London Construction - Development News Thread #1

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Blitz

Any idea what they're building next to The Spoke?

Student services centre. contiguous to the UCC, which will be undergoing extensive renovations once the new rec centre opens.

[y2k_pony]

Originally Posted by ldoto

Update!!! Of Renaissance tower at King and Ridout
Watch this video it is one of the neatest of downtown London I've seen in a long time!!!!!!

http://www.lfpress.com/newsstand/Videos/...84ac169eb4fec0e065d1944fedd&rf=bmtarget= This one is from lfp!!


http://www.torontosun.com/video/home.htm...681a17c3ba9c0afc28066f8d7ff30c65b9e97e51 This one the from Sun!!!


Al Weiche steps into his office, 404 feet above the ground, after working momentarily on the rear of the construction crane. Weiche loves his job, mainly lifting huge hoppers full of concrete to pour walls and floors for the Renaissance tower at King and Ridout streets.

that would be a sweet job!

[QuantumLeap]

Exciting new development at Beaverbrook and Riverside!

Old Oak is proposing a 296 unit development on "Sugarcreek Trail" directly across from the Mount Pleasant cemetary on Beaverbrook Av, just a block North of Riverside Dr. The development will take the form of 4 five-floor buildings forming a "streetwall" along the street. This is elegant, comfortable, livable density at its best. For those who don't know, this proposal closely mirrors a similar, approved development just North of it.

http://www.london.ca/Planning/PDFs/OZ-7573.pdf

Dancing bananas anyone?

[ldoto]

Update!!!! on the Capitol Theatre building
It is about time the city wake up!!!!!


A premium that city hall would pay to lease office space at the Capitol Theatre building would be well spent if the city can create and adopt a broader plan to improve the core, some business leaders say.

Among the most optimistic is Bob Usher, chairperson of the London Downtown Business Association.

"This is one step to bring downtown back," he said yesterday.

The proposed Capitol deal, which will be considered Monday by city council, would have the city pay $5.6 million over 20 years. That works out to $34.19 per square foot, or $9 more than what a standard office building would charge.

There's broad political consensus on city council that heritage properties downtown are vital to making the core distinct and lively.




But saving heritage costs money, not only to preserve but also to make properties usable for offices or retail. And money is in short supply:

- At city hall, council has imposed a $30-million debt cap on borrowing for public works as it slowly removes itself from debt brought on by mega- projects such as the John Labatt Centre.

- Owners of downtown heritage properties need more money to rehabilitate their buildings than they could collect from tenants.

If the private sector is to invest in downtown heritage, it must be able to charge rents higher than the going rate of $25 a square foot for office space, said Gerry Macartney of the London Chamber of Commerce.

Investing in the Capitol and the adjoining Bowles Building won't, by itself, bring those changes, he said.

City hall must harness efforts in a co-ordinated way, so that over time, rental rates rise. "I've yet to hear that direction -- that's my concern," Macartney said.

It won't work to protect heritage piecemeal as properties come under threat.

"What happens next week when another property comes along (seeking help)? Are we going to keep on subsidizing them?" he asked.

London's board of control backs the proposed deal with Capitol landlord Shmuel Farhi, who once said he'd bulldoze the core landmark unless the city leased space there.

Farhi defended the deal yesterday as good for taxpayers.

While the rent is higher than that of a standard office, it's less than what Farhi charges the federal and Ontario governments to rent other heritage properties downtown.

"It's the fair market value for a heritage building," he said.

The premium rent for heritage is deserved, said Farhi, who claims he'll spend $1 million more to rehabilitate the Capitol building than he will get back in rent.

[ldoto]

London's downtown Coffee Office is doubling in size to meet growing demand.
The Dundas Street centre where traveling businesspeople or home-based entrepreneurs can rent office space for a low, monthly rate is planning now to add a second floor.

"It is exciting, we are very pumped about this, " says Casi Conquergood, general manager of The Coffee Office.

