Please see below a few updates on the Subdivision Improvement works:
The West Toronto Railpath connection has reopened in a narrower, gravel path condition. As mentioned in the previous update, the connection will remain in its current condition until service connections are installed over the next month and it can be widened.
Residents living between Perth Avenue and Bloor will have their water shutoff from 8am to 5pm on March 15th to allow a new watermain connection to be installed. Those residents who are affected will receive an additional printed notice from our contractor, EllisDon.
There will be some construction activity onsite this weekend. Trucks will be delivering gravel that will be dumped over most of the construction site to cover the significant amount of mud. This work will reduce the amount of dirt that our vehicles transfer to the streets in the neighbourhood.
Lastly, as discussed in the community meeting we are brainstorming names for the new Private Road that will connect Sterling Road (between 128 and 152 Sterling Road) and the new Sterling Road/Perth Avenue intersection. If you have any recommendations, please share them directly with me at brett.noiles@hines.com.
Thanks,
Brett
Feb 24th Community Update Meeting: Recording and Q&A
March 9, 2022
On behalf of Hines and Marlin Spring, we’d like to thank everyone in the community, city staff, and Councilor Bailao for attending our community update meeting on February 24th to discuss the public realm improvements on Perth Avenue and Sterling Road.
As promised, please see links below to the recording of the meeting and a PDF that summarizes the questions asked and our responses. We look forward to keeping the community updated throughout construction and encourage you to reach out if you have any further questions.
Please note that the West Toronto Railpath access immediately south of the townhomes on Perth Avenue will be temporarily closed for a few days early this week. The closure is to allow for the removal of a portion of the existing sidewalk on the west side of Perth Avenue and the eventual installation of a new gas line by Enbridge later this month. Temporary signage will be installed indicating the sidewalk is closed and access is unavailable.
Following the closure, access will be reopened with a narrower gravel pathway until Enbridge completes their installations later this month. Once their work is completed, the access will be widened to the existing width of the sidewalk and will be in a gravel condition until the final paving is completed for the new Perth Avenue.
For those of you who live in the townhomes whose front door exits onto this sidewalk, our contractor EllisDon will be personally in touch with you with more details about how this impacts you and how access to your homes will be maintained. If you haven’t heard from them by the end of today please reach out to me and I will connect you directly.
We will work to complete the work as fast as possible and limit the access closure and impact to the community.
Thanks,
Brett
February 24th Community Update Meeting
January 31, 2022
Good afternoon,
Hines and Marlin Spring are hosting a virtual community meeting at 6:30pm on Thursday, February 24th to provide an update on the ongoing Public Works Construction – the new West Toronto Rail Path connection, the realignment of Perth Avenue, the creation of the new park and the widening of Sterling Avenue.
More details around how to attend the meeting will be sent closer to February 24th.
For those who cannot attend this date/time, a recording of the session, materials presented and Q&A will be posted on this page. To be kept informed about updates about this work please sign up for this newsletter.
Please SHARE this information with your neighbours, friends and colleagues – it is open to anyone who is interested!
Brett
November 2nd Update
November 2, 2021
Good afternoon,
Construction activities continue to progress on schedule for the two mass timber office buildings and the public realm improvements. We’d like to provide a couple updates and notices for the community:
The sidewalk on the west side of Sterling Road, immediately south of the Automotive Building and north of 128 Sterling will be redirected for up to 1 month to accommodate the installation of services for the new office buildings. We understand there is no secondary sidewalk on the east side of Sterling, so a temporary pedestrian sidewalk will be provided on the west side of Sterling for the duration of the work to ensure a safe pedestrian experience.
We have been hearing from the community regarding concerns about the amount of dust and mud on Sterling Road. Since the beginning of construction, we have been sweeping and rinsing the street daily to clean up any mess we make. These last few weeks have been particularly muddy due to the amount of rain we’ve had, so we’ve asked our contractor to increase the amount of sweeping to keep up. This phase of construction (excavation, earth works) can be particularly muddy, but we expect conditions to improve once we’re “out of the ground” and the weather gets colder.
Thanks and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Brett
October 14th Update: Reopening of WTRP Connection
October 14, 2021
Good afternoon,
Our general contractor has fast-tracked the work on the West Toronto Railpath connection immediately south of the new townhomes on Perth Avenue, and we are happy to announce that the connection has now been reopened. The connection is in a temporary, graded condition and will need to be temporarily closed again in the spring to allow for final landscaping and paving to be completed. The connection is accessible by walking southbound on the sidewalk on the west side of Perth Avenue.
