Lawrence Heights Revitalization (TCHC) | Proposed | ??? m | 20 st, ??? st | Lawrence Heights

[kettal]

Has anybody here been following this project?

The latest information in TCHC's website is from August 2008. It's a newsletter promising a final plan in winter 2008. But if there is a final plan, it's not online.

Anybody got any updates? Thanks.

[Mollywood]

Lawrence Heights is a huge area. If they upped the density to decent levels, it would greatly increase the population and make it a much better place. I hope this continues. Regent Park looks to be getting off to a great start.

[ssiguy2]

Where the hell is Lawrence Heights?

[TheCharioteer]

Lawrence Heights straddles the Allen Expressway north of Lawrence in Toronto. The redevelopment is described on the website www.torontohousing.ca but there aren't any recent updates.

[intervention]

It's such a strange area; I live just northwest of Yorkdale and hung out in the area as a teenager. Honestly, it didn't register on my radar because it's so tucked away from everything, particularly with that condo blocking most of the post-war development from Lawrence.

[monkeyronin]

Lawrence Heights, bottom-centre, in the context of the city (just wanted an excuse to post this)

http://www.urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?t=1736

[DanfromTO]

great picture really puts it into perspective .... u can see the path that the spadina subway takes directly into downtown

[ssiguy2]

Thanks for the info.

[TheCharioteer]

Update from Novae Res Urbis April 24/09 (a planning newsletter):

FRIDAY • APRIL 24 • 2009 NRU • CITY OF TORONTO EDITION • 3
ONE YEAR LATER
Planning Lawrence
Heights
By Amy Lazar
It’s been nearly a year since officials from Toronto
Community Housing Corporation and the city gathered
the media in the middle of Lawrence Heights and
announced the move to revitalize and rebuild the neighbourhood
from the inside out.
Since that day in June 2008, planners inside the corporation
and outside consultants have been working with “community
animators,” who are local residents hired to survey
their neighbours, to gather information
that will ultimately help transform the
isolated and run-down neighbourhood
at Lawrence Avenue and Allen Road.
(See NRU-Toronto edition June 6, 2008.)
“We are getting close to going back
to the residents and showing them a
few options and getting feedback,”
TCHC Lawrence Heights revitalization
project manager Lorne Cappe
told NRU in an interview.
There are about 3,500 residents living
on about 100 acres of land in the
low-density neighbourhood that was
build in the 1950s using a garden suburb
approach. There is one way in and
one way out from Lawrence Avenue
and about half of the derelict homes
are three or four storey walk-ups,
which is challenging for seniors and
young mothers with baby carriages.
About half of the resident population
is under 16 years old and there are
five schools in the area. However, as
with many schools in the Toronto district
and catholic school boards, there is low enrolment, the
schools only offer certain grade levels and some are in a
state of disrepair, having been deemed prohibitive to repair.
“In some respects, it’s similar to our dilemma. It doesn’t
make sense to continue to put money into buildings that
have to be replaced,” Cappe said.
“Toronto Community Housing beginning to look at the
revitalization of Lawrence Heights allowed the school
board an opportunity to rationalize their schools and the
programs.”
One of the loudest requests from resident surveys was
the need to reconnect Lawrence Heights to the surrounding
neighbourhoods, which include local schools, community
centres, social services, medical buildings and employment
opportunities, said Cappe.
Similar to the Regent Park revitalization, the plan is to
replace the 1,208 units and create a mixed-use neighbourhood.
More than 500 townhouses will be replaced with similar-
sized units—some with five bedrooms—in addition to
the market units. Local businesses will be sought that will
enter into agreements to hire local residents.
As well, residents have voiced concerns about the Allen
Road dividing the neighbourhood. There is only one eastwest
bridge that allows residents to cross the expressway,
however, south of Lawrence Avenue down to Eglinton
Avenue, there is seven connections.
“Clearly, in this neighbourhood, it wasn’t deemed to be
important to have those connections. The idea that we’ve
heard from residents and that we’re trying to put into place
is a series of connections, re-introducing a grid that allows
people to move around the area,” Cappe said.
The city is also undertaking a Lawrence-Allen secondary
study, which incorporates a larger area and about 17,000 residents,
and consultants are looking specifically at the Allen
Road, he added.
A year ago, it was expected that construction could begin
as early as fall 2010, but co-ordinating with the city’s secondary
plan work and other agencies like the school boards has
pushed the roll-out to 2011 at the earliest.

