The Junction’s most famous vacant lot – created when the Subway Hotel building – then a rooming house after a surviving a large gas explosion and repair finally laid down it’s use – succumbing to the city’s crack down on illegal apartments in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
This lot at the corner of Vine Ave and Keele St. which now provides only accommodation for billboard sign. An empty lot such as this, devoid of everything but the hope of what could be creates a very weak link to the community, should there finally be a break in the community and legal status inertia (some would say political – as in the parks dept, as well) that has locked up this prime piece of Junction property for over 10 years.
The blog would like to suggest this approach – to convert this vacant land into a mini-park for recreational use, as a connector to the surrounding residential area. While this would not produce revenue for the city, arguably it would cost the city. – The blog asked an estate agent what the lot cost would be into present condition and was told anywhere between 285 and 400 thousand dollars. However it would make this blighted corner more attractive to stop and talk activities and community events, as well as attract new residents.
With the large condo development across the street being this lot in the public space would greatly benefit the community.
The Toronto parks department has purchased private land for mini-parks in the recent past so the idea to not out in space.
6 Comments
I have often wondered who owns this property and can afford to leave it vacant all these years. I guess the revenue from the sign at least pays the taxes. While it might seem like a good idea for a small park (even with the sign left in place for the revenue) I wonder if it would be all that healthy considering all the pollution from the heavy traffic which will only getting worse with the hundreds of new condos.
Yes the pollution from the heavy traffic would be an issue, but a open space is so necessary at this intersection
Thats just silly. The park on Keele just south of Dupont (East side where the Bowling club is located), is right on Keele. It's used often and no one complains about its proximity to the road, they just enjoy the fact that theres a park in the neighbourhood.
The air pollution from traffic at that spot is bad. The space should be converted to a naturalized green space full of trees, not a park or garden, and let the trees do the job of cleaning the air. This naturalized space would be a welcome relief from the canyon of concrete that is forming between the condo and the wall of Public Storage.
Personally I'd prefer to see all that open space disappear on Keele north of Dundas up to the railway. Leave a park here perhaps, but redevelop the gas station, strip mall, and surface parking lots, and the storage place for a more attractive urban streetscape like Dundas. If one developer handled this, then the park could be a section 37 gift.
Call me a cynic, but what you or I might be asked to pay for that lot (if it were actually for sale) is not what the city would be asked to pay. I'm sure the price would be dramatically higher, but it is a moot point since, as others have pointed out, this is not suitable for a park.