Ford's move to control of port lands denounced

The Globe and Mail:

Plans by the Ford administration to seize control of development in the port lands go against a commitment from three levels of government to create a large urban park at the mouth of the Don River, says Glen Murray, the provincial cabinet minister who is MPP for the area.

Calling the move, “abrupt and odd,” Mr. Murray pointed out that most of the funds for Waterfront Toronto have come from provincial and federal coffers, with the city’s contributions mostly in the form of land.

Urban designer and architect Ken Greenberg, a key player in the winning design to transform the mouth of the Don River, said it would be “foolish” and costly for the city to walk away from decades of planning, especially when the efforts of Waterfront Toronto are bearing fruit.

“The timing is astonishing, given what we’re achieving,” said Mr. Greenberg, referring to activity in the East Bayfront area including the new Corus building and the planned waterfront campus of George Brown College. “The idea that you are now somehow doing a fire sale at a time when things are working just seems perverse.”

Waterfront Toronto defended its plan for the port lands – which involved years of consultations and received unanimous approval from city council exactly one year ago. An election in November changed the composition of council and brought in Mr. Ford as mayor.

The port lands plan took years to finalize, said Waterfront Toronto spokeswoman Marisa Piattelli.

Area Councillor Pam McConnell warned that any effort to change plans for the mouth of the Don River and the port lands – both approved by council – could open the city to lawsuits from developers in adjacent areas.

“You can’t just rewrite history because you won an election,” she said. Private developers have invested millions in the East Bayfront and other nearby sites because of all three governments’ plans for the Lower Don Lands.

Continue reading here.