Construction of a New Park 2600 square meter located between Richmond Street West and Nelson Street, east of John Street. The winning design is called Wawatesi (Firefly in Anishinaabemowin). The scope includes planting along Richmond and Nelson Streets. A public washroom. A Balcony, which is an elevated platform to watch and perform. Also included are sustainability features such as Bioswale Planters (Green Stormwater Infrastructure), Seating Edges from Salvaged Concrete, Native Cedar Accent Tree, Natural Firefly Habitat. Balcony Structure from Low-Carbon Concrete; Fern Garden with Native & Novel Habitat for Insects; Recycled Steel Slide; Salvaged Boulders from Quarry Waste; Dense Root Systems: Birch groves planted as small trees and grow up together; Restored soil with healthy mycelium network and probiotic activity; Mycelium path made from carbon-negative concrete unit pavers; and Native understory planting attracts pollinators, birds, and small mammals. TIMELINE:
Request for Proposals has been awarded by the owner. The Architectural design team design teams is led by a Landscape Architect and will provide preliminary and detailed design for the development of the new park and will work as owners' agent during the construction.
Five shortlisted design teams were announced in June 2023, with the subsequent designs from each team having been submitted late Summer 2023.
As of Late December 2023, the City of Toronto revealed the winner of an international design competition as the Wawatesi design.
The complete team consists of West 8 Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, hcma Architecture and Design, Native Art Department International, MinoKamik Collective, ARUP, KG&A, ERA Architects and A.W. Hooker.
The detailed design process and the hiring of a construction team is scheduled to take place in 2024, before construction beginning in 2025 and completion by 2026.
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