Right now, the business features a front restaurant area and a private office area where businesspeople can rent small offices or large, formal offices, as well as two boardrooms.

Construction is expected to start this fall on the expansion and Conquergood hopes it will be completed by the new year.




The expansion will add a seminar room to the second floor which will be able to hold 40 people, so it can accommodate large, day-long meetings for businesses and agencies on site.

"We know there is a market, we are turning people away right now," says Conquergood. "Hotel meeting rooms are expensive, this will be a lot more affordable."

The move will help drive growth for the business which has seen food sales jump more than 50 per cent since the spring, while its leasing business is up about 10 per cent, she says.

Evelina Silveira, owner of Diversity@Work, understands why the office is on a growth curve.

She operates a home-based business and needs a space in which to conduct interviews, meet clients, or just stop and work when she is downtown for meetings -- or simply needs to get out of the house and away from working on her laptop at the dining room table.

"It is professional and private. It is good for me and besides it gives me an excuse to get dressed up," she laughs.

"The prices here are very reasonable, I can rent space for small meetings."
A membership starts at $120 if renting on a month-to month basis, six months in advance costs $90 a month a full year is $75 a month.

That includes furniture, cleaning, high-speed wireless Internet, calling anywhere in North America, mail boxes so business mail does not get mixed-up at home with personal mail, photocopy, fax, printer and scanner services.
It boasts 10 smaller, cubicle offices used by about 100 members, and about 12 larger, formal offices which range from $700 to $1,200 a month.

"Business is getting better by the day. People realize we are here and it is picking up," says Conquergood.

[MolsonExport]

^kinda amazing that such a minor thing warrants so much space in our newspaper. What does that say about London, or more precisely, the London Free Press?

[QuantumLeap]

I take exception with your cynicism Molson- everyone knows we have a somewhat lousy local paper. But we don't have to have a lousy SSP page - might I gently suggest that we avoid glorifying these wasteful Free Press articles by restricting them from our page? Obviously, this wouldn't apply to more significant, real development posts such as the one about the Capitol.

[MolsonExport]

^point taken, and I've adapted my post accordingly.

[ldoto]

Mon, September 29, 2008


This is one step to bring downtown back'

Capitol deal would cost city dearly

Curtain falls on Capitol theatre



Grudging acceptance of a city hall plan to lease space in the former Capitol Theatre to help save the core landmark, is the mood of some council members heading into a vote tonight.

Under the proposed deal with owner Shmuel Farhi, the city would sign a long-term lease on the Dundas Street site at premium rent, with Farhi renovating the building and the adjacent Bowes Building.

The deal would give heritage preservation a boost and city hall more room.

Some business leaders have already said the extra cost may be worth it, if the city finds a way to use the project as a catalyst for broader area renewal.

"I am very torn on this issue," Controller Gina Barber said over the weekend. "I want to see the streetscape preserved."

That sentiment was echoed by others on council, who tonight will consider the 20-year deal tonight that would see city hall move some office workers into the building at 204 Dundas St.

Board of control and city administration have recommended the plan, under which the city would pay $5.6 million over 20 years to occupy the Capitol and Bowes buildings, and Farhi would renovate both.

The move is seen by some as one that would preserve the heritage facade of the two properties and prevent the further slide of Dundas Street.




But the rent, at $9 a square foot more than comparable office space downtown, would cost taxpayers an extra $1.47 million over the life of the lease.

"It's quite a premium," said Barber.

"It's a lot of money to retain a facade."

She said she's "in a quandary about it and I'm looking for answers."

Also wrestling with the plan's pros and cons are councillors Nancy Branscombe and David Winninger.

"I kind of agree it would be a catalyst for others to do it," Branscombe said of the proposal, but she wondered if council will be faced with picking and choosing among other projects that come up.

"How much do we invest in downtown?" she asked.

"It's never enough."

Branscombe said, "it's a pretty big commitment," adding she needs to get more information and mull it over.

Winninger said he'd hoped for a shorter -- and less costly -- lease.

