The goal of the initiative is to deliver a high-level road map for accelerating development and maximizing the value of the Port Lands as a unique city legacy. The undertaking is the result of Toronto City Council’s September 21 unanimous decision for Waterfront Toronto in conjunction with the City of Toronto to lead a review of the Port Lands and to ensure the process is informed by extensive public consultation.

An initial public meeting is being held from 6:30pm to 9:00pm on Monday December 12 at the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street. The meeting will include a summary of the work to date, the goals for the Port Lands initiative and an overview of acceleration opportunities and challenges for development.  The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to ask questions and discuss their goals and ideas for the Port Lands.

“The work being undertaken is an opportunity to seize the full potential of these lands and to deliver development of enduring value and legacy to the people of Toronto,” said Councillor Peter Milczyn, chair of the City’s Planning and Growth Committee. “It is a first step in realizing our joint objective of creating one of the world’s great waterfronts.”

The work is a highly collaborative process. Waterfront Toronto and the City are working closely with Toronto and Region Conservation and seeking input from other agencies such as The Toronto Port Lands Company and the Toronto Port Authority.  Stakeholders such as land owners, tenants, port users and sector specific groups are being engaged throughout the process.

Work on the Port Lands acceleration initiative is well underway. A series of technical working groups are examining key issues including land use and design, infrastructure and constructability, and real estate development and financing.  Waterfront Toronto has also issued or will be issuing a number of Requests for Proposals to competitively procure the required technical expertise.

“Our intent is to take a fresh and wide-ranging look at the challenges and opportunities of developing the Port Lands, including examining phasing options, higher-value interim uses, and the feasibility of modifying or removing existing constraints,” said Waterfront Toronto President and CEO John Campbell.

The comprehensive undertaking builds on the large body of work delivered to date on the Port Lands and Lower Don Lands and explores new ideas and creative solutions. The project includes:

• Further examining the options for the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection Environmental Assessment (EA) within the EA’s terms of reference, by reviewing costing and exploring options for value enhancements through such things as alternative construction approaches and project phasing, and by increasing the development potential of surrounding lands;
• Identifying financial and policy tools, incentives, and delivery mechanisms that enable development and offset or reduce the initial public sector investment needed to provide required infrastructure such as roads, services, utilities and flood protection;
• Exploring opportunities to increase private sector investment involvement; and
• Ensuring that the plan delivers a great waterfront for people to live, work and play.

Public consultation will play a central role in the creation of the go forward plan for the Port Lands and will include traditional in-person public meetings and interactive social media and/or web enabled consultations. The on-line consultation initiative is expected to launch early in 2012. In addition to the December 12 meeting, two rounds of public consultation are planned to be held throughout the city in 2012.

The final report on the results of the Port Lands review is expected to be completed for the June 2012 City Council meeting. On January 24, 2012 the City and Waterfront Toronto will provide City Council’s Executive Committee with a report on required funding for the review.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.7 million people. Toronto’s government is dedicated to delivering customer service excellence, creating a transparent and accountable government, reducing the size and cost of government and building a transportation city. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Media contacts:

Michelle Noble, Waterfront Toronto, 647-288-8048

Wynna Brown, City of Toronto, 416-392-8937

The prestigious awards are considered the Canadian industry standard for recognizing excellence in leadership and innovation in brownfield redevelopment and commitment to the remediation of brownfield projects. Waterfront Toronto’s pilot soil recycling facility won in the Remediation Technologies and Technological Innovation category.

“We are very proud and honoured that the Canadian Urban Institute acknowledged our pilot soil recycling facility with a Brownie,” said Waterfront Toronto President and CEO John Campbell.  “Soil recycling is an opportunity to turn contaminated soil into a resource instead of a liability.  Our pilot facility has the potential to change the way impacted soil is managed in Ontario.”

Waterfront Toronto established the Port Lands Pilot Soil Recycling facility in July 2010 as part of its soil management strategy and overall commitment to sustainability.  The objective of the pilot is to determine the viability of treating and reusing impacted soil as an alternative to the traditional dig-and-dump disposal of brownfield soil.

The revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront is one of the largest urban brownfield remediation projects in the world. Revitalization of the waterfront area depends on the ability to deal with soil that has been impacted by decades of industrial uses, and by infilling long ago when environmental standards were not as stringent as today.

Waterfront Toronto anticipates that it will need to manage approximately 2,000,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil over the next 10 to 20 years.  By recycling waterfront soil, Waterfront Toronto would be treating soil near its source, diverting soil from landfill, and providing a source of treated soil that can be used in waterfront revitalization projects.

