Allan A. Lamport stadium is falling into disrepair, and the City wants to fix it. Problem is, as is the case with so many other things that need fixing in Toronto, they say they don’t have enough money to do so. The City’s plan is to look for a private partner to help pay for repairs and help make the City-owned facility sustainable. This could involve adding retail spaces to the building, putting a bubble over new and improved turf, or increasing the number of parking spaces on the south side of the property.
A community meeting held Sept. 20 to get input from local residents left many in attendance frustrated with the lack of effort the City has made to involve them in the process. Redeveloping the old stadium is an opportunity to not only improve the facility for the regional field hockey and soccer players who use it, but also create new and improved recreational spaces and opportunities for people in the local community.
Residents in Parkdale and Liberty village want more of a say, and have taken the initiative to organize a meeting of their own to gather input from people living in the neighbourhood. Anyone interested in the future of the stadium is welcome to attend. Here are details:
Where: Lamport Stadium (King St. and Jefferson Ave – see map)
When: October 5, 2006
Two sessions are offered. Pick whichever fits your schedule:
Session A: 4:30 – 5:30
Session B: 6:00 – 7:00
Open to residents of all ages
Supervised children’s activities are available
For more information, click here.
Photo from the Parkdale Liberty Economic Development Corporation website.
9 comments
But hey, there’s $40 million to fix up City Hall! Which doesn’t need it!
Nice priorities, guys. And good timing, what with an election coming up.
I wish there was a viable alternative to Miller.
There is only $16 million for City Hall, and if you have ever walked around parts of (elevated path, roof above councillor office (and beside chamber) you would know that it really does need some work. Besides, it IS or City Hall and deserves to be primped up more so than any other city building in the city. It is one of the top 5 tourist attractions in the city.
The PLEDC site lists the session times as:
Session A: 4:30 – 5:30
Session B: 6:00 – 7:00
Doh – my previous comment is what your post says. The PLEDC site says:
Two sessions will be held on that day:
4:00pm – 6:30pm
7:00pm – 9:00pm
“The City’s plan is to look for a private partner…” Same old, same old. Why are we copying the American model, as usual. Is it because it is so much more successful than the Northern European model? Do we want to be Atlanta, or Amsterdam?
Getting sick of this crap.
I completely agree with Petra, nathan Philips Square badly needs it.
Lamport needs it too…and I wouldnt be adverse to seeing retail along the King St. side of it, or a “bubble”, the increased parking (an indoor garage?) is a bit suspect.
We’ll see.
Atlanta has a neighbourhood called Buckhead. We don’t have that.
I lived next door to the stadium for 7 years starting in 1987. I was surprised at how many things were held there but it seems that it has dwindled to just field hockey or soccer.
The easiest thing is to tear it all down and keep it as a park for the hundreds of people who work and live in the area. Keep a corner set up for sports and make sure it has adequate lighting, new trees, and possibly space for non-sporting community activities.
The Parkdale Liberty area really needs non-corporate green space. If “Son of Dufferin Grove” could ever happen that would be fantastic. Lets hope the City does not sell off another chunk of our cullective wealth.
Similar experience to Scott’s re use in late 80’s and early 90’s.
City in mid 90’s terminated employment of the then management who ran facility successfully.
City hidden agenda includes developers and closing of facility after municipal elections.