"I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the duration or the price per square foot," he said.

"I envisioned a 10-year lease and maybe at a lower square-foot rate." He said he would listen to the presentation tonight before making up his mind.

Councillors Harold Usher and Walter Lonc expressed some concerns, but were more inclined to support the plan.

"We have to do something with that building," said Usher, adding Dundas Street would be worse off without the theatre and its facade.

"I think we have to pay a little extra," Usher said.

He wants to ensure a city use that produces plenty of pedestrian traffic is contemplated.

"We need to get liveliness back on Dundas," he said.

Lonc said London's strengths are its river, parks and heritage buildings, so he will support the lease deal.

Once existing high vacancy rates for core office space drop, he said, rents will increase, closing the differential between what the city would pay and what others pay.

CAPITOL THEATRE

1920: Opens as Allen's theatre, a week after opening of the nearby Loews theatre.

1924: Renovated and rebranded as Capitol Theatre.

1976: Remodelled, it reopens with two cinemas.

2002: Closes, though a "temporarily closed" sign dangles faint hope of a comeback.

2006: Sold to Shmuel Farhi.

[ldoto]

Council buys into Capitol idea

Tue, September 30, 2008


London city council voted last night to spend more than $5.6 million to save the facade of the Capitol Theatre and convert the interior for civic offices, agreeing to a 20-year lease that nearly split politicians down the middle.

By a vote of nine to seven, council rejected calls for a better deal for taxpayers, arguing the lease was the best that could be done to save the Capitol and jump start the central core along Dundas Street.

"If we turn our back on (Capitol landlord Shmuel Farhi), we're turning our back on heritage and downtown revitalization," Coun. Steve Orser said.

"This is an opportunity to show the rest of the community we mean business," Coun. Harold Usher said.

While critics said the lease was too costly for taxpayers who have already spent $100 million trying to revitalize downtown, Controller Gord Hume said all that spending was necessary.




"I've been supportive of every dollar we've spent downtown . . . We knew, very clearly, from the start, that this (lease) would be very costly."

Just how costly was not clear earlier this year, when council asked the city's finance chief Vic Cote to negotiate a 10-year lease at rates comparable to those in the marketplace for heritage buildings.

Cote estimated the city might spend an extra $350,000 beyond what it would cost to lease from a conventional office building to make it worthwhile for Farhi to preserve the facade and completely redo the interior so it can be used as an office.

The lease council approved yesterday is much richer, paying an extra $1.46 million over 20 years.

The city can do better for taxpayers, Coun. Nancy Branscombe said. Soon, council will consider a bylaw that would require landlords of heritage properties to maintain them. With the bylaw around the corner, city hall has leverage to get a better lease than one Branscombe described as the longest and costliest ever.

She took issue with Cote, who acknowledged when questioned he had agreed to a lease rate without finding comparable heritage properties other than the one the city owns -- the J. Allyn Taylor building.

"I do support heritage, but I don't think it's at any cost," she said.

Her concerns mirrored some found in a letter sent to councillors by developer David Tennant, president of the Hampton Group.

"This proposal is not a good deal for the taxpayers," Tennant wrote.

Tennant questioned Cote's numbers and suggested the amount paid to Farhi above market rates was about $2 million and that the deal will only motivate other landlords to seek bailouts.

Farhi has maintained the lease is as good or better than at his other heritage buildings and that it will cost him $1 million more than he'll get back.

If the costs to convert the Capitol are more than expected, Farhi pays.

[MolsonExport]

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2008/10/01/6938856-sun.html
Wed, October 1, 2008

Nature gardens, picnic pavilions, play areas and a splash pad are included in the plans

By DEBORA VAN BRENK



Grand Bend Getting Grander
Work begins on a $3.5 million beachfront development project in Grand Bend.

Tales in the Sand

Adding a splash pad to Grand Bend's famous beach may seem odd, like shipping ice to Nunavut in winter, but piped-in water is part of a new wave at the summer hotspot.

