Toronto invites public consultation before tendering and final design to implement Fashion District park

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Rendering of one of the two St. Andrews Playground designs

Ontario Construction News staff writer

As construction progresses on MOD Developments’ Waterworks Building project in Toronto’s Fashion District, new details are emerging from a recent public workshop to determine the future of the adjacent St. Andrew’s Playground, Urban Toronto reports.

The 6,500 sq m. city park at 450 Adelaide St. W. will be revitalized, with tendering and construction scheduled for 2020-2021, the city reports.

The park is immediately south of the development site, and the city invited public consultation with a survey and public meeting, where two competing designs were revealed. Residents have been invited to vote on their favourite design. Then there will be stakeholder and public workshops.

Landscape architects DTAH indicate two alternative  central themes for the park; a “play plaza” or a “play ribbon.”

The “play plaza” option would act as a central play space overlapping with the social fabric of the space, offering play areas for all ages and abilities, an enhanced tree canopy, multiple outdoor rooms, view corridors, and other links to the surrounding context of the neighbourhood, Urban Toronto reported.

“The “play ribbon” option aims to integrate play areas into the landscape as opposed to segregating them, taking a similar approach to the recent Grange Park revitalization. This version of the project would place much of its focus on opportunities for social, sensory, and active play, as well as interaction with the park’s natural landscapes.

“Participants at the workshop laid out a number of concerns that may shape further design of the park. Some of the concerns raised include protection of existing trees, improving the dog off-leash area, as well as improving safety through lighting, sight lines, and ease of navigation. Other concerns included programming/activities that activate the park, drainage conditions that lead to ponding, and the impact of the new Market Hall facing the north side of the park, currently being built as part of the adjacent Waterworks project.”

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