West Don Lands
The West Don Lands is an 80-acre area that runs from Parliament Street in the west to the Don River in the east and from King Street down to the rail corridor. The area is almost entirely owned by the provincial government. The area is within walking distance of downtown, is right next to the Distillery District and has good connections to the existing St. Lawrence and Corktown neighbourhoods.
Key Elements of the West Don Lands Precinct Plan:
- 23 acres of parks and public spaces including 18-acre Don River Park
- Public transit within a five-minute walk of all residences
- 5,800 residential units, including 1,200 units of affordable rental housing
- One-million square feet of employment space
- Pedestrian & cycling connections within neighbourhood and to city
- Elementary school
- Recreation centre
- Two childcare centres
In May 2005, Waterfront Toronto received Toronto City Council approval for the West Don Lands Precinct Plan. Implementation is now underway for West Don Lands revitalization. Work being done to prepare for this revitalization is being carried out in partnership with the Ontario Realty Corporation and Toronto and Region Conservation. This work includes:
- Building Demolition
- Soil and Groundwater Management
- CN Bridge Expansion
- Flood Protection and Infrastructure
- Don River Park
- Bayview Avenue Realignment
- River Street Extension
Waterfront Toronto's approach to revitalization in the West Don Lands, and across the waterfront, is a comprehensive and coordinated one. The major benefits of this approach include cost-effective planning and delivery of public infrastructure and greater ease attracting private investment because of the certainty and added value generated by area-wide plans compared to individual projects. This comprehensive approach also creates the most public benefit because things like sustainable development, excellent urban design, parks, community services and other public amenities are 'must have' core elements of revitalization. When people start moving into the West Don Lands they will be moving into a new neighbourhood, not just a new development.
West Don Lands Precinct Plan
News Release - WDL Road Closures - January 27, 2006 (pdf)
West Don Lands Kick-Off Event - March 27, 2006 (pdf)
News Release - Work Starts on First New Waterfront Neighbourhood - March 27, 2006 (pdf)
West Don Lands Backgrounder (pdf)
News Release - CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON BERM AND NEW WATERFRONT PARK - June 25, 2007 (pdf)
West Don Lands News - May 2008 (pdf)