But that's not the only twist.

A $3.5-million transformation of the area around the Lake Huron beach has begun.

The project will feature a boardwalk with night lighting and six lookouts to showcase the Bend's sunsets, ranked among the world's finest.

It will also include nature gardens, a picnic pavilion, shade trees, benches, dune grasses, clearer boundaries for traffic and people, a kids' playground and a splash pad.


But will teenagers and twentysomethings -- the lifeblood of Grand Bend's summer economy -- warm to it all? Definitely, said Lambton Shores Mayor Gord Minielly.

"We're really not interfering in the beach, per se. We're just making it friendly for a lot more people," he said.

"There are lots of places to sit down and enjoy the beauty of the beach."

People have talked for 35 years of improving the gateway to the beach, he said.

"It's finally going to happen."

If the waves are too high for kids to swim safely or if someone in a wheelchair wants the sights and sounds of a beach without all the sand, they can play in or near the splash pad, wheel about on the boardwalk or recline under a tree.

The environment also gets a break. Night lighting will be solar-powered, the gardens will feature native plants and large umbrellas will protect against damaging sun rays.

There are also dune-grass buffer zones, with the added benefit of reducing the need for so many trucks to scoop and return sand that makes its way to streets, Minielly said.

The designs, including the boardwalk, are meant to mimic the waves that lap against the shore, said Scott Taylor, president of general contractor McLean Taylor Construction Inc. of St. Marys.

The firm has more than the usual stake in doing a good job: Taylor spent summers growing up at Grand Bend, and two principals in the firm have cottages within a stone-skip of the beach.

Sub-contractors and suppliers are local.

"We are very cognizant of the importance of this project and understand completely that this is going to be the showcase for the municipality and, in some cases, the entire region," Taylor said.

The area now is closed to cars -- although people have been making their way to the beach anyhow --while construction takes place.

The work should be done by June 1 next year.

Grand Bend is also looking to get full Blue Flag status next year, an international designation that shows its commitment to environment, ecology and education.

Of the cost, the community hopes to raise $1.5 million through fundraising and is trying to get grants for the rest.

---

Open pavillion structure with mowed turf area for picnicking

Major pedestrian arrival plaza with themed paving and planting

Beach promenade/ boardwalk

Naturalized buffer area

Existing beach facilities building with shade sails

Terraced buffer with native and naturalized planting

Existing beach to remain untouched

Children's themed waterplay/splash pad area

Picnic plaza with shade umbrellas

Children's themed play area

EDA Collaborative Inc., Toronto

[VectorBoy]

Galleria just got a new restaurant..

The Taco Del Mar at Galleria Mall is set to open soon, the front sign is up and lit, and they've been actively working on the internals of the newest tennant in the food court -- the same can't be said for Arby's, though. Announced in February it's still yet to make any progress in actual development, set to open "this summer", it has yet to happen, and that portion of the sign has since been removed.

There's also plans for a new deli and coffee bar to go in to the left of Subway, on the raised partition, to bridge the gap between Suzi Sheer and the rest of the food court..

[MolsonExport]

That's Arby's for you...everywhere. Here today, gone tomorrow. Announced, then never opened.

[london2020]

When does the city decide how it's going to spend the money being given by the ontario government?

[ldoto]

It's Looking good for the Downtown!!!!!

[QuantumLeap]

By Paul Mayne
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The University of Western Ontario has outlined $700 million in potential construction, including a new $100-million Ivey building, as the university shifts to the second phase of its Long-Range Space Plan.

The list is outlined in a letter to the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) as the university seeks a share of a planned $60-billion provincial infrastructure plan expected to renew all types of provincial public structures, from sewers and waterworks to new educational facilities.

Western has identified six ‘category 1’ projects totaling more than $200 million that are either already underway in terms of detailed planning or into serious pre-planning stages.

