OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM
To challenge mid-career city building professionals to tackle difficult and unresolved planning challenges associated with the Main-Danforth node and to develop a vision and framework plan for the Shopper’s World Plaza at Danforth and Victoria Park Avenue.

The program will expose participants to a wide selection of public and private sector leaders from a variety of disciplines who have confronted major obstacles, learned from their mistakes and achieved success in their careers. The focus of the program will be on bold leadership skills. The maximum engagement of participants will be emphasized by leveraging a wide variety of expertise to jointly solve real problems and create new opportunities for the transformation of Main and Danforth and Shopper’s World.

The program will commence on Saturday October 14, 2017 with a series of short presentations by local resident, business and community representatives who will describe their existing challenges, priorities and objectives for both these major locations. Councillor’s Janet Davis and Mary-Margaret McMahon will also be invited to share their own perspective. The local city planner, Daniel Woolfson, who is conducting an ongoing planning study of Danforth Avenue from Coxwell to Victoria Park will also be present. Program participants and the above representatives will be invited to go on a walking tour of the area from Main and Danforth to Victoria Park Avenue.

Program participants will be divided up into four teams with two teams each assigned to work on the two study areas. Working sessions will be held at different locations each month in November, January, February, March and April with a final public presentation to the community on Saturday May 19. City building leaders will speak on the Context, Planning Policy & Community Services, Transportation, Infrastructure & Environment, Financial & Market, in addition to Architecture, Development & Urban Design. The mornings will be devoted to speakers and the afternoons devoted to interactive working sessions among the participants. A full day in April will be set aside for all teams to integrate their thinking and to share their concepts with all participants. Each team will make a full public presentation to the community on Saturday May 19.

WHY MAIN AND DANFORTH AND SHOPPER’S WORLD?
Main an Danforth is a designated mobility hub in the Metrolinx Transportation Plan and is a prime location for future intensification. It is served by the TTC Main subway station, numerous bus routes and the Main-High Park Street Car route. It also has a GO station which is the last stop before Union Station. There are underutilized land reserves adjacent to the GO station in addition to proposed development applications.

Shopper’s World is a massive 1960’s shopping plaza that is a candidate for future intensification in close proximity to the Victoria Park subway station. It contains several large format stores in addition to a variety of smaller shops that serve the needs of the local community. While no development application has been made, it is desirable to develop a framework plan that could provide a basis for future transformation.

KEY ISSUES
There are two main issues to address. The first is the disconnect between the TTC Main subway station and the Danforth GO station. They are close but are not connected. It has been a long-standing goal to figure out how best to link these two transit hubs to help divert large volumes of west bound subway riders away from making the congested transfer at Yonge and Bloor station.

The second is to think proactively on how the future transformation of the Shopper’s World site could help address outstanding community service deficiencies and utilize the extensive land for more intensive mixed-use opportunities. These could include housing, retail, employment and education.

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION CONTACTS
WARD 31
Danforth East Community Association (DECA) -Same as in Ward 32
Danforth Village BIA
Louis Dapergolas, [email protected]
Danforth Mosaic BIA
Oliver Hierlihy, [email protected]
Secord School Parents Association
Heather Tormey, [email protected]
Peter Saros, [email protected]
Access Point on Danforth, [email protected]
Neighbourhood Centre
Rejwan Karim, [email protected]
Neighbourhood Link
Lorie Fairburn, [email protected]
Main Secord Blog
Mike Hodge, [email protected]
Julia Gray, [email protected]
Friends of Detonia park
Phil Potham, [email protected]
Julia Scott, [email protected]
2 Secord Tenants Association
Romelda Morson, [email protected]

WARD 32
Friends of Stephenson Park
Peter Woodcock, [email protected]
Friends of Oakcrest
Andrea Killfeather, [email protected]
Danforth East Community Association (DECA)
Sheri Hebdon, [email protected]
Steve Wickens, [email protected],
Gay Stephenson, [email protected]
Danforth Village BIA
Louis Dapergolas, [email protected]
Danforth Village Residents Association (DVRA)
Heather Davies, [email protected]
Robert Wallis, [email protected]
Main Square
Trevor Moo, [email protected]
Danforth Village Community Association
Gerry Dunn, [email protected]

DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS
https://web.toronto.ca?city-government/planning-development/application-information-centre/

WARD 31-Councillor Janet Davis
At present, there is only one development application at 90 Eastdale Avenue for a 37 storey apartment building with 396 units, adjacent to an existing 24 storey apartment building on the site. In fact, the proposed development is to be built to the rear of the existing building utilizing the abandoned outdoor swimming pool. The application was made on August 20, 2015 and was refused by the City of Toronto. It has been appealed to the OMB with no hearing date set.

WARD 32-Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon
There are currently six development applications including low, mid and hi-rise buildings.