We continue to hear from the community regarding concerns about dirt and trucks exiting the site north to Bloor Street via Sterling Road. We hear your concerns and are working very closely with our general contractor and trades to ensure these concerns are addressed. We appreciate anyone who reaches out and encourage you to email us directly if there are any concerns.
Lastly, Hines and MOCA have collaborated with Planta Muisca to install artwork on the construction hoarding surrounding the Automotive Building (adjacent to Forna Cultura). We encourage everyone to explore the new installation which showcases the progression/life cycle of the cacao plant, which has been central to Latin indigenous communities for centuries. The design begins with the early stages of plant development (seedlings, and goes through the entirety of the life cycle, including harvest). The figures reference iconography that holds great symbolic weight in Mesoamerican cultures — the jaguar, serpent, frog. They are also creatures that highlight the importance of balance and responsive engagement between humans and the natural world.
Thanks,
Brett
September 2nd Community Update
September 2, 2021
Good afternoon,
Construction of ground improvements continues to progress for our two timber office buildings, most notably the completion of the safety barrier required along the West Toronto Railpath given the building’s proximity to the rail line. In addition, excavation of the future parking garage is progressing and will continue into September.
On the realignment of Perth Avenue, the team expects to receive approval imminently from the city to begin excavation and remediation of the future Perth Avenue and West Toronto Railpath connection (immediately south of the current Perth Avenue). This work is expected to proceed well into the fall as the site is prepped for construction of the new Perth Avenue.
Lastly, we just wanted to confirm that there will be no significant construction activities onsite this upcoming Monday, September the 6th due to the Labour Day holiday.
Thanks and have a great long weekend,
Brett
August 9th Community Update
August 9, 2021
Good morning,
Late last week, the City completed its repairs of the sinkhole located on Sterling Road that was preventing our construction vehicles from accessing the site via Dundas Street. Now that these repairs have been completed, trucks leaving the construction site have been directed to head south to Dundas St. and not head north on Sterling Road. We’d like to thank the Councillor’s office for their work expediting these repairs and to the community for being patient and understanding as we worked through this challenge.
Additionally, we continue to hear from the community regarding the amount of dust the site is creating. This current part of the construction process is the most dust-heavy due to the movement, excavation, and hauling off of dirt and the dry soil conditions created by the warm weather. On days when the site is dry, the best method for limiting dust is to apply water to the site on a regular basis which we are doing as much as we can. We anticipate that with the truck traffic heading south to Dundas Street, the transition into wetter weather in the fall, and the completion of the ground improvements onsite will all help reduce the amount of dust created.
Thank you for your understanding,
Brett
July 30th Construction Update
July 30, 2021
Good morning,
Construction activity is progressing well on both the office building construction and the road realignment/park works, despite the significant amounts of rain we’ve gotten in July. For the building construction, the focus is still on ground improvements. On the subdivision improvements, dewatering equipment has been installed and is being tested in advance of the soil remediation required on the lands immediately south of the E/W portion of Perth Avenue and the WTRP connection.
Regarding truck activity on Sterling Road, as mentioned in a previous update, there is a large sinkhole that has formed on Sterling Road in front of Ethica Coffee that is preventing us from directing truck traffic south to Dundas St. We are in regular communication with the city and the Councillor’s office to ensure this is repaired as soon as possible so trucks can once again be directed away from Sterling/Bloor.
Lastly, this is just a notice that there will be no major construction activities onsite this holiday Monday.
Thanks and have a great long weekend,
Brett
Construction Traffic Update
July 6, 2021
Good afternoon,
A large sinkhole has formed on Sterling Road directly in front of Ethica Coffee Roasters, and for safety reasons and to avoid making the sinkhole worse, we are not directing any trucks through that area. In addition, in the short term we’re only able to use our north construction entrance (near the Perth/Sterling intersection) for construction access. This means that until the sinkhole is repaired, or our secondary entrance is opened, we unfortunately need to temporarily divert traffic north onto Sterling Road and Perth Avenue.
We are working very hard to make sure this situation is resolved as soon as possible. The city has been notified of the repair required to the sinkhole and the councillor’s office is trying to help expedite the repairs.
We will continue to keep you apprised as the situation is resolved.