Another 15 projects totaling $489 million have been included as ‘category 2’ projects, longer-term projects identified during the recent planning process. Category 2 projects are considered desirable but they are at such an early stage planning is only at a preliminary stage (in some cases no planning has been done) and cost projections are of a ballpark nature only.

The projects include:

Category 1 (all data preliminary)

*New Ivey Building - $100 million (MTCU request - $50 million). The 225,000-square-foot facility would allow for expansion of the HBA program (from five to eight incoming classes) and the MBA (from three to four classes) and is considered necessary for Ivey to compete at the International level. It would be located on the area now used as soccer fields near Western Road.

*Physics & Astronomy Building Renovations - $25 million (MTCU request - $16 million) The 97,000 square feet of renewed space would modernize the existing outdated facility, including electrical, HVAC, IT infrastructure and teaching/research facilities. The province has already provided $9 million.

*Stevenson-Lawson Building Renovations - $20 million (MTCU request - $15 million). The 124,000 square feet of renewed space would house programs with expanding graduate enrolments, including Classical Studies, Philosophy, History and Women's Studies. The building will house 200 graduate students.

*UCC Renovations - $12 million (MTCU request - $6 million). The 41,000 square feet of renewed space would create classrooms in space vacated by Campus Recreation and would support graduate expansion and meet undergraduate teaching needs.

*Campus Sustainability Initiatives - $30 million (MTCU request - $30 million). This would include the replacement of windows, upgraded insulation, water management systems, electricity management systems, and a co-generation system.

*Physical Plant Building Renovations - $15 million (MTCU request - $10 million) The 57,500 square feet of renewed space would create a new home for the expanding Faculty of Information & Media Studies, now in the North Campus Building. It will house 315 graduate students and expanded teaching facilities.

“The provincial government is at an early stage of developing its plans for a $60-billion public infrastructure program for Ontario, which is intended to span at least the next decade, and has offered universities a chance to be part of these considerations,” says Fred Longstaffe, Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

“We welcome this invitation to be included in provincial infrastructure planning in this way – it represents a new opportunity for us.”

Should additional provincial funding be made available for any of the projects, it would open room within the university's capital budget for additional projects to be considered, notes Longstaffe, adding all items on the Category 1 list - other than the campus sustainability initiative - have been discussed at the Senate and Board levels.

Of note is the $100-million Ivey project, included as one of the university’s planned future projects in the 2008-’09 budget.
If the building’s pricetag holds close to the current estimate (architects have not been hired), the building would be second only to the $158 million in building permits issued to London Health Sciences Centre (Westminster Campus) as London’s most expensive building.

Longstaffe says Ivey is an extraordinarily important part of the university.

“Ivey's students are of the highest academic standing, and its national and international standing contribute enormously to Western's recognition and academic stature around the world,” he says.

“A new, high-impact facility is required for Ivey to bring together again, with all of the important synergies that this would provide, its growing HBA and MBA classes, which are currently physically separated.”

A new facility is required for Ivey to retain its international position in the face of strong competition worldwide, he says.

“Ivey's strong and well-deserved reputation for education at the highest level, coupled with its strong and influential research performance – including an outstanding PhD program, make Ivey one of Western's pre-eminent flagships in Ontario, in Canada and around the world.”

“We intend to preserve this advantage in the important areas of HBA, MBA, EMBA, PhD and executive education – where we compete successfully with the best in the world.”

Longstaffe says funding needs to be in place before the project can be considered for approval, as Western is unable to take on additional debt to finance the project.

While Ivey has a strong fundraising plan in place, Western has promised $22.5 million toward the project – once other funding is in place – because the current Ivey facility would be freed-up for other academic purposes.

Some category 2 new construction projects include an astro-materials facility ($26.5 million), performing arts facility ($40 million), musculoskeletal research facility ($25 million) and a new facility for Chemistry and Brain & Mind ($40 million).

The major category 2 renewal projects include $175 million to modernize University College, Dental Sciences, Spencer Engineering, Thames Hall, Music, Elborn and Nursing.

