Comment 114641

By RobF (registered) | Posted November 05, 2015 at 10:46:25 in reply to Comment 114625

With respect to the Regent Park revitalization I don't think we can simply say "good" or "bad" idea yet. The reviews for the original Regent Park were initially positive. When we talk about it now we have the benefit of decades of hindsight. The first phase of the new Regent Park is 6 years old and the Don Mount revitalization to its east about 10 years old. In the Don Mount, Ray Moriyama designed mid-rise modernist apartment blocks were torn down and replaced with denser, more "urban" townhouses/row housing with a restoration of the original street grid. That might be a better comparison to consider.

I would flag as something to for further consideration the notion that the new Regent Park "appears to be paying for itself". On what basis?

It is true that to finance the redevelopment the City of Toronto and TCHC have leveraged the gap between low-rise modest density 3 storey apartment blocks and rowhouses set within, perhaps, too much green/open space and a taller, high-rise apartments and greater lot coverage with mid-rise buildings and low-rise townhouses in-between. But the ability to monetize intensification of use isn't unlimited.

Over time the new public housing units will degrade unless infused with new capital, which is what private, market housing has to do periodically ... 100 year-old character homes don't stay "nice" magically. So in 20, 30, 40 years if we don't see continual investment in maintenance and improvements we will face the same dilemma with the new public housing units we've financed via allowing a private sector partner buy some of the land for intensified use. Except that trying to increase from the new density/use to something greater will be harder the next time around.

Not necessarily an argument for or against. But a reminder that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Comment edited by RobF on 2015-11-05 11:51:31

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