The pilot enables Waterfront Toronto to fully assess the environmental, economic and operational viability of treating and reusing soil before committing to a full-scale recycling facility.  The goals of the pilot are to identify the range of treatment options and costs of remediating soil; confirm that impacted soil can be treated to an environmental condition that allows it to be reused in revitalization projects for residential, parkland and commercial projects; and showcase treatment technologies that will benefit brownfield remediation.

The pilot’s operators, DEC and Tetra Tech /Stuyvesant, began processing soil in early September. Testing is expected to be complete by early November, and then the operators will prepare reports for Waterfront Toronto’s review and assessment.

During the pilot approximately 20,000 cubic metres of soil are being processed employing the newest and best technologies available to treat contaminated soils.  The pilot’s operator teams are using soil washing, complemented by field trials of a number of other cutting-edge technologies. Both teams operate similar facilities in Europe and the United States.

Waterfront Toronto’s sustainable development approach is guided by a comprehensive Sustainability Framework, which serves as a roadmap to ensure that sustainability principles are woven into every facet of operations and decision making.  By employing global best practices and made-in-Toronto solutions, Waterfront Toronto is developing new waterfront communities that protect and enhance our natural environment, and that will ultimately be recognized as global models for sustainability.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

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Media Contact:
Tari Stork, Project Communications Manager, 416-214-1344 x 279

Waterfront Toronto, in conjunction with the City of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation, sought Toronto City Council’s authorization to submit all the necessary planning documents to support an Official Plan Amendment for the Lower Don Lands plans. The Official Plan Amendment paves the way for future revitalization of the area including rerouting the river, building flood protection and ultimately building new communities.

Council’s endorsement means the draft Don Mouth Environmental Assessment can be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment for approval under the Environmental Assessment Act, and the Official Plan Amendment and new Zoning By-law can be submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Natural Resources for consistency with provincial flood management policies.

Following approval by the ministries, the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law will go back to City Council in August for final approval.  If passed in August, Toronto’s Official Plan will be amended to enshrine the Lower Don Lands plans, ensuring future development in the area is in harmony with the principles and standards of the plan.

“Revitalization of the Lower Don Lands is an integral part of overall waterfront revitalization.  The renaturalized Don River will become the centerpiece of a 21st century, mixed-use neighbourhood,” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto.  “I’m confident the Lower Don Lands will finally realize its potential and become one of the most sought after spots in the City to live, dine, and relax at the water’s edge.”

Regeneration and development of the Lower Don Lands has until now been hindered by flood risk, isolation, soil and groundwater contamination and inadequate infrastructure.  The plans address and overcome these factors, and will protect more than 230 hectares (568 acres) of land currently at risk due to flooding.  The flood mitigation measures in the plan eliminate a potential half-billion dollar flood risk, while simultaneously unlocking the economic development potential for the lands.  The plans will transform this post-industrial area into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood that combines sustainable city building with major river restoration and naturalization.

The plans were developed as a result of an international design competition in 2007 and were taken through a rigorous technical analysis as part of a comprehensive environmental assessment.  Using an integrated design process, the plans skillfully apply ecology to reconnect the city, lake and river, and set the stage for wholesale transformation of the area.  The new Lower Don Lands will be a vibrant, mixed-use sustainable community and a sought-after destination to live, work and play.

The planning process for the Lower Don Lands has included extensive community and stakeholder consultation.  Numerous meetings with the public, non-profit agencies, community groups, private land owners and other stakeholders were held throughout the process.
In addition to being the recipient of several prestigious international awards, the Lower Don Lands project is also one of 18 projects of the Climate Positive Development Program, U.S. President Bill Clinton’s joint Climate Initiative with the U.S. Green Building Council.

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The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

For more information:
Lower Don Lands Backgrounder
Lower Don Lands Quick Facts

Media Contact:
Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, and Waterfront Toronto 416-214-1344 x 279
tstork@waterfrontoronto.ca

Waterfront Toronto, in conjunction with the City of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation, is seeking Toronto City Council’s authorization to submit all the necessary planning documents that would ultimately result in an Official Plan Amendment for the Lower Don Lands plans. The Official Plan Amendment would pave the way for future revitalization of the area including rerouting the river, building flood protection and ultimately building new communities.

