Friday’s headlines

8 comments

1. McGuinty shuts down the government to avoid answering for a $200 million scandal and Spacing lists eight headlines about Rob Ford. Next time you put up an article about taxation options for transit expansion you might want to think on how much money the teflon premier flushed down the toilet…

2. Adam> Comment of the month.

3. I’m sure that when the Spacing: Ontario blog is up and running they’ll get right onto provincial matters.

4. Grimes and Milczyn are right. I go by the Christie plant regularly and it is being surrounded by condos, a big one being built across the street. If we keep on giving into developers and surrendering commercial land for condo’s the businesses will all sell out and cash in on the land value and there will be no jobs. And since Toronto Commercial Taxes are so much higher than in the GTA the jobs will be lost to the City. It is a perfect location for a commercial development right of the QEW and due to the areas increased density of condo dwellers who might then find jobs close to them as opposed to all piling into cars and transit and heading down town. Stick to your guns Councillors.

5. The Liberal sponsorship scandal breaking in 2004 was a Big Honking deal which has destroyed the federal Liberals for years to come.  I’m not happy about that episode, nor the forthcoming Ontario Liberal power plant fallout.  

   But we’ve got to keep these events in context, and I’m not sure it’s wise to throw a complete fit over $200mm when it might give the otherwise unappealing Hudak PC’s a few terms in office.

6. As much as council might want to stop the Christie site to remain industrial, it will more than likely convert to residential, or the less offensive ‘mixed use’ (condo’s with ground floor retail). Right across the street, the city lost a similar battle.   http://www.ccfew.org/2006_Park_Lawn_Decision_Oct_18-06.pdf

7. To Glen
   City has to stand up to the developers somewhere and it might as well be at the Christie plant site. The City needs jobs and 27 acres of more condos is the last thing we need. Christie is leaving town because they think they can cash in on the land value in converting the property to residential and it is time the just say no. The property is zoned commercial/industrial and must stay so and the developers and Christie can just f… themselves because the City needs jobs.   

8. TRIPPER618,

   I agree with you 100%. My point was simply that it is likely inevitable that they will be successful in getting the rezoning.  For the same reasons stated in the OMB decision that I provided the link to.  To quote…..
   “Planning is not simply a vision of what would be nice, nor is it simply an ambition identified by a particular property owner. To be effective, planning needs to weave together both vision and ambition, and leaven them both with a hard dose of what is realistically achievable.”

   The decision goes on to note that ample time had passed for the area to develop into an office node but due to reasons (primarily tax) that it did not, and would not.