Quote:
Originally Posted by shazapple
I hope they err on the side of more green space and more exhibition space rather than more housing. It's not every day you get 31 acres of 'empty' land in a downtown area and to fill it with houses would be a waste of potential.
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Housing is a fundamental need and to call it a "waste of potential" is problematic on lots of levels.
Undoubtedly this project will include some level of green space. I was told by a city councillor that much of the existing racetrack can't be redeveloped due to it being part of the city's wellfield area. But calling for more green space is odd to me considering the property's proximity to both Odell and Wilmot parks. I think the natural path here is to create a green corridor that connects both parks, which would be hugely beneficial not just to the new residents that will be living in that area but also to the rest of the users of those parks.
I think it's also safe to say that we will see some level of mixed use development in this area. Most of the newer, larger developments within the core of the city have ground floor commercial or offices with apartments above and I don't expect this to be any different.
There's a strong need for housing downtown and without developing properties like this and the old rail yards between York and Regent the natural path is to replace older housing stock with larger apartment buildings. This of course takes away from the city's character and it also displaces people who are currently living in more affordable housing. I think incremental infill development is important, and we've seen some great examples of it downtown over the last 10 years or so, but it's not enough to keep up with the demand.
It's also important to maximize the use of properties that already have strong infrastructure on site. Not just water and sewer but also transit options, trail connections, and amenities that are nearby. This makes the city more sustainable for everyone and it helps to pay for the very spread out infrastructure that we have thanks to 75 years of suburbanization and sprawl.