[current]

Globe article:

Lawrence Heights Makeover Could be Jeopardized


ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Tuesday, Nov. 09, 2010 3:00AM EST
Last updated Tuesday, Nov. 09, 2010 3:04AM EST


An ambitious makeover of one of Canada’s largest and oldest housing complexes could be in jeopardy if mayor-elect Rob Ford follows through on his pledge to put the kibosh on the city’s Lawrence Heights revitalization.

The 25-year project aims to turn the impoverished maze of cul-de-sacs and low-rise buildings in decades-old disrepair into a dense, mixed-income neighbourhood of condos, townhouses and public-housing apartments. It was approved by a huge majority at city council in July. However, Mr. Ford was one of two councillors who voted against it – and he has promised to put a halt to the proposal, which has the surrounding community worried it will turn their sleepy suburban area into a traffic-heavy neighbourhood.

That promise is the reason Claire Ciss voted for Mr. Ford in last month’s election. Now, she says, “I’m hoping Ford will have the guts” to put the brakes on a project she’s convinced will “ruin the community.”

Ironically, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation plan does exactly what Mr. Ford insists the city should do more often: leverage private-sector funds. The plan is to sell off much of the 44.5-hectare site to develop thousands of private, market-rate condos and townhouses – and use that money to pay for the badly needed rebuild of social housing.

But it’s the density – 7,500 units in total – and the traffic it would bring that have people like Ms. Ciss uneasy. She’s worried about the impact the influx of thousands of new residents will have on the Lawrence-Bathurst area’s close-knit Orthodox Jewish community.

“The idea of putting high-rises – six- to eight-storey high-rises – right next to single family housing … It’s going to affect the neighbourhood,” she said. “People here live in the small side streets. And we all would be very much affected.”

The city has yet to commit money to the revitalization beyond the resources spent so far on planning studies and consultation. That commitment that will come in 2011, when the city prepares to approve a secondary plan, and an implementation and financial strategy.

Howard Moscoe, the councillor who spearheaded the project, is retiring; his replacement Josh Colle said he supports a revamp of the area, but wants to consult with the community to tweak and find compromises.

“In my mind keeping Lawrence Heights as it is, the status quo, is not an option,” he said. “We’ve got to improve and fix it. So that’s my starting point. I’ve heard countless concerns about impacts of the density and the potential traffic impacts … I think all those things can be worked on.”

Advocates of the revitalization project argue that derailing it would mean the city loses a chance to invert Lawrence Heights’ post-war model of cloistered poverty – and ends up having to pay just as much to fix the decrepit houses itself.

Mr. Ford, for his part, has been a vocal critic of Toronto’s community housing – he’d rather see the city simply give out rent subsidies and have tenants use private apartments. There’s a 70,000-household waiting list for affordable housing in the city.

Paulos Gebreyesus, who works at the community health clinic at Lawrence Heights, has watched the revitalization consultation process warily. But as residents became less leery, and less afraid of being displaced, people became more hopeful the plan will bring about real change – even if it means defying anxieties created by the suggestion of ending the “two isolations” between Lawrence Heights and its surroundings.

“The big question” now is whether that will pan out, he said. “We’ve all got our eyes on decision-makers.”


By the numbers

44.5 - Number of hectares onsite

$240-million - Cost of roads, sewage pipes and community facilities.

1,208 - Number of units of social housing in Lawrence Heights.

3,500 - Number of social-housing residents now living in Lawrence Heights.

5,500 - Number of units to be added.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...36/?cmpid=rss1

[MysticMcGoo]

I dont see high densities working in Lawrence Heights either. This is not Jane-and-Finch. You would have to totally rejig the road network to accomadate large 8 story buildings. Doing this would also affect all the private dwellings in the area around the Allen as well. I say just spruce up the existing infrastructure in the area.

[monkeyronin]

Originally Posted by MysticMcGoo

I dont see high densities working in Lawrence Heights either. This is not Jane-and-Finch. You would have to totally rejig the road network to accomadate large 8 story buildings. Doing this would also affect all the private dwellings in the area around the Allen as well. I say just spruce up the existing infrastructure in the area.

