’s any councillor who wants to go back to the tired old ways of building wind tunnels, then I expect they will be rejected by the community.” He added, “We aren’t saying all new development is bad. We are saying that we need to include great public space.”
Matlow has started putting aside development funds from his ward budget to pay for a public space once the LRT construction is over. He’s also keen to get a plan for the site in place before Metrolinx packs its bags in 2020 so that it won’t once again languish while city officials throw ideas around. Somewhat ambitiously, he even hopes the plans might be in place before Metrolinx starts digging in the area, allowing them to place entrances or ventilation shafts in accordance with whatever will be above at ground level.
For its part, Build Toronto, which came under fire from both Stintz and Matlow when it was reported to have informally floated a plan that veered toward a forest of towers, isn’t saying much.
Bruce Logan, VP for corporate affairs, said in an email that it has no plans for the site. “Following the recent decision which confirmed transit funding, the Eglinton LRT is now the focus and the work required below grade between the TTC and Metrolinx to enable optimal transportation connectivity and access. We are supporting that effort as required and requested.” He added, “At the appropriate time, we look forward to working closely with the councillors and all stakeholders as part of a fulsome community consultation process.”
But although the site’s future remains shrouded in uncertainty, at least passersby will now have some pretty pictures to look at for the next few years. Beats a bunch of crumbling bus shelters any day.
