As Toronto’s urban landscape continues to evolve, so too does its community. The City of Toronto is planning a new recreation centre at Sorauren Park, southwest of Lansdowne Avenue and Dundas Street West in the Parkdale neighbourhood. The Wabash Community Centre will reuse elements of the former Canadian Linseed Oil Mills Ltd. building currently at the site.
The project’s timeline started in 2018 with a Public Meeting and Workshop, and a design team was hired in December of 2019. The City of Toronto has set up three phases of community engagement from Summer 2020 to 2023.
The former Canadian Linseed Oil Mills Ltd. building, located at 40 Wabash Avenue, dates back to 1910 but any work within the building ended in 1969. Now, it will be given a new lease of life as part of this project, demonstrating how Toronto is blending the old with the new in its urban landscape. In this case, the City’s Parks and Recreation Facilities planners will collaborate with Heritage Preservation Services in retaining heritage elements such as the chimney and principal facades.
The Wabash Community Centre design by Diamond Schmitt Architects is for a four-storey building, set to include communal features such as a swimming pool, a double gymnasium including a basketball court and fitness area, and as a nod to environmental measure the city must take going forward, a green roof atop the third floor with solar panels.
At grade, the plans include a variety of features such as an off-leash area and social seating area to the north. To the south, the Town Square is to offer a variety of seating options and open space. The east end is set to offer vehicular parking and a pick-up and drop-off area.
The City of Toronto is working Indigenous community members in planning the site, including meeting with an Indigenous Advisory Circle and consulting with Indigenous Peoples on how to best recognize the site’s history and Indigenous presence on the land. To the west of the building will be a Sacred Fire Ceremonial Space. This tradition is a key ceremony in Indigenous traditions, and for the sake of air quality, the City currently permits these fires at just three locations.
At this time, the City of Toronto is inviting the public to offer feedback on the preferred design for the centre. A Virtual Public Meeting is scheduled for July 5, 2023, and the City is also encouraging residents to participate in an online survey and attend in-person park pop-up events. The next in-person event is currently scheduled for June 24, 2023 at Sorauren Park from 5:00 to 9:15 PM.
This initiative is part of the City’s commitment to involving the community in the development process, and plays a small part in reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The survey includes questions for the Indigenous community on the Sacred Fire Ceremonial Space and Indigenous Placekeeping elements.
The current phase is focused on community engagement and setting the direction. Detailed design is targeted to be completed by 2024, with construction to follow and expected to be completed by 2027.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Diamond Schmitt Architects |