Revitalization or demise of Cabbagetown?

A storm is brewing over key elements in the BIA’s Sunarts, Cabbagetown Revitalization Plan. The proposed plan is about to be submitted to the City of Toronto for approval and although it contains many positive aspects, it also includes the creation of concentrated public seating area’s just off Parliament Street at the intersections of Winchester, Carlton and Spruce Streets.
In other neighborhoods, public seating can work however; loitering continues to be a serious problem on Parliament Street - affecting both residents and businesses alike. It is therefore perplexing that the BIA’s answer to the pan handling, loitering and public drunkenness would be to create comfortable seating areas for those involved in these pursuits.

As part of the plan, four mini ‘sun parks’ will be created at the afore mentioned corners by way of benches surrounding new tree plantings and chess tables with stools - designed to accommodate between 50-70 people. Far from increasing business for our merchants and or, creating a safe, neighborhood-friendly environment for our residents, any plan that further facilitates loitering will only exacerbate the current situation.

To view the entire revitalization plan, please visit: http://www.sunarts.ca/ - click on the Cabbage

Ironically, the BIA in conjunction with the Don Vale Cabbagetown Residents Association (DVCRA) recently completed a survey, from which two major concerns were identified:

· 62% of Cabbagetowner’s have major concerns regarding public drunkenness and loitering
· 52% have major concerns surrounding the fast bicycle /scooter riding on sidewalks

The BIA & DVCRA concluded that: “As a priority, panhandling must be meaningfully curtailed and other negative behaviors - public drunkenness and loitering – controlled, if the Street is to thrive economically”.

The Don Vale Cabbagetown Residents Association survey in conjunction with the Olde Cabbagetown BIA in May and June of 2007 - http://76.74.187.10/~donvalec/issues/parliament-street-survey-summary/)

If you beleive that seating will only serve to make matters worse and you want your voice to be heard, then email the entire board of the BIA. Copy and paste the following email addresses into an email;

carolbee@interlog.com; barracuda@mdirect.net; mhaddad@istar.ca; rcjavier@rogers.com; pjunior@rogers.com; lapointe@torontothegood.com; lookingglass582@aol.com; robert@benwickspub.com; dmegly@danieletdaniel.ca; homehardware485@rogers.com; george@number9.ca; tanbo@rogers.com; cabbagetown2.0@gmail.com; mhaddad@istar.ca; councillor_mcconnell@toronto.ca; hbyres@toronto.ca; mhaddad@istar.ca; doug@oldcabbagetown.com; paul.dineen@on.aibn.com; russ@freethechildren.com