At its July 6/7 meeting, Council will be asked to endorse the draft Don Mouth and Lower Don Lands environmental assessments.  If endorsed, the draft Don Mouth Environmental Assessment will then be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment for final approval under the Environmental Assessment Act.

Council will also be asked to endorse an Official Plan Amendment and new Zoning By-law, which require review by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Natural Resources for consistency with flood management policies.  If passed by Council in August, Toronto’s Official Plan will be amended to enshrine the Lower Don Lands plans and will bring the project to a point of readiness where funding and economic development opportunities can be seized.

The plans were already unanimously endorsed by Toronto City Council’s Executive Committee on June 14 and by Toronto and East York Community Council on June 22.

“This is a pivotal moment for the future of the Lower Don Lands and is the culmination of years of planning,

design and public consultation,”said John Campbell, President and CEO, Waterfront Toronto.“The plans for the Lower Don Lands represent a unique opportunity to remake a significant and vital part of Toronto’s waterfront.”

Until now, regeneration and development of the Lower Don Lands has been hindered by a number of factors including flood risk, isolation from the rest of the city, soil and groundwater contamination and insufficient infrastructure.  The Lower Don Lands plans address and overcome all of these factors, and will transform this post-industrial area into a sought-after destination to live, work and play based on design excellence, ecology and economic sustainability.

Following an international design competition in 2007, the plans were developed by a team led by world renowned landscape architectural firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc (MVVA). The plans were taken through a rigorous technical analysis as part of a comprehensive environmental assessment.  The process looked at several options and ultimately led to the development of the preferred alternative.  The MVVA led team used an integrated design approach – the collaboration of landscape architects, urban designers and leading sustainability experts –which brought together infrastructure, public realm, and ecology to connect the city, lake and river in a dynamic and balanced relationship at the mouth of the Don River.

The plans renaturalize the mouth of the Don River by rerouting it through the Lower Don Lands and at the same time protect more than 230 hectares (568 acres) of land currently at risk due to flooding. The flood mitigation measures eliminate a potential billion dollar-plus flood risk, while simultaneously unlocking the economic development potential for the lands.

The strategies embedded in this approach expand development opportunities for building at the edge of a naturalized river park setting. Under the plans the water’s edge will almost double and 49 hectares (120 acres) will be allocated to parks and open spaces. Comprehensive economic impact assessments project that the plans will result in:
•    $480 million in incremental increases in land value in the Lower Don Lands, before build-out;
•    $300 million in increased land value in surrounding neighbourhoods;
•    $55 million in new annual tax revenue in the Lower Don Lands; and
•    $6.8 billion in private investment leveraged in the Lower Don Lands.

“In addition to the economic and environmental benefits to the City, the plans create a unique opportunity for Toronto to showcase its leadership in progressive and sustainable city building,” said Campbell. “Reconnecting Toronto and the Don River at the edge of Lake Ontario will transform Toronto’s waterfront into an internationally recognized destination that combines sustainable city building with major river restoration and naturalization.”

Waterfront Toronto’s plans for the Lower Don Lands have received several prestigious international awards including accolades from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the American Institute of Architects, and the Building Exchange (BEX) Conference.

The Lower Don Lands project is also one of 18 founding projects of the Climate Positive Development Program. A project of U.S. President Bill Clinton’s Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council, the program’s aim is to demonstrate sustainable urban growth models and support large urban developments in achieving zero carbon emissions.

The Lower Don Lands has been designed to achieve climate-positive goals using passive design, optimizing climatic effects from sun and wind, and prioritizing transit and multi-modal transportation options. Energy planning raises the bar for energy efficiency, deemphasizing reliance on the grid. The design also includes strategies for water re-use and leading edge information technology to support sustainable living and working.

The planning process for the Lower Don Lands has included extensive community and stakeholder consultation.  Numerous meetings with the public, non-profit agencies, community groups, private land owners and other stakeholders were held throughout the process.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

For more information:
Lower Don Lands Backgrounder
Lower Don Lands Quick Facts

Media Contact:
Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, and Waterfront Toronto 416-214-1344 x 279
tstork@waterfrontoronto.ca

Waterfront Toronto is conducting the soil recycling pilot as part of its Soils Management Strategy to determine the viability of treating and reusing impacted soils as an alternative to the dig-and-dump approach.

The pilot facility is strategically located in the Port Lands to be able to treat soils near their source, divert soils from landfill, and provide Waterfront Toronto with a source of treated soil that can be used in revitalization projects.