Longstaffe says the projects listed in category 2 are very preliminary, and at this stage, simply provide the government a sense of unmet infrastructure needs.

“You will note that there is a balance between new space and renewal of existing space in these lists,” he says. “Renewal of existing infrastructure continues to be as important to Western as the development of new space.”

Longstaffe says the lists Western provided to the provincial government can be refreshed on a regular basis. Through this year's annual planning process, further information is being gathered on needs across the university.

“Each and every one of the category 2 projects would require substantial additional discussion and Board (of Governors) approval, and their relative place in our priorities as a university would need to be revisited as a part of our ongoing annual planning processes,” he says.

While the provincial government is in the early stages of designing its 10-year, $60-billion public infrastructure plan, Longstaffe expects it would be many months, at the earliest, before any first decisions might be taken on specific projects to receive funding.

“At this stage, I think that the most important point is that Western has a range of well-developed plans already in place and is working on a list of potential projects to be developed for the future,” he says.

[QuantumLeap]

By Paul Mayne
Thursday, October 2, 2008
With a company slogan of ‘energizing chemistry’, the relocation of LANXESS Inc. to The University of Western Research and Development Park is considered “a perfect fit” for the global research and development group.


Work on the 60,000 square-foot addition to Western’s Research and Development Park is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2009. The new facility will house Surface Science Western and LANXESS Inc.


Currently operating in Sarnia, the move to London will also bring the global responsibility for research and development of butyl and butyl-like elastomers. Three world-scale rubber-manufacturing sites in Belgium, Canada and Singapore will be supported by the LANXESS site at the research park.

Relocation to the 60,000-square-foot London site, which will support 120 employees, will be completed by the end of 2009.

Surface Science Western, a main campus consulting and research lab providing analytical services to industries producing metallic and plastic components, is a facility with a staff of 14 scientists and engineers that will join LANXESS in the new facility.

"This move certainly strengthens the LANXESS commitment to innovation and growth in butyl manufacturing both in Canada and globally," Ralf Schenkel, head of Global Research & Development for Butyl Rubber, told Western News in an interview.

“Our company looked for a location linked with a leading research-intensive university.”

LANXESS is a leader in specialty chemicals with 2007 sales of more than $10 billion and around 15,200 employees in 21 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacture and sale of specialty chemicals, plastics, rubber and intermediates.

Schenkel says the new facility aims to create a global centre of excellence for material research and give LANXESS researchers access to people and equipment at all academic levels, plus the added synergies of collaborating in a multidisciplinary environment.

LANXESS looked globally when looking to relocate its research and development group, including Asia, Europe and other parts of Canada, he says. But the Western research park ultimately stood out among other potential sites for a number of reasons.

“It was a combination of many things,” says Schenkel. “Certainly, Ontario is a good place to conduct research and development, and coming to the research park you enter an environment with start-up companies. You’re also close to the university, which gives you access to cutting-edge technology.”

Schenkel says the potential for collaboration is strong for a wide variety institutions, business and industry, adding Western will be part of that partnership. “There are collaborations ongoing and there is a definite interest to deepen that relationship,” says Schenkel.

[QuantumLeap]

Major core developers eye long-term parking
Wed, October 8, 2008

By KELLY PEDRO

Three of downtown London's largest developers want to partner with the city to create more core parking.

Farhi Holdings Corp., the Tricar Group and Sifton Properties Ltd. have each expressed an interest in working with the city to develop long-term parking, Deputy Mayor Tom Gosnell said yesterday.

Whether there's enough downtown parking, and what city hall should do, isn't a new or politically clear-cut issue.

But this is the first time specific firms have been identified by a downtown parking task force, or working group as it's called, as potentially willing partners in any project -- a parking garage, for example -- the city might take on.

The final decision would be left to city council, but Gosnell said the group -- its latest report goes to board of control today -- is considering several options, including:


- Whether to buy land to use for a parking facility.

- Partnering with a company already building extra parking downtown.