2359 Danforth Avenue (Site Plan only)
10 storey mixed use building with 136 units and 465 square metres of retail at grade. A total of 85 parking spaces to be provided. The application was submitted on March 11, 2014 and the current status is closed. Leontine Major is the planner, [email protected]

2301 Danforth Avenue (Site Plan only)
8 storey mixed use building with 170 residential units of which 14 will be rental replacement units. 380 square metres of street-related retail with 150 parking spaces and 138 bicycle spaces. Council approved the application on October 5, 2016.Derrick Wong is the planner, [email protected]

286 Main Street
Proposed 30 storey mixed use building with retail at grade, a floor of office space and 301 residential units. The existing public laneway is to be widened and a detached house at 144 Stephenson Avenue is to be replaced. The dwelling replacement will be the subject of a subsequent and separate application. The application was submitted on June 30, 2017 and is currently under review. A Preliminary planning report will be on the October Toronto East York Community Council agenda. Daniel Woolfson is the planner [email protected] and George Pantazis, [email protected]

2575 Danforth Avenue (Main Square)
Two proposed rental apartment buildings of 15 and 32 stories with 512 units. The application was submitted on April 17, 2003 and the site plan approval application submitted on July 17, 2006. A revised application was submitted in December, 2016. Leontine Major is the planner, [email protected]

14 Trent Avenue
12 storey residential building consisting of 40 bachelor units, 180 one bedroom, 60 two bedroom and 18 three bedrooms. A total of 225 parking spaces are proposed. Council approved the application on September 30, 2015 and the project is currently under construction. George Pantazis is the planner, [email protected]

2 Kelvin Avenue
To construct a 4 storey self-storage building with 16 on-site parking spaces. The application was submitted on March 2, 2017 and is currently under review. The planner is Derrick Wong, [email protected]

PLANNING STUDIES AND STAFF REPORTS
a) City of Toronto
On July 2014 City Council authorized the commencement of the Danforth Avenue Planning Study in two segments between the Don River and Coxwell Avenue and between Coxwell Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue. TE.33.15-Final Report-2359 Danforth Avenue-Zoning amendment Application, Recommendation Number 6. The Terms of Reference for the Danforth Planning Study was finalized on February 22, 2017 (Item TE22.44). See Attached.

The first phase of this study includes properties with frontage on Danforth Avenue between Coxwell Avenue and Victoria Park Avenue.

A comprehensive 15 page city planning staff report dated February 6, 2017 outlining the purpose of the study is attached. See http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2016.TE16.39

A detailed 71 page Area Profile Report for the Danforth Avenue Planning Study was prepared in March 2017. See www.toronto.ca/danforthstudy

On November 7, 2017, City Council requested City Planning to commence a study focusing on development potential, built form and public realm within proximity of the Main Street subway station and Danforth GO station. The study will serve as an addendum to the ongoing Danforth Avenue Planning Study (Coxwell Avenue to Victoria Park Avenue). See http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2017.TE27.42

Daniel Woolfson and George Pantazis are the city planners leading the study.

b) Metrolinx
Metrolinx has just released a Connectivity Study illustrating preliminary ideas on how to increase pedestrian access to the Danforth GO station platform and various Streetscape Plans. The contact person for this study at Metrolinx is Gregory Pereira, [email protected]
http://www.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/rer/rer_lse.aspx

c) TTC
The TTC is currently evaluating improvements to the existing Main Street subways station. The timing of this in relation to the proposed Metrolinx improvements is ideal to maximum connection opportunities between the subway and GO station.

ADDITIONAL RELEVANT INFORMATION
The following articles appeared in the Beach Metro News and the Toronto Star provide some useful background information about the missing link between the TTC Main Station and the Danforth GO Station and the introduction of TTC-GO reduced fares.

http://www.beachmetro.com/2017/02/21
http://www.beachmetronews.com/2017/04/04
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/transportation/2017/10/03/go-transit-users-to-get-half-price-fares-on-ttc.html
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/08/25/main-squared-shows-waht-a-great-apartment-neighbourhood-can-be-micallef.html
http://worldwidewickens.com/?p=756

LAND OWNER INFORMATION
Main Square is owned by Talisker Corp. The contact for Main Square located at the south-east corner of Main and Danforth is Ori Belavin [email protected] and Craig, [email protected]

Shopper’s World is owned by Rio Can, http://riocan.com/leasing-portfolio/property/shoppers-world-danforth

2018 Curtner Leadership Program Directory

Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
Lesley Leech, Cadillac Fairview
Melissa Lui, Perkins + Will
Kayam Ramsewak, MTE Consultants
Jeffrey Thompson, RioCan
Isaac Tang, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Hadley Nelles, New Commons Development
Leigh McGrath, Urban Strategies
Eric Lucic, City of Mississauga
Shawn Gilligan, QuadReal
Golara Jalalpour, DIALOG Design
Rasheed Serrao, Counterpoint Engineering
Emily Irvine, City of Mississauga
Yvonne Yeung, City of Markham
Stefanie Siu Chong, Quadrangle Architects Limited
Isaac Tang, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Andreas Sokolowski, Artscape
Carsten Liesenberg, RAW Design
Amit Ayare
Aaron Clodd, Smart REIT
Caitlin Allan, Bousfields Inc.
Liliana DaSilva, Region of Peel
Nasim Adab, City of Toronto
Natalie Boodram, WSP
Joanne Lam, RAW Design
Dana Roebuck, First Gulf
Tsering Yangki, DREAM Unlimited Corp.
Melissa Winch, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Graham Haines, Ryerson City Building Institute
Mathieu Maslard, City of Toronto
Melissa McEnroe, Region of York