Um, you do realize there's a subway station right in the middle of it, right?

[current]

From the City of Toronto "Lawrence-Allen Revitalization Project - Including Lawrence Heights" web site:http://www.toronto.ca/planning/lawre...len.htm#phase1


Lawrence-Allen Revitalization Plan Chapter 3: From Vision to Plan:
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/pdf/l...n_chapter3.pdf

[MysticMcGoo]

Originally Posted by monkeyronin

Um, you do realize there's a subway station right in the middle of it, right?

You mean Yorkdale station? That's not in the middle of Lawrence Heights! That is north of here. The subway runs through the area, but theres no station. Even if there was, it does not negate the fact that the area is full of cul-de-sacs that would need to be removed in order to absorb high densities. The roads would be torn up, residences around the area would no doubt be up in arms. The area was poorly designed to begin with. It's not touching any major roads, and is just kinda stuck in the middle of neighbourhoods of semi detached houses. It needed to have been on Lawrence West if they wanted to make any changes here.

[monkeyronin]

And Lawrence West to the south. The entirety of the complex is no more than 600 m from either station. If thats not calling for high-density development, I don't know what is.

[MysticMcGoo]

Refer to my previous post about plopping the complex into the middle of a neighbourhood composed of semi detached and detached houses. Unless the city wants to buy up those properties for massive redevelopment (Rob Ford? LOL good luck) I don't see how this area is going to see any large scale change. Maybe a new playground for the kiddies >_<

Dispersing the low-income residents throughout the city while the area is being torn apart won't be good fallout either.

[monkeyronin]

Originally Posted by MysticMcGoo

Refer to my previous post about plopping the complex into the middle of a neighbourhood composed of semi detached and detached houses.

How is that any different from any other high-density suburban neighbourhood? What makes Lawrence Park so unique that it will be unable to support a few mid-rises along a subway line, surrounded by detached homes?

Dispersing the low-income residents throughout the city while the area is being torn apart won't be good fallout either.

What do you think happened with Regent Park's residents while construction was done? It doesn't all get demolished at once, its just a building or two's people that are moved somewhere else for the time being.

[MysticMcGoo]

Originally Posted by monkeyronin

What do you think happened with Regent Park's residents while construction was done? It doesn't all get demolished at once, its just a building or two's people that are moved somewhere else for the time being.

How do you think those residents are coping now? They are basically treated like cattle. Moved from one project to another like cargo. It's not as bad as when people who have the means to afford a drastic relocation are involved. We are talking about people who are damn near broke. I'm pretty sure they aren't even compensated during the entire process. They are just promised new units once it's done. Woop de doo

[monkeyronin]

So what would you propose? Let them rot in deteriorating housing and a poorly designed neighbourhood? Let them camp in tents around the construction site? They need to go somewhere.

And of course residents aren't going to be compensated, because they don't own the property. I'm not 100% sure how it works, but I'd assume that they continue to pay a similar rate to the TCHC who houses them elsewhere...and then they get a new home out of it. Seems like a good deal to me.

[MysticMcGoo]

LH is not like Regent Park. The complex has not been neglected by maintainance. Considering its only 10 years younger than Regent Park, this neighbourhood is actually doing pretty well (aside from the occasional shooting, but thats the be expected in areas with a lot of public housing). Spruce up the interiors. That's about the only thing that needs to be done with Lawrence Heights. And whats so bad about cul-de-sacs in the suburbs? I can see it being a problem in a downtown setting, but out here the design is warranted. It beats ripping up the streets.

I'm not 100% sure how it works, but I'd assume that they continue to pay a similar rate to the TCHC who houses them elsewhere...and then they get a new home out of it

Its the exact same rate. Rent-geared-to income. Its totally subsidized government housing.

What if the only other TCHC facilities that can accomadate them are way out in the other end of the city? They have to find new schools for their kids, perhaps a new job, since it won't be close by anymore. Again, this is a very hard adjustment for the impoverished lifestyles they lead.

There is nothing wrong with Lawrence Heights the way it is now. Even in that article the girl said she wanted things to stay the way they were.