- An arrangement similar to that at the Covent Garden Market, where the city built an underground parking garage and RBC bought about half the spots for its workers.

Farhi Holdings owns many downtown buildings, while Tricar and Sifton are also key players in the core.

Tricar is building the high-rise Renaissance apartment tower on the downtown's west side. Sifton developed the One London Place office tower.

The parking debate's return is sure to set off sparks, with divisions evident on board of control, where any new project would have to begin as a recommendation to council.

Gosnell, a controller, warns that without more parking spaces, the downtown won't attract more office buildings.

"No one is going to invest $10 million renovating a building, for example, and when they need 30 to 40 parking spots they're not available," he said.

But opponents say the city shouldn't invest tax dollars in a venture that might not be profitable and should look at a better transit system instead.

"We're being really short-sighted thinking about cities around cars and the movement of cars," said Controller Gina Barber, who also sits on the parking working group. She voted against a plan to develop a business case looking at the potential for public-private parking partnerships.

Shmuel Farhi of Farhi Holdings, many of whose buildings lack parking, said there's a "huge shortage of parking spaces" and the most sensible solution is to build a parking garage.

Owners of more costly office towers that have parking have questioned whether the city should subsidize parking for other businesses by going ahead with a parking garage.

Barber said a rapid transit system would work for most downtown office workers.

But Gosnell said if the solution was as simple as that, it would've been solved by now.

Barber also said the market turmoil makes it a bad time to think of spending tax dollars to help build a parking facility, especially if those spaces would cost $5,000 a year for the venture to break even.

If the city doesn't develop more parking, pressure will grow to knock down buildings to create surface parking, said Gosnell.

"That is a losing proposition all the way around for the city, for the tax base, for the appearance of the downtown. We don't want that to happen," he said.

[MolsonExport]

From the Western News (UWO faculty publication), Oct 9/08

During 2006-07, the City of London experienced a net influx of 3,020 persons, third highest in Ontario after Toronto and Ottawa-Gatineau. During the period, 17,450 people moved to London, while 14,430 left, according to Statistics Canada. The region with the highest net inflow per capita was the oil-sands-rich Fort McMurray area of Alberta.

-take that, KW!

[QuantumLeap]

Parking garage plan runs into wall
Thu, October 9, 2008
Taxpayers' dollars should not be earmarked for the project, controller contends

By JONATHAN SHER, SUN MEDIA

Amid an economic slowdown, London taxpayers shouldn't subsidize the building of a downtown parking garage to be used by business, Controller Gina Barber says.

"The building of a downtown bunker for cars is not going to be the solution," Barber told board of control yesterday.

Her comments came as three of downtown London's largest developers -- Farhi Holdings Corp., the Tricar Group and Sifton Properties Ltd. -- expressed interest in partnering with the city to build a core parking garage.

An advocate for more core parking, Deputy Mayor Tom Gosnell said any number of sites might work, including:

- The two towers being built by Tricar at the corner of King and Ridout streets, which will include a parking structure for residents, but where more space might be built in partnership with the city.


- At the northwest corner of King and Clarence streets, where there's a surface parking lot owned by a consortium of leading business people and developers.

Gosnell argues a lack of longterm parking downtown has made it tough for office building owners to fill them, a concern shared by Farhi, who owns many smaller buildings in the core that lack parking.

While there was no decision made by the board, that the parking matter was cited at all on an agenda was enough to raise alarms for Barber, who warned of using tax dollars with the global economy in shambles.

"I really have concerns with this."

A consultant's report showed 70 per cent of downtown parking spaces are typically being used, Barber said.

"That does not suggest there is an immediate need."

That report also showed that each spot in a garage would generate $1,200 a year, far short of the $5,000 needed to break even, leaving taxpayers to pay the rest.

That's something not to be considered lightly when the beneficiaries would be business owners who bought core buildings that were cheap because they lacked parking, Barber said. Owners of some more costly office towers with parking have questioned whether the city should subsidize parking for others.