Fort York (neighbourhood)

Fort York Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood

Vicinity

Location within Toronto

Coordinates: 43°38′20″N 79°24′18″W / 43.639°N 79.405°WCoordinates: 43°38′20″N 79°24′18″W / 43.639°N 79.405°W
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
City Toronto Toronto
Government
 • City Councillor Joe Pantalone
 • Federal M.P. Olivia Chow
 • Provincial M.P.P. Rosario Marchese

The Fort York neighbourhood, also known as Garrison, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is located along and south of CN and CP railway corridors. The area is formerly known as the Bathurst/Strachan Area and consists of eight-hectares (20-acres) of remediated brownfield sites.

History

The neighbourhood area consists of the former industrial lands immediately east and south of the historic Fort York site where Toronto began in 1793. The current Fort York Armoury was built in 1933, and still houses several units of the Canadian Forces. The neighbourhood is one of Toronto's most historically and cultural sensitive areas, and was the location of the lakeside Toronto Molson brewery before it was demolished in 2006.

The Fort York Neighbourhood Public Realm Plan is the next step in the planning and design for the Fort York Neighbourhood. The area's redevelopment plan was finalized in 2005, and establishes guidelines for an overall vision of the emerging neighbourhood. It set out the location of public spaces, density, height and built form so that the area's streetscapes, open spaces, parks and pedestrian areas are interconnected with private development.[1]

Development

A 38-storey residential tower and 7- to 12- storey podium building was constructed in 2005 at the west end of the neighbourhood, at the corner of Fleet Street and the recently completed Fort York Boulevard. This was the first element of the planned redevelopment of the site into a mixed-use community, including 12 residential towers, podium buildings and stacked townhouses, with grade-level retail and commercial uses. The neighbourhood eventually house an estimated 6000 units within the area north of Lake Shore Boulevard, south of Fort York Boulevard between Strachan Avenue and Dan Leckie Way (an extension of Portland Street).

In recent years, it has seen an explosion of new condominium loft and row house development. The area is located close to the Fashion and Entertainment districts. Significant high-rise development has taken place within the Fort York Neighbourhood, south of the Gardiner Expressway between Fort York Blvd. and Fleet Street.[2]

Some of the main roads in the neighbourhood include:

New Development along Fleet Street (Malibu in foreground)

Public transportation

The Harbourfront is served by the 509 Harbourfront streetcar, which operates between Union and Exhibition Place running along a private right-of-way on Queens Quay west to Bathurst and then along Fleet Street. In 2008, the Fleet Street portion of Route 509 was converted to a ROW. Streetcar track and overhead power line were also installed at the Fleet loop, which is located at the Fleet Street Lighthouse.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ - Public Realm
  2. ↑ Fort York Neighbourhood Master Plan
  3. ↑ Transit Toronto - Content: Exhibition Loop and Fleet Loop

External links