The Toronto Transit Commission will be building its new $345-million light rail vehicle storage facility at Ashbridges Bay, but it will also be kicking in to build the next phase of the skateboard park at Lake Shore Boulevard and Coxwell Avenue.
That was the decision from the TTC at its meeting Monday, Dec. 14 as it voted to finalize the decision to place the facility at the southeast corner of Leslie Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. While the decision is a relief to residents and the film industry in Leslieville - it means the building won't be situated at the former site of Toronto Film Studios - it will have an impact on residents further east.And local Councillor Sandra Bussin, who also sits on the TTC, was determined the parkland the facility will fill will bring more good than bad to the east end.Toward that end, she convinced fellow commissioners to send as much as $400,000 the community's way in the form of benefits, and to consult with the community on the design and final placement of the facility, which is meant to house Toronto's order of new light rail vehicles.The main benefit will be the completion of the skateboard park a kilometre to the east, which is already half finished with a plaza usable by casual skateboarders. The next phase - the bowl - will provide a more challenging run for more advanced practitioners of the sport."It's for more accomplished skateboarders," she said. "Originally we were going to build the bowl then reversed and built the plaza first so that everyone could access the facility. But my understanding is that for competitive skateboarders, this is an important component."The money will also go toward landscaping the park at Leslie and Lake Shore Blvd., which will be physically smaller now thanks to the new facility, and the facility may also include a transit museum attraction.Earlier this month, Toronto council approved a deal with the port authority that allowed the land to be used for the purposes of the light rail vehicle facility.