Community consults on green space design

Dennis Hanagan –

Regent Park is closer to getting its athletic grounds with consultations underway involving community members offering ideas of what they’d like to see there.

A meeting was held at the Daniels Spectrum Feb. 26 with about 150 people gathered around tables, discussing ideas and using maps of the grounds to see what types of facilities could fit into the space.

The park must include a soccer field that can convert to a cricket pitch, an ice rink and a basketball court.

But community members were free to offer other ideas that could include a community garden, a musical play area, a splash pad, a football field, in-line skating, a baseball diamond and a running track.

On March 27, planners were scheduled to present two park layouts that incorporated ideas people had decided on at the February meeting.

The grounds, hunkered into space near the corner of Sumach and Shuter streets, will be constructed as part of Regent Park’s Phase 3 redevelopment which is set to begin in late April.

The planned opening for the park is set for Spring 2015.

The work is funded through a partnership of Toronto Community Housing, Daniels and the Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment’s Team Up Foundation.