Community Centre “on track” according to city budget

The City purchased the old Canada Linseed Oil Mill site in 2000 as the home for the new Wabash Community Centre

New City of Toronto budget documents show the Wabash Community Centre project at Sorauren Park is “on track” as the city’s Budget Committee and, eventually, City Council work to approve the annual budget and 10-year plan in February.

The public documents appear to have been prepared earlier in 2019, as the city subsequently announced the architects for the project, Diamond Schmitt Architects, have been hired from a short-list of four firms.

From Parks, Forestry and Recreation 10-year Capital Budget and Plan, 2020-2029

The documents reveal an assessment of the condition of the existing building at 40 Wabash Avenue (the old linseed mill) has been completed, along with a Draft Cultural Heritage Evaluation and environmental studies. These reports have not yet been released to the public.

The budget indicates the city invested $285,000 in the project in 2019, presumably on these studies and project management costs. A further $1.084 million is budgeted in 2020, for design costs. The total project budget is $40 million.

Though the documents indicate the project is “on track,” expected completion has been pushed from 2023 to 2024.

No updated design plans have been released for the centre. The last feasibility study, with concept plans, was completed in 2009, thanks to collaboration between the City and Friends of Sorauren Park. However, those plans did not include a pool. A pool was subsequently added to the program plan in the city’s 2017 Facilities Master Plan for recreation facilities across the city.

Artist’s rendering of gym and first floor of community centre from 2009 feasibility study

The Friends of Sorauren Park expect the city will announce public consultations with the architects this year. The Friends have already started a consultation process, and more than 1,000 residents have completed a Community Centre survey. The Friends will publish the full results later this winter.

“The community has had more than twenty years now to envision what this great building could become. The Friends of Sorauren Park is passionate about continuing its role as the voice of our neighbourhood on this. We look forward to working closely with world-renowned Diamond Schmitt to bring our community’s vision to fruition,” said Joël Campbell, chair of the non-profit Friends.

Preliminary results from the survey show overwhelming support for preserving the park’s Town Square. The community centre project puts the Town Square at risk as it has been identified as within the “development zone” for the new centre. The Friends of Sorauren Park stands for preserving the Town Square as the “outdoor community centre,” supporting the Farmer’s Market, outdoor movies, festivals, pumpkin sales, and other active and passive uses. (See the video.)

Other positions taken by the Friends include:

Design Excellence:

Supports Design Excellence
Supports sustainable/regenerative building and energy systems
Supports top-floor event space as proposed in the 2009 concepts plans, Green Feasibility Study
Supports preserving the existing trees in Sorauren Park

Heritage:

Supports preserving the industrial heritage of the site as much as possible
Supports preserving the chimney as an iconic feature (used in our logo) and potential chimney swift habitat
Supports preserving the train shed

Aquatic Facilities:

Supports aquatic facilities at the WCC
95% of 2005 survey respondents (500+) supported aquatic facilities

Programming:

Supports all-ages accessible programming
Supports programming that reflects the needs and make-up of the community, e.g. large number of artists
Supports creation of Community Kitchen (Commercial Kitchen for community use)

Governance/Operations:

Supports Community Key Access, a principle that (for example) allows the FOSP to operate the natural ice rink, outdoor bake oven, gardening and other programs, in accordance with City policies such as booking and permit requirements

Building/Park Integration:

Supports preserving the Sorauren Fieldhouse and enhancing its functionality (e.g., as the “headquarters” and winter location for the Farmers Market) by integrating needs into the new Community Centre, e.g. park-level storage

Naming of Community Centre:

Supports a discussion around the naming of the Community Centre that reflects the community and its heritage.

Diamond Schmitt Architects hired for Wabash Community Centre

The City purchased the old Canada Linseed Oil Mill site in 2000 as the home for the new Wabash Community Centre

The City of Toronto has hired one of Canada’s best-known architecture firms to design the new Wabash Community Centre at Sorauren Park. Diamond Schmitt Architects was awarded the work after an open bid process. Councillor Gord Perks confirmed the news at the November meeting of Friends of Sorauren Park.

First Community Centre consultation July 10

The City has announced the first public consultation for the new Wabash Community Centre at Sorauren Park. It will take place July 10, starting at 6 p.m., at Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School at Bloor and Dundas.

Please attend to provide your input and show your support for the new centre, for which the community has been advocating since the early 1990s, most recently by the Friends of Sorauren Park.

The City has budgeted $40 million for the project. The province recently promised an additional $3.3 million towards aquatic facilities.

Here is the message from Councillor Gord Perks:

Hello Friends,

The City of Toronto is building a new Community Centre on Wabash Avenue, located just east of the fieldhouse in Sorauren Park on the site of the old Linseed Factory.

This is very exciting.

Please join me for a meeting with community members and City of Toronto Parks staff to discuss the Wabash Community Centre.