Remediation efforts within the waterfront include the excavation and removal of contaminated soil, which is expected to generate in excess of two-million cubic metres of impacted soil.  Soil treatment, remediation, and reuse will prevent the excavated soil from being transported and disposed of in landfill.

The pilot will process up to 50,000 cubic metres of soils in the pilot phase of operation employing the newest and best technologies available to treat contaminated soils.  The pilot proponents, DEC and Tetra Tech, will use soil washing, complemented by field trials of a number of other cutting-edge technologies.  Soil-washing is a technology that has been successfully used to promote the recycling of soils in several other countries.

The pilot allows Waterfront Toronto to better assess the environmental, economic and operational viability of treating and reusing soils before committing to a full-scale recycling facility.  The goals of the pilot are to identify a range of treatment options and costs of remediating soil; confirm that impacted soil can be treated to an environmental condition that allows it to be reused in revitalization projects for residential, parkland and commercial projects; and showcase treatment technologies that will benefit brownfield remediation.

“We have been presented with a unique opportunity to help bring Ontario to the leading edge of Brownfield remediation using sustainability and technology,” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “By using state-of-the-art technologies and processes not widely used in Canada, we have the opportunity to turn contaminated soils into a resource instead of a liability.  This facility has the potential to change the way impacted soils are treated on the waterfront and possibly across Canada.”

Creating sustainable communities is a fundamental objective for Waterfront Toronto. In addition to requiring LEED® Gold certification as the standard on all new buildings, Waterfront Toronto is employing innovation and technology to advance standards in brownfield remediation.  By employing global best practices and made-in-Toronto solutions, the city’s new waterfront communities will protect and enhance our natural environment, and will ultimately be recognized as global models for sustainability.

Waterfront Toronto’s sustainable development approach is guided by a comprehensive Sustainability Framework, which serves as a roadmap to ensure that sustainability principles are woven into every facet of operations and decision making.

The public will have an opportunity to review the project in further detail at a public meeting on Wednesday, June 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Toronto Fire/EMS Training Centre located at 895 Eastern Avenue. Members of the project team will present detailed plans for the facility and answer questions.

Soil Recycling Pilot Facility Backgrounder
Soil Recycling Pilot Facility Fact Sheet

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Media Contact:
Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, Waterfront Toronto 416-214-1344 x 279

In a keynote address at the Toronto Board of Trade, John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto, reviewed progress on waterfront revitalization and released the findings of a detailed economic impact analysis, which examined the results of investments made by Waterfront Toronto and its government partners since the organization’s inception in 2001 through March 31, 2009.

The study, conducted by urbanMetrics inc., found that the $642 million invested to date in waterfront renewal has generated $1.6 billion in gross output for the Canadian economy and approximately 8,400 full-time years of employment, 70 per cent of which were in the Toronto region.

The largest portion, approximately $219.5 million or 34 percent, was invested in waterfront construction projects including the Spadina, Simcoe and Rees wavedecks, Port Union and Mimico waterfront parks, the Cherry Beach Sports Fields, Marilyn Bell Park, York and John Quay Promenade, the flood protection landform in the West Don Lands, and the development of infrastructure in East Bayfront and the West Don Lands.

A second major share of expenditures was directed towards creative and knowledge-based industries, industries expected to be the primary drivers of future economic development. As part of its design and planning work, as well as other necessary preliminary work on various waterfront projects, Waterfront Toronto has invested approximately 30 percent of expenditures in the professional, scientific and technical services industries.

“Our investments to revitalize Toronto’s waterfront are delivering on the promise to support local, provincial and national economic development as well as to support the growth of key industry sectors,” said John Campbell. “While the economic returns already generated are solid, they will pale in comparison to the lasting benefits anticipated once the comprehensive vision for the waterfront is more fully realized.”

The study found that 95 per cent of all of Waterfront Toronto’s expenditures were made in Ontario, and nearly 90 per cent were made within Toronto.

All levels of government have also seen a return on their investments. As a result of waterfront renewal activity, new revenues worth approximately $180 million were generated for the Government of Canada, $124 million for the Government of Ontario and $20 million for the City of Toronto.

A second phase of analysis measuring the expected impacts of future investments and benefits once the waterfront plan is more fully realized (permanent jobs, property taxes and tourism spending), will be completed in the coming months.

The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

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For more information:

Michelle Noble, Waterfront Toronto Director of Communications, 416-214-1344 ext. 263

Media Kit

News Release (pdf)
EIA Executive Summary (pdf)
Remarks by John Campbell (pdf)
Presentation by John Campbell (pdf)