Community input is essential when deciding how best to improve public spaces and this meeting will serve as a great opportunity to hear from you.

This will be the first of many community consultations.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School
1515 Bloor Street West, Staff Room, Rm. 331

Please see the flyer for more information. This site is accessible.

If you have any questions or are unable to attend the meeting and wish to share your concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office at councillor_perks@toronto.ca .

Look forward to seeing you on July 10th at Bishop Marrocco for the first of many community conversations.

Sincerely,

Gord

Councillor Gord Perks
Ward 14, Parkdale High-Park

2009 concept plan for Wabash Community Centre by Oleson Worland_Taylor Smyth architects, in joint venture. The plan would use the footprint and exterior of the old linseed oil mill. This view looks south-east with Wabash Avenue and the homes on Lukow Terrace in the background

City Council votes yes to Wabash Community Centre

Interior view from ground-floor level down to basement level

Toronto City Council has voted to start work this year on the Wabash Community Centre at Sorauren Park.

Work will begin with a modest $50,000 budgeted for pre-engineering. That will be followed by design in 2018 and 2019, with shovels in the ground planned for 2020, towards a 2022 or 2023 opening. Total project budget is $32.4 million.

“After 17 years on the books and many years of community advocacy before that, this is wonderful news,” said Joël Campbell, chair of the all-volunteer Friends of Sorauren Park. “This is a milestone.”

The Friends of Sorauren Park recently concluded its “Unlock the Community Centre” awareness campaign, the latest in a long series of actions to advocate for the centre.

The project is included in Parks, Forestry and Recreation’s capital budget and plan, which City Council approved Wednesday, February 15, 2017, as part of the overall City budget.

The most recent plans for the community centre, prepared as part of a 2009 feasibility study, would convert the abandoned Canada Linseed Oil Mills building next to the park into a 40,000 sq. ft. community hub with a gym (shown above), multipurpose rooms, studios and fitness rooms, youth space, kitchen and third-floor event space with a rooftop terrace.

Follow us on social media @SoraurenPark, our website and this newsletter for updates and news on design consultations.

Friends of Sorauren Park would like to thank Councillor Gord Perks, along with previous Ward 14 councillors Sylvia Watson and Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, who all moved the project along at various stages at City Council.

Most of all, thanks to the community, which has advocated ceaselessly for the community centre since the early 1990s. Never stop believing.

2009 concept plan for Wabash Community Centre by Oleson Worland_Taylor Smyth architects, in joint venture. The plan would use the footprint and exterior of the old linseed oil mill. This view looks south-east with Wabash Avenue and the homes on Lukow Terrace in the background

City budget update: Wabash Community Centre

Interior view from ground-floor level down to basement level. Artist’s rendering from 2009 Green Feasibility Study

If the proposed City budget passes in its current form, it would contain good news for the community: work on the Wabash Community Centre would officially begin later this year.

The Friends of Sorauren Park continue to monitor City Hall as this year’s budget moves through committee to an eventual vote at Council in mid February.

The 2017-2026 capital budget and plan for Parks, Forestry and Recreation includes a total of $32.4 million for pre-engineering, design and construction of the new facility that would be located on Wabash Avenue beside Sorauren Park.

Pre-engineering work would start this year, with $50,000 budgeted. Design would continue the following year, with another $400,000 budgeted. Design and construction would then continue until 2022.

This week, Chander Chaddah, a volunteer board member of Friends of Sorauren Park since 2006, spoke to the budget committee during public consultations about the importance of the proposed centre to the community. He highlighted recent and upcoming growth in the neighbourhood, and the fact the Wabash Community Centre is the next centre to be built according the City’s 2004 plan for new recreation facilities. The community has been advocating for the centre since the early 1990s.

Not including the investment in Sorauren Park, the City has already invested $3 million in the Wabash site, including $2 million for land purchase in 2000 and a $1 million environmental clean-up in 2004.

Following this week’s budget committee, Ward 14 Councillor Gord Perks issued the following statement:

Friends,

Good news. Reading through the draft budget I’ve noticed that the Wabash New Community Centre completion date has advanced by six months into 2022. At a guess, this means doors open mid-2023.

Also, the community can take credit for reducing some of the expected costs. Parks Capital staff reviewed the project, and  the Wabash ‘Green’ Feasibility Study completed in 2010 was high enough quality that some City pre-planning costs could be avoided.

I’ll keep my eye on this. But, in the meantime feel good. All those hours of neighbourhood work are paying off.

Gord

The Councillor also provided this snapshot comparing the 2016 budget to the 2017 proposed budget:

The 2009-2010 Green Feasibility Study was funded by a $100,000 grant secured by Friends of Sorauren Park from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and a matching $100,000 from the City. It contains the most recent concept plans for the centre which would re-purpose the old 40,000 sq. ft. linseed oil mill on the site.Follow this site, subscribe to our newsletter or follow @SoraurenPark on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates.